Polish Radom P64

[thewillweeks]

I'm looking at a Polish Radom p64 as a BUG, I currently use an LCP for that, and I'm not a huge fan of pocket carry so there's that.

1) Ammo seems to be more expensive for the p64, is that a misconception? (mostly speaking of ordering online)
2) Hornady and Buffalobore are the reputable defensive ammo makers I see making something in 9x18, anyone else I should know about?
3) Is steel case ok in these guns? That makes the ammo almost affordable...but still not.
4) Will a p64 afford me any more conceal-ability over a Glock 43? (looking at picture it doesn't really seem that it will, except maybe it has softer edges)
5) Is $192 out the door a fair price?

 

[adcoch1]

$192 is a great price if condition is good. I personally think mine carrys better than any offering by Glock. The ammo is considerably more expensive than current 9x19, but in defense ammo the price is about the same. The p-64 is amazingly accurate, probably due to the microscopic sights which a lot of shooters don't like. I prefer sights that don't snag up, and I can use mine without problems. With a factory recoil spring they do have a sharp recoil, but Wolff springs are supposed to cure that. Again, I don't mind it much, but I shoot some heavy recoil handguns and I'm used to it. Play with the trigger a bit since the double action mode is really heavy, but again cheap Wolff springs can cure that as well. Personally I love mine, and I don't think you can find this type of quality in any new gun even close to this price point. I wish I could find one for $200 in my area...

 

[amd6547]

What makes the P64 a good carry is how thin it is, and how short the grip is.
Steel ammo no problem.
The DA trigger on mine was completely unusable until I put in a lighter Wolff hammer spring, and the heavier recoil spring did moderate the snappy recoil.

 

[Olympus]

I shot Brown Bear ammo in mine when I had it.

Beware the terribly snappy recoil. You won't be pleasure shooting that gun.

 

[cc-hangfire]

Given it is a military/police design, it is dependable. The safety is the weakest part - if it breaks there are no replacement parts available. Ammo availability is indeed spotty since the surplus ammo dried up.

I had one and its recoil is substantial with it being a blow back design. You might want to shoot one first, but for $200 you can always sell it for that or a little more if you don't like it.

 

[Snowdog]

The P64 is a robust little pistol. I carried mine briefly in condition 2 with the safety off. I figured it would be much like a SAO (and that single action is sweet). However, I learned the pistol isn't drop-safe when the safety is off... so that ended that.

I still have it and will hold on to it. There are far worse choices out there for concealed carry. The 9x18 is best considered a .380acp when it comes to capability. It's enough to get the job done.

 

[lsudave]

Re steel-cased ammo: that is what these guns were designed for. It will eat them all day long without problems.

These Eastern Bloc guns are great bargains. A lot of people disparage "commie crap" as second rate, but they didn't scrimp on weapons for their military use. The P64 is very well made, out of high quality steel.
It has a very heavy DA pull, but that's by design, and not really relevant. For any sort of distance accuracy, just cock the hammer and you get a very good SA pull; if the target is up close the heavy DA won't affect accuracy (as you wouldn't be "aiming", you'd be quickly pointing and shooting).

 

[Ignition Override]

Thewillweeks: Sent you a long 'pm' about the (larger) Polish P-83 as an excellent option.

Also, some guys who changed the heavy spring on the 64 to what is recommended then find the SA trigger to be too light. They are very cool little guns, just hard for some people to enjoy using.

cc-hangfire: I see no shortage of 9x18 ammo, except in stores which never carried the commercial version anyway. Right now "Gunbot" shows about 40-50 selections of it., as low as .21 or .22/round.
It is manufactured in several countries Outside Russia, plus in the US.

 

[AZAndy]

J&G has 1000 rounds of steel-case for $249, which doesn't seem all that expensive, although it's sure more than the 8 or 9 bucks a box they were a few years ago. I reload the little devils, myself.

They're not tons of fun to shoot, but it doesn't sound like you were wanting a range gun anyway. For that price, I'd buy it, and I already have one.

 

[WardenWolf]

The P-64 is a high quality pistol, and very accurate as well. With Wolff springs, the trigger pull can be greatly improved. Hornady makes 2 loads for it, with 2 different bullet designs. Mine would not feed the red-tip Hornady stuff, and I didn't try the other version. I currently have it loaded with Silver Bear hollowpoints, but those are no longer available. I'd trust Buffalo Bore over Hornady. Their +P load is up there with .38 Special.

I recommend getting Marschal Grips for it. They will improve both its appearance and comfort.

