What in the hell is a Polish P 64? It’s not a historic fighter plane, but it is one heck of a bargain when it comes to a sturdy Concealed Carry Pistol. The Polish model P 64 pistol was developed in the late 1950′s as a service pistol for LEO and Military at the time. It fires the 9x18mm Makarov and is often referred to as a Polish Makarov, when in fact they are two different guns completely. If anything the Polish P 64 is more closely related to the German Walther PPK. The gun goes by a variety of names: Polish Makarov, P 64, Radom P 64, or the CZAK. The only drawbacks to the gun are it’s short sight radius, small capacity, and tough double action trigger pull. If you look beyond these shortcomings and figure in the price to firepower ratio, the P 64 starts to look more like a budget Glock. You can get your hands on one of these sturdy little pistols for around 225 bucks. There isn’t a huge aftermarket availabe. The only thing you will really find in the retail world are recoil springs, replacement grip panels, and holsters.
I bought a Polish P 64 on a whim, because I wanted something a little less bulky than the G-23 I was carrying. I got in early on the game and picked one up for 185 dollars on Gunbroker. When I opened the box I was actually impressed with the mechanical feel of the pistol and loved the fixed barrel. I took it to the range with a box of Wolf, Fiocci, and Hornady XTP HPs. After firing the first round I was instantly fond of this cheap little PPK knock-off. Hitting Center Mass or Golden Triangle was not an issue with any of the ammo. Of course the Hornady XTP’s were a faster pop, quicker cycle, and much more accurate. As soon as I got home I started searching for upgrades and accessories for my “new” Polish P 64. I was a little let down, but did manage to find an individual that made custom grips and custom leather. I never actually upgraded the P 64′s recoil spring, but would’ve liked to.
If you are looking for an inexpensive and reliable concealed carry pistol, then the Polish Radom P 64 is a good bet. If you looked at a Walther PPK or a Bersa Thunder and winced at the 300-600 dollar price tag then make sure to check out a P 64. Keep in mind that the 9x18mm Makarov round is superior to the .380. If you are only going to carry 6 rounds, be sure they are hard-hitting and land on target. As an owner of a Polish P 64 and a Walther PPK, I can honestly say the P 64 is a fine replacement. How shiny the gun is only matters when showing it to your buddies, but when it comes to protection I rely on functionality. Below are some links for a few PPK and Makarov holsters that the P 64 fits fine.
Galco Stow-N-Go Inside The Pant Holster for Walther PPK, PPKS
Don Hume Holster Walther PPK Brown Right Hand
Belt Slide Gun Holster FITS AMT BACKUP .380, BERSA THUNDER .380, COLT MUSTANMAKAROV, SIG SAUER 230,232, WALTHER PPK, PPKS
Hogue Rubber Grip Handall Jr. Small Size Grip Sleeve
P-64 Blog and Accessories
Custom Wood Polish P 64 Grips
Bob says:
January 4, 2013 at 4:29 pm
Decent review. Being an Amazon.com affiliate, it looks like you primairly limited your ‘links’ to those that pay you. That’s cool, there’s a lot more out there however than what you linked, just fyi for your readers..
GunModReview says:
January 4, 2013 at 6:45 pm
Bob, I appreciate the feedback. The reason I primarily use Amazon Affiliates is that I personally purchase a lot of products from them. They treat customers well, have good prices, and have good reviews on the products. And yes, they also pay me = ). I say go with what you know and what works. As far as the Polish CZAK goes, there is not a large aftermarket for parts. I could have written a review on a 600 dollar Glock with a large aftermarket, or a S&W wheel gun. The idea behind this review was to inform readers that the p-64 is a reliable and inexpensive surplus pistol that is also accurate and cheap to feed. I’m a big fan of Midway USA and Brownell’s, you’ll find their links throughout my site as well. I figured if I am going to take the time to review products that I am familiar with, I might as well make a few dollars. Paying for hosting and domain registration isn’t cheap my friend. You should also note that I put a link to p64resource.net and marschal grips, neither of those give me any kickback or sponsorship. They are just good online resources for the polish p64 that most people aren’t aware of. If you have any other good CZAK/Makarov links, feel free to submit them. I’ll review them for content and share them with the other readers. Have a good night and stock up on hi cap magazines!
Jon says:
January 29, 2016 at 6:12 am
Great article on p64 !
Many thanks
Ray Donaldson says:
May 6, 2014 at 10:54 am
Thanks for the informative review, Bob. I purchased a P64 at a gun show and your review was right on. I will be carrying the P64 so I wanted something reliable. The only drawback is the trigger pull which could be changed if I wanted. However, I don’t intend to firing it single action anyway.
By the way. This is America and you’re free to make money. I thought the previous comment was unnecessary. If the poster wanted to show what else “is out there” he can put up his own site.
Jonathan says:
March 17, 2015 at 9:47 pm
Great article! Thank you for links and review of p64.
J
