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TT pistol

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"TT33" redirects here. For the Theban tomb, see TT33 (tomb).
TT (Tula Tokarev)
TT-33
TypeSemi-automatic pistol
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In service1930–present
Used bySee Users
WarsSee Conflicts
Production history
DesignerFedor Tokarev
Designed1930
ManufacturerTula Arms Plant, Izhevsk Arsenal, Norinco, Femaru, FB Radom, Cugir Arsenal, Zastava Arms, FÉG
Produced1930–1955 (in Soviet Union)[1]
No. built1,653,188[2][a]
VariantsSee variants
Specifications
Mass854 g (30.1 oz)[3]
Length195 mm (7.7 in)[3]
Barrel length116 mm (4.6 in)[3]
Height134 mm (5.3 in)
Cartridge7.62×25mm Tokarev
9×19mm Parabellum
ActionShort recoil actuated, locked breech, single action
Muzzle velocity420 m/s (1,378 ft/s)[3]
Effective firing range50 m
Feed system8-round detachable box magazine or 9-round detachable box magazine compatible with Zastava M57
SightsFront blade, rear notch
156 mm (6.1 in) sight radius

The TT-30,[b] commonly known simply as the Tokarev, is a Soviet semi-automatic pistol. It was developed during the late 1920s by Fedor Tokarev as a service pistol for the Soviet Armed Forces and was based on the earlier pistol designs of John Moses Browning, albeit with detail modifications to simplify production and maintenance.[3] The Soviet Union ceased production of the TT in 1954, although derivatives of the pistol continued to be manufactured for many years in the People's Republic of China and nations aligned with the Soviet bloc.[3]

Development

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Before 1930, the Soviet Union used a large variety of foreign-made semi-automatic pistols including: FN M1900, FN M1903, FN M1905, M1921 "Bolo" Mauser, and the Colt M1911, besides the Nagant M1895 revolver. In an attempt to simplify production, the Soviet Artillery Committee (which also oversaw small arms designs) decided to adopt a 7.62 mm pistol caliber, allowing Mosin-Nagant rifle barrels to be cut down to make pistols and submachine gun barrels.[4] In 1930, the Red Army conducted trials to select a new standard-issue pistol and Tokarev's design was tested against upscaled versions of the Korovin pistol, and Sergei Aleksandrovich Prilutsky's 1920−1921 self-loading design as well as foreign pistols.[c] Tokarev's design, considered to be lighter, more accurate and reliable than its competitors (despite being harder to disassemble), was adopted as the Tula-Tokarev Model 1930, even though the pistol would only be officially adopted on the next year.[5]

After being accepted for service, the TT-30 was modified, primarily to simplify the manufacturing process, such as making the back strap an integral part of the frame instead of being a separate piece, reducing machining time.[6] The newly improved pistol received the designation TT-33.[7]

Design details

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Externally, the TT-33 is very similar to John Browning's blowback operated FN Model 1903 pistol, and internally it uses Browning's short recoil tilting-barrel system from the M1911 pistol. In other areas the TT-33 differs more from Browning's designs—it employs a much simpler hammer/sear assembly than the M1911. This assembly is removable from the pistol as a modular unit and includes machined magazine feed lips, preventing misfeeds when a damaged magazine is loaded into the magazine well.[8] The magazines themselves can be disassembled for cleaning, another measure to prevent malfunctions.[9]

The pistol lacks an external safety and is usually carried with a round loaded and the hammer half-cocked.[9] The safest method for carrying the TT-33 is to leave the chamber empty, though it requires the slide to be manually pulled back and released to ready the gun for use, which takes some effort due the relatively stiff recoil spring.[10]

The TT-33 is chambered for the 7.62×25mm Tokarev cartridge, which was itself based on the similar 7.63×25mm Mauser cartridge used in the Mauser C96 pistol. The 7.62×25mm cartridge is powerful, has an extremely flat trajectory, and is capable of penetrating thick clothing and soft body armor.[11] Despite the power of the 7.62 mm round, the TT-33 has a relatively mild recoil.[10]

Although the Tokarev was mass produced for the Red Army, the Soviet Union continued producing Nagant 1895 revolvers during World War II due the material demands of the war and the shortcomings of the TT-33, such as being less suitable to fire through a tank viewport, the magazines could be released accidentally, stress on the firing pin decreased the pistol service life. Due the lack of an external safety, cavalry units including Cossacks carried Nagants as sidearms instead.[12]

