The Unofficial P64 Resource Forum

Improving the trigger of a PA 63
Thanks to Steve Steven (hsteven@pinn.net) for this contribution.


Although the PA 63 is not a Makarov, it looks similar and has been widely sold by the same importers. The main difference is the aluminum frame of the PA 63. The firing mechanism is a closer copy of the Walther than the Mak is.

I found the trigger on my PA 63 to be too stiff in both single and double action mode. Here are some of the steps I took to remedy that. I have done these mods to six of these pistols so far, one would not fire commercial ammo reliably the first time, and required a stronger hammer spring. Two others would not reliably fire surplus European military ammo the first time.

First, I want it understood this dissertation is strictly an account of my own actions. I do not recommend or promote this as something anyone else may want to do. I do not advocate unsafe modifications of any firearm. These changes I have made might not be in the best interest of all owners, especially if utter reliability is required.

That said, lets see what can be done to relieve the stiff trigger. I was unimpressed by the sloppy fit of the sear pivot pins. They were very loose in the frame, falling out when spring stress was relieved. I fabricated new pivot pins that were a light press fit into the frame with a close sliding fit in the sear holes. This will give a more consistent action, and reduce the take up in the travel, both single & double action.

Next, and before installing the new pins, I polished the obvious parts. All pistol trigger work is essentially the same, careful attention to detail in relieving friction, excess take-up and over travel. Beginning with the sear (sometimes called the "stirrup"), stone the curved top with fine Arkansas stone to smooth it up. Most PA 63's don't need much. Then, with a sharp cornered Arkansas stone polish the notch on the underside of the sear where the hammer rests in single action mode. I have not been decreasing the depth of this notch, but believe it could be done by about 20% without a problem. It is essential to not "rock" the stone when doing this. A jig to keep the stone operating in a smooth straight line is necessary, I use my vise jaws to keep the stroke straight not curved. (I periodically re-cut the jaws in the mill!) Polish the flat bottom of the hammer extension where it fits into the notch. I do not worry about the top of this extension which is only used in single action when thumbing back the hammer. Polish the underside of the hammer fly where the sear lifts the hammer, and the front where the sear rides on it as the trigger goes forward. A word of caution, POLISH does NOT mean GRIND! Arkansas stones, #600, #800 Ϩ silicon carbide paper is what I am talking about, and the silicone carbide is for drastic work only.

Next, look at the springs. The hammer spring is the worst offender, being far too strong for a decent trigger. I experimented with several springs to get a lighter but workable spring, and have not yet found the perfect one. I am sure Wolff Springs has one, I am impressed with their selection but they reflect the cost of limited production items. I currently make a new mainspring from a Brownells spring kit (p/n 080-950-100) using the .032 wire dia., .260 OD spring. It is 10 turns/in. I make the spring 2.65" long, and counter bore the spring plug to a depth of about 3/8" to allow a longer spring. The longer a spring is, the less percentage change in the spring force for a given compression, all other things being equal. Be prepared to make and discard several springs in the pursuit of the best one. If the spring is too weak, you can shim this counter-bored area. Next, remove the trigger return spring and reshape it to weaken it. Do not go too far with this, I had to restore some strength once. Replace the spring for the firing pin lifting plunger with a softer one, I have a selection of springs from electrical contractor work that never fails to provide a suitable one. I have not tried to lighten the operation of the firing pin spring, but I suppose it would help.

After all these mods, reassemble the pistol with the new pins and test it. If still not suitable, try a lighter hammer spring since this is the major way to lighten the pull. The double action length of pull cannot be improved on much, and the single action creep will still be there (unless you decreased the depth of the sear notch).