The book outlines the history, design and operational features of the most interesting and outstanding examples of automatic pistols and revolvers - from the very origins of this class of weapons to the present day. The book is not intended for shooting professionals, but for those men who want to enter the “weapons world” already armed with knowledge - about weapons, their history, ease of use and purpose.
In addition, the book will help those who are in this moment chooses a civilian self-defense weapon for yourself, and make a choice that may one day save your life.
(Tulsky, Tokareva, 1933)
Rice. 47. TT pistol
The TT (Tula, Tokarev) pistol, as its name suggests, was developed at the Tula Arms Factory by the legendary Russian gunsmith Fedor Tokarev. The development of a new self-loading pistol, designed to replace both the standard outdated Nagan revolver of the 1895 model, and various imported pistols in service with the Red Army, began in the second half of the 1920s.
In 1930, after extensive testing, the Tokarev system pistol was adopted for service, and the army ordered several thousand pistols for military testing. In 1934, based on the results of trial operation among the troops, a slightly improved version of this pistol was adopted into service with the Red Army under the designation “7.62 mm self-loading model 1933.”
The pistol is chambered for the 7.62x25 cartridge (one of the common names in specialized literature and in the world in general is 7.62 TT). The cartridge was new, based on the 7.63x25 Mauser (used in the S-96 pistol). New Soviet cartridge except for this one hundredth of a millimeter, it did not differ in anything from the German prototype. This caliber was chosen so that in the production of the pistol (and then a number of submachine gun models) it would be possible to use the equipment on which the 7.62 mm Mosin rifle was produced. The 7.63 Mauser cartridge was one of the strongest pistol cartridges in the world at that time. Later, cartridges with tracer and armor-piercing bullets were also created. We have already discussed the features and capabilities of Mauser and TT cartridges in an article dedicated to the legendary Mauser.
The Model 33 TT pistol was produced before the start of the Great Patriotic War, and then completely replaced the revolver from production. The production of the TT continued until 1952, when it was officially replaced in the arsenal of the Soviet Army by the PM pistol of the Makarov system. The TT remained in service with the troops until the 1960s, and to this day a significant number of these pistols are mothballed in army reserve warehouses. In total, approximately 1,700,000 TT pistols were produced in the USSR.
In addition, in the late 1940-1950s, the USSR transferred documentation and licenses for the production of TT to Hungary, China, Romania, North Korea, and Yugoslavia. In these countries, TT pistols were produced both for the armed forces and for export and commercial sale. Export versions could have a different caliber (9 mm Parabellum), as well as a non-automatic fuse of one design or another. In China and Yugoslavia, TT-based pistols are still produced. In addition to exact copies of the Tokarev design, China produces the Model-213 pistol, which is a TT with a safety in the rear of the frame. In addition, it is the Chinese who produce pistols chambered for 9 mm Para.
Here is a schematic description of the most famous foreign modifications of the TT:
Type-54 is a Chinese version of the TT; it differs from the original in having a narrower handle (apparently suitable for the average Chinese) and markings in Chinese. The remaining parts are interchangeable.
Type-68 - this pistol has been produced in North Korea since the late 60s of the 20th century. The main difference is the smaller size of the handle, designed to fit the hand of the average Korean. The magazine latch has been moved to the lower part of the handle.
The Type-48 has been produced since the fifties in Hungary. It differs from the original only in the Hungarian coat of arms on the handle. A modification of this pistol under the designation TT-58 is still in production today.
"Tokagypt 58" (Tokagypt 58) is another Hungarian version of the TT, produced by FEG (Budapest). It has a more modern design and caliber 9x19 Para. It was supplied to the Egyptian army. In the civilian market, this pistol was sold under the designation FEG Firebird.
M-57 - Yugoslav version of the TT. It is equipped with a safety lock, the handle is extended, and the magazine holds 9 rounds.
In total, the TT and its modifications were in service in 25 countries around the world. Currently, TT-Leader traumatic pistols are offered for sale in Russia, which are a combat pistol converted to fire 10x32 TT cartridges with a rubber bullet. Manufacturer: JSC "Baikal".
The TT pistol was a fairly advanced weapon, powerful and reliable, easy to maintain and repair. Its main disadvantages were reduced safety in handling due to the lack of full-fledged safety devices, the relatively low stopping effect of a light 7.62 mm bullet, and the not very comfortable shape of the handle. In 1938-39, work was carried out to introduce a more modern pistol into service with the Red Army, but due to the outbreak of war, it was not completed. In 1942, a TT version with a double-row high-capacity magazine was created, but not mass-produced.
Basic tactics specifications:
The automatic operation of the pistol is built according to the well-known Browning scheme: the operation of the automatic parts is ensured by the recoil of the barrel engaged with the bolt during its short stroke. Locking is carried out using two barrel lugs that fit into the corresponding grooves on the inner surface shutter casing. Unlocking occurs when the barrel is lowered on a movable earring. The trigger mechanism is a hammer, single action, made in the form of a single easily removable module (for the first time in the world). There are no safety devices; for relatively safe carrying of a pistol with a cartridge in the chamber, there was a safety half-cocked trigger, however, if the trigger parts were worn out, dropping the pistol with the hammer half-cocked could lead to an accidental shot. The sights were open and non-adjustable; the pistols were aimed at a range of 25 meters. The cheeks of the handle are plastic or wooden, with large vertical corrugations. At the bottom of the handle there is a swivel for a pistol belt. The cartridges are fed from detachable single-row box magazines with a capacity of 8 cartridges. The magazine release is a push-button type and is located at the base of the trigger guard on the left.
