I never realized how beautiful a Tokarev would look if it was parked. I have a P-64 too and mine was made in 1971. Great carry gun, and lots of fun at the range.
The viz 35 are great looking guns . Was you tokarev refinished? Always like the mararov guns , the way they look. Closest I have is a cz 82 , it came with a holster and extra mags for $250
The VIS 35 is one of my absolute favorites! Grandpa came home from Vietnam with it like that. If he had it parkarized or if one of the Vietcong had it parkarized we will never know. I am so sad I missed out on the Makarov when they were that cheap You live you learn.
All your sentiments shared today where exactly what I felt when I first bought my p64. That eventually, each time I took it to the range, changed dramatically because this has become the most unenjoyable gun to shoot in my small collection. Range time is about 2 mags max, if that, is all my hand can take. The Nostalgia has wore off for me lol I'm going to eventually sell this and buy an M&P ported barrel Shield Plus thank you for sharing and love your collection! PS, I have, early on, changed the hammer and recoil springs and that initial double action trigger is still a pain to pull. :(
I have since replaced the hammer spring (under 10 bucks shipped) and it has improved a bunch. I think I am going to ship it down and really clean it and lube it up well. It has been a fun project for me. Sounds like you have a good gun that you have next on your list. I hope it works out well. Thanks for supporting my passion project. Safe and Plentiful Shooting to you and yours!
Cool. I paid $120 each for my P-64's 20 years ago when they were first importing them. 2 matching number mags but no holster or cleaning rod. Very nice classy import marks on those and having the stock left side grip instead of the goofy target grip they used to put on them for import compliance. The DA trigger is much better if you take it all apart get all the dried Cosmo out and put some good quality moly lube in there. The hammer pin and the hammer spring strut where it engages the hammer needs lube badly on assembly . The Wolff springs are a good idea. Replace the recoil spring and the firing pin spring makes it more safe. The more you shoot and dry fire it the smoother and easier it gets. Mine are easily half the pull they used to be when I got them. Put a Houge Hand-all Jr on the grip and that helps a whole lot with recoil. Sand the grips where they meet together at the back to smooth that saw tooth seem at the point where they meet the web of your hand. That's terrible but maybe the ones that didn't have the grips replaced when importing don't have such poorly-matched grips. I eventually bought original left grips and those were no better. Sanding and smoothing the joint helped a lot and the plastic polished back up pretty well afterwards.
Alot of really good info. My grips did not hurt on mine, but maybe I just got lucky. I have since put on the Wolf spring and it is better, but I think I am going to really go after cleaning on this one and get real lube in it. But it is a fun project that I have not had to put a ton of money in. Amd it is history I get to shoot so that is nice. Thanks for supporting the channel!
Pulling the hammer out is only one more step further than changing the hammer spring. Just lightly push out the hammer pivot pin and it falls right out I have found that this pivot hole in the hammer is full of cosmo gunk and rough edges and the source of most of the fiction and binding. I looked closely into mine with a jeweler's loupe to find that the milling was extremely rough and bumpy in there To clean it up I first put a bit of isopropyl alcohol on the tip of a q-tip and shoved it in there and spun it. The q-tip might need a bit of trimming to fit. I was amazed at how much brown gunk came out after repeatedly doing this a half dozen times. Eventually I dabbed a tiny bit of barkeeper's friend on a q-tip and spun it round and round and kept doing that until finally it didn't produce any more brown or black on the q-tip. Inspecting it again with the jeweler's loupe showed a much more polished surface inside although there were still some light tool marks left Sitll it was a much smoother spinning bearing surface than before. I cleaned all of the tiny flakes of cosmo left on the sear engagement shelves with a wood tooth pick. That will help keep the SA trigger from becoming a hair trigger with the lighter spring. Again I used the jeweler's loupe to inspect my work. Don't take off any metal here or alter this, just get the funk out. Cosmo is nasty stuff. I cleaned the hammer pivot pin up with alcohol and lubed it with Lucas assembly lube with molyn and put it back together. It went together with just s bit of wiggling after setting the hammer in place. There js no spring pressure here to fight. Reducing the friction on the hammer pivot made the most difference and I am convinced this is the largest source of heaviness in the Double-Action trigger pull since this pivot is under a whole lot of pressure due to the spring and that crap isn't coming out of there without taking it apart to manually dig it out. Also be sure to add assembly lube on the hammer spring strut where it engages the tiny pin inside the hammer. That pin on one of my hammers was very rough so I put some of the barkeeper's friend paste on that and worked it and the slot in the hammer strut together to polish that pivot as well before I out the hammer back in. That's another pivot point that is under a whole lot of tension and soring force leading to fiction if the mating surfaces are rough and not well lubed as they pivot. Finally, the Wolff hammer spring tends to want to caterpillar as it compresses and this binds a little on the hammer strut. A tiny bit of the moly lube here on that strut should cut down on that too. You can spray brake cleaner,carb cleaner, or electrical contact cleaner into the area around the trigger where it pivots and where it connects to the trigger bar without really needing to remove it. If you are feeling brave you could push out the trigger pivot pin with a toothpick and carefully use the pick as a blind pin and if you are lucky get the pin back in pushing the toothpick back out after lubing it. It's probably just as good to spray with a cleaner and use a penetrating oil. If you do any of this work it is best to do it working inside a large Ziploc bag in case a spring goes spoing. I once had the sear spring pop out when I removed the hammer and had to take all that related stuff apart to get it back in position again. That only happened on one if my P-64's though. It is a little tricky at that level but not all that bad. The P-64 resource org site has a link to a disassembly/reassembly guide with instructions and photos that is invaluable at this point. It can get tricky but IMHO this stuff does more for fixing the DA trigger than swapping the springs. With great risk comes great rewards or something like that.