As early as 1938, the Soviets mulled on a replacement for the TT-33, and trials were conducted. After testing several designs, including a submission from Tokarev, a 18-round design chambered for the 7.62 mm round by Pavel V. Voyevodin was chosen, but development was halted following Operation Barbarossa.[13]

Early production TTs have a high-quality black or dark blue finish, while wartime models (1942−1945) have rougher finish and wooden grips instead of rubber, while in some examples the lanyard ring on the bottom of the magazine was omitted. A total of 1,059,687 pistols were built during World War II, while approximately 46,000 were built post-war: these pistols have improved finish and grips similar to pre-war models. They also feature a slightly taller rear sight and narrow serrations on the rear of the slide.[14]

Variants

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Soviet Tokarev TT-33, made in 1937

Soviet Union / Russia

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  • TT-30: Original model, adopted by the Soviet Union as stardard military pistol in 1931 it is estimated that 93,000 pistols were built until 1936.[15]
  • TT-33: A modified and simplified version of the TT-30,[7] it was replaced by the Makarov pistol. A civilian version of the T-33 was offered in the 2010s by the Molot Machine Building Plant. These pistols are externally similar to the original, but are chambered for 10×33mm cartridges containing a single rubber ball of 10 mm (0.39 in) diameter for self-defense purposes.[16]
  • TT-3: Training pistol chambered for .22 long rifle, it apparently never got past prototype stage.[17]
  • TT-4: Prototype similar to the TT-4, but with a longer barrel.[17]
Type 54 with manual safety

China

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  • Type 51: A virtually identical copy of the TT-33, except for the Chinese markings on the left rear of the frame or on the top of the slide.[18] According to Thompson, the barrels aren't chrome-lined. Over 235,000 were produced between 1951 and 1954.[19]
  • Type 54: Replaced the Type 51 in 1954. Roughly 420,000 were produced until 1985. Up to 50,000 Type 54s were exported to North Vietnam.[19]
  • M20: Basically a Type 54 with no markings for clandestine operations. At least some were supplied to the Viet Cong and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). It's estimated that less than 50,000 were made.[20]
  • TU-20[21]
  • Model 213: Export model by Norinco, it's a Type 54 fitted with an external safety and chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum round.[22]
  • Model 213A: A Model 213 with a 14-round box magazine.[22]
  • Model 213B: A Model 213 with a wrap-around grip to improve ergonomics.[22]
  • NP-10: Export model with interchangeable barrels. It can fire 7.62×25mm, 9×19mm, and .38 Super cartridges.[22]
  • NP-15: Export 9×19mm model with three white dot sights and a black rubber grip.[22]
  • NP-17: Export target-shooting 9×19mm pistol with a 116 mm (4.6 in) barrel and muzzle break.[22]
The Hungarian "Tokagypt" is a 9 mm variant of the Soviet TT pistol

Hungary

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  • M48: Also commonly known as the 48M, the Pisztoly 48 Minta is a licensed copy of the TT-33 produced by Fegyver- és Gépgyár (FÉG) from 1948 until 1958. They can be identified by the Rákosi or Kádár crest on the grips. About 100,000 were manufactured.[23]
  • Tokagypt 58: An export version for Egypt chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum round which was widely used by police forces there.[8] After receiving less than half of the 30,000 pistols ordered,[d] Egypt cancelled its order. The remaining pistols were sold commercially by FÉG. Tokagypts differ from the M48 by an external thumb safety, an ergonomic wraparound grip, and a magazine with a finger rest.[24]

North Korea

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  • Type 66/68: also known as the M68,[8] it was produced at the Chongyul Arms Plant and can be distinguished from the TT-33 by the shorter barrel,[e] and the serrations on the rear of the slide, intended to give the shooter a grip while the gun is being cocked.[26] Other differences include a magazine catch on the base of the grip,[25] a tilting-barrel system similar to the Browning Hi-Power, a modified firing pin and reinforced slide stop. TT-33 magazines can be used on the Type 68, but not vice versa.[26] During the 1980s the Type 68 was gradually replaced by the Baek Du San pistol, a North Korean copy of the Czechoslovak CZ 75 pistol.[27]
A crude Pakistani-made knockoff copy of the TT-33 Pistol.

