Technical characteristics of the TT 33 g pistol. The terrible story of the legendary TT pistol
TT, Tula Tokarev and the pistol arr. 1933 (GRAU Index - 56-A-132) - the first army self-loading pistol of the USSR, developed in 1930 by the Soviet designer Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev.
TT pistol - video
The TT pistol was created in the design bureau of the Tula Arms Plant with the aim of replacing the revolver "Nagan" and several models of foreign-made revolvers and pistols that were in service with the Red Army by the mid-1920s. The Nagan revolver did not have the necessary rate of fire, firepower and shooting efficiency. It was necessary to create personal weapons with higher combat and service-operational qualities. The then widespread Browning and Mauser pocket pistols of 7.65 mm caliber were not suitable for use in the army due to the low stopping effect of the bullet; the Belgian Browning 1903 9 mm caliber did not have an external trigger and was designed for a rather low-power cartridge; the American M1911A1 was too large-sized and a heavy, rather difficult to manufacture weapon, although very effective in shooting, the Mauser C-96, beloved by many Red Army commanders and revolutionaries, was hopelessly outdated, and the German Parabellum P.08, which had excellent combat and operational qualities, was too expensive and labor-intensive to produce .
In general, the reason for abandoning foreign systems was the need to re-equip the weapons industry with new production equipment and the introduction of new standards, which required enormous expenses that were not acceptable for Soviet Russia at that time. The new weapon for arming the command staff of the Red Army was supposed to have a long range of actual fire, small dimensions, light weight, an open trigger and the simplest possible safety lock, as well as a beautiful appearance, but the main thing is to be simple in design and adaptable to cheap mass production on outdated and primitive equipment.
A powerful 7.62 mm caliber cartridge with a muzzle velocity of 420 m/s was chosen for use in the new pistol. It was a redesigned 7.63mm Mauser cartridge, which later received the designation 7.62×25 TT. The use of this cartridge did not require re-equipment of production; in addition, there were quite a lot of a large number of 7.63 mm cartridges purchased from the Germans for Mauser C-96 pistols. The assigned tasks regarding the qualities of the pistol itself were achieved thanks to new design solutions by Tokarev, who took the Browning locking system as the basis, as the simplest and best suited for use in compact weapons chambered for such a powerful cartridge, as well as the layout and design of the FN Browning model pistol 1903. In June - July 1930, the first field tests of the F.V. pistol took place. Tokarev together with domestic designs by S.A. Prilutsky and S.A. Korovin chambered for 7.62×25, as well as foreign pistols FN Browning model 1922 and Walther PP 7.65 mm caliber, Parabellum P.08 9 mm caliber and Colt M1911A1 45 caliber. During these tests, the Tokarev pistol demonstrated excellent ballistic qualities and accuracy. When shooting at 25 meters, the dispersion radius was 7.5 cm.
Tokarev's weapon turned out to be easy to handle and operate, superior to other models in terms of weight and size characteristics, and reliable in operation during prolonged firing. A huge advantage for the Soviet arms industry of those years was the manufacturability and ease of production of this pistol. The competition committee headed by M.F. Grushetsky considered the Tokarev pistol the most acceptable and suitable for adoption, provided that the identified shortcomings were eliminated. The commission's requirements included improving shooting accuracy, easing the trigger pull, and making it safer to handle. Tokarev completed the task within several months of work. The decision on additional tests was made on December 23, 1930. In January of the same year, in Solnechnogorsk, Moscow Region, tests took place at the training ground of the Higher Rifle School “Vystrel”, which were attended by the main military leaders of the state: K.E. Voroshilov, M.N. Tukhachevsky, I. P. Uborevich, as well as many high-ranking officials. Based on the test results, the advantages of the improved Tokarev pistol over other models were noted. On February 12, 1931, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR ordered the first batch of 1000 pistols for comprehensive military testing. In the same year, the Tokarev pistol was adopted by the Red Army under the official designation “7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1930 g" along with the 7.62×25 cartridge under the designation "7.62 mm pistol cartridge "P" mod. 1930." Unofficially, this weapon began to be called TT (Tula Tokarev), later this name was assigned to it.
The Tokarev pistol combines the design features of various systems: the Browning bore locking scheme used in the famous M1911, the FN Browning model 1903 design and the 7.63mm Mauser cartridge. At the same time, the pistol has original design solutions - combining the trigger mechanism in a separate single block - the block, which, when disassembling the weapon, is freely separated from the frame for cleaning and lubrication; placement of the mainspring in the trigger, which reduced the longitudinal width of the handle; fastening the cheeks of the handle with the help of rotating bars attached to them, which simplified the disassembly of the pistol, the absence of a safety mechanism, the function of which was performed only by the safety cocking of the hammer. The automation works according to the scheme of using recoil with a short barrel stroke. Locking is carried out using a descending barrel. Two lugs located on the outer upper side of the barrel in front of the chamber fit into corresponding grooves made in the inner surface of the bolt casing. The breech of the barrel is lowered by means of an earring, hingedly connected to the barrel by the axis of the earring, and to the frame by the axis of the bolt stop. The trigger mechanism is hammer type, single action, with safety cocking. When the trigger is put on the safety cock, the bolt-casing is also blocked.
The direction of supply of the cartridge from the magazine to the chamber in the TT pistol is carried out by the guiding surfaces of the protrusions of the trigger block, which increases the reliability of chambering if the curved upper edges of the side walls of the neck of the magazine box are damaged. On the left side of the frame there is a bolt stop lever, on right side a split bolt stop spring is placed, which secures it and is used to disassemble the weapon. The magazine latch is located at the base of the trigger guard, on the left side of the frame. Sights consist of a non-adjustable front sight, made as part of the bolt-casing, and a rear sight, fixed in a dovetail groove with the possibility of making lateral adjustments. A box magazine with a single-row arrangement of cartridges in the side walls has holes for visual determination of their number. These holes are staggered, seven on the right and six on the left. The tilt angle of the handle is 102°. The cheeks of the handle are plastic, with a large notch. The cheeks of early production pistols are completely grooved. In 1935, pistols with brown cheeks were produced. Later, with the exception of wooden ones, only black cheeks were made. On the cheeks of a later issue, in the center, there is a five-pointed star with a stylized inscription “USSR”. The weapon was made of carbon steel. The surfaces were treated with oxidation.
