P64 Double action issue

[roadweazel]

Roadweazel, That is a neat grip. what kind is it? It looks as tho it is sticking up high enough to "rub" the slide . Is this a photo illusion? The Wolf MC ball ammo I have measures 1.01" OAL. It is actually longer than your ammo and It shoots fine in mine. Thanks and Good luck !

The grip is called an "A-Grip" and it's a suede-like decal, most gun shops have it or can get it. It doesn't seem to rub the slide but I haven't fired this pistol much. The previous owner installed it.
And now the moment we've all been waiting for...
I fixed it! Sorta... I now have one of the few P-64s that can be carried 'Cocked and Locked'.
I also noticed that the disconnector was holding the trigger bar away from where it needed to be. I bit the bullet and got a jewlers fine and started attacking the part where the slide contacts it. I filed a little and then checked action, then filed some more until it reliably engaged the action.
I seem to have a decent double action now altho I will need to test fire it and make sure I don't have a machinegun
The downside is that now the decocker doesn't work. It is a safety, the trigger is disconnected and the firing pin is blocked from the hammer but the hammer doesn't fall when the lever is thrown. Interesting...
I've attached a pic of where I filed and I'll give another report after I hit the range.
Thanx.
Weazel

[normsutton]

Weazel

the last two guys that did that
never gave us a range report ,
so please give us one

NORM

[3rdpig]

I haven't shot mine since I shortened the disconnector (I shortened the other end than Weazel did) but I will post a range report as soon as I can get back to the range. Possibly tomorrow, but Friday is more likely.

[roadweazel]

Weazel

the last two guys that did that
never gave us a range report ,
so please give us one

NORM

I sold the pistol yesterday, without test firing it. If there's a problem I'm sure that the buyer will get back with me... I'll be looking for 3rdPig's report.
I'm thinking that shortening the opposite end might retain the decocker feature, altho I kinda liked the possibility of carrying it cocked and locked...
Thanx again for all the assistance.
Weazel

[3rdpig]

I'm thinking that shortening the opposite end might retain the decocker feature
Weazel

Mine still decocks, so shortening the lower end is probably the way to go. I didn't make it to the range today, but I will by the end of the week. I've got some Wolf springs coming for it as well, hopefully I'll have them installed for my trip to the range.

[3rdpig]

I tested the gun today. I first replaced the hammer spring with an 18 pound spring and the recoil spring with a 20 pound spring. Using the Wolf ammo, which was all I had the foresight to take with me, I got frequent light strikes which required a second strike to fire. Probably 2 or 3 out of every mag took two pulls of the trigger. I neglected to take the stock springs, and to be honest replacing the hammer spring at the range probably isn't a good idea, at least for me. I also got several failure to feed jams, the kind where if I pulled the slide back slightly, the mag would pop the top round up and releasing the slide would then chamber the round. It looked to me like a stiffer mag spring would cure that problem.

The original problem, the DA pull not working when the chamber is loaded, is fixed.

I also had my PA-63, which I had also put a lighter hammer spring and extra power recoil spring in as well, and it shot the Wolf ammo fine.

Upon bringing the P-64 home I disassembled and cleaned it and looked for a reason for the light strikes. I took out the firing pin, inspected it and the channel, cleaned and relubed it and put it back together. The firing pin moves smoothly in it's channel. I also put back the original hammer spring. I pulled the bullets out of several Wolf 9x18 rounds and using the primed cases tested to see if they'd fire (in DA mode) and even with the original hammer spring I'm getting light strikes on half the primed cases.

I'm really not seeing any reason to get the light strikes. Sticking a pencil and pulling the trigger launches it 4 feet straight up (with the stock spring, the 18lb spring is half that) so the firing pin is hitting with some authority. That distance is about the same amount my PA-63 shoots it.

I guess the next logical step is to try different ammo. To avoid having to drive to the range to test it every time, about a 50 mile round trip for me, I may buy a bag of new brass cases and just play at home with primed cases.

