test drive
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i remember several years ago when these hit the market no one wanted anything to do with them now they seem to be a big hit i know i love mine (its a year 67)anyone else carying one?
P64
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ccsniper
member
I have recently decided on getting one. They go for around 165 here, it will be my pocket pistol. I keep hearing how bad the trigger pull is. I shoot a Nagant revolver with accuracy out to 25 yards. The trigger pull on them is nothing big for me.
The single action isn't too bad.
The double action pull is comically heavy. I've seen customers at work return them because they thought the gun would not work in double action. They just didn't realize you need a few weeks at the gym, a good night's sleep, a cup of coffee and encouragement from good friends just to get the damn trigger back.
The double action pull is comically heavy. I've seen customers at work return them because they thought the gun would not work in double action. They just didn't realize you need a few weeks at the gym, a good night's sleep, a cup of coffee and encouragement from good friends just to get the damn trigger back.
I've owned and carried my P64 since last fall. I replaced the recoil and hammer spring and made a new trigger return spring from stiffer music wire. The result has been acceptable an acceptable trigger and a very "shootable" pistol. They are quite accurate and reliable as dirt. IMO - best value out there right now. See p64resource.com for the most complete info on the web regarding the P64.
cassharper
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- Joined
- May 30, 2010
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- 4
I replaced the spring on mine with the wolff (14# or 16#, can't remember) and, while a bit gritty, the trigger is quite acceptable. That with some grips made by the Marshalko brothers added on and it's quite the pleasant little gun. Now if I could only find some 9x18 ammo that's worth a damn locally.
ccsniper
member
anyone know what the actual trigger pull is? Just curious
MCgunner
Member
Mine has a 19 lb hammer spring replacing the stock 24, I think it's 24. The DA is sweet, now, very manageable and I can actually hit with it. Best improvement I've seen with a spring change. I mean, for 9 bucks for a pack of 3 springs, it's a no brainer improvement. There are lighter springs in the kit, but the 19 works fantastic.
http://www.gunsprings.com/index.cfm?page=items&cID=1&mID=49
I also added the 22 lb recoil spring. Liked to never got the slide on over it and now I can't get it off, not with two hands. Figure I can chuck the frame up in my vice and whack it with a rubber mallet, but I just clean it with the slide on. The 22 lb spring replaces a stock 17 lb spring and attenuates recoil a bit. The Marschal grips really do help keep the web of the hand from being sore. Before the recoil spring and grip mods, I had to wear a shooting glove if I wanted to run a box through it. Now, a hundred rounds bare handed and I'm okay.
http://www.gunsprings.com/index.cfm?page=items&cID=1&mID=49
I also added the 22 lb recoil spring. Liked to never got the slide on over it and now I can't get it off, not with two hands. Figure I can chuck the frame up in my vice and whack it with a rubber mallet, but I just clean it with the slide on. The 22 lb spring replaces a stock 17 lb spring and attenuates recoil a bit. The Marschal grips really do help keep the web of the hand from being sore. Before the recoil spring and grip mods, I had to wear a shooting glove if I wanted to run a box through it. Now, a hundred rounds bare handed and I'm okay.
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I have the same spring set-up in my pistol as you described (19 & 22). Did you grind the barrel end of the recoil spring flat? If not, it won't fit properly which may be why you're have trouble getting the slide on and off. See the p64resource.com website for more info on this. Also, take a look at the stock recoil spring you removed - your new recoil spring needs to be ground flat on the ends as it was.
MCgunner
Member
Nope, didn't grind it, was told about that after it was on, but it works fine. I'll grind it down when I finally decide to get serous about getting the slide off it. 
Actually, I'll probably use a file on it. I don't wanna heat and detemper the spring.
Actually, I'll probably use a file on it. I don't wanna heat and detemper the spring.
Fastcast
Member
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- Mar 28, 2008
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- 874
MC.....I doubt you'll detemper it unless of course you're heavy handed. In that case though, you'll most likely ruin the spring as it rips from your hands and flings across the garage.
A light touch and keen eye, on and off the grinder and it doesn't take long at all. I've not ruined/detempered any springs doing it this way. I can't quite imagine doing it with a file but maybe it will work......Good luck either way. There's really nothing to it, if you use a light touch!
I actually qualified for my CCW with my P64. Great little gun, quiet accurate and very reliable. I have a couple one with the round hammer the other with the triangle hammer
In this picture are the two P64's along with their slightly larger brother the P83
In this picture are the two P64's along with their slightly larger brother the P83
pockets
Member
I did for awhile. They are good and solid inexpensive carry guns. Mine cycles any 9x18 I've put in the magazine. It loves Brown Bear for cheap plinking and has never hiccuped on XTP hollow-points. But the P-64 is a tad heavy.
Of my various 9x18 chambered pistols, my P-64 is easiest to conceal, my PA-63 easiest to carry (lighter), and my Makarov is easiest to shoot. All are fun guns.
I usually carry a far lighter polymer 9x19mm now (KT PF-9 today).
This discussion prompted me to go out and measure the DA pull on my P64 after the spring modifications. For DA trigger pulls, I use a fish scale to measure. Its not quite as accurate as using a trigger pull gauge, but it gets you in the ballpark.