We didn't have a "tripple 7", but there was a tv series called "07 zgłoś się" (07 come in) - where 07 (pronounced zero-seven) was the callsign of the main character - a detective in the Milicja Obywatelska (people's militia - the police force in socialist Poland). For 20 years, this was the standard issue sidearm for the police. The serial-numbered magazines were standard issue as well - these were issued with 2 mags, and you were not allowed to lose one. Frankly - the p64 was made primarily for undercover guys - particularly the secret police (internal security). The uniformed police got it "along the way", and with Poland at the time being a totalitarian country, issuing the police with a 6+1 sidearm with 1 extra mag was no big deal - they weren't expected to use them anyway. That, and most police officers at the time in Poland were clinical idiots. And the reason these are in such great condition, is that firearm ownership in Poland was non-existent at the time. The whole production was reserved for police/military, and more were made, than necessary. So a lot of these were just put into storage straight from the factory, and never issued. The same goes for the pm63 machine pistols. Every now, and then, someone digs up a crate of these things, and puts them on the market in basically factory condition. Eventually, the supply will dry up, but it represents a cool piece of history.
Thank you so much for reaching out. I ended up getting a new hammer spring and it make it so much better. I may end up doing another video on the new spring.
I never realized how beautiful a Tokarev would look if it was parked. I have a P-64 too and mine was made in 1971. Great carry gun, and lots of fun at the range.
I ordered a new hammer spring from Wolff Springs. 10 dollars shipped and improves the trigger so much, a no brainer for sure!
The viz 35 are great looking guns . Was you tokarev refinished? Always like the mararov guns , the way they look. Closest I have is a cz 82 , it came with a holster and extra mags for $250
The VIS 35 is one of my absolute favorites! Grandpa came home from Vietnam with it like that. If he had it parkarized or if one of the Vietcong had it parkarized we will never know. I am so sad I missed out on the Makarov when they were that cheap
You live you learn.
Nice gun thanks for sharing. You always make my day. Live free and strong my friend.
It was so much fun doing this video. Thanks for watching and commenting!
All your sentiments shared today where exactly what I felt when I first bought my p64. That eventually, each time I took it to the range, changed dramatically because this has become the most unenjoyable gun to shoot in my small collection. Range time is about 2 mags max, if that, is all my hand can take. The Nostalgia has wore off for me lol I'm going to eventually sell this and buy an M&P ported barrel Shield Plus thank you for sharing and love your collection! PS, I have, early on, changed the hammer and recoil springs and that initial double action trigger is still a pain to pull. :(
I have since replaced the hammer spring (under 10 bucks shipped) and it has improved a bunch. I think I am going to ship it down and really clean it and lube it up well. It has been a fun project for me.
Sounds like you have a good gun that you have next on your list. I hope it works out well.
Thanks for supporting my passion project. Safe and Plentiful Shooting to you and yours!
Cool. I paid $120 each for my P-64's 20 years ago when they were first importing them. 2 matching number mags but no holster or cleaning rod.
Very nice classy import marks on those and having the stock left side grip instead of the goofy target grip they used to put on them for import compliance.
The DA trigger is much better if you take it all apart get all the dried Cosmo out and put some good quality moly lube in there. The hammer pin and the hammer spring strut where it engages the hammer needs lube badly on assembly . The Wolff springs are a good idea. Replace the recoil spring and the firing pin spring makes it more safe. The more you shoot and dry fire it the smoother and easier it gets. Mine are easily half the pull they used to be when I got them.
Put a Houge Hand-all Jr on the grip and that helps a whole lot with recoil. Sand the grips where they meet together at the back to smooth that saw tooth seem at the point where they meet the web of your hand. That's terrible but maybe the ones that didn't have the grips replaced when importing don't have such poorly-matched grips. I eventually bought original left grips and those were no better. Sanding and smoothing the joint helped a lot and the plastic polished back up pretty well afterwards.
