New to P64s and jazzed!

Info, pictures, advice...
M11293
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Joined: August 8th, 2018, 10:37 am

New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by M11293 »

Greetings all,

New to P64s and the forum. I said "Hi" in the new member thread, but hello again. A few things I wanted to mention/ask.

I got a new to me P64 from Classic Firearms. $180 with the $20 hand pick. I would say the pistol is in the 98% to 99% condition range. Mirror bore. Magazine is mint -better condition than the pair I picked up on eBay. Bluing is very rich with slight bluing smudge on the front of the slide, but other than that, great condition for a 1970 pistol. I mentioned this in the Flash Sale thread. Would this qualify as an unissued? The slight bluing smudge makes me think it was issued/holstered by someone, but not very much.

1. I have a Marschal grip set coming in. It was a set he had available for immediate purchase, so I jumped on it. In hind sight, I maybe should have gone with an order of the beavertail option, but that style looks odd to me with wood. It also wasn't available. I attached a pic of the one in the mail now. Are wood grips better than the stock plastic for mitigating the recoil? Should I get some Polish Iron rubber grips for more routine shooting?

2. The DA trigger pull is much better than I was expecting -I heard it was horrific. My FFL noted it was way better than his. I plan to shoot it stock first, but I have the Wolff hammer spring kit (18, 20, and 22 lbs) as well as the 22 lb recoil spring. Should I try the 20 lb hammer spring first?

3. Are those new production mags worth trying? I have had a hard time finding good surplus mags and they are pricey.

Anything else I should consider? I love tinkering -especially surplus firearms.
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Granpooba
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by Granpooba »

M11293 wrote: August 8th, 2018, 3:51 pm Greetings all,

New to P64s and the forum. I said "Hi" in the new member thread, but hello again. A few things I wanted to mention/ask.

I got a new to me P64 from Classic Firearms. $180 with the $20 hand pick. I would say the pistol is in the 98% to 99% condition range. Mirror bore. Magazine is mint -better condition than the pair I picked up on eBay. Bluing is very rich with slight bluing smudge on the front of the slide, but other than that, great condition for a 1970 pistol. I mentioned this in the Flash Sale thread. Would this qualify as an unissued? The slight bluing smudge makes me think it was issued/holstered by someone, but not very much.

1. I have a Marschal grip set coming in. It was a set he had available for immediate purchase, so I jumped on it. In hind sight, I maybe should have gone with an order of the beavertail option, but that style looks odd to me with wood. It also wasn't available. I attached a pic of the one in the mail now. Are wood grips better than the stock plastic for mitigating the recoil? Should I get some Polish Iron rubber grips for more routine shooting?

2. The DA trigger pull is much better than I was expecting -I heard it was horrific. My FFL noted it was way better than his. I plan to shoot it stock first, but I have the Wolff hammer spring kit (18, 20, and 22 lbs) as well as the 22 lb recoil spring. Should I try the 20 lb hammer spring first?

3. Are those new production mags worth trying? I have had a hard time finding good surplus mags and they are pricey.

Anything else I should consider? I love tinkering -especially surplus firearms.
Even though I did say welcome on another posting, I will say welcome again. :hi:

Presently can not get to answering all of your questions as I am a little short on time. But, I do have a set of MARSCHAL grips on one of my P-64's. Very, very nice grip with thumb rest and they fit " perfectly ". You should like the ones that you are getting. I also added a request which Marschal did at no extra cost which was to add my initials to the grips.

Only problem with Marschal and it really is not a problem, if you know about it up front. Their is what I consider a long wait from ordering the grip to receiving them. I think that I waited just about 4 months for my set of grips. But then again, it was worth the wait.

Once again, welcome and I am sure that you will enjoy your new toy. :wink:
Mustang69
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by Mustang69 »

Just got mine today very nice just the grips have some scratches all in all very happy with it
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Curly1
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by Curly1 »

Nice grips!
Laugh Hard and Often.

Gary
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by cville7000 »

Hi,

I am a new member also. I purchased some grips from Polish Iron Grips a couple months ago. I just finished taking the grip off of my pistol. I went back to the stock grip for a few reasons.

1) When removing the magazine it slightly rubs on the inside of grip. Not very much but it does make me pull harder to get it out. I did check the grip screw tightness as shown on the video and it still would rub very slightly with the grip screw as loose as possible.

2) If you grip the pistol too tight then the trigger bar can bind on the grip and cause the trigger to not reset. The correct grip is demonstrated on his video on the website. I had the reset problem a handful of times and it very well may have been my grip but I would rather have something that works regardless of a slightly tight grip.

3) The grip, at least my grip, was near impossible to remove. I watched the video and followed the instructions but it took me forever to get the grip off. I would rather have something that was easier to remove so I am able to clean and lubricate occasionally without fighting with a grip for a long amount of time.

The beavertail does a good job of keeping slide bite down but I did not have a major problem with it previously.
I use a Pachmayr slip on grip (#05108) and it helps with recoil slightly and is easier to get on and off. It does require a little trimming at the bottom.
I also purchased the EMR from Polish Iron Grips. It is very nicely machined and works great. I don't think it is a huge difference over the stock feel but I do like it.

Hope this helps.
M11293
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by M11293 »

Thank you much for your careful assessment.

I got my Marschal grips yesterday. It took 10 days from purchase to receive them. They are beautiful and fit the pistol like a glove. I didn't notice any hang ups or binding of any sort. I am going to shoot the stock grips first, but I will definitely give them a go shortly after.
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by BeoBill »

M11293 wrote: August 8th, 2018, 3:51 pm Greetings all,

New to P64s and the forum. I said "Hi" in the new member thread, but hello again. A few things I wanted to mention/ask.

I got a new to me P64 from Classic Firearms. $180 with the $20 hand pick. I would say the pistol is in the 98% to 99% condition range. Mirror bore. Magazine is mint -better condition than the pair I picked up on eBay. Bluing is very rich with slight bluing smudge on the front of the slide, but other than that, great condition for a 1970 pistol. I mentioned this in the Flash Sale thread. Would this qualify as an unissued? The slight bluing smudge makes me think it was issued/holstered by someone, but not very much.

1. I have a Marschal grip set coming in. It was a set he had available for immediate purchase, so I jumped on it. In hind sight, I maybe should have gone with an order of the beavertail option, but that style looks odd to me with wood. It also wasn't available. I attached a pic of the one in the mail now. Are wood grips better than the stock plastic for mitigating the recoil? Should I get some Polish Iron rubber grips for more routine shooting?

2. The DA trigger pull is much better than I was expecting -I heard it was horrific. My FFL noted it was way better than his. I plan to shoot it stock first, but I have the Wolff hammer spring kit (18, 20, and 22 lbs) as well as the 22 lb recoil spring. Should I try the 20 lb hammer spring first?

3. Are those new production mags worth trying? I have had a hard time finding good surplus mags and they are pricey.

Anything else I should consider? I love tinkering -especially surplus firearms.
Welcome aboard!

#1. I would highly recommend Polish Iron grips if you plan on doing any serious work with your P64. Felt recoil will be reduced, and I think your hand will grip better overall. It IS subjective, but that's the way I rolled.

#2. I think you have your springs backwards. Recoil springs go over the barrel, and come in a variety of tensions; the hammer spring only comes in one flavor. I went the same way with the Wolf spring pack, and finally settled on a 20# recoil spring and left the hammer spring stock.

Also, if you're looking for inexpensive, reliable ammo, the Academy house brand (Monarch) is my go-to. Steel cased, but reliable feed and fire.

Enjoy your new toy!
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Curly1
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by Curly1 »

Welcome to the forum cville
Laugh Hard and Often.

Gary
M11293
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by M11293 »

Well, I shot her today for the first time. I put a 100 rounds through her in stock configuration.

#1. I didn't find the recoil to be that bad. I was expecting much worse. I will say that after 100 rounds, the web of my hand was a little raw, but it took about 75 rounds to really feel it. I think I may try the 22 lb recoil spring tomorrow when I go shooting with a friend.

#2. DA trigger is a bit hard to control. SA was amazing, really. My only complaint is the reset is not obvious, and it takes a bit of trigger travel to get the reset. I don't know if I will bother with the hammer springs -I may try the 20 lb hammer spring at some later date.

#3 Accuracy was very good. Getting all 6 shots in a 8" circle at 15 yards off-hand wasn't very difficult. I still need to get used to the pistol.
VonSteuben
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Joined: June 23rd, 2018, 3:02 pm

Patience

Post by VonSteuben »

Replacing the guts and grips might make your pistol a more enjoyable shooter, but might also degrade its value to anyone you may someday want to sell it to if they are at all interested in a collectible milsurp. Before you go that route, I suggest changing up your technique before you try changing the gun. In your drawing motion, practice disengaging the safety when you grasp the weapon and cocking the hammer as you draw it up to firing position. In the process, all your shots will be in single action, which greatly increases the chance that your first shot will be on target (quite important in a self defense situation) without needing to change any springs at all because you will never fire in double action. If you can practice that until it is natural, there is no need to spend money on springs or to butcher your weapon's value as a collectible milsurp.
M11293
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by M11293 »

Thank you for the feedback. I really love this pistol. The only thing I added were the wood grips. They seem to help with the recoil. But the recoil really isn't that bad.