Production of the Tokarev pistol began in 1930 at the Tula Arms Factory. In 1930 - 1932 several thousand were produced, while in 1932 - 1933. a number of changes were made to the design of the pistol in order to improve manufacturability: the barrel lugs were now made by turning, and not milled as before; the frame was made in one piece, without a removable handle cover; The disconnector and trigger rod were modified. In this form, mass production of Tokarev pistols began in 1933, and the pistol was put into service under the name “7.62-mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933." The Red Army received modern personal weapons - a self-loading pistol, created on the basis of the best design solutions, possessing fairly high combat and service-operational qualities.
However, the Nagant revolver, which was in service with the Red Army, and the Tokarev pistol, which was trouble-free in operation and accurate in shooting, at the same time having an unacceptably low rate of fire and low stopping effect of the bullet of the cartridge used, could not be completely replaced by the TT, which was produced in parallel with the “7. 62 mm Nagan revolver mod. 1895" until the end of the Second World War. Pistol production either decreased or increased in volume. In 1941, in connection with the advance of German troops towards Tula, the USSR government decided to transfer the production of Tokarev pistols to the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. However, after the evacuation of the equipment, Tula gunsmiths were able to establish a small-scale production of pistols, repairing outdated machines and tools, as well as repair old pistols coming from the front. After the Wehrmacht advance near Moscow was stopped, production at the Tula Arms Plant was restored within a few months. Pistols produced during the war years were distinguished by poor quality of manufacturing and surface treatment, as well as wooden handles. Post-war production of Tokarev pistols was carried out at the Tula and Izhevsk factories.
The TT received its baptism of fire in 1938 - 1939. in the battles at Khalkhin Gol and Lake Khasan, and then was used during the Soviet-Finnish “Winter” War of 1939-1940. During the years of the USSR's participation in World War II, Tokarev pistols became widely used in all branches of the Red Army. The Finnish army used captured TTs until the end of the 1950s. They can be distinguished by a stamp with the letters “SA” in a rectangle located on the left side of the frame, above the butt plate of the handle. In the Wehrmacht, Tokarev pistols were in service as weapons of a limited standard under the designation Pistole 615 (r) and were mainly used in the rear and security units of the Wehrmacht and by the police. TT pistols, along with other examples of Soviet small arms, were used by Russians acting on the side of the Third Reich national armies RONA, 1st RNA, Russian Corps and KONR Armed Forces, as well as in various formations of the SS Troops consisting of Slavs and Cossacks. It should be clarified here that out of approximately 1.24 million USSR citizens in Wehrmacht units from 1940 to 1945. About 400,000 Russians and 250,000 Ukrainians served in the war against Bolshevik terror. After the war, in 1946, production technology was improved again. Shutter-casing modernized pistol has a grooved notch, instead of alternating large and small grooves, but this year pistols with large alternating notches were also produced. Production continued until the end of 1953. Total from 1930 to 1953 About 1,740,000 pistols were produced, of which about 4,700 were 1930 model pistols. In the armed forces of the USSR, the Tokarev pistol was used until the 1970s.
During combat use, Tokarev's weapons demonstrated high combat qualities. The pistol has a high bullet penetration and a long firing range, as well as high shooting accuracy over long distances, which is due to the flat flight path and high initial velocity of the bullet. The weapon has small width, in the absence of strongly protruding parts. Placing the trigger in a separate block greatly simplifies the care of the weapon and eliminates the risk of losing small parts. Ease of use is ensured by a single action trigger. This trigger is optimal for pistols used in real combat, as it has the simplest operating principle and design. But shortcomings also emerged. The constant tension of the mainspring when the trigger is set to safety leads to its gradual settlement and reduction in survivability. Weak fixation of the magazine with a latch, which leads to its spontaneous falling out. Over time, the earring wears out, which leads to delays in shooting. The possibility of the sear breaking, if it is severely worn, when the pistol falls on the trigger, which is set to the safety cock, which entails a spontaneous shot if the cartridge is in the chamber. The small tilt angle of the handle does not ensure the accuracy of “instinctive” aiming when shooting offhand. Due to the reduced quality of steel, wartime weapons could only withstand 700 - 800 rounds without failure.
To ensure reliable operation of the weapon, it is necessary to store the pistol with the trigger pulled and without a cartridge in the chamber, replace the magazine latch spring with a stronger one, and when disassembling, before separating the bolt stop, you must first separate the barrel guide bushing and thereby unload the return spring, which prolongs its service life . The most reliable and having best quality pistols manufactured at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant in the period from 1947 to 1953 are considered to be manufactured. This circumstance is explained by the well-established production technology and a significant reduction in the production plan. The TTs produced at the Tula Arms Plant before the USSR entered World War II were also of high quality. High-quality samples can withstand up to 10,000 shots. Despite the adoption of the Makarov pistol in 1951, the TT was in service with the Soviet army until the early 1960s, and in law enforcement agencies- until the mid-1970s. Currently, the TT is used by the police, VOKhR, hunting supervision, fisheries supervision and other organizations, as well as by operatives of special forces groups.
