Yugoslavian Tokarev M57
The Yugoslavian M57 Tokarev is a licensed copy of the Soviet TT-33 Tokarev. It fires the 7.62x25 Tokarev round. The M-57 has a longer grip and longer 9 round magazine (versus 8 rounds in the TT). The Tokarev design is similar in construction to several of John Browning’s previous designs. The M57 pistol is a short recoil operated, locked breech pistol that uses browning type action with a swinging link. It is a single action type and has no manual safeties except for a half-cock notch on the hammer. Manual safeties were added for importation into the United States.
Cutaway of the Day: TT-30/33
During the late 1920s the Soviet Army launched trials to find a new service semi-automatic pistol to replace the aging Nagant M1895 revolver.A number of Russian konstruktors entered the competition including Sergey Korovin, S.A. Prilutsky and Fedor Tokarev. It was Tokarev’s pistol, which married a German-inspired cartridge, an American action and a Russian design, that was chosen following the trials and production was begun at the Tula arms works, resulting in the pistol’s name: Tula-Tokarev Model 1930.
Tokarev’s design melds the profile of John Browning’s M1903 and some of the internals of Browning’s M1911. This gave the pistol a low bore axis making it a more naturally pointing pistol and has led to the pistol being described as the ‘Russian 1911’.
Colt M1903 Hammerless which lent its profile to the TT-30 (source)
Chambered in 7.62x25mm (which was a Russian improvement on the German 7.63×25 cartridge) the TT-30 used the short recoil system and swinging link and tilting lock found in the 1911. However, Tokarev’s pistol integrated a lock and hammer assembly to the rear of the pistol which was easily removable for ease of servicing. The TT also had integral magazine feed lips in the pistol’s frame, this allowed the pistol to have a cleaner feed and minimised the damage to magazines if a round failed to eject.
The TT’s have a characteristically high rear sight post, a lanyard loop and slide lock on the left hand side of the pistol. Unlike the Browning designs it is influenced by the TT has no safety mechanism. The pistol’s production design was revised slightly during the early 1930s with the locking ribs being forged with the barrel rather than being milled afterwards, similarly the grip’s backstrap was forged with the rest of the frame rather than separately this simplified the manufacturing process removing several production steps. These revisions were in place by 1935 and all future pistols were designated TT-33.
The pistol saw service during the Winter War where many captured examples of the pistol were used by the Finns as well as wide use during the Second World War although it did not fully replace the Nagant M1895. Similarly captured TT-33s were used by the German Army as they could fire the Mauser 7.63×25mm round. They were widely used and copied throughout the Communist Bloc TT variants were used during the Korean War, Vietnam War, Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and many surplus TTs found there way to Africa.
It is estimated that during the Second World War the Soviets produced approximately 280,000 TT-33s this relatively small number can be explained by the fact that not only was the Nagant M1895 still in production but also Soviet small arms manufacture focused overwhelmingly on the production of submachine guns. All told it is thought that some 1,700,000 pistols were produced between 1930 and 1954 when production finally ended. While production ended the pistol remained in service for many years alongside the Makarov which replaced it.
The TT-33 has also been widely produced in other communist countries including China where the pistol was designated the Type 54, Romania and many other Communist Bloc states as well as many African states. Locally produced examples remain in service in both Pakistan and North Korea while Zastava in Yugoslavia still produce a version of the pistol in 9mm.Sources:
Image Three Source - The Gun Digest Book of Exploded Gun Drawings, H. A. Murtz, (2005)
The Handgun Story, J. Walters, (2008)
Pistols of the World, I. Hogg & J. Weeks (1992)
Military Small Arms of the 20th Century, Hogg & J. Weeks (1985)
The Tokarev TT-30 Semi Automatic Pistol,
In the early 1930’s the Soviet Union made the decision that it needed to replace it old M1895 Nagant revolvers. At this time revolvers were giving way to semi-automatic pistols in military use, and it was important for the Soviet Union to keep up with the capitalist world. One design of note was a single action semi automatic created by the gun designer Feodor Tokarev. The new pistol visually was modeled after early John Browning designs, internally it used the short recoil dropping-barrel system from the famous Colt 1911, another Browning design. Feodor improved upon the design by employing a much simpler hammer/sear assembly and cartridge guides that provide reliable functioning. Under testing the Tokarev was found to be extremely rugged and able to handle the worst combat conditions. Soviet engineers also added several other features such as locking lugs all around the barrel. The magazine feeding lips were even machined in such a way that they prevented damaged to the cartridge due to misfeeds. More importantly the design was simplified to the point that Soviet industry could turn out thousands of the pistols without using significant time, labor, and resources.
The most interesting feature of the Tokarev was its ammo, a 7.62x25 cartridge that was bottlenecked to provide extra velocity. This cartridge was based off the German 7.63x25 Mauser. In fact during World War II the Germans issued a number of captured Tokarev’s because German ammunition could be used in the pistols. Feeding the pistol was an 8 round detachable magazine. The Tokarev had no safety other than a half cock feature on the hammer.
During World War II the Tokarev never fully supplanted the Nagant revolver, rather both were produced and issued concurrently. After the war the Tokarev became standard issue of other communist countries, such as the countries of Eastern Europe, China, North Korea, and Vietnam. They also saw use in pretty much every war fought from 1950 up to today. Below is a map of the various countries that at one point used or still use the Tokarev.
The Russian replaced the Tokarev with the Makarov in the 1950’s. Over 1.7 million were produced.
