Milsurp pistols... Polish P-64, Zastava M57 Tokarev

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American_Fusilier

American_Fusilier

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Does anybody have any of these? I'm always on the lookout for milsurp stuff, and these two pistols have really caught my eye.

The Tokarev more for the 7.62x25 round.

The P-64 for the size and looks.

Both guns can be had for $200 or less if you wait until a sale.

Does anybody have either of these guns? What are your impressions of them?
 
My M57 is a fun range toy, if not all that accurate. Think, minute of pizza at 50 yards. These all had afterthought safetys added to make them importable, so make sure you can live with that before you buy.

...large pizza, that is....
 
I've had both. The P-64, while accurate, has a really horrible trigger. The add-on safety on the Tokarev is clumsily done, though I enjoyed shooting it. Doing a field-strip for cleaning is inconvenient, as there's a clip that holds pins in the frame, and getting that on and off is difficult without marring the gun.

If you want a good shooter in 9x18, the CZ-82 is hard to beat. An original Makarov from whatever country is pretty nice too, but it's only eight rounds, and the CZ is twelve. The CZ also has polygonal rifling.
 
The P64 is proof that even the Commies can produce a turd. The sights are very small, the gun is all steel making it heavy, the dang thing hurts my hand when I shoot it and the double action has been reported as being 20# which I believe. A lighter spring helps with the trigger pull but there is nothing that can be done with the small sights.

The CZ82 is a wonderful gun that is neither fish or fowl for American shooters. It is on the large size of a .380 power cartridge. However I find the size makes it very comfortable and the sights helps to shoot it accurately.
 
I have a P64 and like it, the stock trigger sucks but there is a spring kit that you can buy that will improve it, and a company in alvin texas makes grips for it, iy is accurate as the person shooting it .
here it is beside my Shield
Ui3odek.jpg
2 mags at 21 ft first time I shot it, was 95 grain brown bear ammo I think,,,,Maybe? it's been awhile
JXRTMz8.jpg

I think I gave about $170 or so for it, $ 200 isn't too bad but I wouldn't go any more than that for one
 
IMG_0781.JPG Tokarev and two P64's. The Tokarev is fun, I have learned to live with the safety. The 7.62X25 round is hot.. Went through both panels on an out of date vest. I have a Chinese IMG_3404.JPG one also in 9X19MM. I would advise against the P-64. I'm in agreement with the BSA1. The DA is awful and it's not worth springs and whatnot. The Makarov's are built like tanks and the East German one's, if you can find one, are well finished. They all shoot well. The CZ 82 is the Prince of the C&R imports. Very accurate, reliable, and very well made. What you would expect out of CZ.
 
I have a 64.

Gawd-awful trigger barely correctable.

Horrendously accessible hammer if you try to S.A. it.

Ridiculous mag catch to try to access either smoothly or easily.

Sights that take great concentration and good lighting to acquire.... And you will need to acquire because miserable shooting characteristics limit the likelihood of attaining muscle-memory.

Recoil impacts in a way unlike most anything in it's class.

But it isn't all bad, at least the magazines are stoopidly expensive if you can find them.:evil:

Don't be lured in by how it feels. In the hand, un-operated and undepended upon, it's a wonderful pistol.... or paperweight.

I can't believe that I've been lured into advising on a Tokarev..... ANY Tokarev!:neener: Such is the miserable nature of a Pooh-64.

Todd.
 
ApacheCoTodd said:
I have a 64.

Gawd-awful trigger barely correctable.

Horrendously accessible hammer if you try to S.A. it.

Ridiculous mag catch to try to access either smoothly or easily.

Sights that take great concentration and good lighting to acquire.... And you will need to acquire because miserable shooting characteristics limit the likelihood of attaining muscle-memory.

Recoil impacts in a way unlike most anything in it's class.

But it isn't all bad, at least the magazines are stoopidly expensive if you can find them.:evil:

Don't be lured in by how it feels. In the hand, un-operated and undepended upon, it's a wonderful pistol.... or paperweight.

