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After years of putting it off, I have decided to attend the class and get my license to carry a firearm. Admittedly, I have carried a gun on occasion in the past but luckily never was caught. As previous postings here on my blog will attest, I have a pretty good collection of firearms, but for one reason or another I have never applied for a license. That will all come to an end on June 23rd.
Today I just wanted to get in some practice as I continue to get acquainted with my newest purchase, a Polish P64 semi-automatic pistol. It is a military surplus pistol that I bought a couple of months back.
The certification test calls for a series of shots from nine feet, twenty-one feet, and forty-five feet. I decided to start with the longest distance right away. I figured if I can hit something from 45 feet, then the closer distances should not be a problem. Logical, huh? I selected the same target they will use in the certification test (Target #17 by Champion) and sent that puppy strolling all the way out to forty-five feet.
Every shot in the X, 10, 9, 8 rings is worth 5 points.. In the 7 ring is worth 4 points, and everything else on the green silhouette is 3 points. On the white edges gets you zip points. You need a total of 170 points out of 250 possible to pass the test. Again, all of these shots came from 45 feet or 15 yards away. I realize it looks pretty good, but I am concerned about the constant striking of the left side of the kill zone. I know I could just use Kentucky windage and aim to the right side of the target, but I plan to let my range buddy try the P64 to determine if its me or the pistol. I plan to use my CZ75B on my test anyway.
While I have you here, let me pass along some info on a new ammunition that I was testing today. I carried my trustee Red Army Standard ammo and also a couple boxes of Fiocchi from Italy. Previously, I have told you how great I think the Red Army ammo is, and again it leaves very little residue for the cleaning process.. But not only is the Fiocchi a dirty ammo; it also gave me four 'failed to feed' issues in the box of fifty.
As of this writing, I have gone through about 300-350 rounds of Red Army Standard without a single issue. The Fiocchi is 95 grains compared to the 93 grain of Red Army, but I don't think that is the problem. Last week I shot 115 grain ammo by Lawman and it was also dirty, but I didn't have a single FTF issue with it. I have cleaned and shined the feed ramp of the P64 to a high sheen. I think I will stick with the Red Army Standard for all of my 9 X 18 needs.
In regards to the 'License to Carry'...I have submitted all paperwork the Texas Department of Public Safety has requested. I had my fingerprints taken by the same lady twice within six months. When I updated my Commercial Driving License, I had to have them taken for the 'Hazardous Materials' endorsement on my license. I first submitted my LTC application back in April, so the CHL-100 form is all I need to complete the process. The CHL-100 is the verification by a licensed instructor that I have gone through the classroom instruction and the actual firing test. Wish me luck.
Editors Note: I passed with flying colors. DPS trooper looked over my shoulder on the firing range and said, "Not bad shooting for an old guy." Scanned and emailed my TLC-100 form as soon as I got home. Should have my license soon.
I am lucky enough to live in an area that has a lot of car enthusiasts and they love to show up and show off. This past Saturday was one of those occasions and the weather was simply super..
When I arrived at the show the first car to demand my attention was this 1932 Ford..
And this beauty was not only super looking on the outside..The top, running boards, and the interior was a very clean tufted leather.
Nice, nice, nice...Just can't overstate how gorgeous this deuce
is. Sign says owned by a local couple but I have never seen it before this show. Rumble seat in the back was also upholstered just as meticulous as the rest of the car.
Being a former owner of a 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air, I have a fond attraction for that year and model. This is a very good example of how beautiful that car actually is. Chevrolet sold more cars that year than ever before, and it was a record that would not be broken until 1962. The above car was a deep bronze and metallic silver....and look under the hood.
Turbo inducted Corvette power, more than enough to keep up with the traffic. Air conditioned and just remarkable detail in this car.
No,..not the same car, but built by the same guy. The first one can be seen in the lower right hand corner. This one is a hardtop while the first was a sedan. Also Corvette powered and just great workmanship in both cars..
1941 Chevrolet pick-up truck. It also has been updated with a V8 engine and air conditioning. I like the fact he retained the running boards too...but the real eye catcher was the bed of the truck.
Yes, that is oak and it was as beautiful in person as it looks in this photo..
1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster coupe.. V8 power plus paint and chrome without a blemish. Note the 'frenched' headlights, and the taillights had the same treatment....and check it out inside.
Automatic transmission and a completely custom made dash. Door panels and seats were two-toned just like the paint outside. He even installed seat belts to make it up to date legally. Nice steering wheel too.
What car show is complete without a Model A?.. This 1930 5-window coupe is a good example. Deep metallic silver combined with Henry Ford's beloved black. Chevy V8 makes sure this old codger is not left behind in the traffic flow.
