In 1930, a group of gunsmith designers led by Fedor Tokarev presented a new 7.62mm self-loading pistol during testing. Back then, no one knew that this weapon would become a legend and long-lived record holder, earning a reputation as the most reliable pistol in the world.
Your word, Comrade Mauser
The creation of a new pistol took place in the second half of the 20s of the twentieth century, when the time came to replace the personal weapons of officers in the Red Army. The requirements for replacement were formulated very simply: to remove the outdated “revolvers” of the 1895 model and replace imported pistols with domestic ones, thereby ensuring uninterrupted mass production in the territory of one’s own country. For these purposes, in 1927, a design bureau was organized at the Tula arms factory, whose sole purpose was to work on small arms and cannon weapons for Soviet Union. In 1928, it was precisely this, still unknown enterprise, that included a group of gunsmith designers under the leadership of Fedor Tokarev.
When starting the development of the newest domestic pistol, the group’s designers and Tokarev himself did not forget the years of production of the Mauser pistol, because dozens of factories had long been adapted to the production of 7.62mm barrels. It was this caliber that was taken as the basis when starting work on a new domestic weapons, designed to replace foreign analogues.
From a long-barreled monster to the first TT
The first development of the Tokarev team chambered for the 7.62mm cartridge almost failed. The 22-round long-barreled monster with a rate of fire of more than 1200 rounds per minute did not find any use at that time, and it was not particularly reliable. The “submachine gun,” as the Tokarevites themselves called it, often jammed, and this weapon was not particularly compact. For the next experiment with the creation of weapons, it was decided not to take risks and take as a basis the already created and “tested” Browning M1911 pistol by that time. The American experience, contrary to popular belief, was not copied, but only a couple of separate units were borrowed from it. Hard work on a self-loading pistol brought tangible results by the summer of 1930 - on a hot June day, the first “field” comparative tests of domestic and foreign pistols began. Of all the weapons provided by both foreign manufacturers and domestic designers - Korovin and Prilutsky, preference was still given to a pistol designed by the Tokarev group, and in 1931 the first batch of 1000 units was ordered to Tula gunsmiths. The path of the “Tula Tokarev” has begun.
By the way, the production of the pistol also accompanies an interesting fact related to its name. For simplification and general “understandability,” the pistol was named simply and dryly in the spirit of the Soviet military department: “7.62mm self-loading pistol, model 1930.” However, during the start of mass production, the pistol was slightly redesigned and the production process was simplified, which, in fact, led to a change in the name to a simpler one. As a result, in 1934, production of the 7.62mm TT pistol of the 1933 model began. And a little later, by the beginning of the forties, no one called legendary pistol somehow other than “TT”. So the short name stuck.
TT for the NKVD
The TT pistol, like the most advanced weapons from the first batches, first fell into the hands of NKVD personnel. A little later, MGB and SMERSH officers armed themselves with special versions of the pistol.
Weapons expert and fire training instructor Roman Vyaznik, in an interview with the Zvezda TV channel, explained why such selectivity was connected:
“The best, the most interesting, the newest always appears first with the special services. They are the first to evaluate the performance of new types of weapons. This is how things are now, and this is how they were before. In the case of Tokarev it was even more interesting - pistols for the NKVD, for example, were made from the best weapons steel. The parts were processed to a higher quality than the others, and as far as I know, the “NKVD” barrels were 30 mm longer than the army ones. As far as I know, no one has complained about the reliability of barrels for the NKVD. The pistols simply did not fail. SMERSH employees later had exactly the same impressions. My grandfather, who served in SMERSH during the Great Patriotic War, personally used such a pistol and I have never heard stories from him or at least any criticism of this machine,” the expert said.
Pop-up magazine and 12 rounds
Despite the fact that the Tokarev pistol turned out to be extremely successful, and, most importantly, was entirely produced from domestic raw materials and in domestic factories, the fate of this amazing pistol was very difficult.
Tokarev, despite his obvious weapons talent, was far from the only gunsmith capable of creating good, high-quality and reliable weapons. Depending on the emergence of new types of small arms, the production of TT pistols at factories either decreased or increased again. This was explained simply: like all weapons of that time, the TT was not without shortcomings, the most serious of which was the low range of aimed fire - the declared 50 meters after using the weapon in intense combat or during special operations was reduced to about 30. To the low accuracy of the pistol a little later, the mediocre magazine capacity and the overall reliability of the magazine as a separate part were added. During operation, there were a lot of cases in which the magazine “popped out” of the pistol if the latch was accidentally touched. Also, in the absence of such a part as a fuse, there were frequent cases of spontaneous shooting. Taking into account most of the comments on their pistol, Tokarev and his team created in 1939 a version of the pistol with a more massive handle and a magazine that could already hold 12 rounds, instead of the standard eight. Another problem was also solved constructively - the location of the magazine latch. The overall reliability of the pistol has also increased, virtually eliminating the risk of self-inflicted gunfire.
Baptism of war
The most serious test both for Tokarev’s team and for the entire Tula Arms Plant was the Great Patriotic War. The sample pistol with a capacity of 12 rounds never went into production - the immediate defense of the country was an urgent issue. However, despite the unfortunate failure with the 12-round version of the pistol, the “Tokarev” model still served the troops well and enjoyed authority not only among Soviet soldiers and officers, but also among the enemy, to whom the TT ended up as trophies in single copies. Despite some flaws in the design and layout of the pistol, failures on the battlefield occurred at a minimum, or did not happen at all. Due to the fact that during the Second World War, individual armor was used extremely rarely, the TT pistol solved almost all problems in close combat; if for some reason the main small arms were lost, a bullet from this pistol was guaranteed to knock down any enemy.
The enormous, if not frantic, post-war (and in the dashing 90s too) popularity of the TT pistol in criminal circles was explained surprisingly simply. The main argument in favor of choosing a Tula pistol for crime was not the reliability, or even the “lethality” of this pistol. Due to the fact that almost two million units of this pistol were produced until production ended in 1952, many trunks were simply not included in the bullet case collection. Operatives and investigators spent a lot of time trying to understand where exactly this or that Tokarev appeared at the crime scene, by whom it was taken from the enterprise’s warehouse, to whom it was sold, and so on. And in 90% of cases, attempts to find out the history of each individual pistol did not end in success. Unlike the post-war years, the dashing 90s generally became a kind of record holder for the number of “orphan” TT pistols.
Former operational officer of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department, and now director of a private security company, Vyacheslav Stanagin, spoke about an interesting fact from his work, which is directly related to the TT pistol:
“As I remember now, in 1992 a report was published according to which in Russia at that time there were more than ten thousand unregistered “barrels” of Tokarev’s design in illicit trafficking. And murders in the 90s using this pistol were not uncommon. Offhand, out of 20 cases, in about 10-12 cases the TT pistol was used. It was difficult to work with such cases, since for a long time it was not possible to establish the identity of the pistol, and in some cases it was not possible to do this at all. The killers had a popular “car”, you can’t say anything about it. It was during this difficult period that “TTshniki” with a silencer began to appear in Russia. There were home-made devices, but there was a story going around, even among technicians at factories, that any more or less trained turner could make a muffler for it in two or three days of work. The weapon, for us operatives, was completely unpleasant. If the victim was hit precisely from the TT, then we already knew in advance that the person would not live to testify. Even the bulletproof vests of that time did not save us from the tetehi. Some are ours, some are imported,” the expert said.
Almost 2 million units of the TT pistol were produced in the USSR alone. In addition, other countries also produced the famous Soviet pistol. Yugoslavia, Hungary, China and North Korea subsequently even bought licenses for the production of TT, as well as the production of ammunition for it. Despite initial complaints about the quality of the pistol, the lack of elegance and absolute reliability can hardly be called a drawback. The 86-year-old TT pistol is still used in several dozen countries around the world.
FavoritesThe TT-T pistol was designed specifically for self-defense. This model is made on the basis of the TT - the Tokarev combat pistol, with full consideration of the current standards and forensic requirements. This pistol went on sale thanks to the Russian company AKBS. The trauma model was created with minimal interference in the design of the original - a TT pistol.
What traumatic pistol The TT-T actually does not have parts that were created specifically for it, which can be safely attributed to its advantages and this has a positive effect on its characteristics, in particular on durability and reliability. The pistol is considered one of the best traumatic pistols. Literally everything, from the pistol frame to the trigger mechanism, has been preserved virtually unchanged.
Characteristics of traumatic TT-T:
- Weapon caliber -10x28.
- Gun length (mm) - 195.
- Barrel length (mm) - 116.
- Height (mm) - 130.
- Width (mm) - 28.
- Magazine capacity - 8 rounds.
- Pistol weight without magazine: 850 g.
Depending on the manufacturing company, the characteristics of the weapon may vary - especially with regard to weight, barrel length, and sometimes caliber.
Model range of traumatic pistols TT-T
It is worth noting that the standard model TT-T pistol is very common. It should be noted that there are very few modifications - only two.
The second is a lightweight pistol, with a magazine capacity of 6 rounds and has a shortened barrel. Both models are convenient in their own way, but the standard version is still more popular and in demand. It is important to note that each company, in order to increase the attractiveness of its products, makes some features in the system - its weight, caliber, and so on. The most important thing is to initially choose the most suitable option for yourself.
Since the TT-T pistol uses 10x28T traumatic cartridges for firing - this is relatively new ammunition, produced by AKBS. These traumatic cartridges replaced the old ones - 10x22.
Average price for a traumatic pistol
The cost of Tokarev traumatic pistols, currently in Moscow, ranges from 20 to 25 thousand rubles. Although recently there has been a slight increase in prices. There are many types of cartridges for the TT-T pistol on the market, which are produced by different manufacturers and, therefore, their prices may vary slightly.
TT-T and its ammunition, price of cartridges
When choosing ammunition, you should be guided by the following parameters, on which, by the way, their price directly depends:
- Bullet power;
- Speed;
- Manufacturer's brand.
Cartridges for Tokarev (traumatic) pistols, with rubber bullets inside, cost approximately 20 - 30 rubles per piece.
INTRODUCTION
The history of the TT pistol can begin at the end of the last century, when Hugo Borchardt used a cartridge with smokeless powder for his 7.65 mm self-loading pistol, which became one of the first ammunition for self-loading pistols. A powerful cartridge in combination with an attached butt made it possible to conduct aimed fire from the pistol at a distance of up to two hundred meters. A few years later, the Mauser brothers used an improved Borchardt cartridge in the Mauser K-96 pistol. The new cartridge, the 7.63x25 mm Mauser, was ideal for the pistol-carbine concept they adopted.
Firing accuracy at distances prohibitive for conventional pistols was excellent, although the presence of divisions on the adjustable sight, implying the ability to fire at a distance of five hundred to thousand meters, was difficult to take seriously. When the Mauser pistol appeared in the USA at the beginning of the 20th century, the cartridge was assigned a designation that was more understandable for American shooters - .30 “Mauser”. For forty years, until 1935, when the .357 Magnum revolver cartridge was developed in the United States, the Mauser cartridge was one of the most powerful among all revolver and pistol ammunition. And it was this cartridge that Tokarev chose for his pistol. In order to unify technological tools and equipment, the 7.63 mm Mauser cartridge was matched with the Russian 7.62 mm caliber. The first Tokarev pistol was designed for this caliber.
The pistol had a blowback bolt and a hammer-type firing mechanism. The fuse was located on the right side of the bolt. The pistol allowed single and automatic fire. The cartridges were fed from a box magazine with a capacity of 22 cartridges, which were arranged in a checkerboard pattern, or from a clip that was inserted into the grooves of the bolt. Sights were designed for a firing range of up to seven hundred meters. During testing, the pistol showed high ballistic characteristics. Having won in all respects over other models, it was clearly inferior to them in weight and dimensions. True, the experience gained was not in vain - when developing the next model, which became the future TT, the designer tried to ensure that all parameters met accepted standards.
The TT pistol was created by a design team headed by F.V. Tokarev. Given the importance of the work, this group was included in the design bureau created in 1927 at the Tula Arms Plant, which was initially involved in the development of new small arms and cannon weapons for the rapidly developing Soviet aviation. Nine years later, the bureau was renamed the Central Design Bureau (TsKB), later TsKB-14, and then the Instrument Design Bureau.