The Tokarev pistol and its modifications became widespread throughout the world after the Second World War. Their production was established in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, China, North Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. Pistols designed by Tokarev were in service in more than 35 countries around the world. These weapons have been used in every major and minor armed conflict throughout the 20th century and continue to be used in modern battlefields. The wide popularity of the TT is a consequence of the combination of its low cost, high combat qualities, as well as ease of use and maintenance. Opinion about the employee’s TT special unit Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation with extensive combat experience: “A lot has been said about him, but very little can be added. More suitable for military use when on alert. For its relatively small dimensions, it is one of the most powerful pistols in the world. And it’s much nicer to the touch, for example, PYa and all sorts of Glocks. Completely unsuitable for urban shootings and self-defense. The bullet’s high penetrating power and lack of self-cocking can lead to prison (shooting right through and into a random passerby) or to the cemetery (you have to have time to cock the trigger).” KardeN
The main and most attractive for both special forces soldiers and shooting enthusiasts and weapon collectors is the powerful 7.62×25 TT cartridge, originally created for the C-96 “pistol-carbine” and having a very high penetration effect for a pistol cartridge bullets and good ballistic qualities - the bullet has a flat flight path, making it easier to aim when shooting at long distances. When using cartridges with highly effective expansion bullets, such as Wolf Gold JHP, stopping power is significantly increased. It is the shooting of these cartridges that is the highlight of the TT, along with the ascetic design and simplicity. The wide popularity of 9mm Parabellum variants is explained by the smaller distribution of 7.62x25 TT cartridges and their higher cost than 9 mm cartridges. Currently, the TT pistol is consistently in demand among fans of shooting from military weapons in the USA and Europe. The largest producer is China, leading large-scale exports. But the disadvantage of Chinese weapons is their lower quality compared to European ones. TTs produced in Serbia are not limited to using only 7.62x25 TT and 9mm Parabellum cartridges, but are also produced for other popular pistol cartridges.
One of the best pistols based on the TT design is certainly the M57, created in Yugoslavia, at the Zastava company and currently produced by Zastava Arms (Zastava oružje) for export to various countries around the world, including Western Europe and the United States of America. Compared to the Tokarev pistol, the M57 design has a number of changes that significantly increase the ergonomics and safety of handling the weapon. The most important change was the safety lever, which, when turned on, blocks the trigger mechanism and the bolt-casing. Its large-sized lever is very easy to use and makes it easy to bring the weapon into full combat readiness even when drawing it out. In addition, the handle was lengthened, which increased the magazine capacity by one cartridge, and the magazine latch was enlarged. In 1990 at international market weapons, the Hungarian T-58 pistol was released, a modernized version of the Tokagypt 58. This weapon has ergonomic grip cheeks, like the P.38, and a safety lever on the left side of the frame. The pistol uses 9mm Parabellum and 7.62x25 TT cartridges. The kit includes 9 mm and 7.62 mm barrels and corresponding magazines. The T-58 is the most advanced version of the TT. The weapons themselves, created by Fedor Tokarev, still have great modernization potential.
Options and modifications
7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1930- first serial modification, total in 1930-1933. no more than 93 thousand units were produced.
(pre-war production) - in order to increase manufacturability in production, changes were made to the design of the trigger mechanism (trigger rod and disconnector), the shape of the barrel and frame was simplified (the back wall of the handle was made solid, without a detachable cover). By June 22, 1941, about 600 thousand TT pistols entered service with the Red Army.
7.62 mm training self-loading pistol mod. 1933- a training version of the Tokarev pistol, produced before the war. It differed from the combat one only in its carbolite cheeks, painted green (not black). The letters “UCH” were stamped next to the serial number.
7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933(wartime release) - was distinguished by a simplified design and poorer quality of parts processing; Some pistols had wooden cheeks installed.
7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933(post-war edition)
Sports weapons
Tokarev Sportowy- a Polish-made sports pistol chambered for a small-caliber cartridge. 22 Long Rifle with liners in the shape of a standard chamber chambered for a 7.62×25 mm cartridge.
in the 1950s in the USSR, on the basis of the TT, it was created sports training pistol R-3 chambered for a small-caliber 5.6 mm cartridge with a blowback bolt.
in May 2012 in Russia the TT pistol was certified as a sporting weapon under the name sports pistol S-TT.
Traumatic weapon
Several traumatic options have been developed based on the pistol. civilian weapons self-defense.
VPO-501 “Leader”- a “barrelless” traumatic pistol chambered for 10×32 mm T. Developed and produced since 2005 by the Vyatsko-Polyansky machine-building plant “Molot”. In accordance with forensic requirements, changes were made to the design to eliminate the possibility of firing live ammunition.
VPO-509 "Leader-M"- “barrelless” traumatic pistol chambered for 11.43×32 mm T. Developed by the Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant “Molot”.
TT-T- traumatic pistol chambered for 10×28 mm T. Developed and manufactured at JSC Plant named after. V. A. Degtyareva." On sale since 2011. It has design differences from the combat TT: a barrel with removed rifling; the channel has one partition-pin that prevents shooting with a solid object.
The first army self-loading pistol of the USSR, created by Soviet designer Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev in 1930.
History of creation
The TT pistol was developed for the 1929 competition for a new army pistol, announced to replace the Nagan revolver and several models of foreign-made revolvers and pistols that were in service with the Red Army in the mid-1920s. The standard cartridge was the German 7.63x25 mm Mauser cartridge, which was purchased in large quantities for the Mauser S-96 pistols in service.
The competition commission, headed by M. F. Grushetsky, considered the pistol designed by F. V. Tokarev the most suitable for adoption, provided that the identified shortcomings were corrected. The commission's requirements included improving shooting accuracy, easing the trigger pull, and making it safer to handle. After several months of work, the shortcomings were eliminated. On December 23, 1930, a decision was made to carry out additional tests.
Based on the test results, the TT pistol, designed by a design group led by F.V. Tokarev at the design bureau of the Tula Arms Plant, won the competition. On February 12, 1931, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR ordered the first batch of 1000 pistols for comprehensive military testing. In the same year, the Tokarev pistol was put into service under the official designation “7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1930" together with the 7.62x25 cartridge. The pistol, called TT (Tula Tokarev) was quite simple and technologically advanced in production and operation.