Alot of really good info. My grips did not hurt on mine, but maybe I just got lucky. I have since put on the Wolf spring and it is better, but I think I am going to really go after cleaning on this one and get real lube in it. But it is a fun project that I have not had to put a ton of money in. Amd it is history I get to shoot so that is nice.
Thanks for supporting the channel!
Pulling the hammer out is only one more step further than changing the hammer spring. Just lightly push out the hammer pivot pin and it falls right out I have found that this pivot hole in the hammer is full of cosmo gunk and rough edges and the source of most of the fiction and binding. I looked closely into mine with a jeweler's loupe to find that the milling was extremely rough and bumpy in there
To clean it up I first put a bit of isopropyl alcohol on the tip of a q-tip and shoved it in there and spun it. The q-tip might need a bit of trimming to fit. I was amazed at how much brown gunk came out after repeatedly doing this a half dozen times. Eventually I dabbed a tiny bit of barkeeper's friend on a q-tip and spun it round and round and kept doing that until finally it didn't produce any more brown or black on the q-tip. Inspecting it again with the jeweler's loupe showed a much more polished surface inside although there were still some light tool marks left Sitll it was a much smoother spinning bearing surface than before. I cleaned all of the tiny flakes of cosmo left on the sear engagement shelves with a wood tooth pick. That will help keep the SA trigger from becoming a hair trigger with the lighter spring. Again I used the jeweler's loupe to inspect my work. Don't take off any metal here or alter this, just get the funk out. Cosmo is nasty stuff.
I cleaned the hammer pivot pin up with alcohol and lubed it with Lucas assembly lube with molyn and put it back together. It went together with just s bit of wiggling after setting the hammer in place. There js no spring pressure here to fight.
Reducing the friction on the hammer pivot made the most difference and I am convinced this is the largest source of heaviness in the Double-Action trigger pull since this pivot is under a whole lot of pressure due to the spring and that crap isn't coming out of there without taking it apart to manually dig it out.
Also be sure to add assembly lube on the hammer spring strut where it engages the tiny pin inside the hammer. That pin on one of my hammers was very rough so I put some of the barkeeper's friend paste on that and worked it and the slot in the hammer strut together to polish that pivot as well before I out the hammer back in. That's another pivot point that is under a whole lot of tension and soring force leading to fiction if the mating surfaces are rough and not well lubed as they pivot.
Finally, the Wolff hammer spring tends to want to caterpillar as it compresses and this binds a little on the hammer strut. A tiny bit of the moly lube here on that strut should cut down on that too.
You can spray brake cleaner,carb cleaner, or electrical contact cleaner into the area around the trigger where it pivots and where it connects to the trigger bar without really needing to remove it. If you are feeling brave you could push out the trigger pivot pin with a toothpick and carefully use the pick as a blind pin and if you are lucky get the pin back in pushing the toothpick back out after lubing it. It's probably just as good to spray with a cleaner and use a penetrating oil.
If you do any of this work it is best to do it working inside a large Ziploc bag in case a spring goes spoing. I once had the sear spring pop out when I removed the hammer and had to take all that related stuff apart to get it back in position again. That only happened on one if my P-64's though. It is a little tricky at that level but not all that bad. The P-64 resource org site has a link to a disassembly/reassembly guide with instructions and photos that is invaluable at this point. It can get tricky but IMHO this stuff does more for fixing the DA trigger than swapping the springs. With great risk comes great rewards or something like that.
the pm 64 rack open bolt was using the 9 mm makarov primers r hard so thats why the pistol hase a stifer spring pur a 18 pounts in and cut 2 loop
Good information. Thanks for the info. And supporting the channel
Another great history lesson on three European beauties.
Thank you so much for your continued support!
We didn't have a "tripple 7", but there was a tv series called "07 zgłoś się" (07 come in) - where 07 (pronounced zero-seven) was the callsign of the main character - a detective in the Milicja Obywatelska (people's militia - the police force in socialist Poland).
For 20 years, this was the standard issue sidearm for the police. The serial-numbered magazines were standard issue as well - these were issued with 2 mags, and you were not allowed to lose one.
Frankly - the p64 was made primarily for undercover guys - particularly the secret police (internal security). The uniformed police got it "along the way", and with Poland at the time being a totalitarian country, issuing the police with a 6+1 sidearm with 1 extra mag was no big deal - they weren't expected to use them anyway. That, and most police officers at the time in Poland were clinical idiots.
And the reason these are in such great condition, is that firearm ownership in Poland was non-existent at the time. The whole production was reserved for police/military, and more were made, than necessary. So a lot of these were just put into storage straight from the factory, and never issued. The same goes for the pm63 machine pistols.
Every now, and then, someone digs up a crate of these things, and puts them on the market in basically factory condition.
Eventually, the supply will dry up, but it represents a cool piece of history.
Thank you so much for reaching out. I ended up getting a new hammer spring and it make it so much better. I may end up doing another video on the new spring.
Do these get rusty?
Mine is very clean. I don't know if abuse them how they will hold up, but mine was very clean!