Polish P-64 ccw

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JHK94

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Does anyone have any experience carrying a P-64? They're so cheap, and I wouldn't mind having a ccw that size. Is it (or, I figure, the ppk) easy to pocket carry? I figure it might be a bit heavy, but size-wise, how is it?
 
I am curious for the same reasons, and look forward to hearing others' experiences.

From what I have read so far, the main downside is that the gun has a nasty kick, and is not much fun to shoot. I.e., it is pretty much just like a lightweight .38 revolver.
 
I own one and it's the best CCW I've ever had. I bought mine from J&G and I'm fairly certain that it had never been shot. The bluing was perfect and it had no wearing on it at all. A lot of people complain about the DA trigger pull (it is fairly tough to pull) but it's an easy fix with a Wolfe spring kit. I carry mine with one in the spout, hammer down, and safety off. Because the DA pull is so tough, it's a safety in itself. I really like the 9x18 caliber as well. It's got a bit more stopping power than a .380. It's definitely not a gun that you wan to take to the range and pleasure shoot. The blowback design makes the recoil pretty snappy. You can change the recoil spring to more stiff spring to reduce the recoil, but it still has some pop. I don't like to shoot any more than 150 rounds at one time with mine. The web of your hand will take a beating. I'm sure you can shoot more than that, but accuracy really suffers when your hand is sore and you're anticipating the recoil. I've shot over 500 rounds of ammo through mine without a single malfunction. I would recommend this gun to anyone. I absolutely love mine and wouldn't hesitate to put it on the line if my life depended on it.
 
I have a couple of them, one is the newer triangle hammer but the older one is in slightly better condition. Both appeared to be unfired with the newer one having some storage scratches on the grips. I used mine to qualify for my CCW permit. Great shooters although if you are not used to the 9x18 round they can be harsh. DA trigger pull is tough but after that all is good. I cc mine most of the time over my ppk/s as the sweat is very hard on the ppk/s's finish.
 
I use one as well. I changed the recoil spring to a 20lb Wolff, which helped with the snappy recoil, and put in a Wolff 18lb hammer spring, which made a huge difference in the DA pull. Mine has been 100% reliable and very accurate.
I wouldn't consider it much for pocket carry, but just about any holster for a PPK will fit.
 
Great to hear such good reviews, that the gun is as good and useful of a value as it seems.
 
I had one, did the spring swap, noodled around with it for a while and then sold it. It was an accurate, simple, reliable gun and will probably continue to function for generations. It did have a bit of a kick; it was not fun to shoot. For carry, though, it's a good choice. I sold it because I have a PA 63 which I kept as it weighed the same but held an extra round or two.

The P64 will do what it was built for but it's no range gun. Even after installing a heavier recoil spring, I'll shoot less than a box and I'll want to put it down. However, it's great to carry a lot and shoot a little, like a Scandium job.

BTW, the lighter hammer spring from Wolf made it a good DA shooter. The first trigger pull was a very acceptable "medium" after that.
 
I paid $130 for mine two years ago and have kept it stock. Like everyone says, it's not a range gun. I even wear light leather driving gloves when I shoot it. The backstrap, in my opinion, could have been designed better. Two more rounds in the mag could have resulted in a longer and better grip, lessening the perceived recoil. But, it's all-steel, very accurate and goes BANG every time I pull the trigger.

Here's a link to the P64 forum: http://p64.proboards.com/index.cgi?
 
I shoot the cheapest 9x18 ammo I can find, brown bear, S&B, etc and I've never had a hard primer. If it were me, I'd use a higher quality ammo for carrying. Save the cheap stuff for the range. That being said, I have S&B in mine right now concealed. I think S&B is high quality cheap stuff though! :D
 
Other than the above, it would seem that researching more into the capabilities and drawbacks of the 9x18 round and/or CCWing a Makarov (as it is a similar style) could be warranted for more information.
 
I believe by the time you are done locating a 98%+ Mak or P64 type commie block gun, upgrading the springs and testing for reliability, you might as well have bought a moderately priced compact 9x19. Used mini-Glocks are quite reasonable for example. Or a 12+1 CZ82 in 9x18 offers better firepower as well.

S&B does not have hard primers, as far as I've heard it's generally related to some Russian ammo. But probably only old or surplus stock. So probably not to worry with any new production ammo, Russian or otherwise.
 
Locating the 98% Makarov will cost you as much a more modern 9mm. But the P-64 is significantly cheaper. The spring swap isn't something that is a necessity. But they're really pretty cheap so it's not much. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a modern 9mm as cheap as you can buy a P-64. Sure, you might get a Hi Point 9mm, but I'd much rather trust my life to a P-64 than a Hi Point pistol. That's just my opinion though.
 
Well, I did end up getting one, did the spring swap, and took it to the range today. I'm pretty impressed. Fired perfectly every time, and amazingly accurate for me: points really well. I shot with it as good or better than any of my other guns. The recoil is indeed pretty rough, espeically firing more than a few rounds. Overall, though, I'm pretty happy with it.
 
Welcome to the world of the P-64! You'll have to create an account over at the P-64 forum too. Those guys over there are a WEALTH of knowledge and a great resource. There's also a member over there that makes his own custom molds and makes custom grips for the P-64 for $20. I've got a set on mine. You name the color and he can make them for you. He even does two-colored grips. Mine are primarily black with some royal blue swirls in the grips. I think they're awesome.

The P-64 has great "pointability" for sure. If you shoot at 7 yards, it's definitely accurate. If you're going to use it as a CCW then I might recommend that you paint the front sight with a high visability paint. That's the only drawback that I saw on the pistol for a conceal. Did you get the round hammer or the triangle?
 
I got a round hammer, mfg. 1970. Yeah, I already painted the sight with high-vis paint after that first session, makes it a bit easier to line up. I was initially worried about the tiny sights, but they come to view fast, and it just points so well.

Are the new grips the same shape as the stock ones, or do they have a different hand contour?
 
The grips that the forum member makes are identical to the factory grips except that you can customize the color to whatever you like. As far as style, I believe Marschal (sp?) makes wooden grips that have a thumbrest option. I can't think of the website address, but you can probably Google it.
 
Thanks for the info.

What ammo do you ccw with? Selection is somewhat limited, of course. Have you ever had problems with JHPs, or do you carry FMJs?
 
When the P64's first came on the surplus market, they were not looked upon favorably by most people who purchased them.

Now that the surplus market has dried up to a large degree, people seem to be a lot less picky. :what:
 
I've been thinking about getting one of these.
The problem is that I already have a pristine East German Makarov that I use for carry and it does a fine job!!
I only live about 2,5 hours from J and G, so I might take a drive up the hill to look at the little buggers!!
 
Like I said, I like it a lot, and the price was too low to pass up. I've missed out on milsurp deals in the past and kicked myself about it, so I figured I better get one while the getting is still good.

I got mine from centerfire, not J&G. Its only a couple hours up there, but the gas+sales tax+centerfire's lower price made it worth my while to just order from them instead.
 
denfoote, you carry a highly collectable "pristine" East German Makarov? The gun has no finish wear?
Click to expand...

Yeah, why not??

I have an unfired Chinese model 59 for collector purposes. :evil:

ChineseMakarov003small.jpg

When I bought the East German, Makarovs were dirt cheap!!

The wear on the grip is my holster wear.

It's a 1962 "Volkspistole", issued to the "civilian" police.

1962Makarov001.bmp.jpg
 
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