FEG Walther PP clone-ish

[LVSteve]

I say clone-ish, because FEG actually changed the design slightly in the way the slide locks open on empty and to give the firing pin a passive safety. This one was made with the stamp of a German reseller Hege and named the AP-66, but the pistol is essentially a PA-63 in 7.65 Browning, AKA .32 ACP. Other marks are known are AP-MBP and a fake Fabrique Nationale. For sure you can see machining marks but they are purely cosmetic, the bits that interface are much better.

I'm not a fan of thumbrest grips so I got a set of flat ones off BrokeGunner. I'm waiting on a PA-63 spring set to get the DA pull down. The SA trigger is pretty good. Before and after pictures follow.

 

[Texas Star]

Is that a steel or alloy frame?

I know a lawyer in Budapest and her dad carried one of those in 9mm Makarov while an officer in the Hungarian army. Said he couldn't shoot it well and that it kicked. Most of those had a bright alloy frame and some were imported here after the Cold War ended. They were priced quite low, but I wondered about reliability.

 

[LVSteve]

Is that a steel or alloy frame?

I believe it is alloy. I'll get into the safe tomorrow with a magnet.

Yes, the PA-63 did come with a bright alloy frame, but many of the other models built for export did have some sort of finish. Looking at the weight quoted here Hungarian Weapons FEG Femaru Hege Pistols and I'm guessing it is alloy. Oddly enough, there is one on Gunbroker with a bright frame with a Hege slide marked 32 Browning.

Looks like alloy variants are 540g unloaded and steel guns 700-770g unloaded. Supposedly there is a steel .32 ACP version as well. Cruise around those pages and check out the bewildering number of variants in .32, 380 and 9x18 Makarov. Search on YouTube and you will find stuff on disassembly, shooting and modding this series of pistols. I would imagine the steel ones in .380 would soak up recoil well but feel a little weighty in your pocket.

 

[LVSteve]

Is that a steel or alloy frame?

Said he couldn't shoot it well and that it kicked.

Wolff springs sort that out. Down on the hammer spring and up on the recoil spring fixes them pretty well according to the folks on the Interwebz.

 

[Marshwheeling]

A buddy has what may be the same pistol in .22lr. Been a while since I saw it, but it was the same size and my first impression was "Walther clone". It was very nicely finished, a little better than my P9R. He only had a few hundred rounds through it, but said it had performed flawlessly.

 

[jmace57]

I had a PA63 and it was my carry gun for a few years. Snappy in 9mm Mak. Agree that was helped by Wolff spring replacement. I also had an AP66 in .32. It indeed had an alloy frame painted black.

 

[Erich]

I've got one of the R61 "PPK-sized" ones in 9x18 Mak - the frame is Al/Ti (the all Al-framed R59s developed cracks). Those AIM .32s (and the PA63s, etc.) are neat - lots and lots of variants brought in over the years (both as surplus and commercially).

FEG improved the Walther design in that you're much less likely to get slide-bite.

 

[italiansport]

I picked up a HEGE clunker in 380,frame only, a few months ago and rebuilt it.
I wish I had taken some before pictures as it was really just a rusted hulk. Here's what it looks like now and additionally it's an excellent shooter!
Jim

 

[Texas Star]

I've got one of the R61 "PPK-sized" ones in 9x18 Mak - the frame is Al/Ti (the all Al-framed R59s developed cracks). Those AIM .32s (and the PA63s, etc.) are neat - lots and lots of variants brought in over the years (both as surplus and commercially).

FEG improved the Walther design in that you're much less likely to get slide-bite.

Erich-

Do you mean that some frames are a blend of aluminum and titanium? How do you tell which are stronger? I doubt if most salesmen know which is which. Are all R-61's okay?

It's a neat looking gun and I've seen them for low prices. Is yours reliable? What ammo do you use in it?

 

[Erich]

An R61 has a frame that's an alloy of titanium and aluminum (I've read 1% to 99%, but can't vouch). An R59 has an aluminum frame.

I use Soviet milsurp and S&B/AE ball, and mine has been totally reliable.

 

[LVSteve]

Received the spring kit today and the DA trigger is MUCH better even with the 13lb spring mainspring. If it is reliable with Fiocchi I may try the 11lb spring. I also fitted the 13lb recoil spring and still have a 15lb spring should I go lower with the mainspring.

They include a 9lb mainspring, but I'll bet that only works with very soft primers. Indeed, I have seen where folks on the Web have added weight to the hammer to get the gun to run with an 11lb spring.