Anyone Bought the Polish P64?
Just wondering if anyone has any experience with these?
To err is human, to moo is bovine.
To err is human, to moo is bovine.
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Heck yeah! I bought two of those slick little autos and I love them.
They were designed as an officer's pistol in the late '50's.
They are very well made and when I received mine ( both made in 1967)
I bought a box of Sellier&Bellot 9x18Makarov fmj and went to the range. Both operated flawlessly. The pistol is small, smooth and well-balanced. The accuracy was great at 30 feet and the round is more powerful than I expected. I'm a craftsman and have a medium sized hand and a pretty good grip, so the recoil, which is appreciable didn't bother me through about 40 rounds. Field stripping is easy, once you learn the sequence, and cleaning is a snap.
Great CCW, with plenty of punch.
I bought some Silver Bear HP and tried operating to feed and had just
a little adjustment to one clip to make feeding as smooth as the S&B.
Did this help?
Frog.0 -
Yeah, I have two, one is a hungarian, and the other the p64. I love em. Easy to maintain, relatively cheap to shoot, and fun. Not to mention that both of mine are certified tack drivers! The p64 is a little bit smaller frame than most other makarovs, but it is managable. 0 -
Thanks guys, anyone else with experience on these?
To err is human, to moo is bovine.0 -
Actually, I just bought one yesterday (3/15/05). Was looking for a Makarov as a "car gun" that I wouldn't mind losing, and this place had several. After checking them over, the P-64 looked much better, had a nice finish, and had a very smooth action. I picked it up for $179 cash. I haven't gotten to shoot it yet, but it looks impressive for its price tag. As I said, fit and finish are nice despite date stamp of 1969, and the plastic grips seem adequate. Best, the gun fits in my medium-sized hands with the extended PPK-style magazine. Mag release is the European-style butt release, but surprisingly, magazines spring free (not just drop free). The safety is very nice for a gun this price, a decocker with a trigger block. Gun can be racked with the safety on. Double action is a bear, but single action is surprisingly light, though with a lot (1" or so) of travel. The sights are ridiculously small, but that's to be expected on a gun this size. The pistol also features a loaded-chamber indicator. Only two minor complaints: no slide stop, and only 6+1 capacity. As frame of reference, I've fired an East German Makarov pretty extensively back in the early 90's when they were a dime a dozen. This gun is probably slightly better overall than the EG Mak's, but the proof of the pudding will be this weekend at the range.
But for a "throw-away" gun for under 200 bucks, this thing was a steal! Too bad I hear they are hard to come by.0 -
I have read on other sites that double action pull can be improved considerably by clipping two coils of the top and bottom of the main spring. I have held back on doing this until I find out if it is one coil on top, and one on bottom, or two on top, and two on bottom. Polishing the action also helps. I recently aquired two of these, both in new condition, and the pull on one was much, much better than the second without working it. I also need to find spare mags. Let me know how your range report goes, please. 
MEMBER SINCE 10/24/19990 -
Would you folks rate the Bulgarian Mak sold by SOG as good as the Polish P-64? Also, I have a FEG PA-63 (yes, I know its really a PP clone not a true Mak) and the decocker takes Herculean effort to operate. Do the Bulgarian and Polish Maks have decockers? I don't want to step on toes, but Gun Test Mag panned both these pistols. If you guys say they work, I'll go with your opinion and it is NOW on my list (maybe next month!!!). 0 -
I would get a real Mak first. (Bulgarian, East German, or Russian). More reliable, smooth action, and usually cheaper. Holds 8 rounds to the PA-63's 7 or the P-64's 6. Downside is bulk and weight, upside is ease of maintenence. I'm some what prejudiced against the P64, since the first one I saw was my friend's, and it came apart while firing. I have a PA-63, I cut off some of the spring to reduce DA pull, but it still kicks ferociously, the backstrap was designed to be ergonomic, but it really isn't. Real Maks are a pleasure to shoot. All these fixed-barrel designs are inherently accurate, too.
So, my advise is, get one of those cheap $99 Maks you occasionally see. The finish might be a bit beat up, but it will work fine.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
~Sinclair Lewis, It Can't Happen Here
"Our enemies...never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
~President George W. Bush0 -
For Chunkstyle: Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it as I read this and I read that and don't know what to believe. However, coming from you folks that own and shoot them I consider to be THE reliable source. My PA-63 does get a little nasty to shoot after a while and that ergonomic grip only works if you are wearing some type of glove otherwise it seems to beat up the hand a bit. Again, thanks for the help.
Interesting observation coming from Sinclair Lewis a socialist...0 -
NOTPARS,
Just for you, but I know by now I will have to start another thread on these before Kirk shuts this one down. But I couldn't help but respond.