The first official tests of the TT pistol took place in June 1930. The commission, chaired by V.F. Grushevsky, conducted field tests of the Tokarev pistol along with the Korovin, Prilutsky pistols and the best foreign examples of the Walter, Browning and Parabellum systems. The commission’s conclusions were clear: the TT pistol is “the most acceptable and suitable for adoption, provided that the identified deficiencies are eliminated.” The commission's claims were quite serious - to increase accuracy, improve safety, and others. It sometimes takes years to eliminate such shortcomings; Tokarev managed it in a few months.
In December 1930, tests of the TT pistol and other new models took place again at the Vystrel school training ground. The report of the chairman of the commission, K.P. Uborevich, noted that “during testing, the Tokarev pistol gave quite satisfactory results in terms of combat, reliability of the mechanisms and ease of handling, as a result of which I consider it possible to introduce it into service.”
Success for the TT pistol came in February 1931, when the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR decided to order the first batch of pistols in the amount of a thousand pieces for comprehensive testing among the troops. The pistol was given the official name “7.62 mm self-loading pistol model 1930”. The situation repeated forty years ago, when Nicholas II deprived the Mosin rifle of its name by decree, ordering it to be called “7.62 mm rifle mod. 1891." Justice triumphed later, when the pistol gained worldwide fame as the TT pistol (Tulsky, Tokarev). For several more years, the pistol underwent constant modernization in order to reduce the cost and simplify its production. Mass production began in 1933 at the Tula Arms Plant and reached more than 100 thousand units per year by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
However, the fate of the TT was not cloudless. For many years it was unable to completely supplant the 1895 revolver. Its production either fell or increased again. It was only during the fighting on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War that the TT pistol received final recognition.
At the beginning of the war, the advance of fascist troops to Moscow threatened Tula, the forge Russian weapons. The USSR government decided to transfer defense production to the east of the country. Thus, the production of TT pistols and Nagan revolvers was entrusted to the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. However, even in such difficult conditions, Tula gunsmiths were able, using the equipment and tools remaining after the evacuation and repairing old machines, to repair pistols coming from the front and assemble new ones from the remaining stock. In two last month In 1941, workers at the plant's repair shops sent more than five hundred TT pistols to the front lines.
As soon as the German troops were driven back from Moscow, the restoration of the plant began, which in a matter of months, having managed to restore production and the energy sector, began to operate at full capacity again. After the end of the war, mass production of Tokarev pistols was launched at the Tula, Izhevsk and Kovrov factories. Until the early fifties, when the Makarov pistol replaced the TT, these factories produced more than a million Tokarevs.
PISTOL DESIGN
During the Great Patriotic War, the TT pistol was the main personal weapon of officers and generals of the Soviet Army and was intended for close combat at distances of up to fifty meters.
The pistol is a self-loading short-barreled weapon, in which the feeding and loading of a cartridge into the chamber, locking and unlocking of the barrel bore, removal from the chamber and ejection of the spent cartridge case are carried out automatically. The automatic operation is based on the well-known Browning principle, in which the inertial recoil mass is formed by a bolt engaged with the barrel during a short stroke. The pistol is fired in single shots. The cartridges are fed from a flat box magazine located in the pistol grip. Among domestic and foreign pistols, the TT is distinguished by its high penetration ability and destructive power. These qualities are ensured by a powerful cartridge and sufficient long length trunk
1-shutter-casing, 2-barrel, 3-earring, 4-striker, 5-trigger mechanism box,6-trigger, 7-mainspring, 8-disconnector, 10-trigger rod, 11-trigger spring, 12 -handle cover, 13-magazine, 14-magazine latch, 15-frame, 16-return spring, 17-guide sleeve
The pistol consists of the following parts and mechanisms:
The frame (15) serves to connect all parts of the gun. It consists of the frame itself and the impact pad trigger mechanism. On the handle, the left and right cheeks are attached to the strips with special fastening parts. A magazine latch is attached between the handle and the trigger, which at the same time serves as a rearward travel limiter for the trigger.
The moving part of the pistol consists of a barrel with an earring, a bolt with a guide sleeve and a return spring (16).
The barrel (2) has a lug, in the cutout of which the barrel mount is placed on the axis. When assembled, the bolt stop rod is inserted into the lower hole of the earring. In the middle part of the barrel there are two half-lance cutouts for connection with the bolt protrusions when locking the barrel bore. When rolling back, the barrel rests against the bottom of the frame groove, and the guide sleeve with the bolt begins to slide along it.
The bolt (1) is a block mechanism for attaching a guide bushing with holes for the barrel (top) and for the tip of the return spring (bottom). The bolt contains a firing pin and an ejector, which are secured with pins. The shutter moves on the frame along its longitudinal projections. Rearward movement of the bolt is limited by the base of the recoil spring guide rod. When rolling forward, the forward movement of the bolt and barrel is limited by the stop of the earring against the wall of the barrel boss cutout, and the blow is perceived by the bolt stop rod.
The trigger mechanism consists of a trigger, a hammer with a spring, a sear with a spring, an axis and a disconnector. The disconnector additionally acts as a safety device against shots when the bolt is not fully locked, since it disconnects the clutch of the trigger rod with the sear if the bolt is in an incorrect position.
Sights are designed for targeted shooting and consist of a front sight and rear sight. The rear sight is mounted in the bolt groove by punching. The pistol is zeroed at twenty-five meters.
The magazine (13) holds eight rounds. Consists of a box, a feeder with a spring, a lid and an insert. The magazine has holes to indicate the number of rounds. It is inserted into the handle and fixed there with a latch that fits into a cutout on its right wall.
The shutter stop holds the shutter in the rear position and is located on the left side of the frame. The rod passes through the lower hole of the barrel earring and is fixed on the opposite side with a fork-shaped spring. After the cartridges are used up, the feeder, with its hook, presses on the bolt stop tooth, which, turning, stops the bolt in the rear position. To return the bolt forward, you must either press the ridge of the bolt stop blade, or separate the magazine and pull the bolt back and release.
INTERACTION OF PARTS AND MECHANISMS WHEN FIRING
In the initial position, the loaded magazine is inserted into the pistol handle, the trigger is on the safety cock. To fire the first shot, the hammer is cocked, the bolt is retracted to the rearmost position and sharply released. Under the action of the return spring, the bolt moves forward, captures and advances the cartridge into the chamber, engages with the barrel and locks the barrel in the forward extreme position. The pistol is ready for the first shot.
When you press the trigger, the trigger rod presses on the protrusion of the sear and turns it, causing disengagement from the trigger, which, under the action of the mainspring, turns and hits the firing pin - a shot occurs. The resulting powder gases, acting on the bottom of the cartridge case, cause the bolt to roll back. The barrel, held by the protrusions in the grooves, moves along with the bolt, gradually lowering down under the action of the earring. By the time the pressure of the powder gases drops to a safe value, the movable coupled “bolt” system will have passed about three millimeters, and the barrel will disengage with the bolt. Having walked a little further forward and dropped down, he hits the frame of the pistol and stops. The bolt, together with the sleeve held by the ejector in the front cup, continues to move backward. When it encounters a reflector, the sleeve is ejected. The hammer is cocked and goes behind the combat cock.
At the same time, the shutter, with its bevel, recesses the disconnector, thereby disengaging the sear and the trigger rod. The sear, turning freely, goes behind the combat cock and holds the hammer in the cocked position. Next shot only possible after pressing the shutter again. The shot will fire only after the barrel is completely locked, when the disconnector can rise into the corresponding recess of the bolt and allow the trigger rod to move in front of the sear.
Operation of the TT pistol mechanisms at the moment of firing
When the bolt moves forward, it grabs the top cartridge from the magazine and sends it into the chamber. To direct the cartridge into the chamber, use the bevels of the front fork of the trigger block and the bevel on the breech end of the barrel bore. When the bolt approaches the barrel, they begin to move together and rotate the breech until the protrusions are completely engaged. When the movable bolt system is in the extreme forward position, the disconnector rises into the bolt recess, allowing the trigger rod to engage the sear. The pistol is ready for the next shot.
The pistol does not have a hand-operated safety or decocking lever. To prevent accidental firing, the trigger has a safety cock. The trigger is placed in the safety position by turning it a few degrees. In this case, the sear tooth will jump behind the safety cock of the trigger. In this state, it is impossible to press the shutter and cock the shutter. When setting the hammer to the safety cock from the cocked position, it is necessary to hold the trigger, press the trigger and smoothly return the hammer to the uncocked position and, releasing the hammer, smoothly cock it again until it is set to the safety cock.
DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY OF THE PISTOL
Self-loading pistols are products of fine mechanics and technology. To ensure reliable operation, you need to know their structure and be able to recognize the first signs of an impending technical illness. An important and mandatory step in this direction is to master the skills of disassembling and assembling weapons. Disassembly of the pistol is divided into incomplete (partial) and complete.
Partial disassembly is carried out for the purpose of maintenance of the gun, its inspection and lubrication. Complete disassembly is required much less frequently, but it is mandatory in cases where the pistol has been in special conditions - it has fallen into water, landed in mud, or been in various types of highly aggressive environments for a long time.
First necessary rule To perform this operation, select a clean and comfortable place. A smooth table, a wide bench, and even bedding are best suited for this. During complete disassembly, it is necessary to maintain accuracy and order: place parts and mechanisms in the order of disassembly, handle them carefully, and avoid sharp impacts. When assembling, pay attention to the numbering of parts - confusion with parts of other pistols, even of the same system, is unacceptable.
INCOMPLETE DISASSEMBLY
1. Remove the magazine.
2. Use the end of the magazine cover to move the bolt stop spring back and, holding the bolt, press on the freed end of the bolt stop rod and remove it.
3. While supporting the return spring, remove the bolt and barrel from the frame.
4. Turn the bolt with the return spring up, press the head of the guide rod to remove it from the bolt and separate it along with the rod and tip.
5. Separate the bolt guide sleeve by rotating it 180 degrees relative to the bolt.
6. Disconnect the barrel from the bolt and remove it by the muzzle.
7. Remove the trigger block, holding the frame by the handle.
Partial disassembly of the pistol is completed. The pistol is reassembled in the reverse order. To connect the barrel to the bolt, the barrel must be inserted into the bolt, tilting the earring back. When installing the bolt on the frame, the trigger block should be recessed so that it does not interfere with the free movement of the bolt. To attach the bolt stop, move the bolt back a little so that the hole in the barrel mount aligns with the hole in the frame.
COMPLETE DISASSEMBLY
Before complete disassembly, it is necessary to partially disassemble the gun. Further disassembly is carried out as follows:
Disassemble the trigger block:
1. Pull the trigger back, knock out the sear axis and remove the sear and disconnector.
2. Using the disconnector rod, push out the trigger axis and separate it together with the spring. It is necessary to hold the spring and ensure that it does not fly out when the load is released.
Disassemble the frame:
1. Using the long feather of the USM block, turn the tail of the fastening bar of the left cheek and, pressing on it from the inside, separate it. Repeat the same with the right cheek.
2. Push the cover catch upward and, pressing from the inside, separate the release spring and latch from the cover.
3. By pressing the split head of the magazine latch pin, push it out of the base and frame. Separate the base from the frame and remove the magazine latch spring from the pin.
4. Remove the trigger from the frame socket, moving it forward.
Disassemble the return spring:
1. Separate the guide rod from the return spring.
2. Separate the tip from the return spring by turning it in different directions.
Disassemble the shutter:
1. Knock out the striker pin and remove the striker with the spring.
2. Repeat a similar operation with the ejector.
Disassemble the store:
1. Press the pointed end of a match or pin into the magazine cover delay, move it forward and, holding the delay with the spring, remove the cover.
2. Remove the spring with the feeder.
Complete disassembly of the pistol is completed. Reassemble the pistol L after complete disassembly in the reverse order. When assembling the magazine, after inserting the feed spring, a delay is applied to it with the bent end outward and forward. By pressing it, the delay should be recessed flush with the bottom edge of the magazine and, holding it in this position, slide the lid onto the magazine. After assembly, it is necessary to check the functionality of the gun.