[normsutton]

3rdpig

thanks for the report , keep use informed please

NORM

[3rdpig]

Well, being somewhat bored tonight I took 5 of the Wolf cases, drilled and decapped them and seated them with CCI small pistol primers. All 5 fired DA, so I repeated the experiment on SA mode and all 5 fired. None of the primer strikes were what I'd call deep, but nonetheless, they're CCI primers which are known to be harder than most and they all fired. This is with the stock hammer spring, which is notably stronger than the 18 pound Wolf spring. So while I'm not ready to pronounce judgment this soon, it does appear as though my gun doesn't like Wolf ammo.

So what to do? What's a good choice? Silver Bear and Brown Bear are both available from AIM for less than I'm paying locally for Wolf. S&B is available for about $16 a box at Midway, and while I wasn't planning on reloading 9x19, at least I'd have brass if I wanted to.

Any suggestions on which ammo I'd have the best luck with would be appreciated.

[normsutton]

3rdpig

I hope this was a type O ( and while I wasn't planning on reloading 9x19, )
because the P-64 is a 9X18 Makarov,
you can make 9X18 out of 9mm brass , that's what I do

Silver Bear and Brown Bear are good or MSF , S&B

NORM

[3rdpig]

Yes, it was a typo Norm, I do know the difference. But the typo was one of the reasons why I quit reloading .380 and would prefer not to start reloading 9x18, it's just too to easy for me to make a mistake when I've got so many cases that are so close in size. I reload and shoot a lot of 9x19 but figured I probably wouldn't shoot that much 9x18 and would just stick with inexpensive steel case ammo, at least until it gets exorbitantly expensive like 7.62x39 has.

I found S&B for $12.95 per 50 over at Natchez, that's only 4 bucks more a box than the Silver Bear over at AIM and I'd get to keep the cases just in case....but I can use 9x19 cases as well and I've got a 5 gallon bucket full of those......decisions, decisions.

[3rdpig]

I ordered 250 rounds of the Silver Bear from AIM first thing this morning. I'll post again after I get it and can make it out to the range to test it.

[roadweazel]

I tested the gun today. I first replaced the hammer spring with an 18 pound spring and the recoil spring with a 20 pound spring. Using the Wolf ammo, which was all I had the foresight to take with me, I got frequent light strikes which required a second strike to fire.

I forget which hammer spring I installed in my P-64, but I think it was the 16# Walther, and I don't recall any light strikes with Wolf ammo.
My wife's Bersa Thunder is new and completely stock. Her pistol has had a few (I'd hate to say 'several') light strikes with S&B 380 ammo. This is the only 380 ammo that we've shot through it, but I have to wonder if their primers aren't a little on the hard side?
All the best.
Weazel

[3rdpig]

I finally made it back to the range with both Wolf and Silver Bear ammo and with both the P-64 and the PA-63. 100 rounds of Silver Bear and 50 rounds of Wolf were fired. Here are the results.

P-64 with Wolf ammo and the original hammer spring. Light strikes, at least one round out of every mag, a second strike fired them. No failures to feed now with the extra power recoil spring.

PA-63 with Wolf ammo and the original hammer spring. Functioned flawlessly, no failures of any kind.

P64 with Wolf ammo and 18 pound hammer spring. Every other round failed to fire on the first strike, some took as many as 3 strikes to fire.

PA-63 with Wolf ammo and 11 pound hammer spring. One light strike per magazine, second strike fired all that failed on first strike.

P64 with Silver Bear ammo and stock hammer spring. No failures of any kind.

PA-63 with Silver Bear ammo and stock hammer spring. No failures of any kind.

P64 with Silver Bear ammo and 18 pound hammer spring. No failures of any kind.

PA-63 with Silver Bear ammo and 11 pound hammer spring. No failures of any kind.


Moral of the story? Wolf bad, Bear good.