 

[joem1945]

The SA trigger on one of mine is nice and crisp. The other isn't bad either. Recoil is sharp and I may down load it a bit.

 

[gripper]

I like mine. Reliable, accurate; hard hitting. Sturdy little beast.

 

[Pilot]

Change out the springs as others have said, and you're good to go. I carry a Polish P-83 IWB, but it is not a gun to pocket carry.

 

[giggitygiggity]

The P-64 is a great pistol. The two downsides are the ridiculously heavy DA trigger pull and the snappy recoil.

The DA trigger pull is incredibly heavy and requires two fingers to press the trigger if you want decent accuracy in DA. That said, it has a great SA trigger pull and with the heavy trigger pull, you don't have to worry about a slight snag on a piece of gear setting the trigger off.

The recoil is snappy considering it is a heavy tank of a pistol. Unless you are a crybaby or planning to shoot a thousand rounds in one range visit, the snappy recoil is a minor inconvenience.

That said, the pistol is built like a tank. It is heavy and sturdy and there is no wobble of the slide or other parts.

The pistol is also very accurate. Additionally, it's reliable and really spits out the brass or steel-cased ammo.

The ammo is about the same price as 9x19mm, at least for FMJ. It might be about $1 more expensive per box, but if you watch online, you can find steel-cased ammo for the same price as 9x19mm when it's on sale.

As long as the pistol is not beat up, that is a good price for a P-64. They don't make guns like that anymore. Get it and enjoy!

 

[hapax]

I'm looking at a Polish Radom p64 as a BUG, I currently use an LCP for that, and I'm not a huge fan of pocket carry so there's that.

1) Ammo seems to be more expensive for the p64, is that a misconception? (mostly speaking of ordering online)
2) Hornady and Buffalobore are the reputable defensive ammo makers I see making something in 9x18, anyone else I should know about?
3) Is steel case ok in these guns? That makes the ammo almost affordable...but still not.
4) Will a p64 afford me any more conceal-ability over a Glock 43? (looking at picture it doesn't really seem that it will, except maybe it has softer edges)
5) Is $192 out the door a fair price?

HP ammo is much more expensive, steel case is reasonable and reliable. About the same size as a G43 but much heavier. A VG condition P64 for under $200 is a good deal, assuming it comes with a couple of mags (very hard to find)

 

[hapax]

$192 is a great price if condition is good. I personally think mine carrys better than any offering by Glock. The ammo is considerably more expensive than current 9x19, but in defense ammo the price is about the same. The p-64 is amazingly accurate, probably due to the microscopic sights which a lot of shooters don't like. I prefer sights that don't snag up, and I can use mine without problems. With a factory recoil spring they do have a sharp recoil, but Wolff springs are supposed to cure that. Again, I don't mind it much, but I shoot some heavy recoil handguns and I'm used to it. Play with the trigger a bit since the double action mode is really heavy, but again cheap Wolff springs can cure that as well. Personally I love mine, and I don't think you can find this type of quality in any new gun even close to this price point. I wish I could find one for $200 in my area...

"Supposed to cure", but they don't . The recoil is very harsh (like +P in an airweight J frame harsh). Best way to reduce recoil (and save a lot on SD ammo) is to reload for it. Meister makes a cheap LRN and Hornady has XTPs in 9x18.

 

[hapax]

Thewillweeks: Sent you a long 'pm' about the (larger) Polish P-83 as an excellent option.

Also, some guys who changed the heavy spring on the 64 to what is recommended then find the SA trigger to be too light. They are very cool little guns, just hard for some people to enjoy using.

cc-hangfire: I see no shortage of 9x18 ammo, except in stores which never carried the commercial version anyway. Right now "Gunbot" shows about 40-50 selections of it., as low as .21 or .22/round.
It is manufactured in several countries Outside Russia, plus in the US.

The 18# Wolff hammer spring makes DA possible, but still heavy. It reduced SA from about 4# to 3# - not a hair trigger at all.

 

[thewillweeks]

Sadly, they're like a...uh they're part of a chain. So I can't see the gun before buying because it's in a warehouse somewhere that belongs to their chain. It does come with two mags though. However, given that it won't afford me 1) smaller gun than my Glock 43, 2) All that much better capacity or firepower than my LCP, I think this is gonna have to be a gun I hold off on until I have spare change for fun guns. Which means sadly, likely forever, unless I try one some time and just love it.

(edited for spelling, I'm bad at spelling when I'm shivering!)