FEG replacement grips

If you have purchased a FEG, either one of the PA-63's, AP 765's or AP MBP's, you probably got one with the thumbrest left grip panel.

I have 2 of the AP 765's with that thumbrest grip, and I don't particularly like that.  Since I shoot left and right handed, I've been looking for a place to get a set of plain flat grips other than Marschal Grips, which is VERY pricey, close to 1/3rd or more than what many of us pay for the original pistol.

So I was checking on E-bay and I found this gentleperson:  tillander637

And I now have one set of the following on their way to me.

copyright tillander637

copyright tillander637

The grips come with the proper escutcheon screw and escutcheon already installed.

If you have a FEG and would like a new set of grips for it, the link to tillander637's auction for them is:

Custom Grips for FEG PA-63, PA-675 Black

tillander637 also has other grips and other colors as well.

Walther PP/K, Tokarev, FIE, Beretta, Bersa, STAR, Astra, Browning, Taurus, CZ, and several others.  check out the link I posted at the top to go to their E-bay page.

And out of over 2500 feedback, there are only 2 negative ones.

One saying "It needed fitting" when the auction CLEARLY states that some might need fitting.

and another I'll just copy paste:

"was not a tight fit almost a 1/8" gap on the bottom on my naa 22lr

Reply by tillander637 (May-30-16 17:15): Photo clearly shows no gap; buyer had item for 7 weeks, no reports of problem"

Yeah 7 weeks from time you receive something and you finally post feedback?  And some things need fitting?  My bet is the person tried to fit it themselves and screwed up and is now trying to get something for free because THEY screwed up.

I also found a Neutral feedback that says "Looks like a toy" is doesn't say what type of grip it's for, but some of the small derringer grips DO look like toys, but then again so do some modern firearms.

There was also a neutral that basically said "Thanks", then why a neutral rating?

And the third and last neutral said "Required hand filing to make fit otherwise ok"

Seriously?  tillander637 says in the auctions, "May require fitting" and you're going to complain?

I have YET in all my years of shooting, working on firearms and other things NOT have to do a few small tweaks to something to get it to fit perfectly.  Even the Hogue wrap around grips I got for my FEG Hi Power Clone needed just a tetch of fitting to fit perfectly.  Even the Pachmayrs  I have on my Taurus 82 and my Astra .357 needed a "Tetch" of fitting.

I swear some people expect to get new parts for a 1908 ford Model T and then complain because the new parts didn't bolt right up without a gasket.

So if you are looking for new grips for your FEG or for some other types of firearms as well, give tillander637 a try.

Finally got some range time today.

Unfortunately I was only able to get about an hour and ten minutes worth of actual shooting and video.

Guns I took to shoot.

Kel-Tec P-32
FEG AP765
Heritage Arm .22 LR/.22 Mag Single Action
Norinco 1911A1 Government Model .45ACP with a Brand New SIG Sauer 1911 .22LR conversion kit
Charter Arms/Henry .22 LR AR-7
Chiappa  .22 LR Little Badger
Norinco (CAI) PW87 12ga. Lever Action
Mossberg 185 20 ga. Bolt Action

Guns I actually GOT to shoot.

Kel-Tec P-32
FEG AP765
Norinco PW87 Lever Action
Mossberg 185

I TRIED to use the SIG Sauer .22 LR Conversion, BUUUUUT, BUUUUUT there was a slight issue.

The SIG Sauer 1911 .22 LR Conversion is for the SIG Sauer 1911A! pistol which is a clone of the Series 80 Colt 1911A1.  Meaning my Stock Norinco Government Model will NOT activate the Firing Pin Block/Plunger.  So it will NOT work on my Norinco.  YET.



I will be REMOVING the Firing Pin Block/Plunger from my Conversion and I will try it again.  If I have the time, I will try to do it tomorrow.  If anyone knows of a small rubber or silicone post to put in the hole the FP block/Plunger is in, please leave me a link in the comment section.

I also had the chance to try out my mom's Kel-Tec P-32.  I bought it for her as a combination Mothers Day and Birthday present.  I only had one small bobble with it and it seems to be magazine related with 2 FTF's, both from the same Mec-Gar 10 Round Extended Magazine.