You are trying to figure out much of the same thing I am trying to figure out. I am somewhat inexperienced at these inexpensive former commie sidearms myself. It seems I just happened to drift into these by accident, my taste is usually for more expensive goods. But I came to the conclusion that, in spite of their shortcomings, the Makarovs, PA-63's, and P-64's are probably a very, very good deal for the money.
By far, most countries in the world will not issue firearms to their troops that are not of a reasonable standard of quality. When buying a firearm built for commercial sales, depending on the companies reputation, it may or may not be of good quality. There is not much of a standard to meet if a maker is selling to the commercial public. This is not the case with the foreign surplus firearms frequently offered. Regardless of the country of issue, the military foreign surplus firearms issued to troops generally have some "standard of quality" that must be met. Inexpensive SKS rifles and Makarov pistols are examples of such a standard, that has resulted in very decent surplus firearms at very attractive prices.
I have owned a couple or three Bulgarian Makarovs and for the price and the quality, they are hard to beat, UNLESS you are looking into the future. By "into the future", I mean, collector's value and availability. Just two or three years ago, Bulgarian Makarovs were available in virtually new condition for around $100. Now, those you buy for that price are pretty well finished as far as collector's value. Yes, a $100 Makarov ($100 being close to currect dealers wholesale for these) will be a nice shooter, but for another $40 to $80, you can not only have a nice shooter, but a firearm that will be worth much, much more as a collector's piece a few years down the road.
Considering the "ultimate value" of a firearm, yes, maybe all you want is a "shooter". Well wore firearms can save your life, and are valuable in that respect. But rather than spend $100 or $120 for a reasonably used Makarov, you could do some shopping, and spend another $40 or $60 for one that is in excellent, or near new (or actually new) condition. For such a small amount, I'd spend the extra money. I recently bought a new in box Russian Makarov for $190., and I don't feel a bit bad for spending the extra money for a new Russian Mak as opposed to a well used Bulgarian Mak. If you happen to find a "new condition" Bulgarian Makarov for $140 or so, that may be a great deal. I might also consider a "new condition" P-64 for $140 or so a much better deal than a well worn Makarov, due to the potential collector's value. And frankly, I think the PA-63's and P-64's that have received negative reviews are in the minority. Again, and PA-63 or P-64 has met some basic "standard of quality". The vast majority of reports I have read on the PA-63 and P-64 are very good. Bulgarian Makarovs have a terrible double action trigger pull, just like most of the other "commie" pistols. Potentially, you could buy such a gun and (if you can't lighten the trigger pull yourself) spend $40 or $50 for a gunsmith to lighten the trigger pull. Or you could spend an extra $40 in the first place, and buy a Russian Makarov that already has a very nice trigger.
I guess what I am saying is, don't get in a hurry to buy one of these, but buy one of them soon. There are some very good deals out there in any of these types of pistols. One of my "new" P-64's has a very nice trigger, the other, not good. The same can be said for most any version. Look around. Find the best deal. Generally, the recent prices on Makarovs, PA-63's, and P-64's make them all pretty attractive. But do some thinking about what you really want.
MEMBER SINCE 10/24/19990 -
For Boeboe: I want you to know how much I appreciate your post. I realize you put an awful lot of time and thought into it (you were reading my mind the whole way too) and it has been a big help. I am a "collector" of sorts but not for value or investment. In other words, I want one of everything (maybe two)but not for its future value. I want one that shoots (is reliable and goes bang) but don't expect a tack driver. Everything you said is exactly what I am thinking and interested in. I will copy your post and try to get these pistols. I have had good luck with SOG so far (you should see my Walther P-1!!!). Again, great post. 0 -
I just bough one at a gun show this weekend, I just got my tax return and started researching markarovs. I was looking to get a Bulgarian and i saw the polsih at aim surplus and i read that some people recomended getting the bulgarian type first. Well at the gun show i saw the p64 and fell in love. Bought it for $170 in new condition. AIM was selling them for $140, but i figured I would be close to that in the end with Aim and this way i could shoot it when i got home. The gun is amazingly simple to take apart and the thing is very accurate. I don't even bother with the double action, becasue i arm starts to shake when pulling the trigger because the pull is so hard, but when you cycel that action it cocks it for you. I was very suprised how much jump that little gun has when i shoot it. the only thing i would like to change on the gun is the grips, then are hard plastic and tear up the hands somwhat when shooting. But inspite of that i love that little gun. i say go for one. you'll love it. Also, any of you guys know where i can get more clips? or maybe rubber grips? 0 -
Magazines may be a problem, we will have to see if any more are imported. I bought mine from SOG, advertised as new, they only come with one mag. Others are advertizing them for $10 more but with two mags, and in "excellent" condition as opposed to new. I am thinking, at least, it should be possible to find another type of 9X18 magazine and modify to fit. Even some 380 mags might work. May have to modify feed lips and such, but something else should be close enough to get to work. If anyone has other mags that seem to be close, report back and I'll buy some to see if they can be made to work.
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