At the same time, the USSR bought a license for the production of the cartridge from the German company Mauser and began production under the designation “7.62 mm pistol cartridge “P” mod. 1930."
Several thousand copies were produced in 1930-1932. In order to improve the manufacturability of production, in 1932-1933. the weapon was modernized: the barrel lugs were not milled, but were turned; the frame was made in one piece, without a removable handle cover; The disconnector and trigger rod were modified. At the beginning of 1934 new gun entered service under the name “7.62-mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933."
At the end of 1941, the equipment for the manufacture of TT was moved to Izhevsk. During 1942, Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant No. 74 managed to produce 161,485 Tokarev pistols. Also in 1942, Izhevsk Plant No. 74 produced a small batch of Tokarev pistol with a double-row magazine with a capacity of 15 rounds. The thickness of the handle was 42 mm (30.5 mm for a standard TT). The magazine latch was moved to the base of the handle.
In 1947, the TT was again modified in order to reduce its cost: large vertical grooves, alternating with small grooves on the bolt casing for convenient retraction of the bolt, were replaced with small grooves (corrugation).
Design
The TT pistol combines design features of different systems: the bore locking design of J.M. Browning, used in the famous Colt M1911, the Browning M1903 design, and a cartridge originally developed for the Mauser C96 pistol.
According to some experts, when developing the design of the pistol, it was initially planned to completely copy the design of a modified Browning pistol with a removable trigger trigger mechanism (trigger mechanism). However, in the process of work, the designers were forced to abandon complete copying (due to the lack of a technological base for producing a complete copy of the original). It was necessary to reduce production costs by simplifying the design.
At the same time, the pistol has original design solutions aimed at ease of handling of the weapon: combining the trigger mechanism (trigger mechanism) in a separate single block block, which, when disassembling the weapon, is freely separated from the frame for cleaning and lubrication; placement of the mainspring in the trigger, which reduced the longitudinal width of the handle; fastening the cheeks of the handle with the help of rotating bars attached to them, which simplified the disassembly of the pistol, the absence of a safety mechanism - its function was performed by the safety cocking of the hammer.
Browning's short-stroke bore locking design with a swinging pin, the automatic operation system, as well as the trigger, borrowed from the Colt M1911 pistol, were modified to simplify production.
Single action trigger. The impact mechanism is made as a single unit, which simplifies factory assembly. (A few years later, Swiss gunsmith Charles Petter used exactly the same layout in the French Model 1935 pistol).
The pistol does not have a safety as a separate part; its functions are performed by the safety cocking of the hammer. To put the trigger on the safety cock, you had to pull the trigger back a little. After this, the trigger and bolt will be locked, and the trigger will not touch the firing pin. This eliminates the possibility of a shot if the gun is dropped or the trigger head is accidentally hit. To remove the hammer from the safety cock, you need to pull the trigger. In order to put the cocked hammer on the safety cock, it must first be released by holding it and pressing the trigger. And then you need to pull the trigger back a little.
Carrying a pistol with a cartridge in the chamber with the trigger pulled is not recommended and does not make sense, since in order to fire a shot, the trigger must be cocked in the same way as a trigger set on the safety cock.
On the left side of the frame there is a shutter stop lever. When the ammunition in the magazine is used up, the bolt is delayed in the rear position. To remove the shutter from the delay, you need to lower the slide stop lever.
Magazine capacity 8 rounds. The magazine release button is located on the left side of the grip, at the base of the trigger guard, similar to the Colt M1911.
When shooting at 50 m, hits in each of 10 series of 10 shots are placed in a circle with a radius of 150 mm.
Sights consist of a front sight, integral with the bolt, and a rear sight, pressed into a dovetail groove in the rear of the bolt. The cheeks of the handle were made of bakelite or (during the war) of wood (walnut).
Advantages and disadvantages
The TT pistol is distinguished by its simplicity of design and, therefore, low production costs and ease of maintenance. A very powerful cartridge, atypical for pistols, provides unusually high penetrating power and muzzle energy of about 500 J. The pistol has a short, light trigger and provides significant shooting accuracy; an experienced shooter is able to hit a target at distances of more than 50 meters. The pistol is flat and quite compact, which is convenient for concealed carry. However, during operation, shortcomings also appeared.
Before the Great Patriotic War, the military put forward a requirement that a pistol could be fired through the embrasures of a tank. TT did not satisfy this condition. Many experts consider this requirement absurd. However, nothing prevented the Germans from making such a requirement for their weapons: the Luger P08, Walther P38 and even the MP 38/40 fully satisfied it.
Another drawback is poor magazine retention.
Without a safety lock, the TT was placed in a safe position by the so-called half-cocked hammer, and this made it difficult to bring the pistol into the firing position. Involuntary cases of self-inflicted gunfire were recorded, one of which was described by Yuri Nikulin in the book “Almost Seriously.” Ultimately, the Charter directly prohibited carrying a pistol with a cartridge in the chamber, which further increased the time it took to bring the pistol into firing position.
The ergonomics of the TT raises many complaints compared to other designs. The angle of inclination of the handle is small, its shape is not conducive to comfortable holding of the weapon.
The TT pistol is distinguished by its flat trajectory and high penetrating effect of a pointed bullet, which is capable of piercing an army helmet or light body armor. The penetrating effect of a TT bullet exceeds the penetrating effect of a 9x19 mm cartridge bullet (a “7.62 P” bullet with a lead core, after being fired from a TT pistol, penetrates class I body armor, but does not penetrate class II body armor even when fired at point-blank range. The “Pst” bullet "with a steel core penetrates body armor of class II protection, or NIJ IIIA+ according to the American classification). At the same time, the stopping effect of the 7.62 mm TT bullet is inferior to that of the 9x19 mm cartridge bullet. But still, in the TT pistol it is possible to use several variants of 7.63x25 mm Mauser cartridges with bullets of increased stopping power:
30 Mauser LLC - a cartridge with a jacketless lead bullet from Old Western Scrounger (USA);
-cartridge with an expansive bullet from Old Western Scrounger (USA);
-7.62x25 mm Tokarev Magsafe Defender - a cartridge with a bullet of increased stopping power from Magsafe (USA)…
Options and modifications
Pistols made in the USSR
-“7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1930" - the first serial modification, only in 1930-1933. no more than 93 thousand units were produced.