I can't believe that I've been lured into advising on a Tokarev..... ANY Tokarev!:neener: Such is the miserable nature of a Pooh-64.

Todd.
Click to expand...
You need to stop sugar coating it, tell him straight out!.
 
I have the Romanian Tok (TTC) and a P64, but haven't shot either. They're neat pieces of Comm-Bloc history, and rock-solid. I'll get around to shooting them someday; I've had them (and ammunition for them) for several years now.

As a shooter, I do like the Pistol Makarov, and have a Bulgarian. That's how 9x18mm should be done. My only other Comm-Bloc surplus handgun is a CZ-70 in 7.65mm Browning (.32ACP.) Nope, haven't shot that one, either. Man, I gotta step it up some.
 
If you want easier to find ammo...

I have a Chinese Tokarev in 9mm and a Russian Makarov in 380acp. Neither are particularly difficult to find.

The Tokarev is an okay shooter for a service pistol, neither great nor terrible. The Makarov has a heavy DA trigger, but is surprisingly accurate in SA.

Chinese Tokarev 9mm

Chinese Tokarev 9mm


Makarov380

Makarov380

 
Tallball said:
I have a Chinese Tokarev in 9mm
Click to expand...
This was my first pistol, and mine, at least, is definitely accurate enough.
I have a P64, the DA is stout as heck, the SA is very light. I don't mind shooting it, the recoil isn't bad to me, and it's decent enough as a point shooter for 10 yds and in.
My CZ 82 is aces. My EG Makarov is quite nice. My PA 63 feels great to hold, but is a demon to shoot.
 
Thanks for the input guys. I always see these pistols for so cheap, and wondered what other people experiences were.

I think I'd rather have the Tokarev TT than the P-64, but I think the P-64 looks cooler. But the 7.62x25 cartridge intrigues me, and I don't have anything else like it, I know it's a hot little round. You can still find ammo for both guns, so maybe when I am rich and famous I'll buy both! Right after my long list of other guns to get...

Sigh... too many guns, not enough money....
 
American_Fusilier said:
Thanks for the input guys. I always see these pistols for so cheap, and wondered what other people experiences were.

I think I'd rather have the Tokarev TT than the P-64, but I think the P-64 looks cooler. But the 7.62x25 cartridge intrigues me, and I don't have anything else like it, I know it's a hot little round. You can still find ammo for both guns, so maybe when I am rich and famous I'll buy both! Right after my long list of other guns to get...

Sigh... too many guns, not enough money....
Click to expand...
Looks and heft lured me into popping for my craptackular P-64.

Fortunately it was a very inexpensive learning opportunity easy to back out of to a Mak-caliber nut some day.

Todd.
 
I have a M-57. The safety works and feels just like a 1911. I got the thing from J&G years ago for $99. The Yugo Toks were (are) the best of the breed. Decent quality and the elongated grip fits larger hands, as well as giving an extra round's capacity. The add on safety is the best of its kind.
 

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Be aware that you need to immediately clean your firearms thoroughly if you run Soviet Bloc or ChiCom 7.62x25 or 9x18 military surplus ammunition through your soon to be Tokarev or P-64. The price for mil sup ammo is usually a few dollars less than name brand ammo of the same caliber but if your in the habit of field stripping your firearms your good.

I was aware of the need to do that but it totally slipped my mind once and ruined the barrels of a Romanian Tok and and an Enfield.
 
I am going to do the usual Internet thing by making a selection that is NOT one of the options: The Polish P-83 Wanad. To me, it is a better pistol than any of the other Milsurps in this thread. But that just means I like it better, not that it is more suited to the original poster's purposes. It is also becoming more expensive. A quick look at GunBroker shows a bunch of P-83s at about $314, plus shipping and transfer fees.

Also, I have to admit I have never touched a CZ-82, which may be even better, as Terry G suggests.
 