Suede interior on door panels, seats, and headliner. Check key ignition on far left side of the dash.
1946 Chevy coupe.. Check the V8 engine with air conditioner. Very clean and detailed under the hood. Something not a lot of people will notice is the wheels. The center hub has been removed and installed from the backside. This gives the wheel a 'dished' look about it. Very popular back in the 1950's and 60's.
Interior of the '46 coupe.. Leather bucket seats and console. Auto transmission and A/C. I like the way the treatment on the door panels has been carried through to the kick panels.
1937 Ford 2-door sedan...These were very popular hot rods in the 1950's and 60's.. especially the coupes. Outside it looks pretty tame doesn't it? I like the iconic windshield wipers from the top of the glass instead of the bottom,...and those teardrop headlights were the mark of a Ford until 1940.
....and like all good Fords, this one is powered by a Chevy V8 engine. Throw in power-brakes and air conditioning and it makes for a tight squeeze in that tapered engine compartment.
This 1940 Chevy coupe is a local car and it passes by my house fairly frequently, and I never tire of seeing it. That two-tone paint job really screams for your attention. 350 Chevy V8 engine and features all the niceties you would expect...A/C, power brakes, and digital radio.
The interior is fabric instead of leather or Naugahyde, but it still looks great. The dash is all original and I like the wood looking paint job. Great looking ride.
I'll close with this one... a 1937 Chevrolet coupe. It belongs to a Oklahoman, but he is always willing to bring it to Texas to share it with his neighbors. Really a great looking coupe with a terrific paint job. 350 Chevy V8 allows this old timer to show the young whipper-snappers how its done.
The rear end really shows how clean and smooth this car is.. and yes, those are Volkswagen Beetle taillights. Note how the fenders blend in with the body. Back in 1937 Chevy used molding between the fenders and the body..
The interior shows just how great this old coupe is. Basic black dash is accented by the wood-looking panels for the glove box and the instruments. Four speed transmission and leather throughout.. I have seen this car several times and it really is a clean example of hot rodding.
Again, my thanks to all of the car owners that took time to answer my questions and allowing me to drool over their cars. It really is a thrill for me and I get to inform my grandchildren about the great era of the 1950's and 60's. Thanks to you for coming along.
I went to the range today to make a comparison of the Red Army ammunition against the ammunition of Wolf brand. Both being the communist caliber of 9X18 nine millimeter. The Red Army brand is manufactured in Poland, while the Wolf ammo comes from Russia. The boss of the range threw a wrench in my plans when he noticed the Wolf ammo is steel jacketed and not allowed. He has an automatic sweeper and I think it fouls up the machine so he can't sell the brass to some re-loader..
Since 'Plan A' went down the tubes I immediately thought of different comparison...I brought my Polish P64 to do the original test,...BUT I also had my trustee CZ75B in my range bag. Why not compare the two 9 millimeter handguns?
I recently purchased the P64 from Classic Firearms to be my daily carry pistol. The decision was made because the CZ is too heavy and too large to not be noticed by innocent bystanders. The P64 (on left) is almost perfect for this purpose. I have an inside the waistband holster and it is barely visible above my beltline. I have owned it for about a month and I already love it. My only criticism of the pistol is the European style magazine release button on the bottom of the grip handle. It takes a little longer to change magazines than when I am shooting the CZ (on right).
I had the target set at thirty feet and began firing. The P64 does have a little bit more recoil than the CZ, and this was despite the Red Army ammo being 93 grains versus 115 grains in the 9mm Lawman ammunition in the CZ. Both boxes of ammo was full metal jacket rounds.
At this point let me inject something about the ammunition I am shooting. When I got home to clean the pistols I was surprised to find the Red Army ammo left very little residue in the P64, but the Lawman left the CZ very dirty. Both pistols have chrome plated barrels and the difference was very obvious when held up to a light source. I used some gun scrubber by Birchwood and both cleaned up nice and bright.
Back to the comparison of the ammo at the firing range. It was not until I had also shot the 9mm parabellum in the CZ that I noticed a difference in the targets.
Note the holes in the targets. The 9X18 ammo does not make as clean a hole in the target as does the 9X19. As I said, this was at thirty feet and I think the 9X18 bullet is beginning to wobble at this point and that is causing the ragged hole in the target as compared to the clean punch of the Luger 9mm. If so this could be a benefit similar to the model 1911 .45 ACP round. The forty-five travels a slow 800 feet per second and begins a tumbling motion upon impact, causing extreme damage. The P64 is an excellent firearm and I highly recommend it to anyone in the market for a concealable weapon. It features a single stack magazine with a capacity of 6 with one in the chamber. The fixed barrel gives it amazing accuracy. Any errors in the above shooting can only be attributed to the senior age of the shooter.