Pakistan

[edit]
  • Khyber Pass copy: Both legal and illegal TT pistols are still manufactured in various Pakistani Khyber Pass factories.[28] Quality greatly varies, with some individual copies being almost indistinguishable from the original. These copies usually can be identified by the incorrect markings or crude finish. Due the high pressure generated by the 7.62×25mm cartridge and the often poor quality of the steel and heat treatment of these copies, they can be dangerous to fire.[29]

Poland

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  • wz. 1933: A licensed copy desginated as Pistolet wzór 1933,[30] about 225,500 pistols were produced by FB "Łucznik" Radom from 1948 until 1955 following a limited production run in 1946−1947. It was replaced by the FB P-64 in 1967, though the wz. 1933 remained in limited service until the 1990s.[31]
  • TT Sportowy: .22 caliber training pistol[31]
Romanian TTC, made in 1953

Romania

[edit]
  • TTC: Designated as the Tula Tokarev Cugir, it was produced by the Cugir Arms Factory. The first prototype was made in 1951, with mass production continuing until 1957. The TTC was adopted by the Romanian military in 1952 and remained in service (alongside with police units) until the late 1990s.[32] 155,648 pistols were produced in total. Of these, about 30,000 were exported to Syria and Iraq, while a few thousand more were sold to other foreign customers.[32]

Vietnam

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  • K-54VN − A locally produced copy made by Factory Z111 to replace and refurbish the aging Type 54 (designated as K-54 by the Vietnamese) pistols in service.[33]
  • K14: An upgraded version of the K-54VN also made by Factory Z111, it has a barrel 11 mm (0.43 in) longer, an increased capacity of 13 rounds, with a wider grip to incorporate a double stack magazine.[33] In early October 2014, the PAVN received 50 pistols for trials.[34]
M57 with a loaded 9-round magazine.

Yugoslavia / Serbia

[edit]
  • M57: The Zastava Model M57 is an improved copy of the TT-33 made by Zastava Arms, with a 9-round magazine (as opposed to the TT's eight), a magazine safety, though the bore is not chromed. Around 260,000−270,000 pistols were produced between 1963 and 1982, with a separate run of pistols made for Croatia.[35]
  • M70: Not to be confused with the blowback M70 pistol also produced by Zastava, it's a M57 chambered for the 9×19mm cartridge. It uses a six-groove rifling instead of four.[36]
  • M70A: An improved version of the M70, it features a slide-mounted safety catch which locks the firing pin.[36]
  • M70: A blowback-operated pistol chambered for the .32 ACP cartridge, it features a manual safety to lock the firing mechanism and an automatic safety that blocks the sear when the magazine is removed.[36]
  • M70(k): A blowback pistol identical to the M70, but chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge.[36]
  • M88: A compact and modernized version of the M70 9×19mm pistol with a 8-round magazine. While it largely retains the Tokarev operating mechanism, externally it bears little resemblance to the TT-33. It features a frame-mounted safety.[37]
  • Zastava M88A: Virtually identical to the M88, but with a safety catch mounted on the rear of the slide, which not only blocks the firing pin, but also interrupts the link between trigger and hammer as well.[37]

Service history

[edit]
A Soviet junior political officer armed with a Tokarev TT-33 Service Pistol.

The TT-33 was primarily issued to officers,[7] though some enlisted non-commissioned officers and specialists (such as snipers) were also issued with handguns as well.[38] Cavalry units carried the Nagant 1895 revolver instead, since the lack of an external safety on the TT pistol presented a risk to both horse and rider.[39]

While the TT-33 was used in small numbers during the Spanish Civil War, the first major use of the Tokarev pistol was during the Winter War against Finland. The Finns managed to capture a number of TT-33 pistols and PPD submachine guns, which they used until they run out 7.62 mm Tokarev ammunition.[40]

During World War II, both the Germans and the Finns made use of captured TT-33 pistols, though the former had the advantage of making use of the 7.63×25mm Mauser cartridge, which can be loaded in TT pistols (though the 7.62×25mm Tokarev cannot be fired in weapons chambered for the 7.63 mm round). Captured pistols were re-issued to German troops as the Pistole 615(r).[41]

