I recently wondered about the eligibility of Russian commercial Makarovs for C&R sales. The FAQ here says:



It rather hazily mentions 'general consensus' which to me is not a definitive answer.

There appears to be no reason why they wouldn't be eligible. The list does not specify anything like 'ex-military only', it simply says:



In other words, there is no good reason why a 9x18 IJ70, even a double-stack one, couldn't be transferred directly to a C&R holder. It cannot be a matter of markings because most Makarov pistols do not bear a model marking of that name, including the ex-military Russians and East Germans. Also, needless to say, age has nothing to do with the eligibility of a gun named on the list.

PS: After a search, I became aware that I'm far from the first to raise this issue, but I haven't yet seen a satisfying answer to the question.

The list says "Russian" Makarovs. The IJ-70 and variants are Russian made, and Makarovs. To hell with the "spirit" of the law. What the law actually says is what the law is. If they didn't want the commercial Makarovs to count they should have been more specific.



I got my IJ-70 in CA due to the C&R list (as C&R's are exempt from the Handgun Roster). The CA DOJ didn't have a problem with it.

Those words mean nothing to Government.  Look at the SKS situation. Same rifle, identical. Some are C&R some aren't

I should have said, no legal reason. The list only specifies country and caliber, Russian and 9x18, which includes many or most of the IJ70s.

Compare with the entry for the Dragunov, which says 'Soviet military issue only'. If they wanted to exclude the IJ70 they'd have said the same for the Makarov.