I then pulled out my normal carry piece, my FEG AP765 to compare the two.  For me personally, I prefer my FEG.  The Kel-Tec has a Looooooong, HEAVY trigger pull every time you pull the trigger.  My FEG does have a long and heavy pull on the first round then it is a short single action pull until slide lock.  My trigger finger and my sons trigger finger are both sore and my son actually has a small blister on his from firing the Kel-Tec.  The blister is on the front bottom of his finger meaning his finger is rubbing the front inside edge of the trigger guard under recoil.  The rubbing is less noticeable with the extended 10 round magazine versus the stock 7 round magazine.  I replaced the baseplates of both of the 7 round magazines with the small grip extension baseplates I got from Midway, as even my mom's small hands had problems holding on to the pistol properly.  When I ordered the Kel-Tec from Buds Gun Shop, it only came with one 7 round magazine so I ordered an extra 7 round and two 10 round mags from Midway at the same time I ordered the grip extensions.  For mom, who is used to the long heavy trigger pull of her Taurus 82 .38 Special, the Kel-Tec should be good once she gets some practice with it.  Me personally, I'll stick with my FEG or my Charter Arms Undercover.  But then again, my hands are easily twice the size of my mom's.

I then brought out my new to me Mossberg 185 20 ga. Bolt Action Shotgun.  I haven't shot a bolt action shotgun in a Looooooonnnnnnnggggggggg time.  And while I enjoyed shooting the Mossberg, it wasn't very nice to my son.  The recoil is a little stout using 7/8th oz. 7.5 Bird and Squirrel loads, and using 7/8 oz slugs, well my son did NOT really enjoy that.  I've got it on video which I'll post later.  One of the most unusual things about the Mossberg 185 is the use of an External Choke Tube.  I'm not sure which one my Mossberg has but it appears to be a Full.  I plan on getting a Modified and an Improved Cylinder tube for it plus the proper wrench.  This little shotgun is quite similar to my old H&R 349 Bolt Action 12 ga. in handling but I really like the fact that this uses a box magazine versus the small tube mag of the H&R.

Next up was a brand new and new to me me as the very first owner Century Arms PW87.  Which means Norinco PW87.  A modern reproduction of the Winchester 1887, which has been modified for use with 2.75 inch shells versus the 2.5 inch shells of the original.  My son Mitchell and I were only able to shoot some #7.5 through it and not the Buckshot I had planned on because the range was getting ready to close, but it fed and fired properly, but I will say I'm going to look for a slip on recoil pad.  The L.O.P. is a leeetle short for me and it does like to kick a bit.  I got this one from J&G Sales, back when they were on sale for $279.00.  Mitchell even tried it left handed as he actually is a southpaw.  But I could only get him to fire 3 shells.

Then it was time to break it all down and load up the truck.

I'm hoping I can get more range time this week.  Especially after I remove the FP Block/Plunger from the SIG Sauer conversion for my 1911A1.

Range Report from 7/25/2013

Since I live way out in the county, I can shoot on my property without any legal issues other than being sure I have a good backstop.  On the property where my house is, I don't have a backstop, so we only shoot the air rifles here.  When I want to shoot the larger calibers I have to either go over to my family's other property about 200 feet away across the back, or drive several miles and pay a range fee.  For just plinking or teaching someone how to use a handgun, we just go over to the other property where the back stop is a large drainage ditch that we shoot down in to.  That is what I did today.

My daughter's boyfriend Matt has fired a shotgun before but no other types of firearms and he really wants to get a handgun.  I'd rather he learn more about firearms in general before he purchases one for himself.  So today I loaded up several different types and calibers of handguns a couple rifles and some shotguns to start his firearms education.

First we went over to the property and set up the range.

Several disposable plates with orange stickers from Amazon, such as Carteach discussed on his blog tacked to wood shims then stuck into the ground.  Add some 3 liter diet coke bottles filled with water and you have the targets.

The firearms used for the training.  Yes there is a .22 Beeman Air rifle there.

I started him off by going over the 4 Rules, and proper handling.  Then I discussed proper sight picture.

I started with my Heritage Arms .22 LR Single Action revolver.  After 24 rounds over coaching and stressing proper sight use he got a nice target.

He got all 6 on target after his first 24 rounds.  Then we moved up to one of my my Taurus 82's.

He figured out how to use the sights properly and to take his time.

Then we moved up to one of my Tokarevs and my FEG.

Shooting the FEG

Shooting the Tokarev

Then I put 3 mags through my FEG.  2 Mags, 14 rounds at one target and 1 mag 7 rounds at another, to check just how accurate I can get with it.  We are about 25 feet away from the targets.

Rapid Fire 14 rounds, 1 shot double action the remainder single action.  You can see I missed with 1 round and clipped the outside edge of the plate, one of those holes is actually two.