CARTRIDGES
The cartridge for the TT pistol is designated “7.62x25mm”. This is a generally accepted designation in Europe. The first number determines the caliber, the second - the length of the sleeve in millimeters. It should be noted that these parameters should not be taken literally, since in fact the diameter of the bullet along the rifling is larger than the caliber and is 7.85 mm, and the length of the sleeve can range from 24.7 to 25.1 mm.
Nevertheless, this designation quite specifically characterizes the cartridge. In the weapons literature there may be other names for this cartridge: .30 “Mauser”; 7.62 mm "Tokarev"; 7.62 mm “Tok” and 7.63 mm “Mauser”.
The TT cartridge has a number of differences from its “progenitor”: the requirement for maximum unification - the basic principle of the Soviet military industry - led to the modification of the original Mauser cartridge. Instead of the Mauser caliber 7.63 mm, the Russian one was adopted - 7.62 mm, the capsule was replaced with a revolver one, and for reliable removal of the cartridge case when firing from automatic weapons The groove on the sleeve for hooking the ejector was enlarged.
A conventional cartridge when fired from a TT provides an initial bullet speed of about 420 meters per second. This is the highest speed when firing conventional ammunition from pistols and revolvers. Such a high speed provides a number of advantages: first of all, the bullet’s flight path is flat, which makes it easier to aim when shooting at long distances. Secondly, the high velocity of the bullet ensures reliable penetration of body armor and helmets.
Pre-war cartridges had a case made of brass and bullets with a lead core covered with clad steel. After 1951, the lead core of the bullet was replaced with a steel one, and to maintain the required mass, its length was increased to 16.5 mm.
BALLISTICS
Knowing the mass of the bullet and the initial speed of its flight, it is possible to calculate the kinetic (or, as they used to say, “living”) energy, due to which it moves further and hits the target.
The barrel and slide of a pistol must be strong enough to withstand the enormous pressure generated when firing. At the moment of firing, every square centimeter of the surface of the barrel bore experiences enormous, time-varying pressure. This force, as well as the reaction of a stream of hot powder gases flowing at enormous speed, causes the phenomenon of weapon recoil.
At the moment of firing, the maximum pressure in the barrel reaches more than one and a half thousand atmospheres. In four thousandths of a second, the bullet picks up speed over four hundred meters per second, while receiving rotational motion to stabilize its flight. Stock kinetic energy makes the bullet dangerous at a distance of up to a thousand meters.
SELECTION OF CARTRIDGES FOR TT PISTOL
A well-oiled gun and excellent shooting technique can be rendered useless by poor quality ammunition. Therefore, the choice of ammunition for your pistol must be approached with the same degree of responsibility and care as when choosing a pistol.
The variety of ammunition for TT today is determined by the availability on the domestic market of cartridges manufactured by European and Chinese factories. The low cost of cartridges from army warehouses of the former Warsaw Pact countries makes them attractive in the eyes of arms dealers. New cartridges may cost twice as much, but this is also a low price.
When purchasing “dubious” cartridges, especially foreign-made ones, you must adhere to the following rules:
It is advisable to purchase cartridges from the series in which the weapon was tested;
Carefully inspect the cartridges and reject all ammunition that has external defects (bruises, bends, wobbling bullets, etc.). The use of dirty, rusty and deformed cartridges is always fraught with the most unexpected consequences when shooting;
Set the batch release date, since long-term storage has a detrimental effect on the quality of cartridges and leads to disturbances in the chemical structure of gunpowder, causing its decomposition;
Determine the conditions under which the cartridges were stored (tightness of the container, capping, temperature conditions, and so on).
If suspicions arise regarding the quality of the cartridges and it is impossible to determine the country of origin (erased stamps, lack of packaging), you should avoid purchasing such cartridges altogether.
Basic information about the cartridge is contained in its packaging and the stamp on the cartridge case. Most Western companies attach great importance marking of cartridges, sometimes creating unique miniature masterpieces on a small area of the cartridge case bottom. The states that took the path of building socialism after the Second World War, after nationalizing their industry, adopted Soviet standards, according to which only the factory code (secrecy is paramount!) and the release date are indicated on the cartridge.
DIFFERENCES IN DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN CARTRIDGES FOR THE TT PISTOL
SOVIET CARTRIDGES
Until 1942, cartridge cases did not have marks, since all cartridges were produced by one factory. Later, in 1944, on the bottom of the cartridge case, in addition to the factory mark and year of manufacture, they began to put the month of manufacture. Wartime ammunition cannot be recommended for purchase, since the requirements for technological discipline (in terms of ensuring the reliability of ammunition during long-term storage) have been simplified, and currently the quality of such cartridges is questionable.
The type of cartridge can be determined by the color of the bullet. The black tip of the bullet and the red belt indicate that this is a cartridge with a P-41 armor-piercing incendiary bullet, which had a heat-strengthened steel core. The PT tracer bullet had a green head. Cartridge cases can be made of brass or bimetal.
BULGARIAN CARTRIDGES
They were produced in the fifties at the cartridge factory in the city of Kazanlak. The code on the sleeve is “10”. The initial speed of the bullet is about 470 meters per second. In the West for a large muzzle flash and loud noise when fired, they were called “fireball express” (flight of ball lightning).
CHINESE CARTRIDGES
Currently produced, they have good reliability indicators when shooting. They have the following factory codes: “11”, “31”, “41”, “61”, “71”, “81”, “321”, “661”, “947”. The muzzle velocity of the bullet is about 470 meters per second.
POLISH CARTRIDGES
Produced until the mid-fifties. They were marked with the codes “21” or “343” placed in an oval, and the year of manufacture, which was stamped to the left of the capsule. To the right of the capsule there are usually two more numbers, obviously indicating the batch number. The speed reaches 490 - 530 meters per second. There have been cases when the speed of the bullet changed from shot to shot by thirty to forty percent. With such a spread of speeds, ammunition is dangerous when shooting, so you should be extremely careful when selecting these cartridges.
CZECHOSLOVAK CARTRIDGES
Modern cartridges Zeler-Belot companies provide an initial speed of about 500 meters per second. Of course, these cartridges are the most preferred. It must be remembered that in Czechoslovakia in the fifties and sixties, a reinforced 7.62x25mm caliber cartridge was produced for the Model 52 pistol and the 24 and 26 submachine guns. The initial bullet speed of this ammunition reached 550-560 meters per second. Such a cartridge cannot be used for shooting from a TT, since weapon breakdowns and accidents may occur.
HUNGARIAN CARTRIDGES
They are currently produced with a capsule composition that does not cause corrosion of weapons, but you must be careful when purchasing these cartridges - there have been cases when ordinary Polish or Bulgarian cartridges were offered under the guise of Hungarian ones.
GERMAN CARTRIDGES
They were produced in the fifties at two enterprises with codes “04” and “05”. To the right of the capsule was a six-pointed star.
ROMANIAN CARTRIDGES
They had two codes: “21RPR” and “22RPR”, where the letters denoted the English abbreviation of the name of the country.
YUGOSLAV CARTRIDGES
They are little known and practically do not enter the foreign market.
IRAQI AMMO
They are still in production today. The plant code consists of two symbols: a triangle - the Arabic numeral “five” and a letter - “press”. Below the capsule is the year of manufacture in Arabic numerals.
BULLET ACTION ON TARGET
STOPING EFFECT
The humane principle of using any weapon is to quickly and reliably stop the enemy and deprive him of the opportunity to continue aggressive actions. This quality of a weapon is characterized, as they say among experts, by the “stopping effect of a bullet,” that is, the value that determines the time interval from the moment the bullet hits the body until the onset of shock and the loss of the wounded’s ability to resist. No one has yet been able to propose a reliable method for assessing the stopping effect, however, there are methods that allow one to determine with varying degrees of accuracy the suitability of a cartridge for solving this problem.
The stopping effect of a bullet depends not only on its caliber, flight speed and mass, but also on where on the human body it hits. Only when hit in the spine or brain is there a 100% chance of instantaneous incapacitation of the victim. In addition, the stopping effect directly depends on the depth of the wound channel, which, in turn, depends on the value of the specific energy and the design of the bullet. The concept of “bullet specific energy” is widely used in wound ballistics. It is equal to the kinetic energy of the bullet divided by its cross-sectional area.
In 1935, American weapons expert General Yu Hatcher proposed a formula for calculating the relative stopping effect (RSE) of a bullet, which is still widely used today. It takes into account the design of the bullet, its speed and mass. OOD=0.178xGxVxFxS, where G is the mass of the bullet (g);
V is the speed of the bullet at the moment of meeting the target (m/sec);
F - transverse area of the bullet (sq. cm);
S is the bullet shape coefficient, ranging from 0.9 for full-shell bullets to 1.25 for hollow-point bullets.
According to this formula, a TT bullet has an OOD equal to 171. For comparison: the OOD value of bullets from 9x19mm and 11.43 mm cartridges is 270 and 640, respectively.
The method for calculating the stopping effect, proposed by the French scientist Josserand, takes into account only the area of the bullet and its kinetic energy. Their product gives the stopping effect value. It is believed that an indicator of 15 already ensures that the enemy is incapacitated. For a TT bullet this figure is 25, for bullets of the 9x19mm and 11.43 mm cartridges - 32.7 and 44.1, respectively.
In the USSR, there was a two-fold approach to this issue: calculations were made either by the minimum required kinetic energy (80 J) or by the minimum required specific energy (1.5 J/mm2). Based on this, the 5.6 mm caliber (.22 Long Rifle) is already more than sufficient for using such a cartridge for self-defense. However, both methods did not involve quickly depriving the enemy of the possibility of resistance, but only inflicting damage on him, which sooner or later would not give him the opportunity to continue the fight. Indeed, if the enemy is located at a distance of several hundred meters from you, then it does not matter to you how long he will continue to be active - a couple of seconds or several minutes; anyway, he is unlikely to be able to respond with a more accurate shot after being wounded. But if the enemy is ten meters away, and in his hand he has a pistol or machine gun pointed at you, then every moment may be your last. Moreover, the value of specific energy is decisive only for the penetration ability of a bullet, but not for its stopping effect. For the same 5.6 mm caliber pistol, this value is higher than for an 11.43 mm caliber pistol, which has a muzzle kinetic energy five to six times greater.
Currently, it is generally accepted abroad that the minimum required depth of penetration of a bullet into body tissue should be at least 35 centimeters with the maximum possible diameter of the wound channel. The TT bullet fully satisfies this requirement. It is embedded in the material, which simulates soft human tissue in tests, to a depth of 60-70 centimeters. However, the second condition, namely the possibility of creating a wound channel of maximum diameter, is not satisfied by a 7.62mm full-shell bullet.
The most suitable cartridge, which has a high stopping effect and is used for self-defense, may be the ammunition from the American company Magsafe. It provides deep penetration into tissue and produces an impressive dispersion of damaging elements. The bullet is a lightweight container with hundreds of pellets enclosed in a Teflon shell, and when fired, it accelerates to a speed of 570,600 meters per second. The cartridge is quite expensive - three US dollars, but all over the world it is customary to pay accordingly for good quality and reliability. The lack of stopping power of a bullet can be overcome by using hand-loaded ammunition. The American company "Old Western Scrounger" offers semi-jacketed bullets of 7.62 mm caliber for the 7.63mm Mauser cartridge - an analogue of Soviet ammunition, which, in their effect, is close to the bullets of the 9x19mm cartridge.
There is no doubt that the appearance on the market of weapons chambered for the 7.62x25mm cartridge will push ammunition manufacturers to master the production of cartridges with expansive bullets. Cartridges with such bullets can put the TT pistol on a par with the world’s best “manstoppers” (as in the USA it is customary to designate powerful pistol and revolver calibers. Literally translated as “man-stopper”).
PUNCHING ACTION
The small caliber of the bullet and its high initial speed determine a high penetration effect: it can pierce right through a soldier’s helmet, a layer of water more than 120 centimeters thick, enter 35 centimeters into the sand, pierce a fifteen-centimeter pine beam and hit right through a large bear.
