Questions about my first P-64.

[mmafan]

I just purchased my first P-64 made in 68 and I have a few questions.

The first one is how to degrease it, I saw this advice in a another thread and had a few questions:

take the grips and the slide off
then soak in a solvent
then blow off with brake cleaner or WD 40
then lightly oil
if safety is hard to turn you may have to take safety apart

I use ether diesel fuel or paint thinner to soak in
if red dot comes off, red finger nail polish works just fine or any red paint put on with tooth pick

I use 20 w 50 synthetic oil and a light coat of axle grease on the slide rails


Do you soak the entire pistol minus the grips in diseal fuel? Or just the frame minus both the slide and grips? How long do you let the pistol soak in diseal fuel?

The double action pull is horrendous, I am defineatly replacing the springs, is the consensus the 20lb recoil / 18lb main spring the best for most users?

I have read that the 22lb recoil spring does not fit on alot of P-64's

That is all I can think of for now.

Thanks

[pshootr]

The only downside to soaking the slide in a solvent is that you may lose the red dot on the safety. My one P-64, and all those I've seen at gun shows and stores look pretty clean. If the firing pin and the extractor move freely there shouldn't be a problem, IMHO. One of the main reasons the double action on mine was so bad is that the sear drags against the hammer as you trigger-cock the weapon, and the part of the hammer it drags on, the lower front part, was quite rough. Polishing this area smoothed out the double action quite a bit. Removing the hammer is not difficult.

To do this:
1. Check that the mag is out and the chamber is empty.
2. Field strip the pistol, leaving it cocked.
3. Stick the end of a straightened paper clip through the hole near the lower end of the hammer strut.
4. Carefully lower the hammer.
5. Remove hammer, hammer spring and strut as a unit.
6. Push out hammer axis.
7. Remove hammer.
8. Polish mirror smooth the area between the safety notch and the full-cock notch on the front of the hammer.
9. Do not alter either hammer notch.
10. Reassemble in reverse order.
11. You must cock the hammer to remove the paper clip.

[normsutton]

mmafan

I have soak them 3 hours to over night it depends on how much Cosmolin is on the guns ,soak every thing ( BUT NOT THE GRIPS THEY MAY MELT )
I like the 18# hammer spring with the 20# recoil spring it works for me you my find it doesn't work for you , have to make your own mind up

NORM

[carguy]

You cannot clean this pistol enough! There always seems to be additional crude lurking somewhere, it seems like the 9x18 ammo is inherently dirtier than most (maybe it's just me). Be sure to clean out the firing pin and use a cotton swab in there as well, lots of dirt accumulates.

Like norm said be careful with the grips...lots of solvents will eat them!! 8~)

To each his own but I recommend you be extremely careful if you decide to polish any internal part...better yet leave it to a professional if you decide to do it at all. First try the 20# and 18# springs, I did and just love the result, it's an inexpensive fix for most. (Be careful to install the recoil spring with the small end, narrower diameter, on the barrel first to avoid it getting stuck).

Good luck and safe shooting!