Jim, Don't know if you're right or wrong but I'm pretty sure that yours is the ony picture of a PA-63. They were chambered for both the 380 and the 9x18, the 9x18 for the Hungarian police and military.
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Jim, Don't know if you're right or wrong but I'm pretty sure that yours is the ony picture of a PA-63. They were chambered for both the 380 and the 9x18, the 9x18 for the Hungarian police and military.
I've been browsing Makarov.com (thanks Dave), and getting educated, I plead true ignorance on small pistols, being a dyed in the wool 1911 guy. But, do see reasons for having a pocket pistol.
Being a 1911 guy, please explain how the decocker works on these.That term always sounds dangerous to me.
Originally Posted by waksupi
I never feel comfortable with de-cockers myself but I know of no instance in which they did not work correctly. There is no safety on the gun. It is a double action for the first shot but the hammer stays back (ala 1911) for subsequent rounds. If you are finished before the magazine is empty, you depress the decocking lever. It drops the hammer but it is blocked from hitting the firing pin. Like I said, I've never heard of a malfunction but nervous nelly that I am, I catch the hammer with my thumb and lower it gently.
The Saftey/decocker is mounted on the left rear of the slide. With the hammer cocked you push the lever up and it drops the hammer but blocks the fireing pin. The rebounding hammer is a built in saftey. With the trigger pulled the hammer can go forward to hit the fireing pin but then comes slightly back to be at rest away from the fireing pin. When you let go of the trigger, the hammer is blocked from going forward.
I just went and got mine to look at it. When you push the saftey lever(mounted on the slide) up there is a piece of steel(part of the lever) that rotates out to block the hammer and stops it at the at rest position. The hammer blocking part(great technical name, brain is tired) is in position before the hammer drops. With the hammer down, you can push the saftey/decocker lever up and it will not let you pull the trigger or cock the hammer.
Isn't caliber nomenclature FUN?
There were two very different 9 x 18 cartridges......the 9 x 18 Ultra, with nominal .355" bullets--it is the 380 ACP/9mm Kurz/9mm Corto/9 x 17 with case length extended 1mm from the earlier 380, otherwise it's dimensionally similar. There were SIG-Sauer P-230's and CZ-83's made in some numbers with this chambering, and some others.
The 9 x 18 MAKAROV differs in having a bullet diameter of .363" to .365", and its case is essentially a 9mm Luger with the tapered case walls straightened and 1mm of case length lopped off. That is exactly how I made my first cases for my PM.
I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.
When I first got mine, I couldn't find any correct bullets to reload and wasn't casting at that time. I trimmed 9 luger cases down and loaded with .355" 115 JHPs and useing 380 load data. Even with the bullets being undersized, they shot very well and velocity was right on with the load data.
Scrounger mentioned useing a Star 9mm. That is another often overlooked great shooting bargin. I like the Super variation with the quick take down lever on the right side. You just drop the magazine out, turn the lever forward and pull the slide forward off the frame. You can have it field stripped in about 10 seconds.
Star did make a smaller version in 380 that has a locked breach instead of a blow back like most others. The small Colt 380(Mustang?) that has a locking breach was made by Star.
Some day, I'd like to get my hands on a Star model P Super in 45 acp. So far I've only seen pictures of them.
To go a bit off topic; I'm a 1911 kind of guy as well. But to go a little closer to the skin a M37 J-frame smith works well for me. I drop it in the front pocket of my jeans in a Uncle mikes pocket holster and have never drawn a glance. I like the 158 grain soft noses for social purposes, and after a little practice I can shoot it as well as my 1911 out to 20 yards. Living in the stinkin' hot low country I carry this more than the 1911 these days. 75 deg out today. BD
I have a Hugarian PA63 in 9X18 and like it quite well. I keep a Hornady 95 gr. HP in the barrel and the magazine loaded with Fiocchi 95 gr FMJ's. I did a little penetration test using gallon water jugs and found the Hornady to be the best compromize for expansion and penetration while the Fiocchi was the most powerful of the FMJ ammo available. In fact, the Fiocchi may have the tendancy to over penetrate. The Hornady ammo, which uses the XTP bullet, is the only JHP ammo I'd use in this caliber. I sometimes use the PA as a pocket pistol if wearing Dockers or something else with big pockets but it won't work with jeans. At least not for me.