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I'll have to agree with what the previous member had to say about the P64. I bought one when I was right out of college and could only afford $150 for a CCW gun. Worst gun I've ever owned! Literally, it's one step up from a knife in my book. If you absolutely have hardly any money and you can find one for under $200, it's better than a knife, but only barely. Aside from that, I could NEVER recommend one. Trust us on this, that gun is better left alone if you can.

I put all the different Wolff springs in the one I had too and it still was terrible. I'd rather shoot a 500 S&W over that little P64 any day of the week. That gun was brutal to the web of my hand and trigger finger would get sore from pulling about 25 rounds.
 
Alte Schule said:
Be aware that you need to immediately clean your firearms thoroughly if you run Soviet Bloc or ChiCom 7.62x25 or 9x18 military surplus ammunition through your soon to be Tokarev or P-64. The price for mil sup ammo is usually a few dollars less than name brand ammo of the same caliber but if your in the habit of field stripping your firearms your good.

I was aware of the need to do that but it totally slipped my mind once and ruined the barrels of a Romanian Tok and and an Enfield.
Click to expand...
Before leaving the range I do a preliminary clean and lube. If really busy some WD40 or other similar until I get home. If I have time some windex, bore cleaner, and them then patches with lube. Then get home and really scrub those barrel bores and other parts exposed to the corrosive salts. Never leave such barrels dry in a humid climate like FL.
 
barnetmill said:
Before leaving the range I do a preliminary clean and lube. If really busy some WD40 or other similar until I get home. If I have time some windex, bore cleaner, and them then patches with lube. Then get home and really scrub those barrel bores and other parts exposed to the corrosive salts. Never leave such barrels dry in a humid climate like FL.
Click to expand...
I believe I read your advice a couple years ago on another thread and have followed your suggestions since. :thumbup: Small spray bottle of water and dove soap in my bag and give my SKS and M 48 a quick wash before I leave the range. Don't have much mil sup ammo left anyway and probably won't order anymore. Lessons in life come hard sometimes.
 
I have a TT33 Tokarev, I personally haven't bought any variants with mechanical safeties as I understand those can be problematic. It's interesting to see the number of different places mechanical safeties have been added to the variants that incorporate one. Some without added mechanical safeties pop up for sale every so often.

My Tokarev is the most punishing pistol I own WRT the web between my right thumb and right index finger, so it's only been to the range a few times.
 
Fear of corrosive ammunition is over rated. Remember that every country in WWII used corrosive ammunition. You don't have to race like mad for home to clean your corrosive fired gun. I shoot corrosive ammunition through Mauser's, M-1 Garands, AK's and SKS's. When finished shooting I run a soaked patch with old (REALLY OLD) GI bore cleaner through the bore, wipe the bolt face down with the same thing, and then clean as usual. Having ruined a rifle yet. You don't need GI Bore cleaner. Hot water works in a pinch. Some use an ammonia based cleaner. I don't know if that's needed or not. Most of the corrosive based ammunition is being used up so the question might well be moot soon. I have an awful lot of 8MM corrosive left that I intend to use.
 
If you don't have one I would look for a Mak.
Fun gun, not very much to get one.
As noted double action is heavy but single action is not bad at all.
 
My two cents: I have both. The M57 is much more fun to shoot than the P64. 7.62x25 is also a really cool round to have in your arsenal. Trigger was ok and the sights are very basic.

I would take the M57 if I had to choose one.
 
Terry G said:
Fear of corrosive ammunition is over rated. You don't have to race like mad for home to clean your corrosive fired gun.
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I have just blasted the bits and gas-system with G-96 right after shooting for years.
I'm not so concerned with immediate effect so mush as my getting back and forgetting about it.
The G-96 has been a hell of a backstop for me and besides.... It makes the guns smell like bananas!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

For me, the greater concern is usually in protecting my gas systems.

Todd.
 
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