Gunsmithing The Tokarev TT-33

The Tokarev was adopted by the Russian military in 1933 after modifying the TT-30 to TT-33 status. Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev used proven Browning locked breech principles in his design; the locking lugs, barrel bushing, guide rod, recoil assembly, and magazine release are straight up Browning. The pistol has no manual or grip safety, however. The pistol features an en bloc removable hammer group, an important step in ease of manufacture and maintenance.

The TT-33 was produced in an era when handwork was done on machines to make each part and is among the most advanced handguns of the pre-World War Two period regarding ease of mass manufacture. The Tokarev was intended to be maintained by soldiers with minimal skills or experience. It excels in this regard. There are no screws in the design, even down to the attachment of the grips. Tokarev made several design changes in the Browning template and ended up with a unique firearm.

An example is the keeper is used to positively retain the slide lock. This small sheet metal lock slides over a notch in the slide lock’s protrusion on the right side of the gun and must be pressed to the rear in order to free the slide for disassembly. Since the pistol has no manual safety, the action was modified to allow half cock carry. This is an important distinction. The Colt 1911, as an example, is a single action design but half cock carry is neither recommended nor safe.

Tokarevs were designed for this and it is mechanically safe. Another reason half cock is needed with TT-33s is when the pistol is chamber loaded due to the positive firing pin. Far Being longer than most, when the hammer is fully down the firing pin will protrude and touch the primer. There were many stores of 7.62mm Mauser ammunition in Russia during the 1930s. The popularity of the C96 Mauser, a Bolshevik favorite, was one reason the TT-33 was chambered in 7.62 x 25mm. The long fir-

ing pin insured ignition with off spec or older stores of ammunition. The pistol must be carried on half cock if the user chooses to carry a chamber loaded TT-33. Clone Guns There are many clones, near copies, and a few modern upgrades of the TT-33. Polish pistols are often cited as the most refined and best finished, the Romanian guns are very good, the Egyptian guns are roughly finished, and the Chinese variants are the least desirable. Oddities such as a high capacity version and .38 Super chamberings exist.

All operate on original TT-33 principles and disassembly is identical. The most important variations deal with safeties. Since the pistol needs certain import points for importation—a complicated, bureaucratic process worthy of much discussion—some of the TT-33 clones have a manual safety added on. I worked on a 1953 TT-33 with a safety added on before current importation rules with a sliding safety that locks the trigger. It isn’t obstructive and doesn’t get in the way of normal operation.

After examining the safety, I recommend it be carried at half cock as originally designed. The M70 and M88 variations use a slide mounted safety that blocks the trigger and hammer, and rotates to cover the firing pin when applied. Cocked carry is possible but it isn’t "cocked and locked" as found with 1911 or High Power pistols as these Tokarev variants don’t lock the slide with their safety catch. Most other Tokarev variations are caliber variations, typically in 9mm.

Many Tokarevs are purchased by less sophisticated shooters that seldom clean and maintain as they should. Fortunately, the design is robust and not highly demanding of maintenance. Primary complaints are poor cleaning and congealed grease solved by a thorough detail cleaning. Some Tokarevs I’ve examined exhibited hardened grease and Cosmoline-like deposits in the frame or trigger action. Heavy solutions of aerosol spray get these deposits out.

It should be slid to the rear and not completely removed during disassembly.

For illustration purposes, the slide lock retainer clip has been removed from the frame. If the pistol is misfeeding, it’s usually the ammunition or magazine. Various military surplus loads dating to World War Two are commonly available. Norinco ammunition is sometimes seen, though it’s not consistent with distinct differences in the report. Wolf Ammunition, Sellier & Bellot, and Prvi Partizan are reliable, including their JHP loads.

I have also ran handloads with the Hornady XTP in 60, 85 and 100 grain bullets with good results. Original magazines seem never to give trouble, though there are several types of new aftermarket magazines. Those with a white sticker on the bottom reading "Made In Taiwan" give good results. The other, common at gun shows, sometimes give the bullet a nose dive and may be the cause of a Tokarev feed problem. Disassembly Remove the magazine, rack the slide to the rear, and confirm as completely empty.

Lower the slide and press the trigger while controlling the hammer down. There is a retaining clip on the right hand side of the frame that acts as a keeper for the slide lock. Press this to the rear. It does Press the slide lock out right to left. The slide may now be pressed forward off the frame. Carefully raise the recoil spring and guide out of the slide. The recoil spring is lifted up and to the rear of the slide. Rotate the barrel bushing 180 degrees to allow removal of the barrel bushing.

The barrel may be removed forward out of the slide. The hammer assembly may now be lifted out of the frame. It is a press fit and there are no retaining pins. There are few aftermarket grips for the TT-33 but the grips are broken from time to time, sometimes from the owner attempting to pry them off. There are no retaining screws, just flat levers in the grip itself. Remove the left hand panel. At the bottom of the magazine well is the end of the locking bar that locks the grips in place.

This end should be notched. Use a small, hardened screwdriver to press the locking bar stub toward the rear of the pistol frame. This releases the locking bar’s hold on the frame. With the left hand grip panel removed, locate and release not have to be completely removed. There is a small cut out on the stem of the slide lock that accepts the end of the retaining clip. the right hand grip panel locking bar. Th eh am mer group should be secured in a padded vise for disassembly.

Note, there are cartridge guides that are part of the assembly. Do not warp or bend them in the vise. To disassemble the hammer group, use a small screwdriver to re-

lease hammer spring retaining pin pressure. Press the hammer retaining pin out of the hammer group. While a rugged pistol, the metallurgy is uncertain. Bottom: Simple pins hold the hammer group together. Most of the time a thorough cleaning aids the trigger action. The hammer pin and sear pin are easily pressed out. The hammer group is then dissembled. If desired, the magazine release may be removed. There is apart on the right hand side that looks like a screw but isn’t.

The magazine release is held by a split-type pin. A 1/8" diameter punch is tapped into the end of the spring guide to drive it out of the left hand side of the frame. With the spring guide removed, the magazine catch is removed from the right hand side of the frame. On the Romanian TT-33 with added safety, the safety lever is removed by pressing it out to the left by pressing on the right hand side of the safety lever from the right side of the frame. There is a Remove the trigger.

Press the trigger to the rear and guide the trigger bow into the magazine well. The trigger then is removed from the bottom of the magazine well. To replace the firing pin, drive out the firing pin retainer pin from right to left. This is usually a split pin, however, new production M88 pistols have a roll pin. By habit I drive the pin from right to left but the M88 roll pin appears to be good to go right or left. The firing pin spring will come out with the firing pin.

The extractor is held by a pin that is removed by driving it from the slide from inside. Note, the extractor is powered by a coil spring. The coil spring seldom comes out with the extractor. It lies in a blind hole. I have used a paper clip to remove this spring. The Tokarev in all its variants is a rugged and effective handgun that seldom needs repair. When it does, the problem may likely be abuse or simply age. The pistol is easily worked on and repaired but spring-loaded detent in this part.

It is small and very difficult to find if it flies out. never regard it as simply another Browningtype variant. There are significant differences in the pistol that make life interesting. AG The author would not attempt to modify sear and hammer angles but would clean and lubricate well for improved function.