The Ford Motor Company only made Model A's for three years..1929, 1930, and 1931, but they are the iconic machine for car enthusiast. The four-door and two-door sedans are desired up to a point, but given a choice, who doesn't admit the coupes are the best looking selection of Model A's? I have always admired them since the time I was a small boy tagging along behind my older brother, who was a hot-rodder that became a NHRA National Champion..(see photo on left margin).
I have always been drawn to Model A's when attending car shows and I thought I would share a few of them via this venue.
I spotted this beautiful 1930 Model A at a recent car show during the Doc Holliday Celebration in our town. (Doc had a dentist office here before he made the decision to become an outlaw.)
This Model A is a five-window coupe, as opposed to a three-window version. It is easily determined by counting all but the windshield. The five-window is my all-time favorite also, but I prefer a little chop in the top. This particular coupe has the standard sized top, just as Henry Ford designed it eighty-eight years ago.
This is the four cylinder engine that powered Model A's from the factory. So long ago, but you still have to admire the ingenuity that went into the design back in those primitive times. No electronic ignition in 1930; that's a magneto on top of the engine to disperse fire to the spark plugs. No fuel pumps in 1930 as a gravity-flow system from the gas tank (inside fire wall) to the carburetor mechanism.
Here is another five-window coupe parked alongside a four-door sedan. This coupe has a rumble seat out back. Those authentic wire wheels are pretty costly, but exactly as it came from the factory in 1929. No chrome in those days, but red and yellow wheels were the rage back then.
Fooled You !! This one is not a Model A but a Chevrolet.. Still, a great looking car and it had the original six cylinder engine that came in it.. You can barely see it in lower right hand corner, but this one had an Oooga horn on it. Some communities have outlawed those horns today, but they were very popular in days bygone.
This 1929 Model A was so pristine you could almost eat off of it. It also is powered by the original four cylinder engine, but it sure sounded nice when the owner fired it up. Those running boards always remind me of times I would stand on the running board as my brother's Model A would back up in our driveway. Another Oooga horn just below the left headlight.
This is the interior of the same coupe..He is still working on it. Nothing but the essential instruments on the dash.
I guess I should have mentioned that Model A's also came as a convertable. This one really stood out with those orange wheels. A real contrast with the yellow and black of the car's paint job. It too is powered by the original four banger engine.
Could not get lime colored wheels in 1930, but it sure jumps out at you against that basic black. Another five window coupe; this one really a good example of the period. In those days Ford advertised you could get a car in any color you wanted, but only if you wanted black.
If you wanted a pick-up truck, Mister Ford was more than happy to accommodate you. This truck was also extremely clean and the owner (behind the wheel) was only too happy to talk to me about his prize.
He told me that he hand-built the engine himself using simple hand tools and a Ford Motor Company manual. Very basic, but it did the job until 1932 when Ford went to the flathead V8 engine.
This is a 1927 Model T, but the curved top and 1932 grille threw me off a bit. Excellent car with a super paint job. I have been a sucker for those dropped front axles since I was a small boy. This car belongs to a doctor, and he told me it was his project to clear his head at night and on the weekends.
This is the interior of the Model T and it was just as clean as the rest of the car. Check where steering column connects with steering wheel; how different is that? Car was immaculate and was also a winner in this show. Doc left his stethoscope hanging from forward facing camera.
Thanks for coming along. I have been a dedicated Chevrolet fan since my first car, but I will also be the first to admit that Henry Ford made some excellent cars in the early days. He is the man credited with putting America on wheels.
I have a friend that I will call James because I haven't received his approval to post these photos,..but I know he wouldn't mind. He and I go back a long way and cars is the common denominator. James was the service manager for a Chevrolet dealership for many years and I was exposed to cars being the younger brother to a National Champion of the National Hot Rod Association.
Both James and I are on the plus side of 70 years of age, but the love of cars is still embedded in both.
Last weekend there was a celebration in town and part of the shindig was a car show. James has been working on a 1966 Ford Mustang for the last few years and he brought it with him with the possibility of selling it here.
James and I had just parked along the curb and he placed a 'for sale' sign under the wiper before we were headed for the car show in the background.. Before we could get to the first car two men stopped us to ask about the Mustang. One of them had seen the car in another show down in Rockwall, Texas. Turned out he was the promoter of this show and was interested in acquiring James' Mustang.
Before I tell you the exciting climax to this story, let me say there were some seriously nice cars entered in the car show. For example, this 1927 Model T that belonged to a doctor. It was a super looking coupe that would have been a winner in anyone's contest..
