Romanian T-33 Tokarev

My pandemic purchase that I have no real idea when I'm going to get. Mike is helping me out with it but he lives halfway across the state and no gun shows for a while. My local dealers are very questionable right now on transfers so I didn't even bother with them. They have plenty of business but are trying to stick with their own stock, not having the odd transfer sent in.

Hope that magazine I found is what it belongs too or I'll have to buy another gun I guess. That would be terrible.

Anyway, Brownell's has them on sale, free shipping and I had a $10 coupon. I'm also not in a huge rush, I know it's safe with Mike.

The quest for a correct holster begins. Plenty on ebay it appears, all from the same seller and the same price. Could get a Russian one for less but that wouldn't exactly be appropriate.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aragorn243

My pandemic purchase that I have no real idea when I'm going to get.

---

I picked up Romanian TT-33 Tokarev 3 weeks ago. Classic Firearms had a sale for $189.99. The one I have is absolutely beautiful, you can not even tell its used. It comes in a plastic bag soaked in oil so It needs to be taken down and cleaned. I'm thinking about getting another, Classic has them still for $219.00

Update: today 5/5/2020 J&G Sales emailed me Yugo M57 Tokarev pistols in 7.62x25 caliber are on sale for $199.95. I have this one as well and like it more than the TT-33 because the grip is longer and fits my hand better (not perfect) but better.

Aim surplus also has the Romanian TT-33 for $219.95. They sold out of the $189.00 ones they had.

Mike has the pistol and sent me some photos of it. It's covered with light cosmoline, box was soaked from it. Looks good from what I can seen dark "black" finish, no wear marks, possibly straight from refurb, never issued or just well cared for. But hard to tell when it's grease covered. 1953 production. Holster and cleaning rod on the way. 2nd magazine which started this quest already here. Hope it's the right one anyway.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aragorn243

It's covered with light cosmoline

---

Pictures Please!

Here is the one I got that is still in the oil and oil bag..

Attachment 107838Attachment 107839

Only photos I got so far:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../k9qRcxv-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../nhjnohj-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../Fphoh6C-1.jpg

The holster arrived this evening. Has a name I just can't quite make out.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../cGTk0Pc-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../ud449mR-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../jUHnQXo-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../TBePthj-1.jpg

You got a real nice one !

It looks like it. Mike says it is nice. Not sure when I'll have it in hand though. Mike lives in the other half of the state and no gun shows scheduled for a long while. He says he can get it to his partner down near Philly which gets it about an hour away for me which isn't bad. I had no place to send it during this shutdown. My local guy I trust can't take any transfers at the moment because they operate out of a pharmacy and they have to concentrate on that and their normal sales which they now require their customers to know that they want before they come in. Only one person in the store at the time It's a mess.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aragorn243

2nd magazine which started this quest already here. Hope it's the right one anyway.

---

I just purchased another mag for mine, the guy I got it from sent me an email about two hours ago, says he has two more if I want them. If he sells them for the same $19.50 price I'll pick them up even though I don't really need them.

I found another handgun that needs a magazine yesterday. Mauser 1934. Originals are half as much as I paid for the gun so likely going with a Triple K magazine. Problem is, the only place I can find them sells them in a set of two which I don't need and not sure I want to go to the expense of the 2nd magazine. Couldn't get the holster to close on the magazine but had an identical WWI magazine that was more worn and that one closed. So I switch it with the JP Sauer 1913 that is also missing it's 2nd magazine.

Aragon243, The guy who told me he had new condition Romanian TT-33 Tokarev magazines actually found 4 and sold them to me for $15.00 each, well plus shipping, if you need some let me know and I'll let you have them for the same price I paid. I definitely don't need that many. I just bought them because I have not found them for that price.

BTW, you PM mailbox is full and would not allow me to send you a PM.

I have one of those TT-33s and it's alot of fun to shoot and that's a wicked round. Makes me wonder why, as far as I can tell no western firearms are chambered for 7.62x25. You can sever a railroad tie with a magazine and a half out of a TT-33 I'm here to tell you. Come to think of it, other than the .30 Luger and that 5.7 by FN, I can't think of any necked cartridge pistols in the west. :dunno:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Atticus Thraxx

I have one of those TT-33s and it's alot of fun to shoot and that's a wicked round. Makes me wonder why, as far as I can tell no western firearms are chambered for 7.62x25. You can sever a railroad tie with a magazine and a half out of a TT-33 I'm here to tell you. Come to think of it, other than the .30 Luger and that 5.7 by FN, I can't think of any necked cartridge pistols in the west. :dunno:

---

.357 SIG

Over penetration is why you don't find 7.62x25 pistols in the West. Automag 357 and 44. There are many wildcat necked cartridges but there is little demand. There are some necked revolver cartridges, with little success as the setback on the bottle neck created problems.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Daan Kemp

Over penetration is why you don't find 7.62x25 pistols in the West

---

I think you mean perceived, over penetration. It's dependant on the type of bullet and load being used. While the surplus ammo will over-penetrate, after-market ammo like PPU Defensive Line Jacketed Hollow Point you would not have that issue. Even Fábrica Nacional de Munições de Armas Ligeiras 7.62 X 25 does not over-penetrate as it has no steel core and is lower velocity.

