Polish P -64

[Historyedguru]

Does anyone have experience with these handguns? I owned and liked a Makarov but this Polish service pistol is quite a bit smaller than that. What I wonder about is its reliability (Russian weapons work no matter what), its durability, and its shootability. The 9mm Mak is a hefty round in a blowback operated pistol so I imagine recoil would be rather snappy. For fellow Crufflers, these have just been declared 03 eligible and seem to be a good buy in a small defensive pistol. At least the Polish thought so as they were one of the few Warsaw Pact countries to not adopt the Makarov.
If anyone has any dope on these guns, please weigh in.

[dreamweaver]

probably the best $150 pistol you can buy. were imported by the 10's of thousands. still readily available in various conditions. check J&G sales, they usually have a good selection. pay the extra 10 bucks for hand picked.

[Doyle]

Great gun. I like the post-'72 models with the round hammer. I pocket carry mine. You have to change out the main spring or else it will take both hands to fire it double action. It is a $5.00 spring and changing takes all of 2 minutes. I also changed out the recoil spring for one slightly stronger and it helps tame the snappiness of the recoil. Wolf springs sells both.

[Historyedguru]

Thanks guys for the prompt answer and the helpful info. Now if I can just evade the Top Dawg (my lovely wife, who does hold a position somewhat akin to that of the 1st Sgt) long enough to strategize, implement, and carry off a decent plan; I may own one rather than be shot by one! Thanks again.

[Snowdog]

As much as I don't want to admit I was wrong, I have to say the P-64 is a pretty swell pistol. For a while, I admit to thinking of the P-64 as more of a novelty than something that could seriously be relied up (such as for CCW). However, a trip to the range after receiving mine a couple months ago completely changed my mind.

I was expecting a heavy DA and wasn't surprised with the 20+ pound (estimated) trigger pull that's actually heavier than that of my 1895 Nagant.
It was the SA that surprised me all to heck; it must be somewhere around 3 pounds and this allows for some incredibly accurate groups.

I was also impressed by the reliability of this pistol. I suspected it would feed FMJ without issues, but it also ran through 3 boxes of 94gr JHP Silverbear without a misfeed.
I limp-wristed this pistol and it still wouldn't malfunction.
I was also taken back how well mine appears to be made and how slender it is. I almost have difficulties imagine it being used by a military as a standard-issue sidearm (being that it's so incredibly svelte).

Though it's on the heavy side by today's standards for a compact pistol intended for CCW and perhaps further criticized for its 6+1 capacity, it would make for a fine defensive carry pistol and compares favorably IMHO to a 5 shot snubnose.

[m&p45acp10+1]

I own one. I pocket carry it in an Uncle Mike's #2 pocket holster. It is dead reliable. Now if it is cold in the winter and you are not wearing gloves that thin metal gun can be painful to shoot.

[doofus47]

I limp-wristed this pistol and it still wouldn't malfunction.

Not to take this topic into the weeks, but:
How does one "limp wrist" a pistol?

[pelaeon]

You have to change out the main spring or else it will take both hands to fire it double action. It is a $5.00 spring and changing takes all of 2 minutes.

I think this guy forgot a zero (20 minutes). That said, the Wolff springs really do make a huge difference and are worth the time.

[Doyle]

I think this guy forgot a zero (20 minutes). That said, the Wolff springs really do make a huge difference and are worth the time.

I may have exagerated slightly, but from the time I pull the screw off the grip until the screw goes back into the grip, I'm out of there in way less than 5 minutes. If I had everything set up on the bench just right, I could probably push right at two.

[Drachenstein]

It's a monster to shoot. That being said, it's reliable. It's my glove compartment gun. I still prefer my bersa or browning to carry.

[m.p.driver]

Bought two of them and you can think of them as a PPK with a little more bark to it.The kick of the 9mm Mak out of this small pistol grabs you attention.Until i replaced it with a cz82 i carried one daily with cor-bon loads in it.The plus side is there is enough interest in them that holsters and grips are available aftermarket.

[Annihilator]

Very reliable however I would recommend some range time before carrying.