First/second Range Reports

[davebaird]

;D Happy Thanksgiving everybody! This is a great time to count our blessings because the future is somewhat uncertain anymore.

My gun club is only a 5 minute drive from my home. It is set down in a beautiful open valley surrounded by tree covered hillsides. Two nights ago we had a snow event that only wet the roads and dusted the lawns at my home. This morning I drove to the gun club with my new-to-me 1972 P-64 and was shocked to see a 4" heavy snowfall blanketing the club's valley and hanging heavy on the bowed tree limbs! It was beautiful to say the least. I was very happy to be there and had a great time with the new pistol.

I had cleaned the gun with Hoppes and Dunk-it but the hotter the gun got, the more brown ooze ran down on my fingers! Those things are filthy but you would never know it by looking at them. I used the Mesko ball ammo and Silver Bear HP. There was not any problem with either load although I thought the Mesko was more powerful and hesitated using anymore. Fortunately a kind forum member assured me the Mesko was only 92gr. when I returned from the range.

The gun is extremely accurate, unbelievable so as a matter of fact. The P-64 is a one-handed pistol in my opinion and no matter where I aimed, it hit. I still have the original springs in it because the recommended Wolff have not yet arrived. As everyone knows, the DA was bad. Recoil was not as bad as I had feared, but I sure was happy for the unexpected snowfall because I packed the web of my right hand before heading home!! ::) It was red and beginning to swell.

I experienced a few FTF but I attribute them to a dirty gun and possibly a limp wrist here and there. I did have one problem. In the middle of a magazine of the Silver Bear the trigger went back when I pulled it, but it did not release the hammer! I removed the mag and cleared the gun. At that point and from then on it worked fine. I guess that may also be due to the dirty gun? I thought the trigger bar spring broke but all appears to be fine.

I had a BLAST and am very happy with the P-64. Once I install the Wolff springs, I plan to return to the range and run through another hundred or so rounds, then try-out some of the recommended Hornady for self defense needs. I only wish the surprise snowfall only 5 minutes from my house was on a Thanksgiving card.....I would send you one! Off to the scrub-down!! God bless, Dave

[blacktop]

Sounds like you had a good time! I took my '69 to Thanksgiving dinner today at my in-laws to show around and neither my father-in-law nor brother-in-law could pull the DA trigger without using both index fingers. Ha! Wimps... BTW, send some of that snow our way - it's 79 degrees and muggy! Guess I'll be wearing shorts again putting up the Christmas lights...

[gunneyrabbit]

No doubt about it your addicted, be very careful, they have a tenancy to multiply right under your nose and before you know it there are little ones popping up every where.

My professional advise is when you get the urge to buy another, just send your funds to me and I will hang on to them for you for several years, knowing full well that I would never cheat you out of them, I would always owe them to you!

Happy Holidays!
G.R.

[davebaird]

Thanks friends, it really was a great time. And, if there was any way to send the upcoming winter snow to you BT, I would! ;D

I received the Wolff springs today, 20 for the recoil and 20 for the hammer. While installing them I took others' advice and polished the feed ramp and hammer strut. It is a new gun!! I think it is as smooth as any small Walther I have shot! Thanks for all the wise advice, fellas!! I will try the range tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

Take care, Dave

[blinddog]

davidbaird, I am happy that you are happy. It sure is alot of fun shooting a pistole that hits where you aim. Unless you are like me and the darn target keeps moving around, I triied two nails but that doesn't work either. Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!!! ;D

[davebaird]

;D Thanks, BD, I did have a great day!

After installing the two Wolff springs, polishing the feed ramp and hammer strut, and cleaning the P-64 thoroughly this time, I went back the the range. The snow was gone (I mailed it all to BT ), but I still enjoyed myself yet again. I shot over 50 rounds total of Silver Bear HP, Mesko FMJ, Wolf "military" FMJ, and the Hornady HP. The only glitch I had was when the slide failed to go fully into battery two times, once with Silver Bear and once with Wolf, both on the first round. Each time I simply slapped it with the butt of my hand and all was fine. When I got it home I really brushed out the chamber from the chamber end by spinning it, not just pulling a brush in and out. I learned that from a dirty Hakim chamber that was full of lacquer from the coated rounds. I couldn't see it, but it was there and hampering the rounds from fully seating. I hope this technique works with the P-64 as well. BUT, I had no jams or gun malfunctions with either mag or any of the four rounds!! I am psyched! ;D

[big54r]

my 1st range session with the 64 was a good one and I used monarch, wolf and s&b.

I did have a cpl jams and failure to go into battery but I attribute that to my 1st time getting used to the grip and limpwristing the thing cuz it's so tiny.

the 64 had good accuracy out to 10 yards but I gotta get some time behind the dbl action trigger pull cuz it sux!