Manufacturer Allocation

Marks On The Weapon

The fastest way to allocate a weapon to the particular manufacturer occurs by using the country-specific marks. Most of them are engraved on pistols produced before 1990. The following listed marks are to find on the left side of the frame above the grip. Exceptions are the guns from Suhl, Germany. There, the marks are graved on the right from the safety lever and up front of the frame.

Proof Marks

Arsenal, Bulgarian Baikal, Russia Norinco, China Armories Suhl, Germany
Drawing: Pistol Makarov 9 mm - Proof Marks Arsenal, Bulgaria Pistol Makarov 9 mm - Proof Marks Baikal, Russia Pistol Makarov 9 mm - Proof Marks Norinco, China Pistol Makarov 9 mm - Proof Marks Armories Suhl, Germany
Picture: Pistol Makarov 9 mm - Proof Marks Arsenal, Bulgaria Pistol Makarov 9 mm - Proof Marks Baikal, Russia Pistol Makarov 9 mm - Proof Marks Norinco, China Pistol Makarov 9 mm - Proof Marks Armories Suhl, Germany
Dimension: Height, width: approx. 5 mm Height, width: approx. 5 mm Height, width: approx. 5 mm Height, width: 3 mm

Other Identifiers On The Weapon

Arsenal, Bulgarian Baikal, Russia Norinco, China Armories Suhl, Germany
arsenal Baikal Norinco Ernst Thälmann Fabrik
mod. MAKAROV cal. 9x18 Baikal-442 Model 59 Ernst Thälmann
MAKAROV CAL. 9x18 Izhmech MADE IN CHINA SIMSON SUHL/THüR
MADE IN BULGARIA IMEZ SIMSON SUHL
IMZ MAKAROV 9x18 mm
Izhmekh MADE IN GERMANY
MADE IN RUSSIA
IJ-70
IJ70
Izh-70
Cal. 380 ACP
Cal. 9 mm Makarov

Serial Numbers

Except for the armories in Suhl, all manufacturer used Cyrillic characters.

Explanation:
$ - Character
# - Figure

Arsenal, Bulgarian Baikal, Russia Norinco, China Armories Suhl, Germany
$$ ## #### $$ #### $$#### $$ ####
$$###### $$###### $ ####
$ $$ #### V######1)
$$## ######
### ## #####

1) The "V" stands for a test series (German: "Versuchsserie"). This character was used 1995 for only 16 pistols.

Specials

Pistols with adjustable sights are produced by Baikal. The same is to mention for pistols with ten or twelve bullets.

Norinco assembles grips with 5 (one great and 4 small) stars.
Pistol Makarov 9 mm - grip Norinco, China

Models which provide the possibility to manipulate the slide in locked state (safety lever horizontal) derive from Suhl. Often a woman who forges a sword is pictured on the slide. In the anvil is the word "Suhl" graved. The grips are usually made with black plastics.