The high-velocity Mauser-Tokarev cartridge has always posed a serious threat to police officers in many countries around the world. Police officers of the Royal Hong Kong Police put on reinforced body armor of the third class A+ before going on duty, since they often encounter criminals, armed with pistols TT made in China. Many people call such body armor that way:
"Tokarevsky vest" A bullet from a 10 mm "auto" caliber pistol, the muzzle energy of which is about 866 J (1.7 times higher than that of a Tokarev pistol), penetrates only half of the second class body armor - the "regular" vest in the US police, while the "tetash" bullet pierces right through him. The secret of such high penetrating power is that the specific load (an indicator characterizing the amount of kinetic energy per bullet area) of the 7.62 mm TETSH cartridge is almost twice as high as that of more powerful pistol cartridges, but with a 9-caliber caliber. 10 mm.
American shooters learned to use this feature of the TT cartridge when hunting, shooting from a Tokarev pistol at animals with thick skin. This bullet makes a clean hole with minimal tissue damage, rather than a finished steak like most modern magnum ammunition.
SELECTION AND INSPECTION OF A TT PISTOL
When purchasing a “used” pistol, pay attention first of all to the quality of individual parts and mechanisms. Purchasing a personal weapon is a much more responsible act than buying a car, since the weapon is purchased at extreme case when it comes to life or death. At the same time, confidence in the serviceability of the pistol should not be based on blind faith in the reliability of the mechanisms, but on their careful checking.
The process must begin with an external inspection of the weapon. Pay attention to whether there are any obvious damages, rust, corroded shells, cracks, or nicks on the outer parts. Remember: a gun that shows signs of abuse is not the right one for you.
Check the interaction of the mechanisms in idle mode. Cock the hammer and pull the trigger, try setting the hammer to the safety cock, pull back the bolt and check the smoothness of its movement, at the same time paying attention to how the bolt stop operates. Remove and insert the magazine, check the serviceability of its elements. The elasticity of the return and mainsprings, the sharpness of the hammer blow, the smoothness of the trigger, the precision of the pre-cocking mechanism will immediately make themselves known and will help in making the right decision about the purchase.
To in-depth assess the condition of the weapon, perform a complete or partial disassembly. Check the serviceability of individual parts of the pistol, compare the numbers on the frame, slide, magazine, and safety.
The trunk requires special attention. This unit “works” in the most difficult conditions and is subjected to intense loads, so its condition should become the main indicator of the “health” of the pistol. The barrel can be checked either assembled or disassembled.
When checking the barrel on an assembled pistol, pull the bolt to the rearmost position and secure with the bolt stop. For illumination, insert a narrow strip of white paper into the shutter window. With the breech of the pistol facing the light, look into the bore from the muzzle side. Primary signs of damage - corrosion spots, metal corrosion, cracks, scratches - all this is easily detected by darkening on the mirror surface of the barrel. Detecting swelling of the trunk requires more serious skills. A sign of swelling is the appearance of shadow transverse lines, lenses, rings, and half rings. In such cases, it is necessary to change the position of the barrel relative to the light source several times in order to eliminate the glare origin of these phenomena. If the optical picture of the position of the rings and lines does not change, then you are dealing with swelling of the barrel, and this defect in the weapon is more than serious. In general, when choosing a weapon, you need to approach the assessment of individual particular defects creatively. Minor, easy-to-fix faults should not obscure others. positive traits perhaps a very good example of a weapon. A fire test, if possible, can certainly bring final clarity to this issue. So, “think for yourself, decide for yourself - to have it or not to have it?”
To this day, the post-war TT pistol is in service with military personnel units and irregular formations in some CIS countries.
The service life of these pistols, produced in the forties and fifties, has long been exhausted, so they are extremely unreliable. A common defect is the skewing of the cartridge and its sticking.
Previously, standard army pistols were used for sports shooting, since, according to the conditions of the competition, design changes and modifications were not allowed. On the basis of the TT pistol, designer Sevryugin created two models of sports pistols in the fifties: R-3 and R-4. The P-3 pistol had a blowback action and fired 5.6 mm cartridges; for the P-4 model, an attached holster was developed - a buttstock, which was attached to the back of the handle. In most cases, the shooters “refined” the trigger force allowed by the competition rules, equal to one and a half kilograms.
The use of a stock when firing from the R-4 allows for fairly high fire efficiency at distances significantly exceeding the usual 25-50 meters provided for personal weapons.
TT has become widespread in foreign countries. In the early nineties, this pistol returned home again: thousands of TTs, mostly made in China, poured into the Russian arms market like an avalanche.
IMPORTED MODELS OF TT PISTOL
CHINESE TT
The most common imported models of the Tokarev pistol in Russia were its Chinese versions - models 54-1 and 213-B. Tens of thousands of guns were smuggled into the Russian Federation through the Baltic republics of the former Soviet Union alone.
All parts of the Chinese pistol are interchangeable with parts of the Soviet TT, but the bolt of our pistol does not fit the Chinese one.
The military model of the Tokarev pistol from Mao’s homeland has hieroglyphs on the slide, which, loosely translated, mean that this is “Type (model)-54.” New pistol models exported by China have the usual safety mechanism and the stamp: “Made in China by Norinco”.
In general, the TT from the Middle Kingdom leaves the impression of a well-made weapon. In contrast of Soviet pistol also consists of a narrower handle.
There is no release date on Chinese military pistols. The pistol is also offered with two magazines, but without a holster. Commercial copies of the Type-51 pistol, produced by the Beijing company Norinco, are becoming more and more widespread. In order for such a weapon to be sold on the US civilian arms market, it must meet BATO requirements, which require the presence of safety mechanisms on the pistol. The Chinese took an unusual path for them: they did not copy the excellent fuse from the Hungarian TT, but created their own design, and a very unsuccessful one at that. The fuse switches off in the opposite direction natural movement hands while grasping the handle. When using such a design, the shooter may encounter difficulties, since the established stereotypes of handling a pistol can fail at the most inopportune moment. Such an arrangement of the safety can also lead (due to the recoil of the weapon) to the pistol being independently engaged at the moment of firing.
A significant number of Chinese pistols enter the market in the 9x19 “para” version. Sometimes pistols are equipped with barrels, magazines and bolts both for this cartridge and for the 7.62x25 mm cartridge. Some models have a handle with a plastic cover, like the Hungarian model. A conversion kit for converting a pistol chambered for the .38 “super” cartridge is also offered. Automation works quite reliably with such ammunition. This cartridge is considered the most suitable for self-defense weapons.
Typically the inside of the barrel has a chrome-plated protective coating, although some examples are not chrome-plated.
Parts for Chinese pistols are produced in many factories, which often leads to defects. The quality of a pistol is unpredictable and depends entirely on the batch. Although there was an impression of pistols as fairly reliable weapons, there have already been cases in the United States when they were returned due to defects. Another problem is that the supply of components and spare parts is irregular, and parts from other pistols or military models are often found.
However, the success of the basic model in the American market, where pistols are mainly supplied, prompted the Chinese to further improve them. Work began on designing a modification of the pistol chambered for 9x19 mm with a double-row magazine with a capacity of 13 rounds. However, changes in US weapons legislation, limiting the capacity of a pistol magazine to ten rounds, made this work futile.
YUGOSLAV TT
In this country, the Tokarev pistol under the name “M57” was produced for a long time. In the early nineties, production of a commercial version began - the TT9MM model chambered for 9x19mm. This pistol was also equipped with a safety lock, which was located on the bolt, like most pistols with a self-cocking mechanism, but, unlike the Hungarian and Chinese models, it blocked both the bolt and the trigger mechanism. In addition, the sear was automatically locked when the magazine was removed. To improve shooting accuracy, the pistol's balancing has been improved. A feature of the Yugoslav TT is also a longer handle that can accommodate a larger number of cartridges.
In the former Yugoslavia, the TT pistol is extremely popular, especially the new Z-10 model chambered in 10 mm "auto", with a magazine capacity of eight rounds and a cost of five hundred dollars. However, so far cartridges of this caliber have not been found in the CIS, so the Z-10 pistol is unlikely to be widely available in the near future, although in terms of combat characteristics, it may be the best option. Another reason for its absence may be the fact that in the former Yugoslavia itself, where weapons legislation is quite liberal, the Crvena Zastava factory, which produces these pistols, does not have time to ship them to Belgrade gun stores. There, you have to wait several months to receive a Z-10 pistol with a cannon caliber and cartridges at a price of one and a half dollars.
KOREAN TT
The production of TT pistols in North Korea began in the sixties under the Type-68 brand and continues to this day. Despite its small dimensions, this model seems more bulky compared to a regular TT. Some changes have been made to the design. Thus, the magazine latch has been moved to the lower end of the handle, which, however, does not prevent the use of TT magazines;
the shutter stop has been strengthened; The striker is held in place not by a pin, but by a plate. As a disadvantage, we can note the fact that the radius at the junction of the handle and the bolt is designed to anatomical structure hands of the average Korean, which makes the pistol uncomfortable for a shooter with “normal” sized hands.
HUNGARIAN TT
The pistol was produced in Hungary from the early fifties as the "Model 48". This pistol was an exact copy of the TT, except that the coat of arms of the Hungarian People's Republic was depicted on the handle instead of a star. But still, the best Hungarian model of the Tokarev pistol is considered to be the TT-58 pistol, which is an improved example of the Hungarian modification of the TT from the fifties.
This pistol was produced, according to an intergovernmental agreement, by the Egyptian company FEG in the late fifties under the name Tokajipt. However, he was not accepted by the army and was handed over to the police. A large number of pistols from this batch were sold on the commercial market, mainly in Germany, under the Firebird brand. The total number of pistols produced exceeded fifteen thousand. The Tokajipt pistol seems more original compared to its military models. It has a more ergonomic handle, similar to the handle of the Walter P-38 pistol. The design of the magazine is carefully worked out and is devoid of many of the disadvantages inherent in the Soviet TT pistol.
POLISH TT
The model is practically unknown on the international market. This pistol was in service with the PPR army until the end of the sixties. It differed from the Soviet pistol only in the shape of the handle.
CZECHOSLOVAK TT
The first Czechoslovak model, a copy of the Soviet TT, in service with the army, was the M57 pistol, although the most original development chambered for 7.b2x25mm was the Czechoslovak “Model 52” from the Zbroevka Brno plant, which was in service with the army and police until the mid-seventies. when it was replaced by the Scorpion software. A small number of these pistols periodically entered the Western market during the “Prague Spring” and during the period of “détente of international tension.” The 43-52 pistol bears little resemblance to the TT; they are united by the cartridge used. Since ammunition is used as a basis when designing a weapon, the 43-52 pistol is to some extent a “twin” of the TT pistol, which could have been born back in the thirties in the USSR if Tokarev had taken a different path. The peculiarity of this pistol was the use of the principle of locking the barrel of the German MG-42 machine gun. The interaction between the pistol barrel and the bolt is carried out using two rollers.
IRAQI TT
The pistol has been in service with the Iraqi army for more than thirty years. In 1991, the TT again “sniffed” gunpowder during the Gulf War, proving itself to be excellent in sandstorm conditions (unlike many other, more modern models of equipment). Hundreds of these pistols were taken to the United States as war trophies by American soldiers. This pistol enters the CIS countries through the southern borders of the Commonwealth in transit from Turkey.
