TT-30 "Tokarev" Pistol

This week for Firearm Friday it's time to look at the TT-30 or Tokarev handgun.

The TT-30, commonly known simply as the Tokarev, is a Soviet designed semi-auto pistol. It was developed in the 1920s by Fedor Tokarev as a service pistol for the Soviet Army and was based on pistol designs of Browning, with detail reductions to simplify production and maintenance.

The Soviet’s stopped production of the TT in 1954, although derivatives of the pistol continued to be manufactured for many years in China and Yugoslavia.

Before 1930, the Soviet’s used a lot of foreign-made semi-automatic pistols besides the Nagant M1895 revolver. In an attempt to simplify production, the Soviet Artillery Committee decided to adopt a 7.62 mm pistol caliber, allowing Mosin-Nagant rifle barrels to be cut down to make pistols and submachine gun barrels. In 1930, trials were conducted to select a new standard-issue pistol and Tokarev's design was tested against upscaled versions of the Korovin pistol, Tokarev's design, considered to be lighter, more accurate and reliable than its competitors, was adopted as the Tula-Tokarev Model 1930, even though the pistol would only be officially adopted in the next year.

After being accepted for service, the TT-30 was modified, primarily to simplify the manufacturing process, such as making the back strap an integral part of the frame instead of being a separate piece, reducing machining time. Named the TT-33.

The TT-33 is very similar to Browning's FN Model 1903 pistol, and internally it uses Browning's barrel system from the M1911 pistol. It employs a much simpler hammer assembly than the M1911. This assembly is removable from the pistol as a modular unit and includes machined magazine feed lips. The magazines themselves can be disassembled for cleaning.

The safest method for carrying the TT-33 is to leave the chamber empty, though it requires the slide to be manually pulled back and released to ready the gun for use, which takes some effort due the relatively stiff recoil spring.

The TT-33 is chambered for the 7.62×25mm Tokarev cartridge, the 7.62 cartridge is powerful, has an extremely flat trajectory, and is capable of penetrating thick clothing and soft body armor.

Although the Tokarev was mass produced for the Red Army, the Soviet Union continued producing Nagant revolvers during World War II due the material demands of the war, the TT-33 wasn't suitable for firing through a tank viewport, accidental release of magazines, and decreased pistol service life from stress on the firing pin. Due to the lack of an external safety, cavalry units carried Nagants as side arms instead.

As early as 1938, the Soviets mulled on a replacement for the TT-33, and trials were conducted. After testing several designs, including a submission from Tokarev, a 18-round design chambered for the 7.62 mm round was chosen, but development was halted after the Germans launched Operation Barbarossa.

The TT-30 or Tokarev was produced in many variants and was produced in other countries than Russia, more commonly China but not limited to Hungary, North Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Vietnam, Romania and Serbia. Two of the variants to highlight are the Type 51 & Model 213. The type 51 is a virtual identical to the Russian variant however has chinese markings, and the model 213 has a very similar frame design however has an external safety and is chambered in 9mm. 

We have more than a few Tokarev & Tokarev variants in our museum that you can see immediately when you walk in, two of our pillars are covered with Type 51’s & Model 213’s which are chinese variants which we do retail in our store from time to time also. 

Come in and see, you will never know what you’ll find.