I was somewhat surprised to find that the DA pull on the post-modification P64 was 24#. I would have thought it was lighter than that. Maybe I've just gotten used to it. For comparisons sake, I checked the DA pull on my Ruger P97 which is reputed to have one of the nicer DA trigger pulls on a semi-auto pistol. It measured 18#. The big difference between the DA pull on a civilian pistol like the Ruger is that it is one, long smooth pull; whereas, the P64 has a military 2-stage feel to it.
I still like the single action pull of the 1911 the best
I was somewhat surprised to find that the DA pull on the post-modification P64 was 24#. I would have thought it was lighter than that. Maybe I've just gotten used to it. For comparisons sake, I checked the DA pull on my Ruger P97 which is reputed to have one of the nicer DA trigger pulls on a semi-auto pistol. It measured 18#. The big difference between the DA pull on a civilian pistol like the Ruger is that it is one, long smooth pull; whereas, the P64 has a military 2-stage feel to it.
I still like the single action pull of the 1911 the best
WardenWolf
member
I carry my P-64 every day, from the time I get dressed to the time I go to bed. It's on my side right now. I don't mind the weight, and it's the perfect size to conceal. It's unbelievably accurate, and so far has proven absolutely reliable.
Yep - love the P64. I think its about the best Walther PPK clone out there and probably better than the Walther on reliability (although that's just an opinion). Its certainly priced right! Roy Dunlop stated in his book Ordnance Went Up Front that he thought the Walther PP and PPK pistols were the best small combat pistols out there - those Pole's knew a good thing when they saw it.
Snowdog
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- Dec 24, 2002
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- 4,606
For some reason, I like a little heft in my CCW pistol (probably why I've been carrying a K9 for over 10 years). I plan on a P64 in the very near future... maybe Monday. I'm not concerned about the DA since I plan on popping cans and paper with it in SA for fun, but if I can improve the SA on this pistol, I'll certainly give it a try.
MCgunner
Member
The 19 lb spring made all the difference for me, from being able to hit with it at 25 yards on a 6" target DA every time, to not being able to hit the same 6" target past 15 yards DA. The one criticism I have of the gun is the transition from DA to SA is not smooth. The DA is a little heavy and the SA is WAY light so I often fire the second shot without really wanting to. Yes, the trigger could be better even though it's much better than it was. It's the transition to SA I don't like, though. Very accurate, very reliable, and well worth the money, though. I won't sell it. I may buy a mak or CZ or PA63 in the future, but I'll keep the Radom. What I do like about it is that I can shoot it so well, both with the sights and point shooting/instinctive. It points where I look.
Yes, the trigger could be better even though it's much better than it was. It's the transition to SA I don't like, though. Very accurate, very reliable, and well worth the money, though. I won't sell it. I may buy a mak or CZ or PA63 in the future, but I'll keep the Radom. What I do like about it is that I can shoot it so well, both with the sights and point shooting/instinctive. It points where I look.MCgunner
Member
Oh, I believe the gun weighs 19 ounces unloaded? That's about the same as a 642 Smith.
I didn't care for that either. I made a new trigger return spring out of larger diameter music wire (.031 I think it was) to strengthen the SA trigger pull. You can do this without much affecting the DA trigger (it'll hurt it a bit, but not that noticeable). I was able to get the SA pull from a too light for my tastes 3# to 6#.
It always seems to be the same story with firearms from the old East Bloc. American gun owners declare them as "rotten commie guns made for illiterate peasants." A few brave souls actually buy them and find out they are pretty good. The fact that they are good firearms leaks out as a kind of guilty secret and then everyone and his uncle suddenly wants one. The exact same thing happened to the Makarov, SKS, Semi-auto AK's, Mosin-Nagants ect. Anyone check Makarov prices lately?
WardenWolf
member
I own 3 ComBloc pistols: a Romanian Tokarev, a Bulgarian Makarov and a Polish P-64. All have proven accurate and absolutely reliable. The Tokarev is unbelievable in rapid fire when fitted with a compensator, and is very controllable even without one. And I'd take the Makarov and P-64 over any commercial .380 on the market.
A guy who was used to a Bersa fired my P-64. He fired the second shot accidentally, but it was on target. His immediate reaction: "Whoa, I love that trigger!" The second shot may be very light, but it's typically right on target due to the gun's good recoil properties. Once you get used to it, you won't accidentally double-tap anymore. Of course, once I shot his Bersa, I understood why he loved the trigger. It was bad, the trigger pull comparable in weight to the P-64 but much, much longer to the point of discomfort. He asked me how much I paid for my P-64, and how hard it was to respring it. I told him. He was clearly impressed with the little gun.
By the way, CornCod, Makarov prices are $220 to $260. Well worth it, in my opinion, compared to commercial pistols which are more expensive and don't perform as well.
A guy who was used to a Bersa fired my P-64. He fired the second shot accidentally, but it was on target. His immediate reaction: "Whoa, I love that trigger!" The second shot may be very light, but it's typically right on target due to the gun's good recoil properties. Once you get used to it, you won't accidentally double-tap anymore. Of course, once I shot his Bersa, I understood why he loved the trigger. It was bad, the trigger pull comparable in weight to the P-64 but much, much longer to the point of discomfort. He asked me how much I paid for my P-64, and how hard it was to respring it. I told him. He was clearly impressed with the little gun.
By the way, CornCod, Makarov prices are $220 to $260. Well worth it, in my opinion, compared to commercial pistols which are more expensive and don't perform as well.
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