Makarov Fails to Re-Cock Hammer

OmegaE · October 23, 2023, 06:15 PM

My Bulgarian Makarov has been working perfectly fine for several years. Lately, following the initial double-action, the firing mechanism fails to automatically re-cock the HAMMER after the pistol is fired. The SLIDE appears to cycle properly but the hammer is left un-cocked. Concurrently, the SAFETY lever seems to wobble somewhat. This pattern repeats itself with about every other shot, forcing me to manually re-cock to get it into a single-action.

A few relevant observations:
(a) when dry-fired the pistol works perfectly fine with safety firmly holding its ‘fire/safe’ positions;

(b) I used 2 kinds of ammo: Mesko 93 GR Brass, and Wolf 94 GR FMG Steel Case;

(c) since 95 GR is the recommended ammo for Makarov, I wonder if this could cause the issue.

Thank you for your time in trying to help me resolve this.

cecILL · October 25, 2023, 07:58 AM

Make sure it is clean and lubricated.

Try some other types of factory ammo.

OmegaE · October 25, 2023, 08:08 AM

Thanks for you response. It was cleaned and lubed. indeed. Will try another a better ammo... if I could only get it. 9x18 could be tricky to come by.

lee n. field · October 26, 2023, 08:28 PM

Safety wobbling? There's a spring that acts as a detent. Maybe replace that?

tangolima · October 27, 2023, 03:31 AM

You have hammer follow-down. Check the disconnector and the sear engagement.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

**JohnKSa** · October 27, 2023, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Concurrently, the SAFETY lever seems to wobble somewhat.

Are you having to adjust the position of the safety before you manually cock the gun to fire after the hammer has dropped/failed to recock?

If you are, it's probably an issue with the safety/decocker.

With the gun empty and no magazine installed, pull the trigger and while holding the trigger, cycle the slide vigorously (pulling it back and letting it snap all the way forward) without touching the safety/decocker levers several times to see if you can get the hammer to drop/fail to recock. If you can get the hammer to drop/fail to recock doing this exercise, see if the safety/decocker levers have moved. If they do, it's likely an issue with the decocker/safety.

Then, (if you were able to get it to fail in the previous test) repeat the whole exercise, but this time carefully position safety/decocker levers each time you rack the gun. Pull the trigger and hold it and then cycle the slide vigorously. If it fails and the safety hasn't moved, then it's almost certainly a problem with the something like the sear/hammer inside the pistol.

**Aguila Blanca** · October 27, 2023, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangolima

You have hammer follow-down. Check the disconnector and the sear engagement.

Unless the ammo is wimpy enough that the action isn't cycling fully. I used to have a Makarov but I sold it a long time ago, so I can't check it to see if a short stroke could eject and load the next round without fully cocking the hammer.

JJ45 · November 19, 2023, 02:11 PM

Safety wobbling? There is a small pin located on the right side of the safety assembly. As the safety is located on the left side of the slide this pin extends into and rides in a hollow on the right, inside of the slide.

This pin can break or go missing as it seems to be a press fit into the right side of the safety.

I have had this happen and it renders the safety inoperable. Since your safety still works and the pistol is clean (including the safety and the area in which the safety operates) it may just be a worn pin. I would replace the safety.

The only parts I have ever had to replace on these fine little pistols was the safety and trigger bar on separate occasions but on both occasions the problem was completely solved.

**44 AMP** · November 19, 2023, 04:07 PM

Quote:

I can't check it to see if a short stroke could eject and load the next round without fully cocking the hammer.

Every pistol is a bit of a law unto itself, and I don't have a Makarov to check, either, but I have had pistols where a "short stroke" failed to eject the fired case, but DID cock the hammer.

I can't think of a single semi auto where the amount of slide movement needed to cock the hammer is as much as or more than the length of a loaded round.

Some guns will have the hammer cocked before the slide moves more then the length of a fired case.

Your problem with the Makarov is not that it is not cocking the hammer, the problem is that the hammer is not staying cocked, and "following" the slide when it closes.

Ammo does not cause this. It is caused by some wear or failure in one or more of the parts.

Quote:

This pattern repeats itself with about every other shot, forcing me to manually re-cock to get it into a single-action.

This tells me that your gun is right on the ragged edge of complete failure to stay cocked. The most LIKELY cause is wear/breakage of the sear/hammer engagement surface. Not the only possible cause, but the most likely one.

