PA-63 Questions

[GaryXD]

Are the PA-63s as reliable as Makarovs? Who has the best price on PA-63s?

[Noah Zark]

In my experience, the PA63 is reliable with FMJ round nose ammo, but JHP ammo has a problem feeding in the mags. Having an alloy frame, the recoil seems to be greater with the PA63 than with the Mak, but that's a perception thing, too. As far as price, I haven't been looking for them but you might try J&G in Prescott, AZ or SOG as IIRC, they had them.

An alternative would be the Walther/Manurhin PP that Centerfire Systems offers. It is essentially the same size as the PA63, but about $100 or so more.

HTH,

Noah

[Tontoloco!]

My PA-63 was not as reliable as the Makarovs, and it had problems especially with some of the hollow point loads, primarily the Silver Bear H.P.'s, due to the overall length of the cartridges, they didn't go into the mags. When they did, they'd jam in there.

For what it is, and the price I paid, ($125 OTD for an UNISSUED PISTOL) w/ 2 mags & holster, I couldn't complain much. It was reasonably accurate, although not too comfortable to shoot, especially with the "thumbrest" grips. It always drew blood when I shot it, the slide would recoil back & nick the web of my hand. I would have to radically adjust my grip in order to avoid this. Because of the alloy frame, I didn't find it too pleasant to shoot. In fact, I think the PA-63 is vastly more uncomfortable (for me anyway,) to shoot, than, say, one of my S&W Model 29's, and I only shoot full-blown .44 Mags through them (no .44 Specials for me.....LOL) but as in everything else, YMMV.

I ended up selling mine and frankly don't miss it at all. But don't let that deter you from getting one. like I said, for the price, and for what it is, it is a decent little pistol. It would make a heck of a glovebox or car console gun. If you lost it or it got stolen, you haven't lost too much! Better to lose a $125 pistol than a $4-500 one, IMHO.

[JA]

In the early-mid 1990's when Century Arms first imported the PA-63's I had several friends that bought them. They were reliable as the only problem was with one friend who bought two of them and got a defective mag with one. Of course at the time there was not anything but FMJ 9x18mm ammo imported.
I never cared for them as the web of my fat hand would get rubbed by the slide.

[Noah Zark]

I second what the others say about the slide cutting the web of your hand. I shoot my Maks maybe six/eight times a year, almost every time I go to the range. I have not fired my all-blue PA63 for maybe three or four years.

Noah

[Tontoloco!]

If you already have a Makarov, then by all means give the PA-63 a try. If you don't like it, you can always sell it. But if you currently own neither, then I would recommend getting the Makarov instead, for just a few dollars more. Or, if you have the means, get both! As a collector, I wanted to try and have an example of everything if possible. Since my ongoing divorce, however, I have had to sell a few things that I could "live without" so the PA-63 got the nod to be sold. Having said that, though, my 2 Makarovs are staying!