The FÉG PA-63 is a

semi-automatic pistol A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single-chamber handgun ( pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actuall ...

designed and manufactured by the FÉGARMY Arms Factory of

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

History

FÉGARMY Arms Factory (FÉG) of

started producing Walther PP/PPK clones in the late 1940s starting with their Model 48 which differed from the

Walther PP The Walther PP (german: Polizeipistole, or police pistol) series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols, developed by the German arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It features an exposed hammer, a traditional double-ac ...

only in minor details. By the late 1950s FÉG began making broader changes resulting in the PA-63, which uses the

9×18mm Makarov The 9×18mm Makarov (designated 9mm Makarov by the C.I.P. and often called 9×18mm PM) is a Soviet pistol and submachine gun cartridge. During the latter half of the 20th century it was a standard military pistol cartridge of the Soviet Union an ...

round. It quickly became standard issue to both Hungarian

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

and

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

forces. The military standard PA-63 version sports a two-tone polished aluminum frame with black slide, grips, trigger and hammer assembly. While unusual for military issue in that a reflective polish was used, it was chosen due to its relative cheapness as well as quicker build time. After the fall of communism in 1990, the Hungarian army and police units initiated a program to replace the PA-63 with pistols using the NATO-standard

9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger or simply 9mm) is a rimless, tapered firearms cartridge. Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer Georg Luger in 1901, it is widely considered the most popular handgun a ...

cartridge, first the imported

Jericho 941 The Jericho 941 is a double-action/single-action semi-automatic pistol developed by Israel Military Industries (now Israel Weapon Industries) introduced in 1990. It was first imported into the United States in 1990 by K.B.I., Inc. of Harrisbur ...

, followed by the domestically produced

P9RC The P9RC is a semi-automatic pistol designed by József Kameniczky and manufactured by the FÉGARMY Arms Factory of Hungary. It was selected as the new service pistol of the Hungarian military and police, replacing the PA-63 after 1996. Histor ...

, but the PA-63 is still in service in Hungarian law enforcement. It has been largely phased out in Hungary, but due to the large number produced, they are a popular and affordable surplus firearm since they have begun to be imported to the west.

Variants and derivatives

Due to the PA-63's popularity and relative durability, FÉG later issued models using .

32 ACP .32 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol, also known as .32 Automatic) is a centerfire pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pistol ...

and .

380 ACP 38 may refer to: * 38 (number), the natural number following 37 and preceding 39 *one of the years 38 BC, AD 38, 1938, 2038 *.38, a caliber of firearms and cartridges **.38 Special, a revolver cartridge *'' Thirty-Eight: The Hurricane That Tran ...

caliber In guns, particularly firearms, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel Gauge (firearms) , bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the f ...

rounds, the FÉG AP7.65 and PMK-380 respectively. The AP7.65 is almost identical to the PA-63 except that it is chambered in 7.65mm Browning (.32 ACP) and is anodized not two toned. The PMK-380 is chambered in the .380 ACP cartridge with a blued titanium-aluminum alloy frame and blued steel slide. In 2000, FÉG began producing the Walther PPK/E under license from Walther. It is available in

.22 LR The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smooth ...

, .32 ACP and .380 ACP.

The Makarov label

PA-63s sold in the United States are often advertised as "PA-63 Makarov." This can lead some consumers to believe they are purchasing a

Makarov pistol The Makarov pistol or PM ( rus, Пистоле́т Мака́рова, r=Pistolét Makárova, p=pʲɪstɐˈlʲet mɐˈkarəvə, t=Makarov's Pistol) is a Soviet semi-automatic pistol. Under the project leadership of Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov, it ...

instead of a different pistol chambered for the same

. Though both pistols share lineage from the Walther PP/PPK, similar operating principles and use the same ammunition, the Makarov PM is a different design featuring all-steel construction and different lockwork. There are no parts in common between the FÉG PA-63 and the Makarov pistol.

References

External links

FÉG PA-63 Army Pistol (Pisztoly 63 Minta - PA 63M)

Instruction and Safety Manual PA 63 Pistol

{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 .32 ACP semi-automatic pistols .380 ACP semi-automatic pistols 9×18mm Makarov semi-automatic pistols Fegyver- és Gépgyár firearms Semi-automatic pistols of Hungary

History

Variants and derivatives

The Makarov label

References

Further reading

External links