The pistol's layout is classic for systems with a semi-blowback and a swinging barrel: the return spring is located under the barrel on a guide rod. When all the cartridges in the magazine are used up, the bolt stops in the rear position. The axis of the slide stop is also the axis of the earring; it is fixed in the frame with a split plate spring - a pin on right side framework. The box magazine holds eight rounds. The magazine release button is located at the base of the safety clip. The pistol has permanent sights designed for a distance of 50 meters.
The pistol has an original trigger mechanism. Its first characteristic feature that immediately catches the eye is the location of all its elements in one common block, which, of course, increases its performance properties and makes it easier to care for the weapon. The trigger block contains: a sear with its own spring, a trigger, a mainspring and a disconnector. The long protrusion at the front of the block is a reflector. The location of the spiral mainspring inside the hammer is unusual. This position made it possible to get rid of such a part as the trigger pusher, and to somewhat reduce the dimensions and simplify the shape of the frame (namely the handle), because there was no longer any need to find space for the mainspring with a pusher. The trigger, as mentioned above, has a combat and safety cocking. In the safety cocked position, the hammer is located at a distance of several millimeters from the firing pin. A shot from the safety cock is impossible, since pressing the trigger and turning the sear is impossible due to the deep cutout of the safety cock, in which the sear tooth is located. It is in the safety cocked position, and not otherwise, that you should hold a weapon with a cartridge in the chamber, because otherwise, there is a danger of the hammer being disengaged as a result of shock or strong vibration and, accordingly, an involuntary shot. Platooning should be done immediately before shooting. Setting from safety to combat cocking is done by simply pulling the trigger back until the sear tooth jumps over the combat cocking ledge.
2. Barrel coupling
3. Barrel earring
6. Return spring
8. Return spring stop
9. Drummer
10. Its spring
11. Striker retaining pin
12. Ejector
13. Trigger rod
14. Trigger rod return spring
15. USM block
16. Mainspring
18. Sear
19. The spring whispered
20. Disconnector
21. Shutter stop
22. Shutter stop spring
23. Magazine latch
24. Shop
25. Handle cheeks
Rice. 48. Main parts of the TT pistol
To set the pistol from the combat cock to the safety cock, it is necessary to hold the trigger, press the trigger and, when the trigger comes off the combat cock, allow it to smoothly turn until it is placed on the safety cock. In general, it should be noted that the TT was designed as a military model for direct participants in combat operations, and therefore the need to carry a pistol with a cartridge in the chamber was not provided for (in combat conditions, loading a weapon is usually carried out immediately before battle). However, the lack of a fuse is a major design flaw. If you fall on the trigger, there is a danger of a shot if the safety cock or sear tooth breaks. The trigger rod is made integral with the trigger; She turns the sear by acting on it with her rear bridge. When the shutter moves backward, its bevel turns the disconnector, which disengages the trigger rod and the sear.
Partial disassembly of the pistol is carried out in a certain sequence.
Remove the magazine from the handle; Move the bolt back and make sure there is no cartridge in the chamber.
Remove the bolt stop. To do this, you need to move the slide stop spring back (for this it is convenient to use the edge of the magazine cover) until it releases the slide stop axis. By pressing the end of the shutter stop axis, separate it from the frame.
Move forward to separate the bolt and barrel from the frame.
Separate the return spring with the guide rod and stop from the bolt. Separate the barrel coupling from the bolt by turning it 180°. Remove the barrel from the bolt casing.
Remove the trigger block from the frame socket.
The pistol is assembled in the reverse order.
Impressions of a shooting expert
The pistol is of good quality and has good shooting performance. This to a large extent (along with its availability and prevalence) contributed to its popularity among criminals and gangs. The impression is spoiled by the inconvenient handle and balancing, which makes it difficult to shoot extreme situations when you need to quickly grab a weapon, prepare it for shooting and shoot from any position.
First Army self-loading pistol USSR created Soviet designer Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev in 1930.
History of creation
The TT pistol was developed for the 1929 competition for a new army pistol, announced to replace the revolver and several models of revolvers and pistols foreign production, which were in service with the Red Army in the mid-1920s. The standard cartridge was the German 7.63x25 mm Mauser cartridge, which was purchased in large quantities for the Mauser S-96 pistols in service.
The competition commission, headed by M. F. Grushetsky, considered the pistol designed by F. V. Tokarev the most suitable for adoption, provided that the identified shortcomings were corrected. The commission's requirements included improving shooting accuracy, easing the trigger pull, and making it safer to handle. After several months of work, the shortcomings were eliminated. On December 23, 1930, a decision was made to carry out additional tests.
Based on the test results, the TT pistol, designed by a design group led by F.V. Tokarev at the design bureau of the Tula Arms Plant, won the competition. 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 put into service under the official designation “7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1930" together with the 7.62x25 cartridge. The pistol, called TT (Tula Tokarev) was quite simple and technologically advanced in production and operation.
At the same time, the USSR bought a license for the production of the cartridge from the German company Mauser and began production under the designation “7.62 mm pistol cartridge “P” mod. 1930."
Several thousand copies were produced in 1930-1932. In order to improve the manufacturability of production, in 1932-1933. the weapon was modernized: the barrel lugs were not milled, but were turned; the frame was made in one piece, without a removable handle cover; The disconnector and trigger rod were modified. At the beginning of 1934, a new pistol entered service under the name “7.62-mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933.”