-“7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933" (pre-war production) - in order to improve manufacturability in production, changes were made to the design of the trigger mechanism (trigger rod and disconnector), the shape of the barrel and frame was simplified (the back wall of the handle was made solid, without a separating cover). By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, about 600 thousand TT pistols entered service with the Red Army
-7.62 mm training self-loading pistol mod. 1933 - training version of the Tokarev pistol, produced before the war. It differed from the combat one only in its carbolite cheeks, painted green (not black). The letters “UCH” were stamped next to the serial number.
-“7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933" (wartime release) - was distinguished by a simplified design and poorer quality of parts processing; Some pistols had wooden cheeks installed.
-“7.62 mm self-loading pistol mod. 1933" (post-war edition)
Foreign-made pistols
Hungarian People's Republic - in 1948-1960, the FEG company produced the Tokarev 48M exact copy Soviet TT (with the coat of arms of the Hungarian People's Republic on the handle plates). At the end of the 1950s, a modernized version was created - the TT-58, with a more comfortable handle, made like the handle of a Walter P-38 pistol, and a modified magazine design.
-Vietnam - during the Vietnam War, partisans of the National Liberation Front in the field assembled TT pistols from Chinese parts.
-Egypt - at the end of the 1950s, for Egypt, the FEG plant began producing a modification of the TT-58 chambered for the 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge, equipped with a fuse. The Egyptian police were armed with the Tokagypt-58 pistol. In total, up to 15 thousand of these pistols were produced, and some of the pistols were sold on the commercial market, mainly in Germany, under the Firebird brand.
China - produced in several modifications:
- “type 51” - an army pistol, a copy of the Soviet TT.
- “type 54” - an army pistol, a copy of the Soviet TT, was in service with the PRC army until 1971. Also made for export under the name M20.
- “model 213” - a commercial version produced by the Norinco company chambered for a 9x19 mm cartridge with a magazine capacity of 8 rounds.
- “model 213A” - a commercial version produced by Norinco, chambered for a 9x19 mm cartridge with a magazine capacity of 14 rounds.
- “model 213B” - a commercial version produced by Norinco, chambered for 9x19 mm, equipped with a non-automatic safety lock that blocks the trigger.
DPRK - a copy of the TT pistol, produced under called Type 68 or M68.
Poland - the pistol was produced under the name PW wz.33 (Pistolet Wojskowy wzor 33 - army pistol of the 1933 model) and remained in service until the end of the 1960s. It differed from the Soviet TT in markings on the bolt and handle plates.
Socialist Republic of Romania - A copy of the TT pistol called the Cugir Tokarov was produced in the 1950s.
Yugoslavia:
Zastava M54 - a copy of the Soviet TT mod. 1933, production started in February 1954
Zastava M57 - a modernized version of the TT with a magazine capacity increased to 9 rounds, designed in 1956-1960, mass-produced from 1961 to 1990.
Zastava M70 is a compact version of the Zastava M57 army pistol chambered for less powerful 7.65x17 mm or 9x17 mm (9mm Kratak) cartridges.
Zastava M70A is a modernized version of the Zastava M57 pistol chambered for the 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge, the production of which started in the early 1970s.
Zastava M88 is a modernized version of the Zastava M57 pistol chambered for 9x19 mm Parabellum and .40 S&W cartridges.
Iraq - a copy of the Soviet TT was in service with the Iraqi army for more than thirty years.
Pakistan - a copy of the Chinese TT was produced at the POF (Pakistani Ordnance Factories) plant specifically for the police. In addition, there have been recorded cases of manufacturing copies of TTs in semi-handicraft conditions by weapons workshops in the Khyber Pass area.
Conversion options and modifications
Sports weapons
Tokarev Sportowy is a Polish sports pistol chambered for a small-caliber cartridge. 22 Long Rifle with liners in the shape of a standard chamber chambered for 7.62x25 mm.
In the 1950s in the USSR, on the basis of the TT, the R-3 sports training pistol was created for a small-caliber 5.6 mm cartridge with a blowback action.
In May 2012, in Russia the TT pistol was certified as a sports weapon under the name S-TT sports pistol
Traumatic weapon
Several models of traumatic civilian self-defense weapons have been developed based on the pistol.
VPO-501 “Leader” is a “barrelless” traumatic pistol chambered for 10x32 mm T cartridge. Developed and produced since 2005 by the Vyatsko-Polyansky machine-building enterprise “Molot”. In accordance with forensic requirements, changes were made to the design to eliminate the possibility of firing live ammunition.
VPO-509 “Leader-M” is a “barrelless” traumatic pistol chambered for 11.43x32 mm T. Designed by the Vyatsko-Polyansky machine-building plant “Molot”.
TT-T is a traumatic pistol chambered for 10x28 mm T. Developed and produced by JSC Plant named after. V. A. Degtyareva." On sale since 2011. It has design differences from the combat TT: a barrel with removed rifling; there is one partition pin in the channel that prevents the firing of a solid bullet.
MP-81 - traumatic pistol chambered for 9 mm P.A. Developed and produced since 2008 by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. The design retains the main components of the base model: (frame, bolt, trigger mechanism), the original historical markings of the original and the identity of the pistol handling techniques are fully preserved.
MP-82 is a variant of the MP-81 chambered for .45 rubber, developed and presented in the form of a model in 2008 by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. Not serially produced.
