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Soviet Union Legacy Tula Arms Plant
Pistolet Makarova (PM)
A simple, blowback-operated semi-automatic pistol that served as the standard sidearm of the Soviet armed forces and much of the Warsaw Pact for over four decades. Its rugged simplicity kept it in production and service across former Soviet states long after the Cold War.
In service since 1951 · 40 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
50
m range
315
m/s
8
rds
💲 ≈ $150 — Approximate surplus/export unit price
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Soviet Union export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 40 operators
In service since 1951. Status: legacy · ~5,000,000 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Effective range
Distance at which the weapon reliably hits point targets. Higher extends engagement envelope.
- 50 m Stronger than 50% of pistols
- Muzzle velocity
Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.
- 315 m/s Bottom 7% of pistols
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 9×18 mm Makarov
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.
- 9 mm
- Ammunition
Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.
- 8 Bottom 10% of pistols
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 0.16 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 1 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
- Barrel length
Barrel length — longer improves muzzle velocity and accuracy, shorter improves handling.
- 93 mm
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $150 Top 2% of pistols
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 5,000,000 Stronger than 88% of pistols
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 40 Stronger than 81% of pistols
Specifications compiled from public Tula Arms Plant and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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How many crew does the Tula Arms Plant Pistolet Makarova (PM) require? +
The Tula Arms Plant Pistolet Makarova (PM) requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Tula Arms Plant Pistolet Makarova (PM)? +
The Tula Arms Plant Pistolet Makarova (PM)'s primary weapon is the 9×18 mm Makarov.
What is the Tula Arms Plant Pistolet Makarova (PM) used for? +
The Tula Arms Plant Pistolet Makarova (PM) is a pistol & sidearm typically used for infantry combat.
How many countries operate the Tula Arms Plant Pistolet Makarova (PM)? +
The Tula Arms Plant Pistolet Makarova (PM) is operated by 40 countries.
How much does the Tula Arms Plant Pistolet Makarova (PM) cost? +
The Tula Arms Plant Pistolet Makarova (PM) has an approximate unit cost of 150 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