VIETNAMESE TT
A little-known version of the Tokarev, which was assembled “on the knees” by “Uncle Ho” partisans in the field from Chinese components. The quality of the weapon does not stand up to criticism.
| Tactical and technical characteristics of TT pistols | |||||||
| Pistol model | Manufacturer country | Caliber mm | Magazine capacity pcs. | Weight (without magazine) kg | Gun length, mm | Barrel length, mm | Speed m/s bullets |
| TT-33 | USSR | 7,62 | 8 | 0,85 | 195 | 116 | 430 |
| Type-51 | China | 7,62 | 8 | 0,85 | 195 | 108 | 420 |
| Type-54 | China | 7,62 | 8 | 0,89 | 195 | 115 | 420 |
| Model 52 | Czechoslovakia | 7,62 | 8 | 0,96 | 209 | 120 | 396 |
| M 48 | Hungary | 7,62 | 8 | 0,846 | 196 | 116 | 420 |
| "Tokad-zhipt" | Hungary | 9 | 7 | 0,91 | 194 | 114 | 350 |
| Type 68 | North Korea | 7,62 | 8 | 0,795 | 185 | 108 | 395 |
| M 57 | Yugoslavia | 7,62 | 9 | 0,9 | 200 | 116 | 450 |
| M 70 (d) | Yugoslavia | 9 | 9 | 0,9 | 200 | 116 | 330 |
| Z-10 | Yugoslavia | 10mm "Auto" | 8 | - | - | - | 366 |
Tokarev pistol manufactured in 1950 Photo by Paul Lokamp
TT pistol model 1933 Photo gunpics.net
The TT pistol was created by a design team led by Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev at the design bureau of the Tula Arms Plant. The Nagan revolver did not have the necessary rate of fire, firepower and shooting efficiency. It was necessary to create personal weapons with higher combat and service-operational qualities. The then widespread Browning and Mauser pocket pistols of 7.65 mm caliber were not suitable for use in the army due to the low stopping power of the bullet, the Belgian Browning 1903 9 mm caliber did not have an external trigger and was designed for a rather low-power cartridge, the American M1911A1 was too large-sized and a heavy, rather difficult to manufacture weapon, although very effective in shooting, the Mauser C-96, beloved by many Red Army commanders and revolutionaries, was hopelessly outdated, and the German Parabellum P.08, which had excellent combat and operational qualities, was too expensive and labor-intensive to produce . In general, the reason for abandoning foreign systems was the need to re-equip the arms industry with new production equipment and introduce new standards, which required enormous expenses that were not acceptable for Soviet Russia at that time. The new weapon for arming the command staff of the Red Army had to have a long range of actual fire, small dimensions, light weight, an open trigger and the simplest possible safety lock, as well as a beautiful appearance, but most importantly, be simple in design and adapted for cheap mass production on an outdated and primitive equipment.
A powerful 7.62 mm caliber cartridge with a muzzle velocity of 420 m/s was chosen for use in the new pistol. It was a redesigned 7.63mm Mauser cartridge, which later received the designation 7.62×25 TT. The use of this cartridge did not require re-equipment of production, in addition, in the warehouses there was a fairly large amount of 7.63 mm cartridges purchased from the Germans for Mauser C-96 pistols. The assigned tasks regarding the qualities of the pistol itself were achieved thanks to new design solutions by Tokarev, who took the Browning locking system as the basis, as the simplest and best suited for use in compact weapons chambered for such a powerful cartridge, as well as the layout and design of the FN Browning model pistol 1903. In June - July 1930, the first field tests of the F.V. pistol took place. Tokarev together with domestic designs by S.A. Prilutsky and S.A. Korovin chambered for 7.62×25, as well as foreign pistols FN Browning model 1922 and Walther PP 7.65 mm caliber, Parabellum P.08 9 mm caliber and Colt M1911A1 45 caliber. During these tests, the Tokarev pistol demonstrated excellent ballistic qualities and accuracy. When shooting at 25 meters, the dispersion radius was 7.5 cm.
Tokarev's weapon turned out to be easy to handle and operate, superior to other models in terms of weight and size characteristics, and reliable in operation during prolonged firing. A huge advantage for the Soviet arms industry of those years was the manufacturability and ease of production of this pistol. The competition committee headed by M.F. Grushetsky considered the Tokarev pistol the most acceptable and suitable for adoption, provided that the identified shortcomings were eliminated. The commission's requirements included improving shooting accuracy, easing the trigger pull, and making it safer to handle. Tokarev completed the task within several months of work. The decision on additional tests was made on December 23, 1930. In January of the same year, in Solnechnogorsk, Moscow Region, tests took place at the training ground of the Higher Rifle School “Vystrel”, which were attended by the main military leaders of the state: K.E. Voroshilov, M.N. Tukhachevsky, I. P. Uborevich, as well as many high-ranking officials. Based on the test results, the advantages of the improved Tokarev pistol over other models were noted. On February 12, 1931, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR ordered the first batch of 1000 pistols for comprehensive military testing. In the same year, the Tokarev pistol was adopted by the Red Army under the official designation “7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1930 g" along with the 7.62×25 cartridge under the designation "7.62 mm pistol cartridge "P" mod. 1930." Unofficially, this weapon began to be called TT (Tula Tokarev), later this name was assigned to it.
TT pistol design
The Tokarev pistol combines the design features of various systems: the Browning bore locking scheme used in the famous M1911, the FN Browning model 1903 design and the 7.63mm Mauser cartridge. At the same time, the pistol has original design solutions - combining the trigger mechanism in a separate single block - the block, which, when disassembling the weapon, is freely separated from the frame for cleaning and lubrication; placement of the mainspring in the trigger, which reduced the longitudinal width of the handle; fastening the cheeks of the handle with the help of rotating bars attached to them, which simplified the disassembly of the pistol, the absence of a safety mechanism, the function of which was performed only by the safety cocking of the hammer. The automation works according to the scheme of using recoil with a short barrel stroke. Locking is carried out using a descending barrel. Two lugs located on the outer upper side of the barrel in front of the chamber fit into corresponding grooves made in inner surface shutter-casing. The breech of the barrel is lowered by means of an earring, hingedly connected to the barrel by the axis of the earring, and to the frame by the axis of the bolt stop. The trigger mechanism is hammer type, single action, with safety cocking. When the trigger is put on the safety cock, the bolt-casing is also blocked.
The direction of supply of the cartridge from the magazine to the chamber in the TT pistol is carried out by the guiding surfaces of the protrusions of the trigger block, which increases the reliability of chambering if the curved upper edges of the side walls of the neck of the magazine box are damaged. On the left side of the frame there is a bolt stop lever, on the right side there is a split bolt stop spring that fixes it and is used for disassembling the weapon. The magazine latch is located at the base of the trigger guard, on the left side of the frame. Sights consist of a non-adjustable front sight, made as part of the bolt-casing, and a rear sight, fixed in a dovetail groove with the possibility of making lateral adjustments. A box magazine with a single-row arrangement of cartridges in the side walls has holes for visual determination of their number. These holes are staggered, seven on the right and six on the left. The tilt angle of the handle is 102°. The cheeks of the handle are plastic, with a large notch. The cheeks of early production pistols are completely grooved. In 1935, pistols with brown cheeks were produced. Later, with the exception of wooden ones, only black cheeks were made. On the cheeks of a later issue, in the center, there is a five-pointed star with a stylized inscription “USSR”. The weapon was made of carbon steel. The surfaces were treated with oxidation.
Production of the Tokarev pistol began in 1930 at the Tula Arms Factory. In 1930 - 1932 several thousand were produced, while in 1932 - 1933. a number of changes were made to the design of the pistol in order to improve manufacturability: the barrel lugs were now made by turning, and not milled as before; the frame was made in one piece, without a removable handle cover; The disconnector and trigger rod were modified. In this form, mass production of Tokarev pistols began in 1933, and the pistol was put into service under the name “7.62-mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933." The Red Army received modern personal weapons - a self-loading pistol, created on the basis of the best design solutions, possessing fairly high combat and service-operational qualities.
However, the Nagant revolver, which was in service with the Red Army, and the Tokarev pistol, which was trouble-free in operation and accurate in shooting, at the same time having an unacceptably low rate of fire and low stopping effect of the bullet of the cartridge used, could not be completely replaced by the TT, which was produced in parallel with the “7. 62 mm Nagan revolver mod. 1895" until the end of the Second World War. Pistol production either decreased or increased in volume. In 1941, in connection with the advance of German troops towards Tula, the USSR government decided to transfer the production of Tokarev pistols to the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. However, after the evacuation of the equipment, Tula gunsmiths were able to establish a small-scale production of pistols, repairing outdated machines and tools, as well as repair old pistols coming from the front. After the Wehrmacht advance near Moscow was stopped, production at the Tula Arms Plant was restored within a few months. Pistols produced during the war years were distinguished by poor quality of manufacturing and surface treatment, as well as wooden handles. Post-war production of Tokarev pistols was carried out at the Tula and Izhevsk factories.
The TT received its baptism of fire in 1938 - 1939. in the battles at Khalkhin Gol and Lake Khasan, and then was used during the Soviet-Finnish “Winter” War of 1939-1940. During the years of the USSR's participation in World War II, Tokarev pistols became widely used in all branches of the Red Army. The Finnish army used captured TTs until the end of the 1950s. They can be distinguished by a stamp with the letters “SA” in a rectangle located on the left side of the frame, above the butt plate of the handle. In the Wehrmacht, Tokarev pistols were in service as weapons of a limited standard under the designation Pistole 615 (r) and were mainly used in the rear and security units of the Wehrmacht and by the police. TT pistols, along with other types of Soviet small arms, were used in the Russian national armies RONA, 1st RNA, Russian Corps and KONR Armed Forces operating on the side of the Third Reich, as well as in various formations of the SS Troops consisting of Slavs and Cossacks. It should be clarified here that out of approximately 1.24 million USSR citizens in Wehrmacht units from 1940 to 1945. About 400,000 Russians and 250,000 Ukrainians served in the war against Bolshevik terror. After the war, in 1946, production technology was improved again. The bolt-casing of the modernized pistol has a corrugated notch, instead of alternating large and small grooves, but this year pistols with large alternating notches were also produced. Production continued until the end of 1953. Total from 1930 to 1953 About 1,740,000 pistols were produced, of which about 4,700 were 1930 model pistols. In the armed forces of the USSR, the Tokarev pistol was used until the 1970s.
During combat use Tokarev's weapons demonstrated high combat qualities. The pistol has a high bullet penetration and a long firing range, as well as high shooting accuracy over long distances, which is due to the flat flight path and high initial velocity of the bullet. The weapon has a small width, with no strongly protruding parts. Placing the trigger in a separate block makes it much easier to care for the weapon and eliminates the risk of losing small parts. Ease of use is ensured by a single action trigger. This trigger is optimal for pistols used in real combat, as it has the simplest operating principle and design. But shortcomings also emerged. The constant tension of the mainspring when the trigger is set to safety leads to its gradual settlement and reduction in survivability. Weak fixation of the magazine with a latch, which leads to its spontaneous falling out. Over time, the earring wears out, which leads to delays in shooting. The possibility of the sear breaking, if it is severely worn, when the pistol falls on the trigger, which is set to the safety cock, which entails a spontaneous shot if the cartridge is in the chamber. The small tilt angle of the handle does not ensure the accuracy of “instinctive” aiming when shooting offhand. Due to the reduced quality of steel, wartime weapons could only withstand 700 - 800 rounds without failure.
To ensure reliable operation of the weapon, it is necessary to store the pistol with the trigger pulled and without a cartridge in the chamber, replace the magazine latch spring with a stronger one, and when disassembling, before separating the bolt stop, you must first separate the barrel guide bushing and thereby unload the return spring, which prolongs its service life . The most reliable and having best quality pistols manufactured at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant in the period from 1947 to 1953 are considered to be manufactured. This circumstance is explained by the well-established production technology and a significant reduction in the production plan. The TTs produced at the Tula Arms Plant before the USSR entered World War II were also of high quality. High-quality samples can withstand up to 10,000 shots. Despite the adoption of the Makarov pistol in 1951, the TT was in service with the Soviet army until the early 1960s, and in law enforcement agencies until the mid-1970s. Currently, TT is used by the police, VOKhR-e, hunting supervision, fisheries supervision and other organizations, as well as by operatives of groups special purpose.
