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revolverrandy
May 11, 2010, 12:59 PM
I'm looking for an inexpensive,low recoil handgun for my wife for personal protection.something that will be reliable and easy to handle.
anyone have experience with this one ?
also,any ide if find ammo for this would be an issue?

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/p/polish-p83-9x18-makarov-style%2C-double-action-very-good-condition/products_id/4003?osCsid=44a97749ec76f1dcb668c37f43dcc19f

FreakGasolineFight
May 11, 2010, 01:21 PM
Nothing wrong with a good Makarov. Ammo might be a bit tricky to find, but it's not impossible, especially if you order it in bulk online.

pelo801
May 11, 2010, 01:33 PM
i have one of those, i don't really shoot it all that much. but i have never had a problem with it. silver bear ammo is cheap and easy to find online. and the silver bear hp is actually pretty good. but as far as recoil goes, the maks can be a little stiff. my girlfriend, 5'1, 115 lbs, doesn't really enjoy shooting any of mine. but i love them. i do find the p-83, to be a little less stiff than some of my "real" maks. so if it were me, i would consider something a little less in recoil, but maybe a little more expensive. but i would not rule it out, either.

Claude Clay
May 11, 2010, 02:04 PM
personal protection at home/car or to carry on herself??

what you have picked shipped in stands $300 and is big, heavy and expensive to feed--meaning costly to practice.

home/car a 357 3"revolver loaded down with 38+p's
carry for her is what she choses and fits her--its like you cant very well by shoes for someone else, right?
$300 gets her a kel-tek 380 or used pf9 or p11
look at glocks also.....think of it as a tool and even i can get past the
'i hate glocks' attitude.

pelo801
May 11, 2010, 02:45 PM
meaning costly to practice.
http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=ABB918FMJ&groupid=45
nah, not really!

torpeau
May 11, 2010, 06:48 PM
Nothing wrong with a good Makarov. Ammo might be a bit tricky to find, but it's not impossible, especially if you order it in bulk online.

It's not a Makarov. I simply uses 9mm Makarov ammo which is pretty cheap and not too difficult to get -- especially online. I have never fired this Polish pistol, but the pistols roughly the same size (Makarovs) aren't bad to shoot.

revolverrandy
May 11, 2010, 08:19 PM
Home protection mostly cluade
380 looks like it would good deal more expensive as far as ammo goes.
I am one of those guys who doesn't want any type of plastic gun,even if its free.

oneounceload
May 11, 2010, 08:27 PM
Has SHE fired it? Before YOU go pick one for her, perhaps you need to get to the range and let her try a whole bunch to see what SHE likes, not what you think she might want

revolverrandy
May 11, 2010, 08:36 PM
There is no way to test fire it.Only place i see it is online.She has shot b4.Shot my hi power 9mm,my k frame 38 special and my ruger mark 2 .
she doesn't like the feel or look of plastic guns either.She says the are ugly and top heavy lol.I tend to agree.She like the way a 1911 feels but doesn't want to spend that much.
When I take her to gun shops,all the ones the sales guy tries to push on her,she never likes.they always bring out ones with small grips and light weight.She doesn't like the small grips and the out of balance ugly plastic ones

SouthCali
May 11, 2010, 08:40 PM
Simple, Reliable, S&W .38

Honestly, any decent .38 is what i recommend for inexperienced shooters looking for a home defense.
http://www.impactguns.com/store/media/smith_642.jpg

pvashcraft
May 11, 2010, 08:40 PM
I have a Bulgarian Makarov and I love it! It is very dependable and my wife loves to shoot it. The one you are looking at is not a Makarov, but J&G does have the Makarov for 229.00 right now.

revolverrandy
May 11, 2010, 08:43 PM
http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/handguns/makarov/p/bulgarian-makarov-9x18%2C-w-holster-very-good-condition/cPath/16_151/products_id/4118?osCsid=44a97749ec76f1dcb668c37f43dcc19f

KMO
May 11, 2010, 08:50 PM
My buddy bought one of these from J & G, but J & G is also the only place where he can find ammo for it. We live just an hour from there, so it's not a big deal for him. Not sure where you are, but make certain you can find ammo easily if you get one. I'll say this...it is a very accurate pistol at 30 feet. There are other options out there. My recommendation would be to choose something that uses ammo more commonly available.

revolverrandy
May 11, 2010, 09:01 PM
Thanks KMo,I was wondering about that

12gad
May 12, 2010, 12:15 AM
maybe a .32? I have a 32 s&w long that Ive been thinking about getting rid of bigger than a .32 Acp smaller than a .38.

Chesster
May 12, 2010, 12:34 AM
The Polish P83 is similar in size and wt to the Soviet/EG/Bulg./Chinese Makarov. Mine is reliable with FMJ, not much chance to try any HP ammo in it. It is made of sheet metal, ie, cheap to manufacture. Rough SA trigger, heavy-heavy DA. Not something most women I know would be thrilled to carry. I would have to recommend a good used Smith 36/37 or Colt Detective/Cobra/Agent.

revolverrandy
May 12, 2010, 01:01 AM
I have been considering the .32.
I don't see much of that ammo around either though.
Those snubby s&w's have a good kick to them being such a small gun ,not best for her as far as recoil

azredhawk44
May 12, 2010, 01:38 AM
Any of the 9x18 semiautos, aside from the premium-regarded Bulgarian and East German true Makarovs, tend to be very heavy in DA mode and crunchy/gritty with SA mode unless some TLC is given to them.