I can think of some times you might want over penetration. Everything has a time and a purpose.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aragorn243

The holster arrived this evening. Has a name I just can't quite make out.

---

I picked up a Romainian Holster w/ cleaning rod at Liberty Tree Collectors

https://www.libertytreecollectors.co...idcategory=120

I met mike yesterday and picked up my Romanian Tokarev. It's in pretty good shape but not mint. The cosmoline made everything shiny but the left side of the slide has some very light pitting. Hard even to call it pitting, more like just enough to take the bluing off. Everything else looks nearly new Bore looks good also. It's seen use but the lands are still pretty sharp. Took it apart an cleaned it well and put some gun oil on it. My only complaint and this might be a simple fix is the magazine release button. This thing is small and a real problem to push in. One thing I did not check and just thought of while typing this is it could be gunked up with something but the oil that was on this is very thin. I will look into that. Any other suggestions on this. I can't push it in with my right hand holding the pistol like I usually can. Takes my left hand pushing it in to get it to release the magazine. I have four and don't really notice much difference getting them to release but one doesn't just drop out on it's own. In a firefight, this would be a disaster so it can't be normal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aragorn243

I have four and don't really notice much difference getting them to release but one doesn't just drop out on it's own. In a firefight, this would be a disaster so it can't be normal.

---

TT-33, TTC. and M57 Tokarev's are all known to not drop their magazines. The most you will get is them springing out about 3/4" so if you have three that will drop out on their own you are doing good. None of my mags drop on either of my Tokarevs.

The mag release is hard on both of mine as well.

OMG. Took it to the range today and those magazines drive me nuts. Two hands when you really need three to get the magazines out it too much. I'm going to have to see if I can do something with that spring Need one hand to hold the gun, a second to push the release and a third to get the magazine out.

Shot great by the way. Other people were there so I didn't get to do what I wanted to with it but it functioned flawlessly other than the magazine not dropping.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aragorn243

OMG. Took it to the range today and those magazines drive me nuts. Two hands when you really need three to get the magazines out it too much. I'm going to have to see if I can do something with that spring Need one hand to hold the gun, a second to push the release and a third to get the magazine out.

---

Might want to look at the clips that hold the handles on to the frame, they sometimes rub on the side of the mags and it makes them bind even more. Try taking off the handles and then see if there is a difference.

Grip screws might be too long and push through to the magazine well. Look for drag marks on the magazines to see where the problem is.

Remember the pistol was intended as self defence arm for the military, initially cavalry[armour these days]. This means you don't want to lose a magazine as it relegates your automatic to a single shot. Pistols weren't intended to allow magazines to fall free and disappear. That is why there is a lanyard loop on military pistols, so it doesn't drop and disappear in the dark or uneven terrain, or a moving horse. Early 1911 magazines had a loop to tie it to the rider.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Daan Kemp

Grip screws might be too long and push through to the magazine well. Look for drag marks on the magazines to see where the problem is.

---

There are no grip screws on a Tokarev, it uses retainer clips that rotate

Attachment 109226

Great price!

One possible solution OP is an after market mag. I have not personally bought one but a quick image search turned up this: 9mm Tokarev Magazine LEVER ARMS

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Atticus Thraxx

One possible solution OP is an after market mag. I have not personally bought one but a quick image search turned up this: 9mm Tokarev Magazine LEVER ARMS

---

Different manufactures did seem to make a difference on either of mine. The Romanian Toakrev is 7.62X25. The 9MM would be for the Chinese M213 Tokarev.

Good catch USA. But the idea is the same. If you can find mags with a sturdy lip protruding that would help. Or hook a lanyard in the lanyard loop if your magazines have them. Mine don’t unfortunately.

I've just decided this is a two hand operation and always will be. The magazines drop if I can get the release pushed in far enough. Takes my left thumb to push it in. Right hand supports the gun and catches the magazine. It's not nice like my 45 but it will do.

On a side note, Yugo mags fit it also and there is something to grab onto when dropping the mag.

It's a C&R pistol...do you have an 03? Pretty sure it's transferable as such within the state. At least I haven't heard that it's not..........

Sadly, I have been too lazy to get a C&R. Thought about it but the time I really needed it was a few years ago. I am not really buying much anymore. I have most of what I want. I think a C&R's major result would be buying a lot of things I don't really need at this point. My collecting goal has always pretty much been one of each type, that means one luger, one P-38, etc. The days of there being surplus weapons I can buy online also seem to be almost over.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aragorn243

The holster arrived this evening. Has a name I just can't quite make out.

---

The Romanian Tokarev Pistol Holster with cleaning rod that I ordered from Liberty Tree Collectors came in.. it was advertised on their website as "good used condition" but this one is like new. I paid $29.00 but just noticed they up'ed the price to $39.00

Attachment 109241Attachment 109242Attachment 109243Attachment 109244Attachment 109245Attachment 109246