tokarev review attempt

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Atlasarmory

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 2, 2009
    3,359
    Glen Burnie
    I will now attempt to write a comparative review of the following two pistols the Romanian t33 and the Yugoslavian m57 tokarev. the t33 purchased from J&G sales (very good condition) the finish on this firearm was very good no rust to be seen the cosmo did its job well. however the inside of the supplied mag was filthy (really full of dirt and grease) so much so that the slide release could not overcome it after cleaning the mag all was well I found the grip to be a little short having trouble keeping my little finger on it. the import safety is somewhat crude but functional however it appears to be staked in place making it imposable (at least for me) to remove the trigger or trigger spring. the recoil spring is like that in a 1911 witch makes reassembly a little tricky. the firing pin is retained by a pin pressed through the slide removed and replaced for cleaning with out any problems. I found the mag release button to be a bit small on the gun but still functional.mags drop clean but due to the shortened grip the semi unrefined mag bases had a tendency to pinch my hand I contoured the rear of the base plate to correct this and now its fine. the sights were nothing special fixed front rear drift able but functional all the same. the hammer and fire control part remove as a unite witch aids in cleaning also a set of internal mag lips are attached to this rendering the lips on the mags themselves less critical. fired approx 150 rounds of Romanian ammo Saturday without any problems. however after things started to wear in i noticed a good slam on the fresh mag when inserted was enough to release the slide bit of a surprise. for Field stripping the pin on the slide release that engages the barrel lug (just like on a colt 45)is retained by what really looks like part of a master link for #40 roller chain though utilitarian in appearance it dose the job.all in all i enjoyed this pistol allot. it has a certain old world charm when things were designed by slide rule and drafting table and you can tell it was made by a person not spat out of an injection molder.

    Ok hang in there were almost done. Now for the Yugoslavian m57 this gun came from sog in about the same condition as the t33. right off you see this pistol was designed with a longer grip to accommodate a 9rd mag and has a factory safety not an import hack on. (Note I found the m57 mags will work in the t33 but not the other way) you notice this firearm to be a little more refined then the romie. I found the grip panels on this gun to be a little lose the t33's are almost press fit these wiggle alittle.both guns appear to use the same style of grip panels with a kind of pivoting retention arm accessible from the magwell. this gun uses a recoil guide spring jointed in the middle. it also has a mag safety witch doesn't allow it to be fired without a mag inserted this is accomplished by means of a tang witch is displaced by the mag otherwise it obstructs the trigger. the fireing pin is retained by way of a small block keyed into the slide there is also a small bushing in the block also very small. the m57 has two firing pin retention springs the t33 only uses one. fire control parts look identical to the Romanian. the mag release button was much larger on this gun and functioned more ergonomically.also fired approx 150 rounds without any problems. did not notice any slide disengagement when inserting a fresh mag as with th romie. this gun feels a lot more modern in the hand as you would expect it to and over all design seems better then the t33. However having fired both of them on the same day I still just seamed to prefer the romie? in conclusion both guns functioned very well and were a pleasure to shoot hope you enjoyed my attempt at a review thanks for reading.:o
     
    Last edited:

    zombiehunter

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 8, 2008
    6,505
    I'd say good write up! Thanks for your time in doing it :)
    Could you add a few more paragragh breaks for me? I get lost in all the text sometimes lol.
     

    TripleChris

    Active Member
    Apr 10, 2009
    192
    Pasadena, MD
    Interesting info, thanks for the write up.

    Word of mouth says the Polish Tokarevs are the best in terms of build quality. Never fired one (or any Tok for that matter!) but they are intriguing in their simplicity. I might get one when my C&R arrives. Hell why not.
     

    Atlasarmory

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 2, 2009
    3,359
    Glen Burnie
    I hear the polish are very nice I would like to find one for a reasonable price the subtleties from one mfg to another are interesting
     

    Jim Keenan

    Active Member
    Aug 16, 2008
    259
    Atlasarmory wrote: "...there is no guide rod for the recoil spring..."

    News to me. The TT-33 and copies have a recoil spring guide much like the one on the U.S. Model 1911. If yours doesn't, it is missing.

    Jim
     

    Atlasarmory

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 2, 2009
    3,359
    Glen Burnie
    Keenen is correct there is a 1911 style guide rod on the t33/ what I should have said is the guide rod dose not retain the spring as in the m57 were the guide rod and spring remove as a unite. what is the correct names for these different types of guide rods ?
     

    Attachments

    • M-57 pic.jpg
      M-57 pic.jpg
      37.3 KB · Views: 308
    • tt-33 pic.jpg
      tt-33 pic.jpg
      40.5 KB · Views: 378

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,915
    Messages
    7,258,438
    Members
    33,348
    Latest member
    Eric_Hehl

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom