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My stepson, 28, lives out of state, and when I learned he was coming here for Christmas, I hatched a plan to swap him out of his low-rent PA-63 for one of my mid-rent .40 S&W's.

Always like a new project anyway.

Got it Friday, took it to the range yesterday.

Just like everyone predicted:

Shot accurately

Functioned perfectly

Double action was nearly impossible due to the hammer spring, etc

Beat up the web of my hand

Changed the recoil spring to a Wolff 19lb

And last night changed the trigger spring to whatever Wolff sent (no strength noted)

I've ordered the Wolff hammer spring pack, but couldn't wait till it got here.

Removed first one coil, then a second coil off the factory hammer spring.

Seemed to work within reason, but don't yet know about light strikes.

If I've screwed up (won't be the first time), I have the new Wolff pack on the way.

Might end up being my low-rent car gun if I can find some Hornady HP's.

Cool, I've been thinking about one of these to carry sometimes. Accurate, reliable, slim, and cheap.

Do you have any first hand experience with a PPK/Bersa in .380? I'd be interested in how they compare since I've shot a PPK but never anything in 9x18.

The Makarov is also on my list, but of course, the correct answer is one of each (or two!).

Sorry, but I have no experience with those you mentioned.


However, the overall design of this piece (Walther PP copy) is really attracting me to carry it apart from car duty.

Numrich has the best price on flat-side grip panels, so I have a set on the way.

If I can get the double action tuned in, it's a keeper.

Tuned to what...less than a million pound pull. I have one and let it set in my safe b/c of the horrid trigger. I actually CAN'T pull the trigger in double action, with one finger anyway. Looks cool sitting there though.

RECIT wrote:Tuned to what...less than a million pound pull. I have one and let it set in my safe b/c of the horrid trigger. I actually CAN'T pull the trigger in double action, with one finger anyway. Looks cool sitting there though.

Fixed it last night.

Cut two coils off the factory hammer spring and have the Wolff hammer spring set coming in the mail.

Made a MAJOR difference in double action cycling and fired today with no light strikes.

All that's available now in HP seems to be the Silver Bear 94 grn JHP and the Hornady 95 grn JHP.

Don't know for a fact, but the internets are saying "no larger than 95 grn" in the alloy frame PA-63's.

Found a holster today: Don Hume JIL Slide No. 59. Rides high, fits nice and tight.

So how tough to you think the double action pull is now? How hard was it to install the springs? I have a WOLF spring pack in my safe but have not shot, cleaned, or stripped that pistol in quite a while. Academy sells some ball ammo for practice in their Monarch brand that is affordable, just FYI.

RECIT wrote:So how tough to you think the double action pull is now? How hard was it to install the springs? I have a WOLF spring pack in my safe but have not shot, cleaned, or stripped that pistol in quite a while. Academy sells some ball ammo for practice in their Monarch brand that is affordable, just FYI.

With just cutting off two coils of the factory spring, I'd say it's around 12lbs and very manageable. But, we'll see how the Wolff springs work. I think they'll work even better.

VERY easy to change the recoil spring and very easy to change the hammer spring.

The firing pin spring is a little challenging, but I follow an online DIY and figured it out pretty easily.
Here: http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread. ... 63-Springs

Keep in mind this is a car gun not a carry or target gun so, I want it to be firm and safe.

(I bought the carry holster on a whim while buying HP ammo today.)

slight threadjack, but when you went through the FFL, did you have to ship it to the state of your son's residence? Or do they allow you to do the transfer right there, on paper and with your son, and go your merry way?

pbwalker wrote:slight threadjack, but when you went through the FFL, did you have to ship it to the state of your son's residence? Or do they allow you to do the transfer right there, on paper and with your son, and go your merry way?

I wouldn't want to give legal advice, so I suggest you check your specific state and local laws.

doc540 wrote:

pbwalker wrote:slight threadjack, but when you went through the FFL, did you have to ship it to the state of your son's residence? Or do they allow you to do the transfer right there, on paper and with your son, and go your merry way?