I am truly amazed by the accuracy of this little pistol. It is stunning actually.

How is the P64 not "drop safe?" With the safety/decocker fully engaged, I don't see how the hammer could impact the firing pin -it appears to have a hammer block of sorts that rotates upward upon engaging the safety. The hammer also seems very secure.
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by VonSteuben »

If the safety is off and a round is in the chamber, a violent shock could possibly, though very improbably, cause a round to fire. If you were careless enough to have a negligent discharge that way, you would probably have already found an easier and more likely way to inadvertently shoot someone. The P64 being incompletely drop safe is of concern only to paranoiacs, anti-gun activists, and lawyers.
M11293
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by M11293 »

VonSteuben wrote: August 11th, 2018, 9:30 pm If the safety is off and a round is in the chamber, a violent shock could possibly, though very improbably, cause a round to fire. If you were careless enough to have a negligent discharge that way, you would probably have already found an easier and more likely way to inadvertently shoot someone. The P64 being incompletely drop safe is of concern only to paranoiacs, anti-gun activists, and lawyers.
Thanks for the reply. That is along the lines I was thinking.

I checked out the mechanism while on the intermediate safety setting -not fully decocked. I gave the hammer a couple decent pushes with my thumb and a tap or two with my rubber mallet. Nothing major, but enough to simulate a hammer snag or a gentle drop. I really can't see the hammer falling under these conditions, let alone giving enough space to engage the firing pin.
Davidrol
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by Davidrol »

M11293 wrote:
VonSteuben wrote: August 11th, 2018, 9:30 pm If the safety is off and a round is in the chamber, a violent shock could possibly, though very improbably, cause a round to fire. If you were careless enough to have a negligent discharge that way, you would probably have already found an easier and more likely way to inadvertently shoot someone. The P64 being incompletely drop safe is of concern only to paranoiacs, anti-gun activists, and lawyers.
Thanks for the reply. That is along the lines I was thinking.

I checked out the mechanism while on the intermediate safety setting -not fully decocked. I gave the hammer a couple decent pushes with my thumb and a tap or two with my rubber mallet. Nothing major, but enough to simulate a hammer snag or a gentle drop. I really can't see the hammer falling under these conditions, let alone giving enough space to engage the firing pin.
This is a tentative safe way to chamber a round. But, there is no detent in this position allowing the safety too easily to knocked or brushed off. So, a AD can occur when dropped. Could a detent be made in the safe-half-decock position by a gunsmith? Providing a cocked and locked Condition 1.

CCW with round chambered/decocked condition is the safest way, without a doubt, and train to flip the safety followed by a DA trigger pull. IMHO


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Sirrus_Rider
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Re: New to P64s and jazzed!

Post by Sirrus_Rider »

M11293 wrote: August 8th, 2018, 3:51 pm Greetings all,

New to P64s and the forum. I said "Hi" in the new member thread, but hello again. A few things I wanted to mention/ask.

I got a new to me P64 from Classic Firearms. $180 with the $20 hand pick. I would say the pistol is in the 98% to 99% condition range. Mirror bore. Magazine is mint -better condition than the pair I picked up on eBay. Bluing is very rich with slight bluing smudge on the front of the slide, but other than that, great condition for a 1970 pistol. I mentioned this in the Flash Sale thread. Would this qualify as an unissued? The slight bluing smudge makes me think it was issued/holstered by someone, but not very much.

1. I have a Marschal grip set coming in. It was a set he had available for immediate purchase, so I jumped on it. In hind sight, I maybe should have gone with an order of the beavertail option, but that style looks odd to me with wood. It also wasn't available. I attached a pic of the one in the mail now. Are wood grips better than the stock plastic for mitigating the recoil? Should I get some Polish Iron rubber grips for more routine shooting?

2. The DA trigger pull is much better than I was expecting -I heard it was horrific. My FFL noted it was way better than his. I plan to shoot it stock first, but I have the Wolff hammer spring kit (18, 20, and 22 lbs) as well as the 22 lb recoil spring. Should I try the 20 lb hammer spring first?

3. Are those new production mags worth trying? I have had a hard time finding good surplus mags and they are pricey.

Anything else I should consider? I love tinkering -especially surplus firearms.
I recently bought one of the United Defense Magazines and I would say they are worth trying; however, with the caveat that they may need modification to work in your gun (See this post http://www.p64resource.com/forum/viewt ... 964#p59861). Once modified to fit my pistol it functioned perfectly. I took it to the range and stuffed it with ammo three times. If I had a need I'd buy a few more, but I have 7 mags now and that is plenty
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