Rapid Fire 7 rounds, 1st round double action the rest single action.  Distance 25 feet.  I'm pretty sure that one round on the bottom right is my first double action round.  I wasn't trying to be super accurate, I was just trying to get all seven on the target as quickly as I could.  I think I did ok, so the FEG is now Designated EDC.

I've never claimed to be an expert pistol shot, I'm much better with rifles and shotguns, but those are 9 inch disposable plates at 25 feet.  That is Center Mass.  I'm happy.

Next up, my daughter wanted to shoot some shotguns and the Sears/Savage .22 Pump rifle.  So we got those out.

Here she is with the Maverick 88 with an ATI folding stock so it fits behind the seat of the truck.  No Taktikewl attachments, although I might be putting a mount for a Mini-Mag light with a remote touch switch base.

Here I am shooting my Rossi Side by Side 12 Gauge.  I LOVE this shotgun.  I really need to find a place to learn how to shoot Trap and Skeet.  My only complaint is it only has an extractor, not an auto ejector like my other Rossi and my New England Firearms single shots.

Below is a demonstration of Hydrostatic Shock I gave to Matt to explain the lethality of a firearm.

After Matt finished his soda I had him fill it with water, then I used the Sears/Savage .22 Pump to shoot it with 1 round from 25 feet away.  This is the result.  I explained to Matt, how most of the damage from a bullet is from the Hydrostatic Shock causes damage to the internal organs of the body through the shock wave propagating in the body tearing and damaging blood vessels and organs.  He thought the .22 would just punch a hole in the can, not rupture it and send it flying 6 feet.  This was not a sealed can of soda, it was just a can we filled with water.  So the fluids were not contained, and still the can ruptured.


A weird jam we had today.

Yes that is a Winchester .45 ACP case stuck in the chamber BACKWARDS.  A cleaning rod and my daughter Mary's multi-pliers took care of it real quick. and we finished off a 100 round box of Winchester White box.

So today I introduced a young man to shooting, the 4 Rules and how to correct a Malf in the field.

Now I just need to get him some more practice as the ammo situation allows before he decides which firearm he buys for himself.


Any day I can go out and shoot with my daughter and help someone else on the road to responsible Firearms Ownership is a Good Day.

FEG AP 765 holster and magazines

Remember my FEG AP 765?  Well I've been trying to find a decent holster for it.  After checking many forums I determined that a holster for a Walther PP or PPK would NOT work.  However a holster for a SIG P230 or P232 should work.  So using my mad E-bay skills I went looking for a holster for a SIG P230/232.  I found a leather DeSantis model 75 for the Beretta 85/SIG P230/232 and a Nylon model from Holstermart USA that is from Akar Holsters.  The DeSantis arrived in 2 days, the one from Holstermart arrived after 8 days.

Here is how they stack up so far.

DeSantis model 75

DeSantis model 75

Do you see where the muzzle of the pistol extends past the bottom of the holster?  And just how deep the pistol sits in it?  I tried to draw from this holster and almost every time, I pulled the holster almost out of my pants during the draw. Also the FEG rocks inside the holster shifting forward and back.  On reholstering you have to pull the holster almost completely out to effect the reholster.  So I cannot recommend this holster for the FEG.

Holstermart USA Holster - Akar Holsters

Holstermart USA Holster - Akar Holsters

Now this is the holster from Akar Holsters, I purchased from Holstermart.  It sits in there flush and when carried IWB it holds the pistol firmly with no rocking or shifting.  On the draw the holster stays put in the waistband of my pants.  On reholstering, I just need to shift my hips a little bit to get it in all the way.  So for a FEG I can recommend this one.

Now for my extra magazines.  The FEG only came with 2 magazines.  After several hours of reading various forums and different google searches showing me extra magazines costing about 34 to 55 each.  It was the P64 forum, that gave me a link to Centerfire Systems which had the magazines for $15.99.  So I ordered 4 of them.

The one with the white tape is the one Centerfire Systems sent a replacement for

 

All together plus one up the spout equals 50 rounds.

When the mags arrived they needed cleaning as they had a light coating of grease on them. However one had a small problem. It had no baseplate retainer in it so the base plate would just slide off, it is the one with the white tape on it in the pics above.  I called Centerfire Systems and gave them my order number and told them the problem, the gentleman I spoke to said "We'll have a new one out to you monday."  And in today's mail?  1 new mag No Charge.  So far I haven't been able to test fire this pistol with these new magazines, but that should happen this weekend.

