For a handgun manufactured in the millions, the
Tokarev is not well
known in America. Yet, it should be better recognized. Here is a
handgun that is a cousin to our own Colt 1911. The Tokarev
obviously operates on Browning principles, but closer
examination shows it is definitely patterned after earlier
Browning efforts, notably the Colt Model 1903. The Soviet
Socialist Republic was late in adopting a semi automatic pistol.
The Nagant revolver was standard issue, but the Mauser
broomhandle and its Bolo variant were also well received. (Bolo
is short for Bolshevik.)
Fedor Tokarev presented his pistol to the
Revolutionary War Council in 1931. Favorably impressed, the
council ordered 1,000 pistols for testing. The pistol was
adopted as the 7.62mm pistolet obrazets 1930 goda or 7.62mm 1930
Model, also known as the TT 30. The pistol featured an exposed
hammer with a solid burr, fixed sights, and definite Browning
type operation and take down. The caliber has been subject to
some discussion.
There are those who have stated the .30 caliber
pistol may have been adopted because the same reamer could of
been used for lining rifle and pistol barrels. This does not
make a lot of sense to me, I prefer to think the popularity of
the 7.63mm Mauser cartridge and the Broomhandle pistol in Russia
was the reason for adoption of this caliber. However, this may
not be completely accurate either as the Tokarev pistol used a
more lightly loaded cartridge. In any case, the Tokarev
cartridge shot flat at long range, had adequate penetration of
military web gear, and was an acceptable submachinegun
cartridge.
The pistol was given high marks in service for
reliability and handling. It was light enough, and when a pistol
was mainly a badge of office, used to direct troops and assert
authority, it was as good as any other.
The pistol underwent several changes during its long
production life. Early pistols had a removable backstrap which
was omitted in later production. Locking lugs were simplified as
well. While Tokarev may have been aware of the Browning High
Power, he did not go to angled camming surfaces but kept the
swinging link of the original Browning designs. A removable,
separate barrel bushing was also maintained. An improvement over
the Browning design was the ability to remove the pistol's
lockwork from the receiver. A step backwards was the elimination
of any manual safety. The pistol is not safe to carry hammer
down on a live round. The 1911 type half cock notch is
maintained.
Evidently the pistol gave good service during the
Great Patriotic War. After the cessation of hostility, the
pistol was manufactured in many satellite nations. These
included Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Egypt.
The Chinese and North Korean armies used the TT 30 in great
number. Arab produced 9mm caliber Tokarevs known as the Tokegypt
were held in great esteem by the Baeeder Meinhoff gang. These
early terrorists were by and large Soviet sponsored, often
trained at the infamous Patrice Lumumba in Moscow. These groups
used the Makarov, CZ 52 and several Tokarev variants.
It was inevitable, with the fall of the Berlin
Wall, that communists in need of hard cash would sell their
pistols to America. It was found the Tokarev was much more
saleable in 9mm Luger caliber. It was a simple matter to
rebarrel the pistol and supply appropriate magazines. The
majority of Tokarev pistols for sale in the United States are
Chinese variants in either caliber. A few Polish and other guns
have been imported, including one curious version with a high
capacity magazine. Upon examining the pistols, it is obvious
that certain concessions were made to the US ‘points’
requirements for importation. An example is the Chinese 9mm that
is the subject of this report. In order to secure approval for
import-the import system giving points to good safety and target
sights so as to preclude importing ‘Saturday Night
Specials’-the pistol has been fitted with a manual safety. It
goes the wrong way for rapid manipulation and only blocks the
hammer, but it is there. Some are trigger locks, and there are
several types. For practical purposes I ignore them and never
carry a Tokarev chamber loaded.
The grips are black plastic with the stylized
Chinese star very evident. The pistol appeared as new. The fit
and finish were adequate if not up to the example of the several
Viet Cong Tokarevs I have examined. Two eight round magazines
accompanied the pistol.
