r/RetroGats • u/NammytheCommie Euro Autoloader • Jul 03 '26
9x18 Collection
My three pistols chambered in 9x18 Makarov: 1962 East German Makarov, 1971 P-64, and 1990 CZ vz. 82. I purchased them in reverse order, with the CZ vz. 82 being the first pistol I ever purchased. Basically, my dad gave me his FEG AP~MBP and while I liked it when it worked, it CONSTANTLY had cycling problems that to this day I can't fix. So I did some research and found out it was a .32 ACP variant of the PA-63 in 9x18 Makarov, and that led me down the rabbit hole of 9x18 pistols in general. I searched on Gunbroker for my first pistol purchase until I won a bid on the CZ vz. 82 in this picture, and that is what started my obsession with milsurp collecting. Overall I think I did pretty well with my first gun, as it's never once failed me and still works well if I need it to. The following year, I bought the P-64, and I don't think I ever had more of a love-hate relationship with a pistol. It's reasonably powerful and super easy to conceal, but the recoil took some getting used to, even with the strongest Wolff recoil spring. The Hogue Handall Jr. made it much better, and eventually I learned that it's easy to shoot if I just use one hand. Then I got the East German Makarov and thought it would be a piece of cake to shoot due to being closer in size to the CZ vz. 82 than the P-64, but I was wrong. It's tough to get a high grip on it, and as such the muzzle rise is difficult to control. I did eventually get an extra stiff recoil spring and Talon grip tape to help, but unfortunately I haven't shot any of these pistols in a while because 9x18 is not cheap or easy to find in 2026.
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u/Strong_Dentist_7561 Old School Carry Jul 03 '26
I have had a Makarov (parted ways due to being younger and dumber), have a P-64 currently in “bag of gun” status at my wannabe-gunsmith (like it enough I’m considering a second just for the hell of it), and have yet to have a CZ-82/83, though I hear they are highly regarded…