I'll give my 2 cents about the Makarov. Love that gun! Small enough for an sob or under the arm holster, very accurate out of the box, and a hard hitting little round. Never a problem with it and always the funnest to shoot. (except for the .444) But Jake would need the .444 before Jack sooooo...



KRW

Another Makaholic! What kind do you have? Mine's an East German ex-Stasi issue (secret police). A nice counterpart to my ex-Niedersachsen Staatspolizei Walther PP in 7.65mm (issued to a "Gerlach"--came complete with the original box!). I have put thousands of rounds through that Mak, and have carried it for personal protection with Hornady and CorBon hollowpoints. I would (and have) stake(d) my life on it.

If it has to be silenced, I'd go with the previously recommended Ruger Mark II. The Mossad (Israeli Secret Service) purportedly uses this gun for close-quarters extermination, aiming for the eyes. The Mafia did (does?) use a .22 for executions. The bullets usually deform enough to make ballistic matching difficult or impossible. They would use a revolver, like the S&W Kit Gun, so they wouldn't have to hunt for the ejected cases (rimfire cases can be matched to the firing pin of the gun that fired it). Unless using a silencer is critical to the story, I would go with the Smith & Wesson.

The Mark II is nice. The first pistol I ever shot (back in the '60s) was a Mark I, and I own a Mark II. It is, however, single action, has a funky cocking mechanism that might be awkward and noisy in extremis, and is very large for a .22. It's my choice for target practice, plinking, and instruction, but not for whacking.

The Mark II is nice. The first pistol I ever shot (back in the '60s) was a Mark I, and I own a Mark II. It is, however, single action, has a funky cocking mechanism that might be awkward and noisy in extremis, and is very large for a .22. It's my choice for target practice, plinking, and instruction, but not for whacking.

Oh? What pistol do you prefer to use when you "whack" someone?

Oh? What pistol do you prefer to use when you "whack" someone?

You mean "allegedly" whack someone.

Another Makaholic! What kind do you have? Mine's an East German ex-Stasi issue (secret police). A nice counterpart to my ex-Niedersachsen Staatspolizei Walther PP in 7.65mm (issued to a "Gerlach"--came complete with the original box!). I have put thousands of rounds through that Mak, and have carried it for personal protection with Hornady and CorBon hollowpoints. I would (and have) stake(d) my life on it.

Mine says an IJ-70. Of course it's the 9x18. It's also very easy to field strip without tools. Just pull the trigger gaurd down on the front and pull the slide back and lift.

I've never bothered to find out to much about it. I bought it over a decade ago because it was cheap. But it's easily become one of my favorite pistols. Never jammed, shoots strait, easily concealable. What's not to like?


KRW

Mine says an IJ-70. Of course it's the 9x18. It's also very easy to field strip without tools. Just pull the trigger gaurd down on the front and pull the slide back and lift.

I've never bothered to find out to much about it. I bought it over a decade ago because it was cheap. But it's easily become one of my favorite pistols. Never jammed, shoots strait, easily concealable. What's not to like?


KRW

That's the Russian commercial version. Produced by Izhmash in Baikal.

Ever read/see Jimmy Breslin's "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight?" That gives you an idea of how well your average goombah can shoot. Mafia types (and I knew some in my old neighborhood) carry .38 revolvers (usually snub-nosed) to "impress," but they use .22s because most hits are preplanned and close-up. If they can't come behind and get within touching distance, they contract it out to someone who knows how to shoot. Then, they whack the hitter rather than pay off if they can.

That said, Walther makes a P-22 (I have one) with a suppressor that is fitted on with an adaptor. I have seen/held a Ruger Mk. II with an integral, suppressed barrel. The Walther would be good for concealment, but I would prefer the Ruger for accuracy and more reliable cycling. It is so simple that very little can go wrong, but it is a pain to clean!

NewYorkjoe

Went shooting at the indoor range. Since they owed me 6 boxes of .45s, I brought three .45 pistols with me: Colt Series '70 Gold Cup National Match, Kimber Eclipse Officer's Model, H&K USP Tactical.
After shooting 100 rounds through each, discovered the following:
1. None of the three jammed or failed to feed.
2. The Kimber was the most accurate, although the Gold Cup's barrel was an inch longer.
3. The laser module on the H&K was an aid for aiming, but did not really improve accuracy. The H&K has an O-ring, rather than a steel bushing at the muzzle. This means that the group it can shoot has a built-in extra variable. The laser loosened up after 58 shots and the mount had to be retightened. Lasers are great indoors or at night and the intimidation factor can mean that an assailant will back down and you won't have to shoot.
4. Although the Gold Cup (and especially the Series '70) has been considered a benchmark for factory .45 pistols, it still has a little too much play in it.
5. The Kimber, with many of the custom features found on custom shop .45s is solid, stainless steel, does not rattle, and gives great first-shot accuracy. You can pay twice as much for a custom shop pistol, but it will not be twice the gun.

Respectfully submitted,
NewYorkjoe

Ever read/see Jimmy Breslin's "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight?" That gives you an idea of how well your average goombah can shoot. Mafia types (and I knew some in my old neighborhood) carry .38 revolvers (usually snub-nosed) to "impress," but they use .22s because most hits are preplanned and close-up. If they can't come behind and get within touching distance, they contract it out to someone who knows how to shoot. Then, they whack the hitter rather than pay off if they can.

That said, Walther makes a P-22 (I have one) with a suppressor that is fitted on with an adaptor. I have seen/held a Ruger Mk. II with an integral, suppressed barrel. The Walther would be good for concealment, but I would prefer the Ruger for accuracy and more reliable cycling. It is so simple that very little can go wrong, but it is a pain to clean!

NewYorkjoe

That Ruger you mentioned, if I recall correctly, has been issued to our spec ops people for wet work. In a military application it would be ideal.

BTW, here's the threaded barrel for the Makarov, which is readily available by mail order (suppressor not included).

http://www.makarov.com/graphics/thrdbarl.jpg

Supposedly the wise guys like .22s because the bullets bounce around inside the skull and cause more damage,

Not only that, when then bounce it distorts the round enough so that its hard to get a good ballistics match.

Keep all them posts comin' guys- I am getting one hell of an education here! Wonder if I can use http://www.repairmanjack.com towards a college credit? "Small Caliber Handguns 101"?

Oh, and if after this thread is done I post looking to borrow a shovel, don't ask.