TTR - traumatic pistol chambered for 9 mm P.A. (manufacturer - SOBR LLC, Kharkov).
TT-GT is a smooth-bore traumatic pistol chambered for 9 mm P.A. cartridge. (manufacturer - Erma-Inter LLC, Kyiv).
Airguns
Several variants of 4.5 mm air pistols are produced: MP-656k (production discontinued in 2013 based on the requirements of the Law banning the alteration of military weapons); Gletcher TT; Gletcher TT NBB; TTP "Sobr"; Crosman C-TT.
Signal versions
Since 2011, the TT-S signal pistol, designed on the basis of the TT-Leader pistol, has been produced (production discontinued in 2013 based on the requirement of the Law banning the alteration of military weapons). For shooting, Zhevelo or KV21 capsules are used.
At the exhibition "Weapons and Hunting - 2014" in Moscow, the company OJSC "Molot" presented a cooled version of the TT pistol, MA-TT-SKH, chambered for a 10x31mm blank cartridge
Combat use
1930-1945
USSR - TT pistols were in service with the Soviet armed forces, and during the Great Patriotic War they were also supplied to Soviet partisans and for the arsenal of foreign countries. military formations on the territory of the USSR.
-Finland - captured TT pistols captured during the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. and the “Continuation War” of 1941-1944. were in service with the Finnish army until 1951. In 1959-1960. the pistols were sold to the American company Interarmco.
-Third Reich - captured TTs under the name Pistole 615(r) entered service with the Wehrmacht, SS and other paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany and its satellites.
-Yugoslavia - deliveries to the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia began in May 1944 and continued until 1947
After the end of World War II
After the war, the TT was supplied to USSR-supported states and movements (in particular, the armies of the Warsaw Pact countries).
USSR - production of the pistol continued until 1954 (a certain amount was collected in 1955 from stockpiles of parts) and was completed. Since the 9-mm Makarov pistol was adopted for service. Subsequently, the TT was withdrawn from service and gradually replaced by the PM - by the beginning of the 1960s. in the Soviet Army (it remained in service with rear and auxiliary units for a little longer), by the mid-1970s - in the police, but in paramilitary security units it remained in subsequent times. TT pistols were stored in mobilization reserve warehouses at least until the early 1990s.
Also, at least until 2000, TT was operated by geological enterprises. According to the regulations of the USSR Ministry of Geology, senior employees of geological parties and expeditions could be armed with a pistol.
-Yugoslavia - after the war, Soviet TTs remained in service with the Yugoslav People's Army at least until 1968
-Russia - at the end of 1998, the TT was officially adopted by the Federal Bailiff Service. At least until July 2002, TT pistols were in service with the private security forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. At the beginning of winter 2005, it was included in the list of award weapons. As of mid-2006, they were in service with the units of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Security" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, employees of the courier service and collectors
-Belarus - as of 2002, was in service legal entities with special statutory tasks
-Kazakhstan - was in service with the departmental security of railways and collectors of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan
-Latvia - was in service with the army at least until mid-autumn 2001
-Ukraine - in the early 1990s, a certain number of TTs from the warehouses of the mobilization reserve of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine were given to some units of the patrol service (PPS) of the police, they were also used for training cadets and employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (due to a shortage of 9x18 mm cartridges ). As of mid-2005, the Ministry of Defense had 95,000 units in storage. TT pistols (75,000 serviceable and 20,000 intended for disposal); as of August 15, 2011, only 10,000 TT pistols remained in the custody of the Ministry of Defense. It is in service with the state security service. It is also a reward weapon. As of June 2014, they remained in service with railway guards and collectors
-Estonia - in the early 1990s, a number of pistols from the warehouses of the mobilization reserve were given to the paramilitary organization "Kaitseliit"
TTX
Weight, kg: 0.854 (without ammunition) 0.94 (loaded)
-Length, mm: 195
-Barrel length, mm: 116
-Height, mm: 130
-Cartridge: 7.62x25 mm TT
-Caliber, mm: 7.62
-Principles of operation: recoil with a short barrel stroke, bolt misalignment
-Initial bullet speed, m/s: 420-450
-Sighting range, m: 50
-Maximum range, m: 1650
-Type of ammunition: magazine for 8 rounds
-Sight: open, non-adjustable
What does T T (abbreviation) mean, what is the history of this weapon from its creation to the present day.
Rearmament
After the revolution and subsequent Civil War, the issue of modernizing the army became acute. And if there were no problems with the rifles, then the Nagan system revolver was clearly obsolete. And in the early 30s, the government gave the defense design bureaus the task of developing new personal weapons.
What does T T mean?
After a series of demonstrations, tests and evaluations, it was decided to adopt a pistol designed by Tokarev. This is where its name came from - “Tula Tokarev”. It was distinguished by its reliability, light weight, combat accuracy and, most importantly, ease of manufacture, which was also important in those difficult times. However, it did not completely replace the Nagan system revolver - there were so many of them left in warehouses that to this day some departmental departments are armed with them and given away for drying with subsequent sale to collectors.
War
During the Great Patriotic War, the German occupiers learned well what T T means as a combat unit. The pistol had excellent characteristics, and soon the command of the Nazi army began to arm individual units of the Wehrmacht forces and paramilitary units with captured TTs. By the end of the war, this weapon became one of the symbols of victory, along with the PPSh, the T-34 tank and
Post-war years
When the Second died down World War, the gun quickly sold out almost all over the world. It was bought or manufactured (sometimes even without a license) by many countries, and today it can be found even on African continent. By the way, over the years, the US Army also learned what T T means as a pistol - it was widely used by partisans.
