Which Makarovs are considered Curios and Relics?
For those not familiar with the Curio and Relic FFL, visit the Cruffler.com page. While the list of C&R weapons includes both the East German and Russian Makarovs, the general consensus is that only the original Russian military Makarovs are included among the Russian guns. That is, the commercially produced Baikal IJ-70 with a rear target sight does not qualify under the spirit of the C&R law. While there are some dealers that will sell IJ-70s to C&R licensed individuals, we recommend that you do not engage in such a transaction. The Bureau of ATF has not made a definitive written statement about the IJ-70, but in our opinion, it does not qualify under C&R. The East German guns are clearly C&R eligible. The Bulgarian (including Miltex), Chinese, and Simson-Suhl are not considered curio & relics. Note that occasionally, dealers will have a batch of Bulgarian Makarovs with a Russian military Makarov tucked in among them. Know your markings. Of course, convincing the dealer that it’s a R