At the end of 1941, the equipment for the manufacture of TT was moved to Izhevsk. During 1942, Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant No. 74 managed to produce 161,485 Tokarev pistols. Also in 1942, Izhevsk Plant No. 74 produced a small batch of Tokarev pistol with a double-row magazine with a capacity of 15 rounds. The thickness of the handle was 42 mm (30.5 mm for a standard TT). The magazine latch was moved to the base of the handle.
In 1947, the TT was again modified in order to reduce its cost: large vertical grooves, alternating with small grooves on the bolt casing for convenient retraction of the bolt, were replaced with small grooves (corrugation).
Design
The TT pistol combines design features of different systems: the bore locking design of J.M. Browning, used in the famous Colt M1911, the Browning M1903 design, and a cartridge originally developed for the Mauser C96 pistol.
According to some experts, when developing the design of the pistol, it was initially planned to completely copy the design of a modified Browning pistol with a removable trigger trigger mechanism (trigger mechanism). However, in the process of work, the designers were forced to abandon complete copying (due to the lack of a technological base for producing a complete copy of the original). It was necessary to reduce production costs by simplifying the design.
At the same time, the pistol has original design solutions aimed at ease of handling of the weapon: combining the trigger mechanism (trigger mechanism) in a separate single block 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 - its function was performed by the safety cocking of the hammer.
Browning's scheme for locking the barrel bore with a short stroke and a swinging lug, an automatic operating system, as well as a trigger, borrowed from Colt pistol M1911, were modified to simplify production.
Single action trigger. The impact mechanism is made as a single unit, which simplifies factory assembly. (A few years later, Swiss gunsmith Charles Petter used exactly the same layout in the French Model 1935 pistol).
The pistol does not have a safety as a separate part; its functions are performed by the safety cocking of the hammer. To put the trigger on the safety cock, you had to pull the trigger back a little. After this, the trigger and bolt will be locked, and the trigger will not touch the firing pin. This eliminates the possibility of a shot if the gun is dropped or the trigger head is accidentally hit. To remove the hammer from the safety cock, you need to pull the trigger. In order to put the cocked hammer on the safety cock, it must first be released by holding it and pressing the trigger. And then you need to pull the trigger back a little.
Carrying a pistol with a cartridge in the chamber with the trigger pulled is not recommended and does not make sense, since in order to fire a shot, the trigger must be cocked in the same way as a trigger set on the safety cock.
On the left side of the frame there is a shutter stop lever. When the ammunition in the magazine is used up, the bolt is delayed in the rear position. To remove the shutter from the delay, you need to lower the slide stop lever.
Magazine capacity 8 rounds. The magazine release button is located on the left side of the grip, at the base of the trigger guard, similar to the Colt M1911.
When shooting at 50 m, hits in each of 10 series of 10 shots are placed in a circle with a radius of 150 mm.
Sights consist of a front sight, integral with the bolt, and a rear sight, pressed into a dovetail groove in the rear of the bolt. The cheeks of the handle were made of bakelite or (during the war) of wood (walnut).
Advantages and disadvantages
The TT pistol is distinguished by its simplicity of design and, therefore, low production costs and ease of maintenance. A very powerful cartridge, atypical for pistols, provides unusually high penetrating power and muzzle energy of about 500 J. The pistol has a short, light trigger and provides significant shooting accuracy; an experienced shooter is able to hit a target at distances of more than 50 meters. The pistol is flat and quite compact, which is convenient for concealed carry. However, during operation, shortcomings also appeared.
Before the Great Patriotic War, the military put forward a requirement that a pistol could be fired through the embrasures of a tank. TT did not satisfy this condition. Many experts consider this requirement absurd. However, nothing prevented the Germans from making such a requirement for their weapons: the Luger P08, Walther P38 and even the MP 38/40 fully satisfied it.
Another drawback is poor magazine retention.
Without a safety lock, the TT was placed in a safe position by the so-called half-cocked hammer, and this made it difficult to bring the pistol into the firing position. Involuntary cases of self-inflicted gunfire were recorded, one of which was described by Yuri Nikulin in the book “Almost Seriously.” Ultimately, the Charter directly prohibited carrying a pistol with a cartridge in the chamber, which further increased the time it took to bring the pistol into firing position.
The ergonomics of the TT raises many complaints compared to other designs. The angle of inclination of the handle is small, its shape is not conducive to comfortable holding of the weapon.
The TT pistol is distinguished by its flat trajectory and high penetrating effect of a pointed bullet, which is capable of piercing an army helmet or light body armor. The penetrating effect of a TT bullet exceeds the penetrating effect of a 9x19 mm cartridge bullet (a “7.62 P” bullet with a lead core, after being fired from a TT pistol, penetrates class I body armor, but does not penetrate class II body armor even when fired at point-blank range. The “Pst” bullet » with steel core penetrates body armor of protection class II, or NIJ IIIA+ according to the American classification). At the same time, the stopping effect of the 7.62 mm TT bullet is inferior to that of the 9x19 mm cartridge bullet. But still, in the TT pistol it is possible to use several variants of 7.63x25 mm Mauser cartridges with bullets of increased stopping power:
30 Mauser LLC - a cartridge with a jacketless lead bullet from Old Western Scrounger (USA);
-cartridge with an expansive bullet from Old Western Scrounger (USA);
-7.62x25 mm Tokarev Magsafe Defender - a cartridge with a bullet of increased stopping power from Magsafe (USA)…
Options and modifications
Pistols made in the USSR
-“7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1930" - the first serial modification, only in 1930-1933. no more than 93 thousand units were produced.
