The AP66 – A Hungarian By Way of West Germany

​Is the Hungarian-made Hege Waffen AP66 a very good gun? No. Am I infatuated with it? Sure. Hungarians appear to make dependable, sturdy, however not very refined weapons. Their Hello-Powers, for instance, are respectable, however they don’t evaluate to a real Belgian Hello-Energy. The AP66 is Hungary’s tackle the Walther PP-style pistol.

​Whereas it’s Hungarian-made, it handed by West Germany on its approach to the US and gained the West Germany rollmark. These FEG weapons have been imported en masse. Each importer acquired their palms on these weapons: Century Arms, Mauser, KBI, and lots extra. They got here in as 9mm Makarovs, .380 ACPs, and the undisputed better of the bunch, the .32 ACP.

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​The AP66 is a .32 ACP variant, and it’s truthfully one of the best caliber for any Walther wanna-be. I hate taking pictures small, all-metal, blowback-operated .380s and 9mm Makarovs. They simply beat my hand up. Name me a sissy; I don’t care. The .32 ACP is the superior possibility for any gun utilizing the Walther system.

​That system is direct blowback, with the fastened barrel doubling as a recoil spring. This was one of many few instances the Germans took the straightforward route when designing a gun. The Walther sequence spawned tons of clones and remained in manufacturing till solely just lately. Even now, the out-of-production date is simply non permanent whereas Walther retools.

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​The AP66 retains that simplicity however is greater than a Walther clone.

​The AP66: Clonish

​Certain, the AP66 makes use of the fundamental Walther structure. It’s a blowback-operated gun with the recoil spring across the barrel. It’s DA/SA, hammer-fired, and makes use of a single-stack journal and an all-metal design. Internally, the gun has a couple of notable adjustments which might be price mentioning. First, the magazines usually are not interchangeable, and that makes me a bit unhappy.

​Second, the AP66 has a passive firing pin security and a hammer drop security. When the hammer sits within the down place, it’s really sitting above the firing pin. It doesn’t contact the firing pin, making it fairly protected. Once I pull the set off, the firing pin then aligns with the hammer. The Walther has a hammer drop security and a passive hammer block.

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​One huge distinction between the weapons is how their triggers really feel. The AP66 has one of many worst double-action set off pulls I’ve ever skilled. It’s the heaviest double-action set off I’ve ever skilled. It beats my Lyman set off gauge’s max setting. It isn’t simply heavy and lengthy, however heavy for each millimeter of motion.

​The only-action is clearly a lot better, however not a very good single-action by any means. It’s mushy and much from crisp, however fortunately, it’s a good bit lighter. Walther PP sequence pistols don’t at all times have one of the best triggers by any means, however they don’t seem to be something near as dangerous because the AP66.

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​Rocking and Rolling with the AP66

​Using the .32 ACP creates a quaint, light-recoiling spherical with little or no recoil. There is no such thing as a chew, no hand-slapping recoil, only a gentle oomph and never far more. Capturing the gun is nice, and it’s fairly snug and straightforward to regulate. Sometimes, after {a magazine} of .380 in a gun like this, I’m sick of taking pictures it. That’s not the case right here.

​When it comes to accuracy, the set off and sights hamper it. That double-action set off weight means it’s more durable to keep up a constant grip on the gun as you’re employed by the double-action. I can land a spherical in an 8-inch circle at 15 yards, however it’s usually off my level of goal. If I group the gun, you should have six rounds tight collectively, ensuing from the single-action, with one double-action flyer.

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​The sights are extraordinarily small—only a set of nubs which might be all black. Lining them up shouldn’t be fast and doesn’t really feel intuitive. They’re simply plain tough to make use of with any diploma of accuracy and velocity. Go gradual, it’s nice; making an attempt to do it from a draw or transitioning between targets is hard.

​The ergonomics are largely nice. The journal launch is simple to succeed in. The grip is sweet, however the target-style grips solely enable for right-handed shooters to make use of the gun comfortably. Sadly, the journal doesn’t drop free; it simply comes out a bit and requires the person to drag it out of the gun. It’s definitely Jap European in that manner.

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​The Huge Why

​When these weapons have been nonetheless being actively imported, they have been low-cost. I noticed some listings for $99 for blemished fashions, with the priciest choices promoting for round $200. At that value level, they don’t seem to be a foul possibility for hid carry. They’re small, skinny, and straightforward to hide. They’re protected to hold, and .32 ACP can get it accomplished with a heavier FMJ spherical.

​Today, it’s a more durable promote. There are many fashionable defensive weapons at low costs, chambering extra succesful cartridges like 9mm. If you’re a .32 ACP fanboy like me, then you’ll love the AP66. It’s nonetheless low-cost, pleasant to shoot, and provides you some old-school appreciation for Walther-style weapons with out the Walther value level.

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