Pistole M
VEB Fahrzeug- und Waffenfabrik Ernst Thalmann · Pistol · Discontinued · 1958
Also known as: Makarow Pistole M, Pistole M (DDR), NVA Makarov
Overview
The Pistole M is an East German license-produced version of the Soviet Makarov PM, a compact blowback-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered in 9x18mm Makarov. Manufactured at the VEB Fahrzeug- und Waffenfabrik Ernst Thalmann works in Suhl, it served as the standard sidearm of the National People's Army, the Volkspolizei, the Border Troops and the Stasi from the late 1950s. Mechanically identical to the Soviet original, it uses a fixed barrel and unlocked breech in which the mass of the slide and recoil spring alone contain the moderate-pressure 9x18mm cartridge. The double-action/single-action trigger, frame-mounted safety-decocker and eight-round single-stack magazine follow the Makarov pattern exactly. Built to Warsaw Pact interoperability standards, the East German guns are prized by collectors for their high-quality Suhl workmanship and are outwardly distinguished mainly by their proof marks and grip medallion.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 730 g (25.8 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 810 g (28.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 161 mm (6.34") |
| Barrel Length | 93.5 mm (3.68") |
| Height | 127 mm (5.00") |
| Width | 29 mm (1.14") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 315 m/s (1033 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 303 J (223 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 260 mm (10.24") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x18mm Makarov · primary — also known as 9mm Makarov, 9x18mm PM
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Decocker, Magazine Disconnect, Half Cock Notch
- Features: Free Blowback Design, Fixed Barrel, Chrome Lined Barrel, Double Action Single Action, Heel Magazine Release
Base model
Service history
Operators
- East German National People's Army (NVA) · adopted 1958
- Ministry for State Security (Stasi) · adopted 1958
- German People's Police (Volkspolizei) · adopted 1958
- Border Troops of the GDR (Grenztruppen) · adopted 1958
Production
Estimated total produced: 100,000 · Production years: 1958-1965
Approximate; East German Makarov output at the Suhl works is commonly estimated near 100,000, though exact figures are not published.
Origin
Country of origin: East Germany
Designer: Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov
Discontinued: 1965
Notes
The Pistole M was East Germany's licensed Makarov, produced at the Ernst Thalmann plant in Suhl beginning in the late 1950s to give the NVA and security services a modern Warsaw Pact sidearm in place of earlier Soviet-supplied pistols. Production is generally cited as running from about 1958 into the mid-1960s, after which the GDR sourced Makarovs from other Warsaw Pact producers; East German examples are noted for particularly clean fit and finish. The pistol is mechanically a straight copy of the Soviet PM: free-blowback action, fixed barrel, double-action/single-action hammer, and a heel-mounted magazine release. It is often encountered with a two-tone military rig and is one of the more sought-after Makarov variants on the collector market.
Background
Because it equipped the NVA, the Border Troops and the feared Stasi, the East German Pistole M became an unofficial emblem of GDR state power, and after reunification thousands of surplus Suhl-made Makarovs flooded onto the Western collector market where their crisp workmanship earned them a reputation as the best-finished Makarovs ever built.