The main advantages of the TT pistol and the reasons for its popularity
The Tokarev pistol and its modifications became widespread throughout the world after the Second World War. Their production was established in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, China, North Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. Pistols designed by Tokarev were in service in more than 35 countries around the world. These weapons have been used in every major and minor armed conflict throughout the 20th century and continue to be used in modern battlefields. The wide popularity of the TT is a consequence of the combination of its low cost, high combat qualities, as well as ease of use and maintenance. Opinion about the TT from an employee of a special unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation with extensive combat experience: “A lot has been said about him, but very little can be added. More suitable for military use when on alert. For its relatively small dimensions, it is one of the most powerful pistols in the world. And it’s much nicer to the touch, for example, PYa and all sorts of Glocks. Completely unsuitable for urban shootings and self-defense. The bullet’s high penetrating power and lack of self-cocking can lead to prison (shooting right through and into a random passerby) or to the cemetery (you have to have time to cock the trigger).” KardeN
The main and most attractive for both special forces soldiers and shooting enthusiasts and weapon collectors is the powerful 7.62×25 TT cartridge, originally created for the C-96 “pistol-carbine” and having a very high penetration effect for a pistol cartridge bullets and good ballistic qualities - the bullet has a flat flight path, making it easier to aim when shooting at long distances. When using cartridges with highly effective expansion bullets, such as Wolf Gold JHP, stopping power is significantly increased. It is the shooting of these cartridges that is the highlight of the TT, along with the ascetic design and simplicity. The wide popularity of 9mm Parabellum variants is explained by the smaller distribution of 7.62x25 TT cartridges and their higher cost than 9 mm cartridges. Currently, the TT pistol is consistently in demand among military weapon shooting enthusiasts in the USA and Europe. The largest producer is China, leading large-scale exports. But the disadvantage of Chinese weapons is their lower quality compared to European ones. TTs produced in Serbia are not limited to using only 7.62x25 TT and 9mm Parabellum cartridges, but are also produced for other popular pistol cartridges.
Analogues and their differences
One of the best pistols based on the TT design is certainly the M57, created in Yugoslavia, at the Zastava company and currently produced by Zastava Arms (Zastava oružje) for export to various countries around the world, including Western Europe and the United States of America. Compared to the Tokarev pistol, the M57 design has a number of changes that significantly increase the ergonomics and safety of handling the weapon. The most important change was the safety lever, which, when turned on, blocks the trigger mechanism and the bolt-casing. Its large-sized lever is very easy to use and makes it easy to bring the weapon into full combat readiness even when drawing it out. In addition, the handle was lengthened, which increased the magazine capacity by one cartridge, and the magazine latch was enlarged. In 1990, it entered the international arms market Hungarian pistol T-58, a modernized version of the Tokagypt 58. This weapon has ergonomic grips similar to the P.38, and a safety lever on the left side of the frame. The pistol uses 9mm Parabellum and 7.62x25 TT cartridges. The kit includes 9 mm and 7.62 mm barrels and corresponding magazines. The T-58 is the most advanced version of the TT. The weapons themselves, created by Fedor Tokarev, still have great modernization potential.
Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Izhevsk Mechanical Plant" is the largest diversified enterprise in Russia with modern technologies of mechanical engineering, metallurgy, instrument making, microelectronics, producing civilian and service weapons, power tools, packaging equipment, oil and gas equipment, medical equipment, precision steel castings. The products are manufactured under the Baikal trademark, which has international registration.
Priority development and the main share in commodity production is occupied by the production of sporting and hunting rifles and pistols. The enterprise has no equal both in production volumes and in the variety of models of sporting, hunting, pneumatic and service weapons produced, which have gained worldwide fame. The production volume of Baikal civilian weapons is 750 thousand units per year. Success is largely due to the precise selection of promising models and the creation of numerous modifications based on them.
50 years ago at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, the School of Weapons Craftsmanship named after. L. Vaseva, specializing in training highly qualified gunsmiths. Shotguns and pistols, made to order, meet the most sophisticated tastes of connoisseurs.
The company produces 86% of Russian weapons, which are sold in more than 70 countries around the world. Products are also supplied to countries with a developed arms industry, for example, Italy, Germany; In the US market, the trading partner is Remington.
In terms of the range and volume of production of hand-held power tools, the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant occupies a leading position in Russia and is actively entering foreign markets. It is sold both under the Baikal trademark and under the brands of large trading companies: Interskol-Izh and Chicago Electric (USA). The power tool has international CE and GS certification.
Using the high potential of the defense enterprise, the plant has unique experience in mastering advanced instrument-making and microelectronics technologies with a full production cycle. The devices created are competitive both in the Russian and foreign markets. Thus, for geophysical research, a gyroscopic inclinometer has been created, which embodies modern achievements in gyroscopic instrumentation, digital signal processing, mathematics, and precision electronics.
The modern high-tech production complex fully provides its own commodity production, and also accepts orders for placement in almost any technological chain of modern mechanical engineering.
Today, the company plans to transition to a flexible structure to best meet the needs of its customers.
We can confidently say that the company is working for the future. The emphasis is on attracting investments, investing in progressive innovative processes, expanding and modernizing production, and producing competitive products.
We are interested in dynamic development, long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation with the business community of Russia, Europe, the USA and other countries of the world in all areas of the enterprise's activities.
History of the plant
The Izhevsk Mechanical Plant was founded on July 20, 1942 for the production of military small arms. The first products produced were anti-tank rifles by famous Soviet gunsmiths V.A. Degtyarev and S.G. Simonov, and an automatic pistol by F.V. Tokarev TT.
During the war years, more than 130 thousand anti-tank rifles, 1.3 million pistols and revolvers, 250 thousand flare guns and other types of military equipment were produced.
Since October 1944, new workshops have been built at the plant, producing products for the restoration of the national economy.
In 1949, a production facility for the production of sporting and hunting weapons was created. Production of the world famous Makarov pistol has begun.
To date, more than 100 basic models of hunting rifles, sports and air rifles and pistols have been mastered. In total, about 17 million pieces were produced.
In 1951, for the first time in the country, large-scale production of precision steel casting was created to produce blanks for many sectors of the national economy. At the same time, production was created for the serial production of mining equipment: pneumatic hammer drills, pneumatic rammers and pneumatic guns.
In 1953, production of the TT pistol ceased and mass production of the Makarov army pistol (PM) began, and today it is popular in many countries around the world. Since 1958, high-tech production facilities have been created for the production of missile technology and electronic control systems (anti-tank guided missiles and missiles, man-portable anti-aircraft systems, etc.).
In 1960, production of two-cylinder engines for Izh-Jupiter motorcycles was organized. Over the entire period, more than 5 million pieces have been produced. The water-cooled engine, the latest model, was successfully tested in the Izhevsk-Cape Town motorcycle rally on African roads in 1993.
Since 1965 in connection with the construction automobile plant for the production of small-capacity passenger cars "Moskvich", the company has organized production for the production of the rear axle and driveshaft of the car. A new production building was built.
Today, the production produces compressors to supply compressed air to the brake systems of heavy-duty vehicles, several models of cardan shafts for passenger cars "Oda", "Zhiguli", etc.
In 1980, the plant developed and approved a comprehensive targeted development program, including the development and improvement of production and technical potential, an automated enterprise management system, and the social development of the team.
As a result of the implementation of this program, new production complexes for the production of defense equipment are being introduced, equipped with flexible automated machining lines and program-controlled machines. A new clinic for 800 visits, a dispensary-sanatorium "Sosnovy", a sports and recreation complex, a shooting sports complex, etc. are being built. The agricultural complexes of the enterprise "Medvedevo" and "Russkaya Loza" are expanding. A poultry farm, a pig farm, and workshops for the production of meat and vegetable food products are being commissioned.
Since 1990, the program “Development of the enterprise within the framework of the conversion of defense equipment” began to be implemented. Complex mechanized workshops for the production of electrical household appliances and equipment for the agro-industrial complex are being organized, and existing ones are being reconstructed.
The production of packaging equipment for packaging liquid and bulk products is being mastered.
The number of modifications of military, service and civilian weapons is almost doubling. New items are annually demonstrated at international rifle exhibitions in the USA, Germany, Argentina, UAE, South Africa and other countries. To enter world markets, a foreign trade company "Baikal" is created. Sales volume increases in different countries peace.
The State Firearms Testing Center has been opened at the plant's control and testing station.
Prizes of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Government of the Russian Federation in the field of science and technology were awarded for the development and mass production of new models of civilian and service weapons. Many specialists have been awarded the high titles “Honored Designer of the Russian Federation”, “Honored Designer of the Udmurt Republic”, “Honored Mechanical Engineer of the Russian Federation” and “Honored Mechanical Engineer of the Udmurt Republic”. Their latest works are new models of pump-action and self-loading shotguns, a series of combined hunting rifles and service weapons.
Continuing the traditions of Russian gunsmiths, the factory inventor, Honored Designer of the Russian Federation V.A. Yarygin, creates a new army pistol.
Using special defense production technologies, in 1990 we began producing pacemakers and programmers for them. Implantable pacemakers EKS-501 are complex medical devices that require the highest degree of reliability and accuracy. Later, the same production began producing the Uro-Biofon physiotherapeutic device for the treatment of diseases of the human urogenital system.
Since 1994, the company has been producing hand-held power tools: rotary hammers, electric drills, belt sanders, electric planers, circular saws, etc. The wide range of work they perform allows them to be used both in plumbing and repair work and in construction. Since 2001, new models of power tools have been demonstrated at the international exhibition of metal products "IHF" in Cologne, Germany.
Using the experience of producing gyroscopes for defense equipment, in 1997 the production of a gyroscopic inclinometer for the oil and gas industry began. Also for the oil and gas industry, a plunger gas lift installation is manufactured, designed to lift oil and gas condensate. It is produced in Russia for the first time and allows replacing imported analogues.
The company's products meet the requirements of world standards for quality and reliability.
The management of the enterprise considers product quality as a decisive factor in integration into the world economy, as the most important condition improving the standard of living of society and the team.
The plant staff was awarded the Order of Lenin, many state and public Diplomas and Certificates.
Today, the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant is one of the largest diversified enterprises in Russia with modern technologies of mechanical engineering, metallurgy, instrument making, microelectronics, producing civilian and service weapons, packaging equipment, power tools, kitchen machines, oil and gas equipment, medical equipment, precision steel castings.
About the Company
History of the enterprise
The history of the Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant began in the pre-war forties. In the first year of the Great Patriotic War, the plant for the production of PPSh submachine guns from Zagorsk near Moscow was evacuated to the working village of Vyatskie Polyany and located on the basis of a bobbin factory. Throughout the war, the Vyatskopolyansky Machine-Building Plant was the main enterprise for the production of PPSh and provided them with mass release, for which he was awarded the Order of Lenin in September 1945. 
In the second half of the 50s, the plant began development and production light machine gun Russian gunsmith M.T. Kalashnikov. In subsequent years, the plant staff mastered the production of most modifications of small arms of this system.
In the 70-80s, the plant began producing anti-aircraft guns of various calibers, grenade launchers of various modifications, and loading machines for equipping machine gun belts.
An important milestone in the further development and growth of the plant was the production of a man-portable anti-tank missile system (ATGM).
Along with the production of special products, in the post-war years the plant began to introduce consumer goods into production: Vyatka gramophones, scooters and side trailers (more than ten modifications), trailers for passenger cars.
Since the early 90s, the most significant area of the team’s work has been the production of sporting and hunting shotguns: hunting rifles of the “Vepr” series and multi-shot smoothbore shotguns of the “Bekas” series. The plant's sporting and hunting weapons were exported to the USA, Germany, Finland and other countries. It has won the respect of consumers with its high tactical and technical data and manufacturing quality, which are not inferior to the best world and domestic models. In addition to the well-known hunting carbines of the Vepr series and shotguns of the Bekas series, the plant has many interesting developments that played a significant role in the formation of the modern style of civilian weapons. The latest developments include the Leader traumatic pistol and the Nagan-M barrelless revolver.
In addition to the production of military products and weapons, during the period of perestroika, the plant organized the production of machine tools. Since 1989, the Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant "Molot" has been producing machines for filling and packaging butter, animal (beef or pork) fat into briquettes of various weights, as well as low-fat cottage cheese, minced meat, sweet curd mass or bakery products. yeast. Structurally, the machines are designed in such a way that all operations of filling and packaging the product occur in a circle.
The small range of machines offered also includes butter homogenizers, used to homogenize butter obtained by converting high-fat cream.
In 1991, the plant began producing the DKS woodworking combined machine. It is designed to perform various technological operations: cutting along the grain, cutting across the grain, cutting at an angle, jointing, gouging to size, making nests, grooves and holes, milling shaped profiles using shaped cutters. In the same year, the production of the PFS 13-15-4 longitudinal milling machine for four-sided flat profile processing of workpieces in one pass began.