-“7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933" (pre-war production) - in order to improve manufacturability in production, changes were made to the design of the trigger mechanism (trigger rod and disconnector), the shape of the barrel and frame was simplified (the back wall of the handle was made solid, without a detachable cover). By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, about 600 thousand TT pistols entered service with the Red Army
-7.62 mm training self-loading pistol mod. 1933 - training version of the Tokarev pistol, produced before the war. It differed from the combat one only in its carbolite cheeks, painted in green color(not black). The letters “UCH” were stamped next to the serial number.
-“7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933" (wartime issue) - was distinguished by a simplified design and worst quality processing of parts; Some pistols had wooden cheeks installed.
-“7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933" (post-war edition)
Foreign-made pistols
Hungarian People's Republic- in 1948-1960, the FEG company produced the Tokarev 48M exact copy Soviet TT (with the coat of arms of the Hungarian People's Republic on the handle plates). At the end of the 1950s, a modernized version was created - the TT-58, with a more comfortable handle, made like the handle of a Walter P-38 pistol, and a modified magazine design.
-Vietnam - during the Vietnam War, partisans of the National Liberation Front in the field assembled TT pistols from Chinese parts.
-Egypt - at the end of the 1950s, for Egypt, the FEG plant began producing a modification of the TT-58 chambered for the 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge, equipped with a fuse. The Egyptian police were armed with the Tokagypt-58 pistol. In total, up to 15 thousand of these pistols were produced, and some of the pistols were sold on the commercial market, mainly in Germany, under the Firebird brand.
China - produced in several modifications:
- “type 51” - an army pistol, a copy of the Soviet TT.
- “type 54” - an army pistol, a copy of the Soviet TT, was in service with the PRC army until 1971. Also made for export under the name M20.
- “model 213” - a commercial version produced by the Norinco company chambered for a 9x19 mm cartridge with a magazine capacity of 8 rounds.
- “model 213A” - a commercial version produced by Norinco, chambered for a 9x19 mm cartridge with a magazine capacity of 14 rounds.
- “model 213B” - a commercial version produced by Norinco, chambered for 9x19 mm, equipped with a non-automatic safety lock that blocks the trigger.
DPRK - a copy of the TT pistol, produced under the name Type 68 or M68.
Poland - the pistol was produced under the name PW wz.33 (Pistolet Wojskowy wzor 33 - army pistol of the 1933 model) and remained in service until the end of the 1960s. It differed from the Soviet TT in markings on the bolt and handle plates.
Socialist Republic of Romania - A copy of the TT pistol called the Cugir Tokarov was produced in the 1950s.
Yugoslavia:
Zastava M54 - a copy of the Soviet TT mod. 1933, production started in February 1954
Zastava M57 - a modernized version of the TT with a magazine capacity increased to 9 rounds, designed in 1956-1960, mass-produced from 1961 to 1990.
Zastava M70 is a compact version of the Zastava M57 army pistol chambered for less powerful 7.65x17 mm or 9x17 mm (9mm Kratak) cartridges.
Zastava M70A is a modernized version of the Zastava M57 pistol chambered for the 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge, the production of which started in the early 1970s.
Zastava M88 is a modernized version of the Zastava M57 pistol chambered for 9x19 mm Parabellum and .40 S&W cartridges.
Iraq - a copy of the Soviet TT was in service with the Iraqi army for more than thirty years.
Pakistan - a copy of the Chinese TT was produced at the POF (Pakistani Ordnance Factories) plant specifically for the police. In addition, there have been recorded cases of manufacturing copies of TTs in semi-handicraft conditions by weapons workshops in the Khyber Pass area.
Conversion options and modifications
Sports weapons
Tokarev Sportowy is a Polish sports pistol chambered for a small-caliber cartridge. 22 Long Rifle with liners in the shape of a standard chamber chambered for 7.62x25 mm.
In the 1950s in the USSR, on the basis of the TT, the R-3 sports training pistol was created for a small-caliber 5.6 mm cartridge with a blowback action.
In May 2012, in Russia the TT pistol was certified as sporting weapons under the name sports pistol S-TT
Traumatic weapon
Several models of traumatic civilian self-defense weapons have been developed based on the pistol.
VPO-501 “Leader” is a “barrelless” traumatic pistol chambered for 10x32 mm T. Developed and produced since 2005 by Vyatsko-Polyansky machine-building enterprise"Hammer". In accordance with forensic requirements, changes were made to the design to eliminate the possibility of firing live ammunition.
VPO-509 “Leader-M” is a “barrelless” traumatic pistol chambered for 11.43x32 mm T. Designed by the Vyatsko-Polyansky machine-building plant “Molot”.
TT-T is a traumatic pistol chambered for 10x28 mm T. Developed and produced by JSC Plant named after. V. A. Degtyareva." On sale since 2011. It has design differences from the combat TT: a barrel with removed rifling; there is one partition pin in the channel that prevents the firing of a solid bullet.
MP-81 - traumatic pistol chambered for 9 mm P.A. Developed and produced since 2008 by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. The design retains the main components of the base model: (frame, bolt, trigger mechanism), the original historical markings of the original and the identity of the pistol handling techniques are fully preserved.
MP-82 is a variant of the MP-81 chambered for .45 rubber, developed and presented in the form of a model in 2008 by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. Not serially produced.