The safety being loose enough to wiggle is also an issue. Can't say from here if it is the cause, or the result of the problem, or just its own separate problem that just happened to show up at the same time.

If you can get the parts, you can swap them out until your problem goes away. This might be on the first change, or the 15th, no way to know.

The best solution is the pistol needs to go to a qualified gunsmith who can check the parts for wear, proper engagement angles and depths, and determine what needs fixing and what doesn't, and is able to repair/replace what needs it, to return the gun to full serviceability.

Not doing that means that, at some point in the future (and it could be the next time the gun gets used) it MAY fail to hold the hammer cocked under any conditions, effectively turning the gun into a DA only (with a broken SA) and there is no guarantee how long that will last.

Get it fixed or make it a wall hanger, but don't run or rely on a broken gun hoping it will work.

Good Luck!

JJ45 · November 20, 2023, 08:00 AM

Replace the safety, hammer, sear, in complete sets, this will include springs if applicable Probably for around $50.

I would also replace the recoil spring (note that this spring is properly reinstalled constricted end first though I have done it backwards with no apparent ill effects

and check all other parts that might be worn or out of spec because if the above parts need replaced others may also.

The Mak is probably the easiest pistol to detail strip and there are plenty of tutorials on the net.You will have a good pistol and at the same time get to know your Mak's parts and their functions.

October 23, 2023, 06:15 PM	#1
OmegaE Junior Member Join Date: October 23, 2023 Posts: 2	Makarov Fails to Re-Cock Hammer My Bulgarian Makarov has been working perfectly fine for several years. Lately, following the initial double-action, the firing mechanism fails to automatically re-cock the HAMMER after the pistol is fired. The SLIDE appears to cycle properly but the hammer is left un-cocked. Concurrently, the SAFETY lever seems to wobble somewhat. This pattern repeats itself with about every other shot, forcing me to manually re-cock to get it into a single-action. A few relevant observations: (a) when dry-fired the pistol works perfectly fine with safety firmly holding its ‘fire/safe’ positions; (b) I used 2 kinds of ammo: Mesko 93 GR Brass, and Wolf 94 GR FMG Steel Case; (c) since 95 GR is the recommended ammo for Makarov, I wonder if this could cause the issue. Thank you for your time in trying to help me resolve this.

October 26, 2023, 08:28 PM	#4
lee n. field Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2002 Location: The same state as Mordor. Posts: 5,588	Safety wobbling? There's a spring that acts as a detent. Maybe replace that? __________________ "As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. "

October 25, 2023, 07:58 AM	#2
cecILL Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2001 Location: central IL Posts: 775	Make sure it is clean and lubricated. Try some other types of factory ammo.

October 25, 2023, 08:08 AM	#3
OmegaE Junior Member Join Date: October 23, 2023 Posts: 2	Thanks for you response. It was cleaned and lubed. indeed. Will try another a better ammo... if I could only get it. 9x18 could be tricky to come by.

October 27, 2023, 03:31 AM	#5
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 5,192	You have hammer follow-down. Check the disconnector and the sear engagement. -TL Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

November 19, 2023, 02:11 PM	#8
JJ45 Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2015 Posts: 911	Safety wobbling? There is a small pin located on the right side of the safety assembly. As the safety is located on the left side of the slide this pin extends into and rides in a hollow on the right, inside of the slide. This pin can break or go missing as it seems to be a press fit into the right side of the safety. I have had this happen and it renders the safety inoperable. Since your safety still works and the pistol is clean (including the safety and the area in which the safety operates) it may just be a worn pin. I would replace the safety. The only parts I have ever had to replace on these fine little pistols was the safety and trigger bar on separate occasions but on both occasions the problem was completely solved.

November 20, 2023, 08:00 AM	#10
JJ45 Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2015 Posts: 911	Replace the safety, hammer, sear, in complete sets, this will include springs if applicable Probably for around $50. I would also replace the recoil spring (note that this spring is properly reinstalled constricted end first though I have done it backwards with no apparent ill effects and check all other parts that might be worn or out of spec because if the above parts need replaced others may also. The Mak is probably the easiest pistol to detail strip and there are plenty of tutorials on the net.You will have a good pistol and at the same time get to know your Mak's parts and their functions.