At the same time, the production of consumer goods was established: a portable tourist stove "Dymok" (1986), a wall-mounted clothes dryer and canisters for fuels and lubricants (1988), a gas-flame pistol "Ogonyok" (1989), cabinets for storing weapons (1998) .
At the same time, given the urgency of the problem of gasification of the private sector, extensive design development and production of gas heating devices was carried out at the plant. One of the promising projects developed by specialists is the AOGVM model 2216M gas heating apparatus with Italian automatic equipment "EUROSIT", designed for heating residential premises.
Since 1998, the production of components for oil equipment has begun - articulated elbows with operating pressures of 35 and 70 MPa and quick-release couplings BRS (2006).
At the end of 2005, the production of L-70 motor winches based on the VP-50 motor engine, which are intended for agricultural work (plowing and hilling), was mastered.
Today, the Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant is focused on the buyer: quickly and flexibly responding to rapidly changing demand, expanding the range of products and constantly working on product quality.
The market economy makes new demands on the functioning of the production sector. Today the enterprise is certified according to the ISO 9001-2001 quality system.
Open Joint Stock Company "Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant "Molot" is a dynamically developing manufacturer of special-purpose products, civilian weapons, as well as consumer goods, which are widely known not only in the domestic but also in foreign markets.
The history of Molot OJSC dates back to the seventh decade. Taking a mental look at the 65-year history of the plant, we can safely say that the team of Vyatskopolyansk machine builders has made and is making a worthy contribution to strengthening the defense capability and economy of the country, and looks to the future with confidence.
Small and civilian weapons
In the post-war years, Molot remained in the ranks of defense enterprises, producing the most advanced products. Mass production PPSh submachine gun designs by G.S. Shpagin was discontinued in 1945, but back in 1949 round magazines for PPSh were produced in large quantities. The production of the modernized signal pistol SPSh-2, designed by G.S., continued. Shpagina.
In 1953, production of the Stechkin automatic pistol (APS) of the 1951 model with a magazine capacity of 20 rounds was mastered. The Vyatskopolyansky Machine-Building Plant was the only plant in the USSR that produced APS from 1953 to 1955 inclusive. APS was the personal weapon of officers and special forces soldiers.
In 1959, the plant team mastered the production and began serial production of the RPK light machine gun designed by the remarkable Russian gunsmith M.I. Kalashnikov. Since this year, the Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant has produced most modifications of the RPK light machine gun.
The development and production of new types of small arms began especially intensively in 1967:
- 1967 - Rakov machine for equipping machine gun belts. For more than 30 years, Molot has been a monopolist in the production of machines for equipping machine gun belts of all modifications.
- 1968 - mining pack anti-aircraft gun;
- 1970 - automatic 30 mm grenade launcher on a machine;
- 1972 - grenade launcher;
- 1973 - launcher for launching lighting shells;
- 1974 - 12.7 mm heavy machine gun on an infantry machine; 5.45 mm Kalashnikov light machine gun;
- 1975 - a machine for firing guided projectiles; turret grenade launcher; rocket infantry flamethrower;
- 1976 - a decision was made to place a state order at the plant for the development and mass production of a new type of weapon for army needs - a man-portable anti-tank missile system (ATGM);
- 1980 - unified loading machine;
- 1989 - light anti-tank machine gun.
Perestroika made significant changes to the planned life of the plant. The plant came under deep conversion. The state order for the production of small arms and anti-tank systems has sharply decreased. As a result, significant production capacity and personnel were freed up. The plant staff was forced to look for its own niche of activity, both in the domestic and foreign markets. Under these conditions, the idea arose, while maintaining continuity, to switch to the production of sporting and hunting weapons. To carry out research and development work on such weapons, an experimental design and technology laboratory was created.
In 1994, the designers of this laboratory modernized the Simonov carbine, turning it into the OP-SKS hunting rifle. At the same time, the Kalashnikov light machine gun was modernized. On its basis a self-loading hunting rifle"Vepr" (SOK-94) chambered for 7.62x39 mm. The carbine inherited from it a powerful receiver, a heavy barrel and a rear sight with a mechanism for introducing lateral corrections. The undoubted advantages of the carbine are a comfortable stock and excellent balance. In 1995, production of the Vepr-308 self-loading carbine chambered for 7.62x51 mm cartridges began. Subsequently, the company developed new products - carbines of the Vepr-Super, Vepr-Pioneer, Vepr-Hunter models in calibers .223Rem, .243Win, .308Win, 7.62x39, 30-06Sprg, 7.62x 54R , which are a continuation of the Vepr model range.
A detailed study of demand and the sales market led to the development and launch at the plant in 1997 of the production of multi-shot smoothbore shotguns with an under-barrel tubular magazine of the "Bekas" series. Then the Bekas M-auto self-loading smoothbore shotguns and Bekas M repeating shotguns were developed and put into production.
In 2001, carbines based on the Mosin rifle - KO 91/30 - began to be produced.
Since 2005 - production has been mastered traumatic weapons: barrelless traumatic action pistol "Leader" (2005), signal revolver "Nagan-S" (2006), traumatic action pistol "APS-M" (2007).
Since 2006, the MMG RPK has been produced, which is structurally similar to the weapon of the product.
In 1997, an agreement was concluded on the supply of Vyatskopolyansk carbines to the American market. This was a breakthrough into the traditional spheres of influence of Tula, Izhevsk and other manufacturers of sporting and hunting weapons.
Motorcycle production
In 1955, the plant began production of side trailers for Izhevsk motorcycles. The design of the side trailer was developed by Izhevsk residents. The necessary specialists and new equipment arrived from Izhevsk and Leningrad. Initially, Dnepropetrovsk began to supply body halves for the side trailer. Production lines were created for stamping body parts and welding frames, as well as a production area for large equipment.
In order to fully utilize the labor resources of the plant and the city, in 1956, Vyatskopolyansk machine builders decided to master the production of passenger scooters. In accordance with this, the designers, together with specialists from the Central Experimental Design Bureau (TsEKB, Serpukhov, Moscow Region), began designing the first domestic scooter with an engine having a cylinder displacement of 150 cubic meters. see. It was called "Vyatka", designated VP-150.
Currently, the VP-50 internal combustion engine is being produced, which is intended for installation as a power unit on motorcycles and other vehicles.
On the basis of this engine, the Strizh mini-scooter was designed (1998) and a pilot batch of mini-bikes was produced (2003).
The plant's motorcycle products were exported to 51 countries, including the USA, England, Germany, India, and China. For the development of the first domestic passenger scooter main committee In 1967, VDNKh awarded the plant a second degree Diploma.
In 2005, the first batch of L-70 motorized winches, designed on the basis of this engine, was also produced. This is a unique product that saves people's energy. The winch replaced the horse, and everything else remained - a shallow flash and landing under the plow. The engine on the winch is made according to the drawings of the Simson company. The motorized winch is relatively easy to use, does not require much space for storage, the insignificant weight and dimensions of the motorized winch allow it to be transported in the trunk or interior of a light car. In 2006, the motorized winch was put into mass production due to great demand in the domestic market.
Machine tool industry
Machine tool building at the Vyatskopolyansk plant "Molot" began to develop during the period of perestroika that began in the 80s. In 1987, the plant was tasked with mastering the production of an automatic machine for molding and packaging baker's yeast into 1 kg packs. Found a VMZ VRU machine gun wide application at yeast factories of the agro-industrial complex of the Union.
The accumulated experience in the manufacture of this machine allowed us to move in 1989 to the production of an ARM brand machine, designed for filling and packaging butter in briquettes of 100 and 200. Both machines could operate independently of other equipment, as well as on production lines. In the same year, Vyatskopolyansk machine builders began to produce an automatic machine of the AR1M brand, designed for packaging and packing minced meat into 250g briquettes.
In 1997, the plant mastered the production of a KZ-AUB brand automatic machine for packaging pasty food products. The plant's designers made major improvements to improve this machine and proposed their own design of a rotary packaging machine (UKA) for dosed packaging of liquid, jelly and paste-like products. In this case, packaging with dosing volumes from 50 ml to 500 ml was carried out in polymer cups and sealed with ready-made embossed lids made of aluminum foil.
Currently, one of the most popular industries is the woodworking industry.
The greatest demand among consumers is domestic equipment with average productivity, a minimum set of electronic components and at more reasonable prices, depending on the model and configuration. One of the main types of wood cutting processing is longitudinal milling on jointers, surface planers and four-sided machines.
Since 1991, the plant began producing a four-sided longitudinal milling machine PFS 13-15-4. The machine is designed for four-sided flat and profile processing of workpieces in one pass (planed boards and beams, flooring and cladding boards, boards with shaped profiles, etc.). The use of the PFS 13-15-4 woodworking machine ensures high accuracy and cleanliness of processing, and allows the processing of short, complex-profile workpieces. The machine is easy to maintain and durable, meeting modern safety requirements.
Since that time, the combined woodworking machine DKS has been manufactured at the plant. This machine is designed to perform various technological operations: cutting along the grain, cutting across the grain, cutting at an angle, jointing, planing to size, making nests, grooves and holes, milling shaped profiles using shaped cutters.
The woodworking machines we produce have established themselves as equipment that provides stable, long-term and economical operation at affordable prices. OJSC "Molot" offers reasonable prices for equipment, profitable terms delivery and installation. All products manufactured by the plant are certified. The specialists of the Molot plant highly value their customers, fulfilling orders received quickly and efficiently.
Special instrument making and consumer goods
Transformations in the country in 1985-1990. also affected the fate of production workshops. Many workshops were repurposed for the production of special instrumentation and consumer goods.
Based on ATGM production technologies, the production of 5 types of electronic inspection devices, as well as the detection of metal objects in the ground, was mastered.
In 1990, the production of the SP-25 microwave oven was launched. The oven differed from others in having a larger chamber. In 1995-1996, the plant began producing the SP-25 microwave oven with a “Grill” device.
At the same time, in 1991, extensive work was carried out to develop the design and manufacture of gas heating devices of the AOGV and AKGV series, automatic control and safety "Arbat". The production of a GGU gas burner device for a heating furnace was mastered. While modernizing the gas equipment being produced, the plant's designers developed new models of gas equipment that meet all consumer requirements. One of the promising projects developed by specialists is devices with Italian automation "EUROSIT" and "MINISIT" of the AOGVM series.
Since 1986, the portable tourist stove "Dymok" has occupied one of the leading positions in the sale of consumer goods. The oven is equipped with a set of dishes for 6 people: plates, spoons, skewers, a ladle, as well as two pots and a frying pan. The "Dymok" stove is lightweight and easy to carry and install; its use allows for quick cooking with low fuel consumption.
Since 1988, canisters for fuels and lubricants with a volume of 5, 10, 15 and 20 liters began to be produced for the needs of road transport. Steel cans KN-5, KN-10, KG-15, KS-20 are designed for storing and transporting fuel and oil. An air tube placed inside the canister ensures smooth and accurate pouring of liquid from the canister. Canisters produced by Molot OJSC mean cleanliness when filling various containers and reliable storage of any fuel or oil.
In the same year, production of wall-mounted clothes dryers began. The carefully thought-out design of the dryer saves time and effort in the household.
Since 1989, the Molot plant has been offering another new product on the consumer goods market - the Ogonyok gas-flame pistol. The Ogonyok petrol-flame pistol is a portable device for producing a directed flame with a temperature of less than 1000 degrees. The steel body, modern design and carefully thought-out design of the pistol ensures reliable and safe operation of the pistol in any position.
The petrol-flame gun "Ogonyok" is indispensable for repair work related to heating or soldering parts (decorative wood processing, soldering, tinning metal surfaces, paint removal, etc.) To perform various types of work, the gun is equipped with additional parts: a spray gun with an enlarged hole, burner for a blowtorch, burner for a kerosene stove, tripod for a kerosene stove. High-quality steel body, modern design, lightness, reliability in operation, and versatility of design ensure the pistol operates in any conditions.
In addition to manufactured small arms products, since 1998 the plant has organized the production of cabinets for storing personal hunting and sporting weapons, as well as ammunition in premises of all types. The cabinet has a high-security lever-type locking device with four horizontal and two vertical bolts, a built-in metal ammunition box with an individual locking device.