TTR - traumatic pistol chambered for 9 mm P.A. (manufacturer - SOBR LLC, Kharkov).
TT-GT is a smooth-bore traumatic pistol chambered for 9 mm P.A. cartridge. (manufacturer - Erma-Inter LLC, Kyiv).
Airguns
Several variants of 4.5 mm air pistols are produced: MP-656k (production discontinued in 2013 based on the requirements of the Law banning the alteration of military weapons); Gletcher TT; Gletcher TT NBB; TTP "Sobr"; Crosman C-TT.
Signal versions
Since 2011, the TT-S signal pistol, designed on the basis of the TT-Leader pistol, has been produced (production discontinued in 2013 based on the requirement of the Law banning the alteration of military weapons). For shooting, Zhevelo or KV21 capsules are used.
At the exhibition "Weapons and Hunting - 2014" in Moscow, the company OJSC "Molot" presented a cooled version of the TT pistol, MA-TT-SKH, chambered for a 10x31mm blank cartridge
Combat use
1930-1945
USSR - TT pistols were in service with the Soviet armed forces, and during the Great Patriotic War they were also supplied to Soviet partisans and for the arsenal of foreign military formations on the territory of the USSR.
-Finland - captured TT pistols captured during Soviet-Finnish war 1939-1940 and the “Continuation War” of 1941-1944. were in service with the Finnish army until 1951. In 1959-1960. the pistols were sold to the American company Interarmco.
-Third Reich - captured TTs under the name Pistole 615(r) entered service with the Wehrmacht, SS and other paramilitary forces Nazi Germany and its satellites.
-Yugoslavia - deliveries to the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia began in May 1944 and continued until 1947
After the end of World War II
After the war, the TT was supplied to USSR-supported states and movements (in particular, the armies of the Warsaw Pact countries).
USSR - production of the pistol continued until 1954 (a certain amount was collected in 1955 from stockpiles of parts) and was completed. Since the 9-mm Makarov pistol was adopted for service. Subsequently, the TT was withdrawn from service and gradually replaced by the PM - by the beginning of the 1960s. in the Soviet Army (it remained in service with rear and auxiliary units for a little longer), by the mid-1970s - in the police, but in paramilitary security units it remained in subsequent times. TT pistols were stored in mobilization reserve warehouses at least until the early 1990s.
Also, at least until 2000, TT was operated by geological enterprises. According to the regulations of the USSR Ministry of Geology, senior employees of geological parties and expeditions could be armed with a pistol.
-Yugoslavia - after the war, Soviet TTs remained in service with the Yugoslav People's Army at least until 1968
-Russia - at the end of 1998, the TT was officially adopted for service Federal service bailiffs. At least until July 2002, TT pistols were in service with the private security forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. At the beginning of winter 2005, it was included in the list of award weapons. As of mid-2006, they were in service with the units of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Security" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, employees of the courier service and collectors
-Belarus - as of 2002, was in service legal entities with special statutory tasks
-Kazakhstan - was in service with the departmental security of railways and collectors of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan
-Latvia - was in service with the army at least until mid-autumn 2001
-Ukraine - in the early 1990s, a certain number of TTs from the warehouses of the mobilization reserve of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine were given to some units of the patrol service (PPS) of the police, they were also used for training cadets and employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (due to a shortage of 9x18 mm cartridges ). As of mid-2005, the Ministry of Defense had 95,000 units in storage. TT pistols (75,000 serviceable and 20,000 intended for disposal); as of August 15, 2011, only 10,000 TT pistols remained in the custody of the Ministry of Defense. It is in service with the state security service. It is also a reward weapon. As of June 2014, remained in service railway security and collectors
-Estonia - in the early 1990s, a number of pistols from the warehouses of the mobilization reserve were given to the paramilitary organization "Kaitseliit"
TTX
Weight, kg: 0.854 (without ammunition) 0.94 (loaded)
-Length, mm: 195
-Barrel length, mm: 116
-Height, mm: 130
-Cartridge: 7.62x25 mm TT
-Caliber, mm: 7.62
-Principles of operation: recoil with a short barrel stroke, bolt misalignment
-Initial bullet speed, m/s: 420-450
-Sighting range, m: 50
-Maximum range, m: 1650
-Type of ammunition: magazine for 8 rounds
-Sight: open, non-adjustable
Tactical and technical characteristics of the TT mod. 1933
USM - single action
Caliber, mm - 7.62x25mm TT
Length, mm - 195
Height, mm - 120
Width, mm - 28
Barrel length, mm - 116
Rifling - 4, right-handed
Rifling pitch, mm - 240
Weight without cartridges, g - 825
Weight with cartridges, g - 910
Magazine capacity, cartridge. - 8
Rate of fire, v/m - 30
Initial bullet speed, m/s - 420
Sighting range, m - 30-50
Trigger force when firing from combat cocking, N, no more than - 21
The TT pistol (Tula Tokarev, GRAU Index - 56-A-132) is a self-loading pistol developed in 1930 by a Soviet designer.
The TT pistol was developed as a result of tests carried out since the mid-1920s. with the aim of creating a modern semi-automatic weapon, which was supposed to replace the outdated revolver and a number of foreign semi-automatic models. One of the most popular foreign models was the then famous Mauser S-96. In the 1920s It was purchased in large quantities, and the Red Army appreciated its powerful 7.63 mm cartridge. It was decided to create our own model for this ammunition.