Much later, it spread to those countries where the ownership and carrying of short-barreled weapons was legalized. Tokarev's brainchild has earned a reputation as a powerful, reliable and simple weapon. True, there were also drawbacks - the lack of a safety lock of a standard shape and action, a not very comfortable handle and a small number of cartridges in the magazine. The magazine lock also wore out quickly, causing it to fall out. Well, in the hard years after the collapse of the USSR, the criminal contingent fell in love with the T T. They liked the pistol because it penetrated most light-class body armor, which other models could not boast of. This was due to the fact that many samples stolen from military warehouses were not registered in the bullet-case library, and after the crime it was impossible to trace the pistol and the owner.
It is also used in the armed conflict in the south of Ukraine - the militia got it from military warehouses.
Our days
Now TT can be purchased in the form of MMG (weight and size model), or pneumatic. The first two, by the way, are almost always made by remaking old samples from the war and pre-war years, which makes them a collector's item. It is also available and its price ranges from 10 to 15 thousand rubles.
Created in 1930 by Soviet weapons designer Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev, semi-automatic TT pistol(Tula, Tokarev) became the first domestic self-loading pistol adopted by the army. The purpose of the tests carried out in this direction since the mid-20s of the last century was to create a modern self-loading pistol, capable of replacing the Nagan system revolver of 1895, which was by that time obsolete and low-power, in service with the Soviet Army, as well as replacing a number of pistols purchased abroad for the needs of the Soviet Army. Among the self-loading samples imported into the territory of the Soviet Union, the then famous Mauser S-96 of 7.63 mm caliber was quite popular, the main advantage of which was the use of a powerful 7.63x25 mm cartridge, and the main disadvantage of this Mauser was its large dimensions and heavy weight. Having appreciated the advantages of the 7.63x25 cartridge, Soviet arms industry leaders decided to create a similar cartridge and their own model of a self-loading pistol for it, but more compact and easy to use than the Mauser S-96.
Weapons designer, creator of the TT pistol Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev
For these purposes, the Soviet Union acquires a license for the above-mentioned cartridge from the German company Mauser, after which it begins its production, but in caliber 7.62x25 (for the purpose of unification with Soviet technological equipment and equipment). Several gunsmith specialists began designing pistols for this cartridge at once, among whom, in addition to Tokarev, were Korovin and Prilutsky, who presented their models to the high commission. However, after official field tests were carried out, in June 1930 the commission made a clear choice in favor of the sample made by F.V. Tokarev, called TT-30. After eliminating some of the shortcomings of this pistol regarding accuracy and safety of handling, as well as after other modifications related to the wishes of the commission members, in December 1930 the TT-30 pistol was tested again, according to the results of which this pistol was approved by the commission and recommended for adoption by the Soviet Army. Over the next few years, the first batches of these weapons were released, tests of which led to disappointing conclusions. The pistol was unreliable, very dangerous to use, parts quickly failed, there were frequent delays in firing, the TT-30's lifespan was ridiculously short, amounting to about two hundred shots. After this, the designers made certain conclusions and the main shortcomings were eliminated, and the pistol also underwent several upgrades in order to simplify and reduce the cost of production. And finally, in 1934, a modified version of the Tokarev system was adopted by the Red Army under the name TT-33, which became the massive pistol that was tested in the battles of World War II.
It is worth noting that Tokarev at one time did an internship at the Belgian arms factory FN, where the arms genius John Moses Browning worked at the same time. It was this fact that influenced the design of the TT pistol, built according to the Browning system. And let’s be honest, Comrade Tokarev clearly tried to be similar in appearance to Sir Browning, at least in photographs. (I hope I won’t be bombarded with rotten tomatoes by adherents of the genius of exclusively domestic gunsmiths).
Left - photo by F.V. Tokarev, right - photo by J.M. Browning
In February 1931, the first batch of TT-30 pistols entered the troops for comprehensive testing, and mass production of an already modernized model called TT-33 began in 1933 at the Tula Arms Plant (TOZ), and by the time of the German attack on the USSR and the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the number of manufactured TT pistols reached more than six hundred thousand pieces. During the years of that terrible war, this pistol received recognition among the troops, although very dubious, and was widely used as a personal weapon for officers, intended for close combat at distances of up to 50 m, and at these distances the TT worked very effectively, thanks to a powerful cartridge. During the war years, the production of TT pistols, as well as other small arms, of course, increased significantly, as required by the developing situation. It should be admitted that the TT pistol has never been and was not considered good weapon, but for lack of an alternative, the military could only get this pistol. The pistol essentially did not receive nationwide or “all-army” recognition, it only received enormous distribution, and the fame and popularity of the TT pistol were only a consequence of the widespread use of this weapon. The TT-33 was unreliable and dangerous to handle, and was also afraid of dirt, which is a very significant factor in war. But, nevertheless, it was widely used; there was no other way. For example, in comparison with the German Walter P38, which was used by the Wehrmacht in the same war, the TT looked like an unfinished homemade gun.
After the war, in 1946, the pistol was once again slightly modernized in order to further reduce the cost of production and eliminate shortcomings. It was not possible to eliminate all the shortcomings, but this will be discussed below. External hallmark post-war samples is the presence of small corrugations on the shutter casing, instead of vertical depressions in the shape of pointed ellipses in pre-war models.
The Tula Tokarev was the most popular personal short-barreled weapon of the Soviet Army and Soviet police until the early 50s, when it was replaced by the Makarov pistol and the TT was discontinued. But even after this, the TT continued to serve the Motherland in the army and in the police until the early nineties, until it was completely replaced by Makarov pistols (the TT was removed from police weapons a little earlier, in the seventies). In total, about 1.7 million pieces were produced over the years of production of the TT pistol. After the army and police finally said goodbye to this pistol, the TT was in service with the paramilitary guards (VOKhR) and criminal gangs, in which, due to the weapons illiteracy of the majority of bandits, it was and is considered great pistol, from which such an opinion spread to the people and is stably maintained among the masses to this day.