After the war, the TT-33 was gradually replaced in Soviet military and police service by the Makarov pistol, though some pistols remained in use into the 21st century.[42] China, North Korea, and Vietnam received substantial number of TT-33s and used them alongside Chinese-made copies during the Korean War and Vietnam War.[43] Surplus Soviet pistols were also supplied in quantity to African countries as military aid. According to Thompson, over 60 countries used TT-33 pistols, with eight countries mass producing TT-33 copies or pistols based on the Tokarev design.[31] Some Arab terrorist groups also managed to obtain a large number of pistols, including some Hungarian-made Tokagypt 58s originally intended to arm the Nasser regime after the Eisenhower administration refused to sell arms to Egypt. Tokagypt 58s were a staple of the Red Army Faction arsenal, and founding members Ulrike Meinhof and Andreas Baader were taught how to shoot at an Arab training camp in Jordan with Tokagypts.[44]

During the Soviet-Afghan War, the Afghan mujahideen made use of pistols captured from the Soviets and Khyber Pass copies of the Tokarev and Makarov obtained from Pakistan as well.[29]

Conflicts

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Users

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Map of TT operators during the Cold War

Current

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Former

[edit]

Non-state former

[edit]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ TT-30 and T-33 produced between 1930 and 1945
  2. ^ Russian: 7,62-мм самозарядный пистолет Токарева образца 1930 года, romanized: 7,62 mm Samozaryadny Pistolet Tokareva obraztsa 1930 goda, "7.62 mm Tokarev self-loading pistol model 1930", TT stands for Tula-Tokarev)
  3. ^ According to Yelshin, some of the foreign pistols tested included designs from Browning and Walther (Yelshin 1981, p. 36)
  4. ^ Between 13,000 and 14,000 pistols according to Thompson, while George Layman gives a total of 13,250 pistols. (Thompson 2022, p. 64)
  5. ^ The Type 66/68 has a 107 mm (4.2 in) long barrel in comparison to the TT-33's 116 mm (4.6 in) long barrel.[25]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Monetchikov, S. (December 2007). "АРСЕНАЛ: ТТ: МАЛЕНЬКОЕ РУССКОЕ ЧУДО" [TT: Small Russian miracle]. "Bratishka" magazine. Archived from the original on 15 January 2015.
  2. ^ Thompson 2022, p. 18.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Gander, Terry (1997). Jane's Infantry Weapons, 1997-98. Surrey: Jane's Information Group. pp. 45, 731–741. ISBN 0-7106-1548-5.
  4. ^ Thompson 2022, pp. 12−15.
  5. ^ Thompson 2022, pp. 13−17.
  6. ^ Thompson 2022, p. 17.
  7. ^ a b c Yelshin 1981, p. 37.
  8. ^ a b c d Bishop, Chris (2006). The Encyclopedia of Small Arms and Artillery. Grange Books. pp. 13–14. ISBN 978-1-84013-910-5.
  9. ^ a b Weeks 1980, p. 51.
  10. ^ a b Thompson 2022, p. 19.
  11. ^ PSM Shooting: 5.45x18mm vs 7.62x25mm on Soft Armor. Forgotten Weapons. July 1, 2017. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ^ Thompson 2022, pp. 21, 40.
  13. ^ Thompson 2022, p. 21.
  14. ^ Thompson 2022, pp. 17−18.
  15. ^ Thompson 2022, pp. 16−17.
  16. ^ Jones & Ness 2010, p. 59.
  17. ^ a b Thompson 2022, p. 20.
  18. ^ Jones & Ness 2010, p. 16.
  19. ^ a b c Thompson 2022, p. 64.
  20. ^ a b Thompson 2022, pp. 64−65.
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  25. ^ a b c Thompson 2022, p. 67.
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  39. ^ Thompson 2022, p. 40.
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  42. ^ Thompson 2022, p. 47.
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  55. ^ a b Ferguson & Jenzen-Jones 2014, p. 86.
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  62. ^ a b Jones & Ness 2010, p. 906.
  63. ^ Jones & Ness 2010, p. 907.
  64. ^ a b c Jones & Ness 2010, p. 908.
  65. ^ a b Jones & Ness 2010, p. 909.
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  81. ^ Thompson 2022, pp. 16−20.
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Bibliography

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