How fast is one of those littl 95 grainers going out of a 9x18?
BD
For compact little revolvers, EAA has a nice little snubby 357 called the Windicator.
The price is around $200.
I don't have one, but did shoot one at the range and it was suprizingly accurate with the 2" bbl. Back when I had my FFL, dealers cost was $150.
Dunno about the Hornady factory loads--the supposed Russian velocity is 1115 FPS for their service loads. I've loaded 95 grain JHP's and 100 grain castings to 1050-1075 FPS, and the pistols bounce around a little--but the Mak grip is a LOT better than the PP for me, so it isn't bad. Ejection gets a little vigorous with these full-potential loads.
I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.
I don't claim to know much about the small autos, but for concealed carry, I like snub- nosed revolvers, and have several in various calibers. The aluminum-framed varieties are light as a feather in your pocket, (Taurus ultra-lite is 19 oz. the Smith version is even lighter), are cast boolit friendly, NEVER jam, and are very fast to get into action if the fecal matter strikes the whirling blades. One other thing to recommend them is that when in use, they don't spray brass all over the place, but conveniently keep it in the gun so that you can take it back home and dispose of it properly (i.e; load it up again). Leaving brass laying around is a bad idea and ecologically incorrect, these days. I guess mostly I just LIKE wheelguns-- they have their bad features, too. Whichever way you go, shoot much and often-- that matters more than what you carry.
Later, Joe
I have an EG Makarov that I got from Century a few years back great little gun,
Also bought a BAIKAL MP-654K BB pistol, it even has a genuine Mak slide.
it fits into those surplus Mak holsters, this way I can pratice with the BB gun without spending a fortune in ammo.
Lar, how far did you have to trim back the 9mm Luger? I bought a couple boxes of Silver Bear at the gunshow yesterday, and see the price will make me interested in reloading. Any idea on availability of loading dies?
RCBS makes tungsten carbide sets at standard caliber price. Trim-to length for the 9 x 18 Makarov varies from source to source--.700" to .710". Starline has the brass, it runs .705". My first "home made" cases were cut at .710". Expand them first without belling, then trim. Forster makes pilots for this caliber, I imagine RCBS does too.
There is some interchange possible between 38 S&W and 9mm Makarov, die-wise. FWIW.
I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.
I had a pa 63 and it was a good pistol.the only bullets it wouldn't fire/feed was the silver bear 115 hp's they were just to long for the action.while my daughter was going to college she wanted a small compact pistol so I let her borrow it with a good supply of 95 gr hp's.never got the pistol back
over the years I have picked up a few PM markarovs.excellent pistols.
for cast bullets I bought the magma 95 gr lrn mould and size .365 works great for target/plinking.
this week I picked up a cz 82 in 9mm makarov.nice pistol great trigger and it is a tad heaver than a PM mak and a bit thicker in the grip as it is a double stack mag 12 rd's.
with the polygonnal bore I don't know yet how it will work with cast but going to give it a try.
range report to follow.
pete
Hello.
I have a PA-63 and have had very good luck with Georgia Arms Shear Power Plus ammo. They load a 9x18 95gr Gold Dot and push it out the barrel at 1000fps.
I too have had trouble feeding Silver Bear HPs in the PA, both 115 and 120gr, which feed fine in my Bulgarian Makarov.
Another pistol to think about is the Polish P64. They are very similar to the PA63, and the same, or slightly lower, in price. From the factory, the recoil spring s vastly undersprung, and the hammer spring is vastly oversprung, but with a change of springs, it is one sweet little pistol. Shoots pleasently and accurately to say the least! However, if you don't re-spring it, it has about a 70 pound double action trigger pull, and the recoil feels like a .44 magnum. Wolff gunsprings has everything you need to fix it cheaply.
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| BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
| BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
| BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
| C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
| HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
| PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
| LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
| GC | Gas Check |
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