Awards were given out for various categories, such as best paint job, best late model, etc... But see the plaque at the top with the fringe on it.. That one was called King of the Gears and went to the top car in the show...
Yeah,.. you guessed it! The promoter told James if he would enter the Mustang in the car show he would meet his asking price of 25g's.. I though I was going to have to drive James and his wife back to Rockwall, but the promoter agreed to let him drive it home and they would complete the sale the following Monday.
The Mustang has been completely rebuilt from the ground up and now is powered by a 302 inch Ford engine. The running gear and brakes all came off a 2015 Mustang. A shop in Savoy, Texas did all the body work and applied the beautiful paint job. The top is also new to complete the package. Pretty sure the promoter has another owner lined up or he would not have been so quick to pull the trigger on this deal.
James has another project to work on and I am glad to have been able to see the quick transaction. Guess who bought lunch after the show?
Polish P-64 9mm Semi-Automatic
I have several other pistols, but they are either too large or too small to be considered as a 'daily carry' type pistol. That is what peeked my interest when I did some research on YouTube. I had never heard of the Polish P64 until a few months ago..
I finally pulled the trigger on the purchase a couple of weeks ago and I think I have found my prize... I called Classic Firearms and was connected with Matt, who could not have been more helpful. I told him I wanted the cleanest and best looking P64 they had..and he delivered.
The P64 entered service in 1964 and some law enforcement and security forces in Poland are still using it, but for the most part, the military has updated its sidearms. This particular pistol was made in 1970 and upon inspection the rifleing in the barrel looks to be brand new. Evidently the previous owner was not called upon to use it very often. I ordered an extra magazine and some ammunition to feed my latest acquisition. It arrived at my local FFL about a week later and he was as excited as I was since he had never seen a P64 before.. It holds six rounds in the magazine plus one in the chamber.
Maybe I need to inject some important information here on the subject of ammunition.. The P64 was developed during the days of the Communist domination of Poland and their pistol had to conform to the Communist's requirements for ammo. That being said, the P64 does shoot 9mm ammunition, BUT it is not the 9mm parabellum ammo that is most common. The parabellum, or Luger, rounds are 9X19 millimeters while the Communist rounds are 9X18mm.
The difference is obvious in this photo.. The 9X18 is on the left while the 9mm Luger, or parabellum, is on the right. The importance of the difference is:..'neither can be fired in the others pistols.' During the Cold War Russia did not want to conform with other Western Countries and they developed their own 9mm and made other Soviet Bloc countries use the same.
Another feature that might scare off some prospects is the double action mode of the P64. It is both double action and single action, but that first shot in double action is almost impossible to accomplish. It takes about twenty-five pounds of pressure to pull the trigger in double action mode and only about four and a half pounds in single action mode. I am almost positive it was designed that way so you could carry a round in the chamber without fear of it being accidentally discharged.
The safety is on the left side of the slide and has three functions. Ready to fire when you see the red dot; one click down incapacitates the trigger mechanism, and one more click down releases the hammer without firing the pistol... a hammer block.
I ordered a 150 round range pack of Red Army Standard at the same time I purchased the pistol and was quite impressed. It shoots clean and leaves very little residue behind. I am one of those guys that once I get good results from some product, I usually stick with it. I will probably be ordering more of the same very soon.
The sights could be a little larger, but again I bought the P64 to be a daily carry and that means close-quarter problems. Here I had the target set at thirty feet and managed to be fairly decent. When I shoot for results I prefer to use my CZ75B. It truly is one of the great 9mm's in the world. If you are in the market for a 9mm, I highly recommend it..
Back to the P64,.. It breaks down very easy and is simple to clean. The fixed barrel helps with accuracy and the inside of the frame is accessible to even the beginner. Some say the P64 is a copy of the famed Walther PPK. Coming from someone who owns both, let me say there are 'similarities' but there are also some differences too. The magazine release on the P64 is the European method on the butt of the grip, and that takes some getting used to. The breakdown is the same for both pistols,..pull down on the trigger guard and then move the slide rearward and up to clear the hammer. Again, very simple and quick.
I went online to order some wooden grips to replace the black plastic originals and I think they add to the handsomeness of the P64. It took three weeks to get the grips, but they came all the way from Budapest, Hungary. If you're interested in them, you can get more information by emailing dmarchal@yahoo.co.uk The dude's name is Dennis and he is very accommodating and easy to deal with.
The holster is by Outbags and I found them on Ebay with a vast selection of their product. Rich leather that really keeps a good hold on the pistol inside the waistband.
Summing up:.. I was looking for a daily carry,..and I think I have found the perfect example. It does have some recoil, but I expected that. If you are looking to step up from a .22 or 380.. The P64 might be the pistol for you too..