Several pistols from different designers were tested, and in the end the choice fell on the model of gunsmith Fedor Tokarev. In 1930-32 Several thousand copies were produced, but field tests revealed a number of shortcomings. Tokarev made the necessary changes to the design, and at the beginning of 1934 the pistol was put into service under the name TT-33 (7.62mm Tokarev self-loading pistol of the 1933 model).
Like the previous model, the TT-33 was in many ways reminiscent of a self-loading american pistol The M1911 Colt used recoil power and a drop-down breech, but the TT-33 was still more than just a copy: for example, the hammer, mainspring and other components were combined into a module that could be removed through the back of the grip. In addition, some other changes were made (for example, the locking lugs were made around the entire barrel, and not just on top).
Due to this we simplified manufacturing process and servicing the pistol in the field. In addition, the length of the side walls of the magazine, which now entered the chamber, was increased, thereby reducing the likelihood of a cartridge being delayed in the event of slight deformation of the magazine. The result was a practical and durable weapon, which, like other worthy examples of Soviet weapons, operated reliably even in the most difficult conditions.
It was produced in ever-increasing quantities until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. By June 22, 1941, about 600 thousand TT-33s entered service with the Red Army. During the war years, production increased even more.
In 1938-39, work was carried out to introduce a more modern pistol into service with the Red Army, but due to the outbreak of the war, it was not completed. In 1942, a TT version with a double-row high-capacity magazine was created, but not mass-produced.
In World War II, the Germans actively used captured weapons, including pistols captured from Soviet arsenals during the initial period of the war. TT-30 and TT-33 were sent to armament of German army units and units, as well as to ground units of the Air Force under the designation “Pistole 615 (R)”. The use of captured pistols was explained by the fact that the Soviet 7.62 mm cartridge mod. 1930 type P was almost identical to the German one, which in turn could be used in two types of Soviet pistols.
By 1945, the TT-33 had almost completely replaced the Nagant revolver in service with combat units of the Red Army. As Soviet influence spread, the distribution and production area of the TT pistol expanded.
In 1946, the TT was slightly modified, which reduced its cost. External difference post-war samples consisted in the fact that they had fine corrugations applied to the shutter casing instead of the vertical semicircular grooves of the pre-war ones. Production of the pistol in the USSR continued until approximately 1952, when the .
However, the TT continued to be used in the Soviet Army until the 1960s, and in the police until the 1970s. In total, approximately 1,700,000 TT pistols were produced in the USSR.
In addition, in the late 1940s - 1950s, the USSR transferred documentation and licenses for the production of TT to a number of allied countries, namely Hungary, China, Romania, North Korea, and Yugoslavia. In these countries, TT pistols were produced both for the armed forces and for export and commercial sale.
On its basis, various models were created, which were essentially copies. Thus, Poland produced the TT-33 for its own needs and export to the GDR and Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia produced a pistol for itself and other countries under the designation M65, in China the pistol was produced under the designation “type 51”, and in North Korea it was called M68.
The most thoughtful approach to copying was in Hungary, where they made several changes to the design and remade it for the 9-mm Parabellum cartridge. The result was designated the Model 48, and the export version for the Egyptian police was Tikagipt.
Export versions could have a different caliber, as well as a non-automatic fuse of one design or another. In China and Yugoslavia, TT-based pistols are still produced.
In the 90s, the TT became popular among killers. He is given several basic explanations: the power of the cartridge, which allows the bullet to easily penetrate barriers and light body armor, as well as the cheapness and ease of acquisition (on the black market for weapons in large quantities TTs stolen from military warehouses of countries were present former USSR), allowing the pistol to be used once without significant expense and abandoned at the scene of a crime, thus avoiding the risk of being detained with a weapon and the presentation of evidence associated with its previous use. In addition, the vast majority of TT pistols did not have fired samples in the bullet case collection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which significantly complicated the conduct of operational search activities in the event of crimes being committed.
The TT used a short-stroke recoil barrel. The Browning swing-ear system, derived from the Colt M1911 pistol, was modified to simplify production. Trigger did not have a manual safety. An unwanted shot was prevented only by a disconnector and a cutout for setting the trigger to the safety cock.
Single-action trigger trigger with an open hammer, designed as a separate, easily removable module to simplify incomplete assembly and disassembly. A few years later, Swiss gunsmith Charles Petter used the same design in the French Model 1935 pistol. The steel magazine contained 8 rounds. The pistol does not have any special safety devices; only pre-cocking is provided. The advantages of the pistol are a simple and reliable design and a powerful high-speed cartridge, providing relatively high accuracy and effective firing range, as well as the penetrating effect of the bullet.
The fixed front sights were zeroed at the factory for a shooting distance of 25 meters. Accuracy of shooting from a pistol is ensured by the low location of the bore axis in relation to the handle to reduce the recoil shoulder, reduce the recoil speed due to the use of a massive bolt casing, and also by bringing the center of gravity of the weapon closer to the handle.
The cheeks of the handle are plastic or (during the war years) wooden, with large vertical corrugations. At the bottom of the handle there is a swivel for a pistol belt. The cartridges are fed from detachable single-row box magazines with a capacity of 8 cartridges. The magazine release is a push-button type and is located at the base of the trigger guard on the left.
TT is distinguished by its simplicity of design and, therefore, low production costs and ease of maintenance.
It has a high bullet penetration ability (pierces steel helmet from 50 m), significant kinetic energy bullets (slightly less than 500 J) with a flat trajectory and effective accuracy sufficient for such a weapon. The TT is a flat pistol, convenient to carry, including concealed. However, during operation, shortcomings also appeared.