FSUE "PO Zlatoust Machine-Building Plant"
About the Company
Open joint-stock company "Zlatoust Machine-Building Plant" was founded in 1939 as a plant for the production of small arms.
The first government decision on construction was made in May 1938. After a thorough analysis of the eleven designated locations, we settled on the Urzhum site, 12 kilometers from the city of Zlatoust and 3 kilometers from the Urzhumka station.
On June 28, 1939, the design assignments and master plan of plant No. 54 were finally approved in Moscow with orders for the immediate start construction work, and on June 29, Nikolai Pavlovich Poletaev was appointed director of the new building. The Second World War, which began on September 1, 1939, made its own adjustments to the life of the new building. In August 1940 N.P. Poletaev was ordered to build aviation small arms factory No. 385 nearby.
In October-November 1941, equipment and specialists from the Tula Arms and Podolsk Mechanical Plants were evacuated to the Urzhum site.
The first Berezin aircraft machine guns were sent to the front in December 1941. In 1942, the factories produced Maxim heavy machine guns, Volkov-Yartsev air cannons, Shpagin submachine guns, and in 1943 they mastered and launched the production of Degtyarev anti-tank rifles.
In December 1941, plant No. 54 was assigned the number of the Tula plant - 66. Eleven times this plant won the challenge Red Banner of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks for first place in the All-Union competition.
In June 1942, the first factory workers were awarded orders and medals, in 1944, 81 people were awarded the medal “For the Defense of Moscow”, more than 5 thousand workers after the war were awarded the medal “For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945”.
In August 1945, plants No. 385 and No. 66 were merged. On September 16, 1945, the single plant was awarded the Order of Lenin.
In December 1947, a decision was made to create SKB No. 385 as part of the plant, subsequently a mechanical engineering design bureau, and currently OJSC State Rocket Center named after Academician V.P. Makeeva".
From 1948 to 1967, the company produced machine guns of the Goryunov system; from 1967 to 1990, serial production of a tank machine gun of the Kalashnikov design was carried out. The traditions of small arms production are preserved today. On the basis of the existing production, the production of combat, service and traumatic weapons, air rifles and revolvers has been mastered.
In 1959, the first ballistic missile was put into service with the Navy. submarines. Subsequently, all ballistic missiles that were or were in service with the Navy were manufactured and underwent development testing at the Zlatoust Machine-Building Plant.
In 1967, for the first time in the world, a factory-filled and ampulized liquid rocket RSM-25 was sent from the plant, for which a separate ampulization and refueling complex (chemical plant) was specially built.
The company took part in famous space programs. It manufactured braking propulsion systems for the Vostok, Voskhod, Soyuz spacecraft (1961-1980), components and assemblies for the Energia-Buran rocket and space complex (1985-1987), equipment and non-standardized equipment for the Baikonur launch complex (1983-1988).
In the 60s, the plant was completely reoriented to the production of rocket and space technology and became the main base enterprise for the production of rocket technology developed by the State Research Center named after Academician V.P. Makeeva. During the same period, the plant began the development and production of fundamentally new products - civilian and consumer goods.
In 1969, the plant was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, in 1978 - the Order of the October Revolution.
Currently, the Zlatoust Machine-Building Plant Open Joint Stock Company, part of the Federal Space Agency, is one of the leading manufacturers of strategic missile systems for the Russian Navy. The company manufactures components for advanced ballistic missiles domestic industry – high-precision complex"Sineva".
Along with fulfilling the state defense order, the enterprise is successfully developing the production of civilian products.
The plant also develops a variety of specialized areas. Scientific, technical and human resources potential allows us to do this. The company has its own energy base and has a production and construction complex, which is one of the few construction organizations in the Zlatoust urban district that continues to develop and stably maintain its place in the construction market. The company participates in housing construction as part of the implementation of the priority national project “Affordable and Comfortable Housing”.
Reconstruction and technical re-equipment of production is actively underway, existing equipment is being modernized, and new progressive equipment is being purchased.
The company has high-precision equipment to perform technological operations of any complexity in the field of mechanical engineering. The presence of highly qualified personnel allows us to create powerful technological potential based on the latest scientific and technical achievements.
The company operates in the following areas:
- Development and small-scale production of small arms and ammunition for them.
- Development of simulators for small arms, testing of small arms and cannon weapons at the training ground in special chambers.
- Development of protection systems against precision weapons.
- anti-tank missile systems and assault weapons;
- weapon systems for tanks and lightly armored vehicles;
- artillery and guided missile systems;
- short-range anti-aircraft systems;
- small arms and cannon weapons and ammunition;
- hunting and sporting weapons.
- Central Design Research Bureau for Sporting and Hunting Weapons;
- Moscow branch of KBP;
- Research and production center of biotechnology "Phytogenetics".
The history of the Instrument Design Bureau begins in 1927, with the creation of the first organization for the design and development of small arms - the Design Bureau of Hand Weapons at the Tula Arms Plant. Currently, the KBP has turned into a powerful research and production center, creating systems of the most modern high-precision weapons.
The activity of the enterprise from the date of its foundation to the present day can be divided into three periods. The main direction of the first period was the creation of automatic cannons and machine guns for aviation. During World War II, over 80% of domestic aviation aircraft were equipped with products developed by Tula designers. In the second period, an anti-tank weapon was created guided weapons second generation. ATGMs “Fagot”, “Konkurs”, “Metis” have been in service for thirty years Russian Army and many other states. In the third, modern period, KBP creates complexes of high-precision weapons in the interests of various branches of the military.
The technical solutions included in the developments of KBP contain more than 5,000 inventions.
For more than 44 years, the enterprise was headed by the outstanding Russian scientist and designer, Hero of Socialist Labor, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Arkady Georgievich Shipunov. It was under his leadership that work on guided missiles was launched at the KBP, including precision weapons. Implementation of the proposals proposed by A.G. Shipunov's scientific and technical solutions ensured the creation of samples of military equipment that have no analogues abroad or surpass them in their tactical and technical characteristics.
Currently, KBP is developing high-precision weapons in the following areas:
Special mention should be made of the work on small arms and cannon weapons, in the field of which the company still remains a world leader.
An outstanding contribution to the development of this direction was made by Deputy General Designer, Hero of Socialist Labor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vasily Petrovich Gryazev. Developed by him together with A.G. Shipunov's cannon samples became the basis of the domestic small arms and cannon weapons system for all types of the Armed Forces. All combat vehicles infantry and combat helicopters, anti-aircraft installations“Shilka” and “Tunguska”, warships - from a boat to the nuclear cruiser “Peter the Great”, world-famous MiG and Su aircraft are equipped with guns developed by the company’s team.
In 1996, by order of the Government of the Russian Federation, the KBP was granted the right to independent military-technical cooperation with foreign countries, and in 2000, by order of the President of the Russian Federation, this right was confirmed and expanded. The company supplies weapons for export, transfers licenses for their production abroad, and carries out research and development work in the interests of foreign customers to create new weapons and modernize existing ones. In a number of countries, KBP has its own representative offices, the number of which is planned to be increased.
Significant efforts are also being made in the field of civilian products. Extensive research is being carried out in the field of biotechnology, laser surgical devices and a number of samples of industrial equipment and household appliances have been created.
KBP includes branches:
For work on the creation of military equipment, the KBP was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. The company's employees were awarded 5 Lenin Prizes and 24 State Prizes of the USSR and the Russian Federation.
About the Company
On February 15, 1712, according to the personal Decree of Peter I, the construction of the Tula arms factory began. The enterprise was equipped with equipment that was progressive for that time: water machines, “spitting” machines for drilling trunks, sharpeners, hammers, machines for “scrubbing” - external and internal finishing of trunks. For the first time, calibration gauges began to be used in the production of mechanisms. The use of the most advanced technologies of the 18th century significantly improved the quality of weapons produced, and as a result, in one of the royal decrees, Tula weapons were recognized as the standard.
In 1720, 22 thousand reliable, light infantry and dragoon rifles and flintlock pistols were produced to arm the Russian army, and in 1749 mass production of edged weapons began - blades, sabers, broadswords, swords.
The second half of the 18th century saw the heyday of Tula weapons craftsmanship. The demand for artistically decorated Tula weapons and special items increased unusually. A unique invention of the Tula people, amazing in its elegance - the “diamond edge” on metal and many other secrets of finishing metal and wood products are rooted in this era.
By the end of the 18th century, the names of such excellent gunsmiths as Ivan Pushkin became known; Ivan Lyalin - creator of a breech-loading double-barreled flintlock gun; Ivan Polin is a designer who created one of the first examples of multi-charged magazine weapons.
Reconstructed in the 19th century, the Tula Arms Factory became one of the best enterprises in Europe. In 1879, the plant mastered the production of the famous Berdan rifle with an improved sliding bolt. An exemplary workshop was organized where they created their own models of small arms and hunting weapons. The production of a variety of products has increased: single-barreled and double-barreled ramrod shotguns, breech-loading center-fire shotguns, smooth-bore and combined shotguns. Damascus steel technology, developed with the participation of the talented designer Mosin, was used in the production of barrels.
For several years, S.I. Mosin was engaged in the design of various systems of repeating rifles. In 1891, based on the results of complex design tests of the Mosin systems and the Belgian manufacturer and designer A. Nagan, the rifle of the Russian, or rather, the Tula designer, was adopted by our army under the name “ Model 1891 three-line rifle».
In 1902, the plant organized a fully mechanized continuous production of hunting rifles (first hammerless rifles of the “B” model, and then hammerless rifles of the Ivashentsev system).
In the production of a magnificent example of small arms - heavy machine gun The Maxim system of the 1910 model achieved complete interchangeability of parts, which was not the case with any arms company in the world producing this system.
In the 20s, the production of a hunting rifle of the “P” model and a rifled carbine NK-8.2 designed by Kochetov, small-caliber rifles TOZ-1, TOZ-2, single-shot rifles with a sector sight TOZ-7, TOZ-8 and for sport shooting TOZ-10.
To unite all design forces at the plant, a design bureau was created in 1927, the result of which was the development of such weapons as the PV-1 and ShKAS aircraft machine guns.
In 1939, F.V. Tokarev developed the SVT-38 self-loading rifle - a sniper rifle that occupies an honorable place on a par with the best self-loading rifle of the Second World War, model M 1 "Garand".
From 1927 to 1938, the country's first spinning machines were designed and manufactured at the plant, and a new textile engineering base was created.
In 1932–39, the plant mastered the production of milling machines, and three models were mass-produced - universal, horizontal and vertical milling machines.
1927–1939. The production of aviation machine guns "Shkas" and UB, B-2 cannons and the F.V. Tokarev SVT-38 self-loading rifle, the fastest-firing during the Second World War, has been established.
In 1941–1945, working under the motto “Everything for the front, everything for victory,” Tula gunsmiths produced SVT-38/40 self-loading rifles, aircraft cannon"Shvak", a Nagan system revolver and a Tokarev system pistol.
The post-war period is a time of fruitful work of the plant in the field of creating various types sports and hunting weapons. During these years, such models of shotguns were created as the double-barreled hammerless T03-25, the double-barreled hammerless “BM”, small caliber rifles TOZ-8M, TOZ-12, TOZ-16, TOZ-18.
At the same time, the plant produced a 7.62 mm carbine of the Simonov SKS system.
1965 The production of a reliable double-barreled hunting rifle with a vertical barrel arrangement, TOZ-34, designed by N. I. Korovyakova and V. P. Ochneva, was launched.
1961–1982 The plant received an order to produce the world-famous Kalashnikov assault rifle (six modifications of this assault rifle were produced); anti-tank guided missiles as part of the complexes: “Malyutka”, “Fagot”, “Konkurs”, underbarrel grenade launcher"Bonfire".
The plant has come a long and glorious way.
A new generation of craftsmen has created their own unique style, incorporating everything known in the craftsmanship artistic media using various materials - gold, silver, bone, mother-of-pearl. The Lefty tradition is still alive today.
Taking into account the historical significance of the Tula Arms Factory as the oldest of the arms factories in Russia, a weapons museum was organized back in 1920, where a lot of amazing and interesting things about the history of arms production, craftsmanship in Tula and truly unique weapons were preserved.
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