I wouldn't want to give legal advice, so I suggest you check your specific state and local laws.

I'm in TX just like most of us here...just curious how the process works. Not really looking for legal advice, but I understand...

Buffalo Bore also makes a 9x18 JHP cartridge.

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l= ... tail&p=220" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have NOT tried it myself, but I found out about it because I wanted to order some Hornady 9x18, but everywhere I could find that sells it is out of stock, and has been out of stock for a long time. Buffalo Bore's offering appears to be in-stock on their website linked above.

I haven't ordered any because the shipping costs as much as the ammo, at least for one box.

thanks for the head's up

I don't know for certain but I've read the BuffBore HP's are a little too hot for the alloy FEG.

I ended up buying a box of Silver Bear HP's here locally.

HP's have been reported to be marginal over HB in 9x18, so I'll probably see if they cycle ok and load a mag with them.

doc540 wrote:

pbwalker wrote:slight threadjack, but when you went through the FFL, did you have to ship it to the state of your son's residence? Or do they allow you to do the transfer right there, on paper and with your son, and go your merry way?

I wouldn't want to give legal advice, so I suggest you check your specific state and local laws.

The federal laws are the ones of concern here. Those prohibit transfers of firearms between people who are not residents of the same state without going through an FFL in one of the states. Furthermore, you can only recieve a handgun from an FFL in your state of residence.

If a non-Texas resident wanted to trade guns with a Texas resident while visiting Texas, the non-resident could bring the gun with him and the two could have the transfer done by an FFL in Texas. Since you cannot recieve a handgun from an FFL in any state except your state of residence, the other gun would have to be sent to an FFL in the non-resident's home state for the transfer to be completed.

hirundo82 wrote:

doc540 wrote:

pbwalker wrote:slight threadjack, but when you went through the FFL, did you have to ship it to the state of your son's residence? Or do they allow you to do the transfer right there, on paper and with your son, and go your merry way?

I wouldn't want to give legal advice, so I suggest you check your specific state and local laws.

The federal laws are the ones of concern here. Those prohibit transfers of firearms between people who are not residents of the same state without going through an FFL in one of the states. Furthermore, you can only recieve a handgun from an FFL in your state of residence.

If a non-Texas resident wanted to trade guns with a Texas resident while visiting Texas, the non-resident could bring the gun with him and the two could have the transfer done by an FFL in Texas. Since you cannot recieve a handgun from an FFL in any state except your state of residence, the other gun would have to be sent to an FFL in the non-resident's home state for the transfer to be completed.

Wow...what a pain. Have to go through an FFL to give a child a firearm (if they live in another state)...eesh

pbwalker wrote:

hirundo82 wrote:

doc540 wrote:

pbwalker wrote:slight threadjack, but when you went through the FFL, did you have to ship it to the state of your son's residence? Or do they allow you to do the transfer right there, on paper and with your son, and go your merry way?

I wouldn't want to give legal advice, so I suggest you check your specific state and local laws.

The federal laws are the ones of concern here. Those prohibit transfers of firearms between people who are not residents of the same state without going through an FFL in one of the states. Furthermore, you can only recieve a handgun from an FFL in your state of residence.

If a non-Texas resident wanted to trade guns with a Texas resident while visiting Texas, the non-resident could bring the gun with him and the two could have the transfer done by an FFL in Texas. Since you cannot recieve a handgun from an FFL in any state except your state of residence, the other gun would have to be sent to an FFL in the non-resident's home state for the transfer to be completed.

Wow...what a pain. Have to go through an FFL to give a child a firearm (if they live in another state)...eesh

Yes it is a pain and I expect it is widely not known or ignored, but the penalty if caught is quite severe (5-10 years in prison). I believe the only exception to going through an FFL when a firearm is being transferred between residents of two different states is in the case of inheritance.