I don't carry, I do not have a carry permit yet, but when I get one I will carry my mak as a everyday gun.  It is super reliable (see my previous post), accurate, slim, lightweight, and easily concealable (I will carry in the small of my back)

I do take I to the range quite a bit.
The ammo is inexpensive, I don't reload so I use
the blazer ammo (alum shell).

qwk

p.s. A good place to find pics is

http://www.makarov.com/makpics.html

It is also a good source of mak info

I consider mine a defensive weapon.  Probably one of the most reliable and accurate pistols I own.  It's accuracy is better than my dad's glock 22, and on par with my Beretta 92fs.  I shoot it better than my 92.  I have a hi-cap, so I even get to use 12+1!  It's size is nice for concealment, and I will carry it on days that the weather does not permit the 92 comfortably; as soon as my license gets here.  I don't feel under gunned by the caliber either.  With dependable and proven hollow points, I think the 9X18 will do just fine on bad guys.  Besides, I know the pistol can put the rounds in the appropriate areas, IF I can do my part.

Quoted: Do you consider your Mak pistol a viable defensive weapon or is it just a fun gun for taking out to the range and blasting holes in available targets ? How many of you actually carry one for defensive porposes on a daily basis ?

Well, it _is_ a fun gun, and surprisingly accurate. But the slidestop broke on mine, and half a year later I noticed a tiny crack starting to develop in the slide, so I can't really recommend it as reliable anymore.
I wouldn't have carried it anyway, one in the tube just didn't feel right with it, with or without the safety on. Sure is a fun gun for plinking though, but for self defense, I'd like to have a couple more rounds, and of a bigger caliber.

el cheapo, yet high quality, reliable, safe, light carry gun: Kel-Tec P11

Quoted: I wouldn't have carried it anyway, one in the tube just didn't feel right with it, with or without the safety on.

If you do some research on Makarov.com, you will find that the safety on the Mak is surprisingly safe.  Even though I always put it on safe with a round in the chamber; from the explanations and research I have looked at, I would trust it with safety off, and one in the chamber.  It simply can not fire with out the trigger being pulled entirely to the rear.  Go look it up, you will be surprised.  I was.

I was appalled to find my two EG Maks were among the most accurate pistols I own, since I paid less for them than anything else I have.  No doubt it's due to the fixed barrel design.  

I would have absolutely no qualms about using the Makarov to defend myself.  The Blazer ammo seems stout enough, and in fact I did carry one with Blazers in the car for about a year.

But there are guns better suited to CCW than the Makarov.  Nowadays I tend to cycle between my S&W .38 Airweight or my Colt .45 Commander, depending on my mode of dress.

Both.

The Makarov is a joy to shoot, and ammo is inexpensive too.  

75% of the time, the Mak is my off-duty carry gun.  The other 25% of the time, my 1911 gets the nod.

The Soviets' politics sucked, but they made one heck of a weapon.