A Tale of Two Tokarevs: The TTC and M57 Pistols

My appreciation for Soviet and Eastern Bloc firearms is, by now, well known, as one can tell from the multiple articles I've written on them. In those articles, I've mentioned the 7.62 x 25mm Tokarev cartridge, and indeed the Tokarev Pistol itself. I've gone into some detail about the origins and merits of the cartridge, and covered two firearms that used it. Heck, I've even written about the Russian revolver that preceded the Tokarev cartridge and pistol, as well as the sidearm and cartridge that succeeded them. But somehow I've avoided giving the TT Pistol its due. It's past time to correct that.



In a iconic photo, a Soviet Officer leads his men with his TT-33 drawn.

Developed by Fedor Tokarev, the TT-30 (and improved TT-33) were, as I stated, intended to replace the obsolete-as-issued 1895 Nagant revolver, which you can read my take about (warts and all) here. Born in czarist Russia in 1871, Tokarev entered into the Imperial Russian Army and eventually earned a commission. As an army officer, he oversaw the manufacture and modernization of Russia's military arms through the Great War. His first notable contribution to firearms design occurred in 1910, when he engineered a conversion of the Mosin-Nagant 1891 Three Line Rifle which allowed it to fire semi-automatic. But it wasn't until 1930, at age 59, that he developed the TT pistol that would arm the Soviet forces in the Great Patriotic War. Yes, at a point in life when lesser men are contemplating retirement, Fedor Tokarev was just hitting his stride. He followed up his TT pistol (by this time well into his late sixties!) with the excellent SVT-38 and SVT-40, which became the Soviet Union's first reliable, mass produced semi-automatic battle rifles. Later in life, he consulted on the development of the Pistolet Makarova, and opined on the merits of Mikhail Kalashnikov's AK-47. When Fedor Tokarev died at the impressive age of 96, he had been awarded the Soviet Union's highest honors and was still writing articles and commentary on firearms design. 

Fedor Tokarev, Hero of Socialist Labor and general bad ass, shows off his SVT-40 and impressive mustache.

A single action, semi-automatic affair, the TT pistol was of course chambered in the 7.62mm x 25 Tokarev cartridge, and was fed by an eight round magazine that could be easily dropped with a push button release. This was in stark contrast to contemporaries like the German P.38 and (perhaps inexpicably) the later Makarov PM, both of which employed slower, but more deliberate heel magazine releases. Tokarev's early design, the TT-30, was slightly modified and issued en masse starting in 1933 as the TT-33. Primarily issued to officers (as most pistols were and are), it served alongside the Nagant revolver throughout WWII. I imagine the officers who carried the Nagant were justifiably envious, and probably constantly bugged their comrades to "trade" sidearms.

A wartime manufactured Soviet TT-33. The TT pistol lacked an external safety, meaning it was carried in condition three until needed. The half-cock is *not* a safety, despite what Internet Commandos might tell you.

Tokarev's pistol was your stereotypical Soviet design: it was simple, it was reliable, and it was effective. But, unlike some other Soviet designs, the TT pistol was also slim, sleek, and relatively modern. Some folks say it's a flat-out copy of the M1911, or the model 1903: neither of those statements are true. It's a fact that the TT-33 used Browning's short recoil design, complete with barrel link and bushing. But, compared to JMB's masterpiece, the TT had a different style bushing, lacks a grip safety (and frame safety for that matter), and most interestingly, it has a very different firing mechanism. The TT has a simplified hammer, sear, and mainspring assembly that any illiterate peasant conscript can instantly remove from the weapon. This allows the pistol to have its vitals replaced in seconds, making maintenance in the field an absolute breeze.

Considering the Russian Army's past (and present) fondness for vodka, easy maintenance is a Good Thing (TM).

The Soviet Union produced nearly 2 million TT-33s, phasing it out of front line service in favor of the Pistolet Makarova in 1952. When comparing the two pistols, the PM is certainly the more modern design, but I've always wondered what the Soviets were thinking when they replaced the 7.62x25mm cartridge with the 9x18mm Makarov. Ballistics wise, the 7.62x25mm is easily superior. It seems many of the Eastern Bloc nations felt the same, because they manufactured their own variants of the TT-33 in the 1950s, and they continued to issue them as front line pistols throughout the Cold War. Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia all produced the TT pistol and ammunition. In recent years, a great many of these Eastern Bloc pistols have found their way to American shores. Though actual Russian TT pistols are pretty rare and tend to command high prices, the Polish, Romanian, and Yugoslavian pistols are more available and comparatively cheap. I've acquired two Tokarev variants over the years, both interesting in their own ways: a Romanian TTC, and a Yugoslavian M57.