So for the FEG AP 765 from J&G Sales you can get extra mags from Centerfire Systems, and a proper fitting holster from Holstermart USA.  I'm still going to keep looking out for a baseplate retainer for that last mag, that way I will have 49 rounds in mags.  I also plan on getting some more magazines when they can fit in the budget so I'll have spares.  Remember the AP 765 and the PA-63 share many parts, so if I can find a baseplate retainer for the PA-63 it should fit the AP 765 magazines.

EDIT: 7/31/2016

If you are looking for a factory original magazine for the FEG AP765/FEG MBK/FEG Hege .32/FEG AP66/FEG MBP/FEG AP7, Sarco Arms has them currently in stock at the following link

Original Hege .32 Magazine

Buy Mil Surps also has them in stock occasionally at the following link

Magazine, USED FEG AP7


The link to Centerfire Systems no longer works and only goes to their main page.

Also, there is some confusion about various magazines.  Most are listed as 7 round capacity, however there are witness holes for loading 8 rounds, and mine are loaded with 8 rounds and they feed and function with 8 rounds. YMMV, as a friend of mine has a FEG MBP and his magazine only has witness holes for 7 rounds and will NOT take an 8th round like mine will.  Otherwise our two pistols look identical except for the markings and the witness holes in the magazines.

BAG Buy

Since It's in the budget, (It better be since I've been squeezing every penny until they called the police for assault) I ordered what may become my new EDC Pistol.

I borrowed this pic from J&G Sales, since that is where I ordered it from.

Photo Property of J&G Sales, Prescott, AZ

The pic belongs to J&G, but it shows what I've ordered.  An alloy framed .32 ACP FEG AP 765, which comes with 2 magazines.  this is based of the Walther PP design like it's big brother the FEG PA-63.  J&G was sold out the S&B .32 ACP ammo, so I ordered 150 rounds of Fiocchi from Midway.

If you are interested in a small compact pistol that fires one more round than James Bond's PPK, with just a little more size but comparable weight due to the alloy frame, it can be found at the following link.

FEG AP765 at J&G Sales

Or if you prefer to call them here is the rest of their info:

J&G Sales
440 Miller Valley Road
Prescott, AZ, 86301

Phone:928-445-9650, Fax:928-445-9658
Email: info@jgsales.com
Hours: M-F 8:00am - 5:30pm, Sat 9:00am - 3:00pm, Closed Sun.

You may remember that I bought my two Tokarevs and my family bought 5 Taurus Model 82's from J&G.  We have had no complaints about any of our firearms purchases from J&G, and I expect I will have no issue with this newest acquisition.

I tried to work a deal with the young man taking my order, always have to try to strike a deal and get a better price.

After I get my pistol I know that it will need a full strip down and clean, J&G is good about making sure the firearms they sell are in good condition, but every new to me firearm gets a detailed strip and clean so I can check for myself.  Plus it will help familiarize me more with what may become my daily carry piece now that warmer weather is moving in down her in south Texas.

One thing I will have to do however is to start researching for a proper carry load.  I've ordered FMJ, but I know that the .32 ACP is considered a somewhat weak cartridge for defense, but any firearm is better than none.

And this should be a lot easier than my old Taurus Model 82 and 2 speedloaders I normally carry on the road.

AND J&G!!! If you folks read this, can we still work a deal?  ;)

p.s. if anyone else decide to get one of these, could you tell them where you got the link from?  pleaseeeeeeeeeee, still trying to work up a deal of some sort to get a discount from J&G ;),  I dunno maybe an official T&E arrangement where I get 25% off the cost of the T&E piece if I decide I want purchase it for myself. They run some interesting firearms through their inventory.  They used to carry the AK-47 bull pup AK variant.  I would have loved to be able to shoot one of those, simply because of the fact it was used in Serenity by Jayne against the Reavers, granted it was dressed up and hard to ID properly.  However the AK47 bull pup was used in so many of the movies I enjoy such as Kurt Russell's Soldier and the aforementioned Serenity.  And yes those two links are major time sinks, I should know I'm also a member of that site as well and have worked on editing several of the movies, in fact I think the pics of my personal Sears Ranger 102.35/Savage Mod 29A and Astra .357 Target Model are still in there.  I also took many of the screen caps for Lone Wolf McQuade, which I think one of the other members has replaced with screen caps from the Blue Ray version of the film.  But I have diverted enough attention away from my bleg, if you do buy one of these please give my humble blog a H/t to the J&G people kai'thanx.