The Unofficial P64 Resource Forum

Problem, as I see it-I'm left handed and therefore the safety is really a hinderance if I use the P-64 as a carry gun.

On the other hand, the DA trigger pull is, even tuned up, in the neighborhood of a DA revolver.

Is the gun truly safe without the safety on and in DA mode? I don't know the firing pin set up.

Any leftys carry this thing?

Well, that 's how I carry it on those rare occasions when i get to..round in the chamber, decocked, safety off. The hammer rebounds, not as much as a Mak's, but it is still off the pin, so i think it's safe to carry like that--Anyone else??

The hammer is blocked from contacting the firing pin unless the trigger is almost all the way back. I'm a lefty also.........

Thanks guys-good to know.

you could test it to see if it is safe to carry with the safety off.

at the range, grip the gun one handed and ready to fire in DA. keep you finger off the trigger and with your other hand tap on the hammer with a section of 2x4.

I'm not saying to wail on the thing, just light taps that steadily increase in strength until either it fires or you've approximated the force equal to a drop to the floor on the hammer from, say, 4 feet high.

Be careful though, if it does fire the slide may hit the 2x4 with enough energy to send the 2x4 back into your face and ruin your day at the range.

Oh, for Pete's sake.

With the gun empty, push on the hammer with your thumb and notice were it is. Then let the hammer down while you hold back the trigger, you will notice it goes all the way in. I think it is safe, I carry mine with the safety off, that extra second to take off the saftey can get you killed, no one in my dept was allowed to carry thier weapons (S&W model 59) with the safety on.

There are more guns carried out there without safeties than with them. All double-action revolvers have no safeties and there are tons of semi-autos out there that are double-action only (DAO) or Glock triggers, that have no safety. It is rare, very rare, to hear about an accidental discharge.

I'm all for what Gray Fox said. The safety has it's place in that you could use it to unload or for other situations--it's a plus that it is on the P-64, but I would never carry the P-64 or any other double-action semi-auto with the safety on. It's just one more thing to forget or get confused about in a crisis situation.

Given the double action pull of most of the P-64's, it is really hard to conceive of a situation where the pistol would accidently discharge. I'm left-handed as well, but oddly I prefer to use a pistol right handed (I use a shotgun or rifle left handed--peculiar, isn't it?) but I do practice for left-handed pistol use, and can see how one would have significant difficulty in manipulating the safety. My advice is to not use the safety on the P-64 for CCW, providing your pistol is in good working order (and as we well know, virtually all P-64's are in good working order!).

Actually, I would be better off shooting left-handed, in a one-hand grip, since my left eye is the dominant..I try to practise a two-handed grip, since my right hand is the stronger..

I carry religiously, but I am not a police officer. I personally feel safer carrying chamber empty. Plus if I do have to "rack-a-round" I will be in the sweet S/A mode with my P-64. All out 1911's were carried chamber empty in the military, I guess I'm just used to that. As a civilian I don't have the daily threat the a brave LEO faces.