A serious drawback is the lack of a full fuse. Because of this, numerous accidents occurred, and even in the “Investigator’s Handbook” there was a chapter in which a typical “crossbow” TT was considered from a blow (in order to distinguish a truly accidental incident from one staged by a criminal). Unfortunately, after this mass of accidents due to the fall of a loaded pistol, the Ministry of Internal Affairs ordered it forbidden to carry a pistol with a cartridge in the chamber.
Another drawback is poor magazine retention, which in combat conditions often led to the shooter being disarmed. The ergonomics of the TT raises many complaints compared to more modern designs. The angle of inclination of the handle is small, the cheeks of the handle are thick and rough.
Some authors believe that a bullet fired from a TT pistol does not have sufficient stopping power due to its high speed and relatively small diameter. Others believe that the term “stopping effect” itself has no meaning, and the severity of the wounds inflicted by the TT is quite sufficient to defeat the enemy.
However, when shooting indoors, you should remember about the possible ricochet, and in urban conditions - about the high flatness of the ammunition, which can create unnecessary problems if the rule “before shooting, clearly see the situation in front of and behind the target” is violated. The shortcomings of the standard TT cartridge can be partially compensated for by cartridges with expansive (that is, opening like a flower when hitting the target) bullets. But such cartridges are prohibited for military use, and in some countries, for self-defense.
Due to these negative factors, the TT is unsuitable as a modern self-defense weapon and police weapon.
Interaction of parts and mechanisms during shooting
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-barrel 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-barrel 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.
Soviet post-war TTs
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. Common defect? misalignment 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 R-3 pistol had a blowback action and fired 5.6 mm cartridges.
For the P-4 model, an attached holster was developed - a butt, 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.
| Table of excess (decrease) of the average trajectory when shooting from a pistol, normalized for normal combat at 25 m. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance, m | Excess (decrease), cm | Radius of a circle centered at the containing STP | ||
| With an excess of the average point of impact (STP) 12.5 cm above the aiming point | With combination of STP with the aiming point | 100% holes (R100), cm | 50% holes (R50), cm | |
| 10 | +5,4 | +0,4 | 3,5 | 2,0 |
| 15 | +8,0 | +0,5 | 5,0 | 3,0 |
| 20 | +10,4 | +0,3 | 6,5 | 4,0 |
| 25 | +12,5 | 0 | 7,5 | 4,5 |
| 30 | +14,7 | - 0,3 | 9,0 | 6,0 |
| 40 | +18,7 | - 1,3 | 12,0 | 7,0 |
| 50 | +21,8 | - 3,2 | 16,0 | 8,0 |
Notes on the table.
The “+” sign indicates an excess of the trajectory above the aiming point, and the “-” sign indicates a decrease.
Traumatic version
Based on the pistol, there are its traumatic variants called TT-Leader and MP-81, supplied to the civilian market as self-defense weapons.
Disassembly and assembly of the TT 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 in order to Maintenance 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.
The first necessary rule for performing this operation is to choose 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. By pressing the magazine release button, remove the magazine from the pistol handle (Fig. 1).
2. Remove the pistol from the safety cock by cocking the hammer (Fig. 2) and pulling the bolt back
and check if there is a cartridge in the chamber (Fig. 3).
3. Release the bolt and smoothly pull the trigger.
4. Remove the slide stop: why use the end of the magazine cover
push the bolt stop spring back and push it back by the protrusion so that it releases the bolt stop axis (Fig. 4) (do not remove the spring, but leave it on the stand), then,
by pressing on the protruding part of the shutter stop axis, remove it from the frame (Fig. 5).
5. Remove the bolt and barrel by holding the return
press the spring to move the shutter forward along the grooves of the frame.
6. Remove the return spring along with the guide rod and tip from the valve (Fig. 6).
7. Turn the guide sleeve 180° and pull it forward on the bolt (Fig. 7).
8. Rotate the bolt so that the supporting protrusions of the bolt come out of the annular grooves of the barrel
and the trunk moved forward somewhat; tilt the earring forward and remove the barrel (Fig. 8).
9. Remove the firing mechanism block (Fig. 9).
The practice of operating the pistol has made its own adjustments to the procedure for disassembling and assembling the pistol.
Thus, to avoid deformation of the return spring during disassembly, before separating the bolt stop, the guide sleeve is usually separated, for which the tip of the return mechanism is recessed with a ramrod (Fig. 10), the guide sleeve is rotated 180° and removed from the barrel (Fig. 7), and the held by hand, the return mechanism is slowly unloaded (Fig. 11).
After this, the release of the bolt stop occurs without the slightest effort.
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.
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.
1 – drummer,
2 – hammer spring,
3 – split axle." rel="lightbox"> 
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.
1. Shop. 2. Shutter stop.
3. The bolt with sights, ejector and firing pin and their springs.
4. Return mechanism (spring, guide rod and tip).
5. Barrel with earring. 6. Guide sleeve.
7. Shoe of the firing mechanism with the hammer, mainspring, sear and its spring and disconnector.
8. Frame with trigger spring, magazine latch and cheeks" rel="lightbox"> 
Reassemble the pistol 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.
