What You Didn't Know About Tokarev
The Tokarev company marketed the World War II-surplus Russian-made Tokarevs in Europe and the United States as the Phoenix. This company was based in the city of Tula in the former Soviet Union. It was a state company on which beginning was gun designer Fedor Tokarev. His pistols was designed for the Red Army and later were replaced by the Makarov pistols. These pistols had new wooden grips with a phoenix design on them and were also overstamped Interarms on the barrel.
A bit later gun laws banned their sale because of their lack of safety. Tokarev become famous for its two pistols Tokarev TT-30 and TT-33. The TT-33 pistol is still in service, currently in the Bangladeshi and also North Korean armed forces while the police in Pakistan still commonly use the TT pistol as a sidearm, though unofficially, because it is being replaced by modern 9 mm Beretta and Sig Sauer pistols. The TT-33 pistol is also occasionally supplied to the People's Armed Police and People's Liberation Army in China under the name Type 54. The Tokarev is quite popular with pistol collectors and also shooters in the West because of its ruggedness and reliability. Although, some complaints include poor-quality grips, that are often replaced by the wrap-around Tokagypt 58 grips, and a hand grip that extends at a vertical angle awkward for many shooters from the West.
There is also another complaint and it is the poor placement of the post-production safeties that are installed to comply with the U.S. import regulations, lot of shooters disassemble the pistols, remove them and also restore the Tokarevs to the original configuration. The Tokarev, as well as its variants of 9mm pistol, is renowned for its power, simplicity and accuracy. The Serbian firearm producer Zastava manufactures an improved version of the TT-33 designated M57. The TT pistol of the Tokarev was copied in China as the Type 51, Type 54, M20, and also TU-90.
The Tokarev company based in Russian Tula which produces the TT pistol was developed as a result of continuous trials, with the main aim to produce and supply firearms for the Red Army during the mid- and late 1920s. The Red Army was looking for a new semiautomatic pistol of modern design to replace obsolete Nagant M1895 revolvers and a wide range of foreign semi-automatic pistols. Among the most popular foreign handguns that were purchased in numbers during 1920s, belonged the famous Mauser C96 model, and the Red Army very liked its powerful 7.63mm cartridge, that, in slightly modified form, was selected for its future pistol of domestic design. The Red Army tested several pistols of various construction and designes, and finally in 1930 was selected the design of the famous Russian arms designer, Fedor Tokarev. During 1930 - 1932 the Red Army manufactured several thousands of new pistol models and after initial field testing requested several improvements of the design, that resulted in the adoption of the model 1933 Tokarev pistol early in 1934. This pistol was produced in increased amount prior to the Great Patriotic War. For instance, before July 22 in 1941, about 600 000 TT-33 pistols were manufactured for the Red Army. During the war these pistols were made in increasing numbers. The TT was slightly modified in 1946 to cut production costs, and its manufacture in USSR finally ceased in 1952, also with the adoption of the more modern 9mm Makarov PM pistol. However, the TT served with the Soviet Army even until 1960s, and with the Soviet Police until 1970s. The USSR supplied some of its new allies from Warsaw pact with licenses to produce the TT pistols, and it was produced in China, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia and North Korea in more or less original forms during late 1940s and 1950s. Most military TT pistols of non-Soviet manufacture were also produced in 7.62mm, with some commercial export versions that were available in 9x19mm Luger, and fitted with some sorts of manual safety.
Be sure to check out Holsters for Zastava Handguns whom many know as Tokarev handguns, like the M57 etc.
