New 9x18 Radom P64

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MCgunner

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2005
Messages
26,423
Location
The end of the road between Sodom and Gomorrah Tex
Picked one up at Gander Mountain in Sugar Land. They have 'em in the flyer for $249, but this was on display with a $199 tag on it. It came with a HUGE kinda funky leather shoulder holster, a gun lock, and a gun sock and spare magazine. Someone on the rifle forum had mentioned the 99 dollar Mosin Nagant sale. I went to look at those and came away with the Radom. I've been wanting a Mak for ever since I fired my SILs Russian Mak.

This gun seems to have a stiffer DA than my SILs. The SA makes up for it, though when you're just feeling it with thumb on the hammer, it has some creep. Dry firing, you don't notice the creep. It is VERY light in SA. Don't have a gauge, but it's lighter than about anything I have. Feels like maybe 2-3 lbs.

Not sure when i'll get to try it out. Kinda busy and a blue norther blew in today, too.

5a3tqe.jpg
 
Buy the Wolff mainspring kit for it, that drops the DA trigger pull from &$%@# down to manageable. It fits the DeSantis SuperFly for the PPK perfectly, one of those is my pocket carry.

It's a completely different animal from the Makarov (I have a Bulgarian Mak and I love it too) but it's a very accurate and reliable pistol.
 
I found a P64 board and a P64 thread on a Mak board. Everyone talks about this little thing's accuracy. My SIL's Mak is pretty accurate, 4" at 25 yards from sand bags, rested groups. If it beats THAT it's a shooter far as I'm concerned, considering the short sight radius. Kinda anxious to try the thing out.
 
MCgunner -- were there any other P64s marked at $199? I live about 20 miles from that store -- might need to go check it out.

I used to own one of these about 8 years ago. It's pretty snappy as I recall, and sometimes the safety on mine would engage due to recoil. You pull the trigger and it goes click. Is there any fix for that problem?
 
It's gonna hurt. I just put the heavier recoil spring in and left the mainspring as is. This is a small PPK size/weight blowback gun shooting the more powerful 9x18 round and recoil is nasty, worse than a PA63.

After the heavier recoil spring and rubber slip on grips I don't feel like I'm causing permanent nerve damage after two or three mags. Firing this thing is like shooting a snub nose .357 magnum as far as pain goes (with the factory recoil spring).

I love mine and it's deadly accurate. I paid $150 + tax + $9 for a spring about 18 months ago. Double action is nasty but single action is good.
 
MCgunner -- were there any other P64s marked at $199? I live about 20 miles from that store -- might need to go check it out.

I used to own one of these about 8 years ago. It's pretty snappy as I recall, and sometimes the safety on mine would engage due to recoil. You pull the trigger and it goes click. Is there any fix for that problem?
Click to expand...

Yeah, they had a case full of 'em at that price. I'm not sure how the safety could engage on it under recoil. It's stiff as hell. I have to use my off hand to drop the hammer with it.

As to recoil, we'll see. I'll order that wolf spring kit. I don't know how it could be THAT bad. I mean, I'm used to my Kel Tec P11 with 9mm +P. It's only 14 ounces empty. I don't have a problem with full house .357 rounds in an SP101. But, the 12 ounce scandium Smiths with .357s, well, I didn't like that too much. Being a hand cannon shooter from way back, though, I'm pretty recoil tolerant. I'll admit that 12 ounce Smith was a bit much for me, though.

I'll take a shooting glove to the range. That should help.
 
Just back from GM where I picked up one too. They had two of them left, both with worn finishes, but not too bad. Mine's a 1976 vintage. I should have just kept the one that I had a few years back, but hey live and learn. It's a good little gun, albeit somewhat snappy.

MCgunner -- I too have one of those scandium 357s. I haven't shot mine in years, but the recoil is unforgettable, for sure. The P64 shouldn't be nearly so bad.
 
Well, I just got back from the range and I'm rather impressed. As to recoil, you guys weren't fibbin'. It's not that hard a recoil, but it rolls back into the web of the hand. A shooting glove is welcome. I went through 50 rounds each from the Radom and my Kel Tec P11. My hand will be okay, but you do feel it. :D I'm in better shape, though, than after 5 rounds from that Scandium thing. OUCH. If I had one of those, it'd be a .38. The SP101 was bearable, but .357 was never intended for guns much under 30 ounces. Actually, it wasn't intended for guns much under 40 ounces. :D

Accuracy is pretty amazing. I shot a group, 1 groups, first group out of it with cheap Silver Bear into a little over 3" from 25 yards rested over my shooting box, first mag full. It shot SPOT to POA. I am impressed with that. The DA is such that past 15 yards, you ain't gonna score on the first round. :D But, the SA is beautiful. DA is usable at normal defense ranges. The tiny sights are hard to acquire out of leather or from low ready. They're very precise, but not fast, but the gun is very pointable at 7.5 yards. Out of 50 rounds, I had no failures of any kind.

Can't wait for the dies and stuff to get here. Gotta work me up a load. I don't have any hollow points ordered. They were backordered at Midway on Hornady XTP, so if the shop in Victoria doesn't have any, I'll order 'em right off the Hornady site for 6 bucks more, but they're available. Meanwhile, I'll content myself with working up a range load with the cast bullet.

I'm glad I got up there when I did. Mine has some slight holster wear at the end of the slide, but overall is in great condition.

25tl36r.jpg
 
I've got three P-64's.
One shoots left, one shoots center and one shoots right.
The DA trigger pull is terrible, but can be greatly improved with a mainspring change.
The gun kicks hard.
The magazines are impossible to find.
The gun is reliable and accurate.

This is the one that shoots right.
50 yards. Standing, two hands.
P-6450yards-1.gif


The gun gives the impression of being small but is almost the same size as the Makarov.
P64andMak-1.gif
 
Last edited:
I have a couple of the P64's one with a round hammer and a newer one with the triangle hammer. I used my P64 to qualify for my CCW permit. Great little pistols and solid enough for CC. I found the newer models P83 to be a fun little pistol also.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top