The operation of a new pistol must begin with careful removal of the conservation lubricant, disassembling all detachable connections of the pistol parts and especially removing it from the firing pin channel, otherwise negative temperatures this will lead to misfires,
- the pistol's service life exceeds 6,000 shots at the most intense firing mode (96 shots in a row - 12 loaded magazines, and subsequent cooling in water or air to ambient temperature);
- the barrel channels of TT pistols are not chrome-plated, so special attention should be paid to cleaning them to avoid corrosion;
- it is prohibited to perform idle trigger releases without a training cartridge or a spent cartridge case in the chamber in order to avoid breaking the split axis of the firing pin; release the hammer from the cocking position smoothly, while holding it.
- 172373 views
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 the 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 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 this, still unknown enterprise, that included a group of gunsmith designers under the leadership of Fedor Tokarev.
Starting development of the newest domestic pistol, the designers of the group and Tokarev himself did not forget the years of production of the Mauser pistol, because dozens of factories for a long time were adapted for the production of barrels with a caliber of 7.62 mm. It was this caliber that was taken as the basis when work began on a new domestic weapon 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 the legendary pistol anything else 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 its short range aimed shooting- the declared 50 meters after using the weapon in intense combat or during special operations was reduced to approximately 30. A little later, the mediocre magazine capacity and the overall reliability of the magazine as a separate part were added to the low accuracy of the pistol. 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 from 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 weapon was 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.
FavoritesCreator pistol TT-Tulsky Tokarev became an outstanding engineer small arms Fedr Vasilievich Tokarev (1871-1968), who created the SVT-40 self-loading rifle for the Red Army during the Second World War.
The reason for the appearance TT pistol The Nagano pistol of the 1895 model, which was in service with the police and military, became morally and technically obsolete. In the 1920s, the German Mauser S-96 pistol was very popular, which was purchased for the Soviet Army, where it received a lot positive feedback. On February 12, 1931, the Revolutionary Military Council, after testing several pistols, decided to opt for a pistol TT-30(first pistol index) and decided to order the first test batch of 1000 pistols. Thanks to the first batch, shortcomings were revealed in the pistol, which were corrected in the shortest possible time, which made it possible to produce a full-fledged TT pistol under the index TT-33. The basis for the pistol was the American Colt M1911 pistol, but it was partially simplified (the trigger group was combined into one module). The principle of reloading a pistol was the recoil of the bolt, which is transmitted by the cartridge case when fired. The pistol has a slide stop setting. If the magazine runs out of cartridges, the bolt frame engages the bolt stop, which lets the shooter know that the gun is empty and when changing the magazine there is no need to juggle the bolt. A special feature of the pistol was that it was put on safety using the trigger, which later became its disadvantage, since the wear of parts of the pistol could accidentally remove the safety and fire an accidental shot, as a result, an order was given to not have a cartridge in the chamber during operation of the pistol. For a pistol of its class, it had quite good technical characteristics, which made it possible to aim with a 7.62x25 cartridge up to 50 meters and place cartridges at such a distance with a spread of 15 cm, and its cost was attractive with high-quality production. A 9-mm TT chambered for the 9x19 Para cartridge was also produced for export.
Famous TT pistol was produced from 1930 to 1951, 1.7 million units were produced in the Soviet Union alone, and the TT is also produced now in many countries of the world under license. became the main pistol for military and internal affairs until the 1970s, even now it is in service with the VOKhRA and is available in large quantities in military warehouses for conservation. Until 1941, 600 thousand pistols were produced and by 1945 the TT pistol had completely replaced the Nagano revolver. During the war, the captured pistol was positively assessed by the Germans, which had the index “Pistole-615” in the German army. For changing TT pistol The Makarov pistol came to Russia, but that’s another story. The second brief birth of the pistol TT began in the “dashing 90s”, when he began to often appear in crime reports, which were immediately “thrown off” after the crime; a TT pistol with a silencer was often used for this purpose.
The disadvantage of the TT pistol with a silencer was the rapid wear of spare parts and a large weight load on the barrel, which could lead to jamming of the pistol or a lack of recoil force of the bolt due to the lack of strength of the powder gases that the silencer absorbed.
Pistol TT-33 (Tula Tokarev) produced in the following countries:
- China under the symbol Type-51, Type-54 with a safety catch, Type-213 chambered for 9x19 for 8 rounds, Type-213A chambered for 9x19 for 14 rounds, Type-213B with a non-automatic fuse;
- Hungary with index TT-58 and Tokarev 48M;
- Vietnam in artisanal conditions;
- Egypt under the symbol Tokagypt-58 chambered for 9x19;
- DPRK Type-68/M68;
- Poland PW wz.33;
- Romania Cugir Tokarov;
- Yugoslavia M54, M57, M70A chambered for 9x19, M88, Z-10 chambered for 10 mm;
- Iraq;
- Pakistan.
Sports modifications of the R-3 were also produced, chambered for a 5.6 mm cartridge, which completely copied the regular TT, and the R-4 with an extended barrel.
It is not going to go down in history, since it is used to produce pneumatic pistols, traumatic pistols, signal pistols, and in many countries it is still in service.
The pistol turned out to be reliable and simple, which rightfully deserves its place in weapons history not only Russia, but also other countries of the World.
| Number of shots | 8 in store |
| Barrel diameter | 7.62x25 mm |
| Combat rate of fire | no data |
| Sighting range | 50 meters |
| Maximum firing range | 900-1000 meters |
| Initial departure speed | 420-450 m/s |
| Automation | blowback recoil |
| Weight | 0.85 kg empty / 0.94 with cartridges |
| Dimensions | 127x24x48 mm |
Loading...