I've got a PA-63 that bears this out. A Wolff spring kit fixed a good bit of the DA tightness, but it still ain't great.

If she is beyond the point of "oh my gosh it goes bang! when I shoot it!" and can handle the guns you listed earlier, then she's ready for a good, inexpensive but serviceable gun. Not a combloc surplus import that has collector sentiment but inferior qualities to other guns in regard to trigger pull in a defensive situation.

Nothing wrong whatsoever with a 4" barreled, K-frame .38 special. They balance well, have extremely light recoil, and have defended Americans in various walks of life for nearly 100 years. You said this is home protection mostly.

Webleymkv
May 12, 2010, 01:50 AM
If you're just looking for a house gun, you might want to look at one of these

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/smith-wesson/revolver/p/smith-wesson-model-64-38spl-4in-stainless%2C-square-butt-w-bobbed-hammer-very-good-condition/cPath/16_211_431/products_id/3103?osCsid=44a97749ec76f1dcb668c37f43dcc19f

Or, if you want SA capability as well

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/smith-wesson/revolver/p/smith-wesson-model-10%2C-4in-heavy-barrel-good-to-very-good-condition/cPath/16_211_431/products_id/3905?osCsid=44a97749ec76f1dcb668c37f43dcc19f

.38 Special is a suitable self-defense cartridge with a much better selection of premium JHP's than 9x18 Makarov. Recoil of a .38 from an all-steel S&W K-Frame is quite mild, and .38 Special ammo isn't particularly expensive or difficult to find.

If you really want to get a handgun in 9x18 Makarov, you might also look at one of these as they have higher capacity magazines

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/handguns/cz-surplus/p/cz-82-czech-9x18-makarov-military-pistol%2C-very-good-condition%2C-one-mag-c-r-/cPath/16_155/products_id/3050?osCsid=44a97749ec76f1dcb668c37f43dcc19f

Hoss Fly
May 12, 2010, 06:13 AM
CDNN has some great prices on 9x18 shooters now too :cool:

rickyjames
May 12, 2010, 06:47 AM
makarov 9x18 is a blowback type pistol and in my mind has a greater recoil than a 38 revolver, 380 auto, or many 9mm. i think there are better choices in a similar or even smaller size for a woman that does not like recoil. is this a cc weapon or a house gun? if it is for cc she might need a smaller gun in one of those calibers. if it is a house gun it can be larger and the extra weight helps tame the recoil. a 38/357 loaded with 38 ammo is always a good choice for an inexperienced shooter of either sex not only for the recoil but also for the ease of use.

FEG
May 12, 2010, 07:40 PM
The P-83 Vanad is generally inferior to both the FEG PA-63 and the Bulgarian PM (Makarov). All of these pistols have heavy DA pulls, gritty SA pulls (with stacking), and heavy felt recoil with the stock (OEM) springs. It's easy to get spring upgrade kits for the PA-63 and Makarov. The Vanads have been around long enough now that spring kits may be available.

One problem is that the spring upgrades would probably make the Vanad difficult to rack; it certainly does on the FEG and Mak.

Don't get me wrong, you could do a lot worse than a Vanad. OTOH, I would recommend a .38 snub. I've yet to meet a woman who didn't like them.

revolverrandy
May 12, 2010, 09:40 PM
I have a k frame s&w 38 special with 4" barrel .she shoots it from time to time but doesn't like it whole lot.Not really her thing.with the weight of the frame the recoil on it is not bad at all.I recently got to shooting pretty accurate with it as long i use 158 gr.

Elvishead
May 13, 2010, 04:58 AM
revolverrandy,

Why not a used trade in S&W .38 revolver from jg? $199 on up.....:eek:

At least you know it can be repaired by every Gunsmith, and get part's for it.:rolleyes:

revolverrandy
May 13, 2010, 12:58 PM
As I stated above,they are nice guns,I own one.She has fired it and doesn't care for it.Everyone must not read the entire thread before posting replies?

AcridSaint
May 13, 2010, 01:49 PM
I have not owned that gun, I have owned a makarov and have shot the CZ-82/83's. I don't know about the gun in question, but the Mak was not big and heavy when I carried it and I feel that it and the CZs have less recoil than the 38+Ps, they are dead accurate and have more rounds to put down range. For less money and from personal experience, I would go ahead and recommend the CZ-82.

I see no reason to disparage this type of auto pistol in favor of a snub revolver. I carry a revolver regularly and have one as I type, but that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with 9x18 autos.

cw_mi
May 13, 2010, 02:10 PM
A friends wife has a (and I have drawn a blank) FN something, it shoots a 5.56 round , I think. Holds 20 rounds , she loves it. Also have you looked at the new Keltec that is coming out ? Has a 20 round capacity of .22 mag

I think a KT P11 would have way to much recoil , I know it would be for my wife. A KT P3AT or P32 would be a better choice.

pacerdude
May 13, 2010, 03:01 PM
I have heard great things about Makarov pistols. I know that they were carried as police and military sidearms in Eastern Europe for quite awhile. They are supposed to be very reliable, and apparently the ammo for a makarov is plentiful and cheap.