Ammunition selection was not difficult, as
inexpensive 9mm Luger ammunition is plentiful. Feed reliability
has always been good with the original caliber. I have
successfully handloaded both hollowpoint and flat softpoint
ammunition in the .30 Mauser as we used to call it. The bottle
neck round feeds any reasonable bullet style easily. This is the
reason most military calibers are bottlenecked. I did not expect
the Tokarev to feed hollowpoint ammunition, and my assumptions
proved correct. There are several hollowpoint loads which have
an excellent reputation for feeding in military handguns. They
achieve this by means of a rolled over, round nose like feed
profile. The bullet ogive is quite round. These rounds usually
stopped on the feed ramp and would not feed the first round. I
did manage to hand feed the first cartridge into the chamber and
get a full magazine once, but this is not to be counted on. The
Tokarev feeds ball ammunition and nothing else.
The Tokarev is heavy enough for a 9mm Luger but
has a slim grip. You would expect it to recoil sharply. The
opposite was true. This is a very mild shooting gun. To begin
the evaluation, I lightly lubed the gun with Birchwood Casey gun
oil and set a Kandel instant recognition target at ten yards. In
keeping with the budget theme of the test, I loaded both
magazines with Wolf Russian ball ammunition. All I knew about
the ammunition was that it was cheap. After the test, my opinion
was modified. This is affordable, inexpensive ammunition that
gives good results. I fired fifty rounds for function. Every
round fed, chambered, fed and ejected normally. The sights were
well regulated, with most groups clustering into an inch or a
little more at this range. The Tokarev trigger compression has
shown six pounds on my RCBS trigger pull gauge. I found it free
of creep and easy to use well. Next I fired at a number of Law
Enforcement, Incorporated silhouette targets. At combat ranges,
five to fifteen yards, the Tokarev gave excellent results. It
was quite easy to put a full magazine into the X ring of a man
sized target, even firing with one hand. The pistol is mild to
fire, well balanced, and fast handling.
For the final test I settled to the bench rest
and fired three five shot groups with Black Hills 124 grain full
metal case ammunition. I was rewarded with a best effort of five
rounds in a three inch group. This pistol is more than accurate
enough for casual shooting or even defense if it were called
upon.
As a service gun, the Tokarev was superior to
most European pistols of its day.
It has a reputation for reliability equal to
other Browning pistols. It has several drawbacks as a personal
defense gun. Feed
reliability is good in the original caliber, but the pistol
could be considered for defense use only with special loadings.
A sixty grain hollowpoint at fourteen hundred feet per second
might serve, but I prefer a subsonic .45 caliber cartridge.
In 9mm Luger, the pistol will not feed ANY type of
hollowpoint. This would be a straightforward modification to
cure this defect. The feed ramp could be polished and
recontoured this is not something most users will wish to do on
a budget pistol. For
the fellow who has a good reliable Tokarev—and I am pretty
certain unserviceable Chinese variants have been delivered- the
Cor Bon PowRBall load is the only choice. This 100 grain bullet
breaks 1,400 fps or a bit more from most 9mm pistols. The bullet
is completely roundnose in profile, with a polymer ball to
insure perform feed and also to instigate expansion as this ball
is forced into the bullet on impact. Expansion testing shows the
PowRBall load a very good one.
So, back to the wall, the Tokarev might meet a
minimal defensive standard. However, the safety is an
insurmountable problem.
I find the Tokarev an interesting pistol, one
that the student of handgun history should have in his
collection.
Notes
In the original caliber,
Winchester now offers
7.62 Tokarev loadings, an excellent choice for informal
target practice. The Tokarev is a fun pistol, ruggedly made if
not usually executed with good fit and finish.
| Type
|
Single Action |
| Caliber |
7.62 x 25 mm or 9mm Luger |
| Sights |
Fixed |
| Barrel length |
4.5" |
| Overall length |
7.7" |
| Weight |
30 ounces |
| Magazine Capacity
|
8
|
R.K.
Campbell
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