East meets West in this photo taken at the end of WWII. Note the Soviet officer with TT-33 with wood grips (far left), and P.38 in the hand of the US lieutenant. The Soviet captain and US lieutenant seem to be quite, um, fond of each other.

Produced at the famed Cugir factory, the Romanian TTC is almost a straight copy of the Soviet TT-33, with the only real difference being the machining of the slide serrations. Fit and finish is good, with the main serial numbered parts being the firing mechanism, the frame, and the barrel. My Romanian shows a manufacture date of 1953, and upon close inspection, it appears to have been arsenal refinished at some point. Unfortunately, the examples we see today in the US have been marred. In order to comply with the Gun Control Act of 1968, an ugly hole was drilled into the frame, and a basic trigger blocking safety was added prior to importation. This detracts from the aesthetics of the gun, but no moreso than the import mark that's also required by the same law. These are things that US collectors have to live with, BECAUSE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!! Thanks, LBJ.

Lyndon Baines Johnson, (rank: Asshole First Class), surrounded by his harem of Lesser (but equally dangerous) Assholes, signs the 1968 Gun Control Act into law. Sigh.

The Yugoslavians made a few additional changes with their version of the TT pistol. First, and most noticeably, the M57 has a longer grip, which allows it to hold nine rounds in a single stack magazine instead of eight. The longer hand grip also has the added benefit of giving ham-fisted individuals (I'm not one) another half-inch or so of real estate to hold onto when firing the weapon. The Yugo Tokarev boasts a full-length guide rod with captured recoil spring, a good feature for a military issued sidearm as it's harder for soldiers to misplace springs. The front sight is dovetailed into the top of the slide rather than brazed, and is therefore both replaceable and drift adjustable for windage. Along with these positive changes, there's one I don't care for: a magazine disconnect safety. This "feature" effectively disables the firing mechanism when a magazine is removed from the pistol. The idea is to prevent accidental discharges, and a secondary reason might be that if someone's grabbing for your gun, you can drop the magazine and render it harmless. Both of those sound more like malarkey than reality to me, and the "feature" goes against the Soviet mantra of simplicity: it's just something else that could go wrong at the worst possible moment. The M57 has its own add-on external safety as well. This one is better thought out than the one on the TTC: it looks more like a safety you'd find on a 1911, so it doesn't detract from the gun's appearance as much. From what I can tell, my Yugo M57 was made in the 1980s, toward the end of the Cold War. Though all the numbers match and the bore was like new, the slide has a plum tone to it, and shows wear internally, indicating an aresenal rebuild at some point.

My Two Toks. Top: Romanian TTC; bottom, Yugoslavian M57. 

I prefer the Romanian TTC over the Yugsolavian. My TTC is better fitted (if not finished) than the M57. The bushing to slide contact is tight and the trigger is excellent, (I estimate about 4-5 pounds), two things I can't say about my Yugo. I don't know if this is the rule or the exception, but it is the case with my two particular pistols. I don't find the short-ish grip to be a problem in my medium sized hands, and I can shoot 2" groups at 10-15 yards without too much concentration with the TTC. The trigger on my M57 is much heavier than the TTC, and despite all the other upgrades over Fedor Tokarev's original design, I just don't shoot that well with it. It's possible to disable the magazine safety on the M57, and some say this will give you a better trigger pull. However, based on how the mag safety works, I'm not convinced it would make much difference. Don't get me wrong: the Yugo is not a bad gun by any stretch, and I appreciate the Yugos wanting to improve it and make it their own. But in my opinion, the M57 is classic case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Apparently, this flow chart was not available when the Yugos built the M57.

A few years back 7.62x25mm surplus ammo was widely available and cheap; alas that is no longer the case. Fortunately, good commercial ammo is available (though not cheap), but reloading is an option and unlike some rounds, there's ample data and dies available. As for the guns themselves: I haven't seen Romanian and Polish TTs in quantity for about 3 years now. Yugo TT type pistols are still relatively plentiful today, and very good to excellent ones can be had for $250. As with all surplus firearms, the supply will dry up sooner or later, and people will be wistfully talking about how they should have "bought a crate when they were $150". Don't be one of those people. Buy one, two, or six today. After all, they aren't making any more of them. Or are they?

The Zastav M70AA!

A visit to Zastava Arm's website does show several models available for sale. These are newly manufactured, with various small changes to the safety mechanism. The M70 models are chambered in 9mm Luger, which makes for an economical shooting pistol. I've not handled any of the new civilian Yugo Tokarevs, but they might be worth checking out if you're interested, and they're likely better finished and fit than the surplus guns on the market these days. In the end, I think Fedor Tokarev would be pleased to see that his basic design is still in production after all these years, and is being sold around the world.