I am biased, Forkhorn. I am not into alloy and plastic in a firearm, I want all steel. I do not trust the alloys to be very forgiving and I want some weight in a firearm to reduce felt recoil. The P64 is just such a gun, the only plastic is in the grips. It weighs nearly 22 ounces empty and shoots a fairly potent round. At least, the Soviet block thought the 9X18 was good enough for military and police use for a number of years. These can be had in little used condition for under $300, not bad for a well machined and reliable all steel firearm. Mine is a 1974 vintage and was not carried or used enough to wear the bluing much at all, the bluing was still on the areas that the slide rubs on when cycled.

The negative--It is a good idea to do a spring swap. That ran $16 or so from Wolff. The little sights are like the 1911 military sights, just too small to be very handy. In a carry gun I prefer stainless. A blued gun is prone to rust if carried in hot summers and not well cared for. Some think that the recoil is a little harsh, but that can be helped with a rubber grip sleeve for about $10. Also, the 9X18 ammo is not as common as .380 ammo, but it is available and cheaper then .380.