Month: February 2021

CF98 PRICE SWINGS!

A few days ago I blogged about CF98 price coming down to Rs 70 to 80k. Just two days ago I got word that CF98 is selling from Rs 50 to 60k. That is really some price drop! But from what I have heard the pistols are still not selling. The reason I have been told is that a huge lot of them was held up at the port because of some reason. The packing had deterriorated, some of the handguns had rusted, and were in pretty bad shape. Anyways they say pistols were cleared after many years, they were reblued, in some cases renumbered and repacked. They also say news has a way of getting around, so people got wind of it. Sales dropped and here we are today. These are rumors.

But the actual story is that around 4000 pistols landed in Pakistan. The market did not have that much capacity. Prices dropped. There were lots of rumors in between. But just today I got word the price has again shot back to 70k.

I want to thank SZ for pointing out this fact. He commented and I had to make lots of calls to get to the truth. Many thanks sir. Your comment is valuable. The post has this been updated. I apologize if this has caused inconvenience to anyone.

But really there’s a lot of people who still believe in the rumors.

Makarov 12 shot , 2020 model arrives

Saw this 2020 model Makarov, 12 shot pistol, by Baikal, MP442 (Russian). It is 9 x 18 Makarov, with two 12 round magazines. The 20 preceding its serial number denotes the year of manufacture. It is a decent pistol, reliable , accurate and small size, minus the slightly thick grip. It has a special magazine that has two springs, a smaller upper magazine for the single rounds and it gets wider after that (towards the base)  so has another spring for the double stack rounds. Also has a safety/decocker and firing pin block etc. I have used this particular brand for 5 years without a hiccup. Presently selling for Rs 110 to 130k. It is a good concealed carry choice, plus the ammo is very cheap. A very good choice for SD/CC.

 

Makarov copy, Pakistan made



There’s nothing very fascinating about a pistol being copied. To me its like duping people. In fact it is very much like that. So when a friend showed me this Makarov, I chided him for getting it blued fresh and devaluing it considerably. That is when he told me it was a local copy, I will prefer to call it a “Pakarov” 🙂 I have seen desi Makarovs, they were nothing impressive to speak about, and about performance nothing could be said. However, now that CNC machines are being used en masse and craftsmen have learned how to copy any pistol, a Makarov was natural, considering its demand in recent years. In fact it will not be incorrect to say that Makarov was and has always been an underrated pistol in Pakistan. It was regarded just another military surplus pistol by almost everyone. But then when imports were banned five years ago, people looked for alternative options. A military surplus Makarov, sounded perfect. That is when the local industry started copying them using CNC machines. So here’s the review or a comparison of the desi and an original Makarov.

Continue reading Makarov copy, Pakistan made

Canik TP9 Elite Subcompact – review

 

Got to take a closer look at the Canik TP9 Elite Sub-compact few days back. These guns have hit our shores quite recently, one of the first imports here. Canik has been known to make good quality weapons. The Canik TP9 has an impressive line up, but the gun being reviewed is the sub-compact 9 mm. Before the detailed review let me please say that this handgun gets full marks as far as looks are concerned.

Continue reading Canik TP9 Elite Subcompact – review

Sarsilmaz CM9- short review

The Sarsilmaz CM9 is a short recoil operated locked breech semi-automatic compact Turkish 9 mm pistol. It has Polymer frame and Forged steel barrel and slide. It comes with adjustable rear sights, the front sight is fixed. The pistol has manual safety with firing pin block. Front rails under the barrel allow accessories like the flashlight to be added. Here the short review:

 

Continue reading Sarsilmaz CM9- short review

Book Review : Jangloos

Jangloos by Shaukat Siddiqui

Hello. I feel bad writing in English about a book (Jangloos) written originally in Urdu, but please bear with me. I have been reading it for almost last two months. In fact I finished it today.
Jangloos is a set of three books each well over 600 pages. It is set in rural Punjab (Central as well a south), circa 1950’s. It describes the gory events of partition quite frequently. Two convicts Lali and Rahimdad being the main characters escape from jail and try to survive the unforgiving times. Their paths cross many times throughout the story, till the end. (No more spoilers :-))
The author has, through events described how the powerful (politicians, feudals, bureaucrats, military, businessmen, police and judiciary) in this country exploit the weak and poor. And in that the basic human instinct of survival is amply displayed. The characters are brought to life describing their actions and thoughts in detail, thus making the reader feel the story line, in depth. It certainly helps in understanding. The best thing is the use of plain Urdu language, with a smattering of Punjabi in between. It is an easy to read book with a very interesting story, but one which takes a lot of time to read (Over 2000 pages in all). The twists and turns are most unexpected and here is where the reader is left a little bewildered. I believe the author has a very good knowledge about the life in rural areas, about our judicial system, the police etc etc. It mentions the various land reforms and does also mention famous political personalities of its time, through events. It brings the reader in touch with the “real world” to which most of us are oblivious. And finally, the reader comes to realize that very little has changed in this beautiful country. No wonder that the drama serial based on this novel got banned.
And now I am trying to get over the hangover 🙂