The popularity of the TT in the criminal world is explained mainly by the cheapness of the pistol and the penetrating ability of the cartridge, which ensured reliable destruction of a target through glass or car doors, as well as penetration of light body armor of class 1 protection.
It should be noted that in addition to Soviet Union, the TT pistol was also produced in other countries, such as Hungary, China, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Iraq, Poland. It makes no sense to consider each of them, since the TTs produced abroad generally repeated the design of the Soviet model with minor differences. For example, one of the Chinese samples called “Model 213” had a caliber of 9 mm and used a 9x19 Parabellum cartridge, and was also equipped with a mechanical flag-type fuse. Some foreign-made models differed in barrel and handle length and magazine capacity.
Nowadays, on the basis of TT pistols accumulated in military warehouses, production has been established traumatic weapons, as a means of self-defense for citizens. After making appropriate design changes, TT pistols are adapted to fire rubber bullets. Modern names of traumatic TTs are “Leader”, produced by the Vyatsko-Polyansky plant “MOLOT”, as well as Izhevsk MP-81 and MP-82. Such pistols can often be found on the shelves of gun stores. However, this weapon, apart from its external similarity, has nothing in common with the legendary TT, and is more suitable for the role of its firing model. In addition to traumatic options, Izhevsk also produces a pneumatic TT, powered by a standard cylinder with compressed carbon dioxide, called MP-656K.
Design
In general, the design and operation of the automatic pistol TT repeated the design of the famous Colt M1911 pistol designed by John Moses Browning, with the difference that the TT used a block trigger mechanism system, like the Mauser S-96. This was done to simplify production and to simplify the repair and maintenance of the weapon. The automatic operation of the pistol is based on the principle of recoil of the barrel during its short stroke, according to the Browning system. The differences also affected some other components and mechanisms, which will be described in more detail below.
Briefly, the automation system in TT pistol as follows. When fired, the sleeve exerts an impact on the bolt, the bolt moves back along with the barrel, which is engaged with the bolt frame by lugs. The barrel is attached to the pistol frame by means of a swinging earring, which ensures that the breech of the barrel is lowered and moves backward. With this reduction, the barrel disengages from the bolt frame, that is, the protrusions of the bolt frame come out of the corresponding grooves on the thickened part of the barrel. After this, the bolt frame moves backward by inertia, cocking the hammer and ejecting the spent cartridge case. On the reverse stroke, under the action of the return spring, the bolt sends the next cartridge from the magazine into the chamber and places the previously warped barrel in its original place, locking it in its original position on the lugs. More details about the operation of the automation will be written below.
The difference from the Browning design in terms of automatic operation is that the barrel of the TT pistol does not have protrusions for engagement with the bolt, but on the contrary, in its thickened part it has two grooves into which the protrusions of the bolt frame fit when locked.
The absence of a separate mechanical safety was a consequence of the simplification of the trigger mechanism, while an accidental shot was prevented by a disconnector and a special groove for setting the trigger to the safety cock. That is, the TT could be put on safety only by means of the trigger, putting it on the safety cock, without bringing it to the combat cock. Such a system ensured the safety of the weapon in the event of a fall or accidental blow to the trigger, because even an uncocked hammer upon impact could transfer this blow to the firing pin, causing the cartridge in the chamber to fire. But people often ignored the safety platoon, which resulted in many accidents. For this reason, an order was even issued banning the carrying of a TT pistol with a cartridge in the chamber.
At first, Tokarev also assumed the presence of an automatic fuse on back side handles, like on a Colt M1911 pistol. But military officials were against it, which left the TT with the only safety feature - the middle position of the trigger. Legend has it that Comrade Budyonny, who, as is known, at that time had enormous influence on the country's military leadership, forbade equipping the new Soviet pistol with such an automatic safety. He explained the reason by saying that once during Civil War, when the "whites" were chasing him, he turned back, sitting in the saddle on a horse, and tried to fire his Browning backwards. But cavalry gloves and an awkward position did not allow squeezing the safety on the back of Browning's handle. This turned out to be enough for such a fuse not to be installed on the TT.
The pistol is fed with cartridges from a box-shaped single-row magazine with a capacity of 8 cartridges, with a push-button locking system. Sights, front and rear sights, non-adjustable, which were sighted by the manufacturer at a distance of 25 meters.
The gun consists of the following parts:
The frame is one piece with the handle and trigger guard. Designed to connect parts of the pistol, being its basis.
The handle cheeks are a decorative element that covers the side windows of the handle, and also serve to conveniently hold the weapon in the hand. The cheeks were made of corrugated plastic and wood.
Magazine latch – holds the magazine in the frame handle.
Barrel - designed to tell the bullet a certain direction when fired. It is completely closed with a shutter casing and connected to the frame with a Browning earring. The barrel bore has 4 right-hand rifling with a pitch of 240-260 mm (depending on the year of manufacture), to impart a rotational movement to the bullet, stabilizing its flight path. In the breech of the barrel there is a chamber, which serves to accommodate the cartridge during loading and before firing. The barrel has two annular grooves on a special thickening in the breech area, which ensure adhesion of the bolt to the barrel due to the insertion of the supporting protrusions of the bolt frame (lugs) into them. At the bottom of the thickened part of the breech there is a boss with an eye for the Browning earring; on the rear section of the chamber there is a protrusion for hooking the ejector, as well as a bevel at the bottom for feeding the cartridge from the magazine into the chamber.
Earring – connects the barrel to the frame, and also serves to engage and disengage the barrel with the bolt, ensuring the barrel swings and skews in a vertical plane.
The bolt is integral with the casing and performs the bulk of the functions of the pistol. The bolt ensures the ejection of a spent cartridge case or unused cartridge, the supply of a new cartridge from the magazine to the chamber, cocks the hammer and locks the barrel before firing. On the outside of the shutter casing there are sights(front and rear sight), ejector window, groove for placing the ejector, notches for conveniently holding the bolt when moving it to the rear position when reloading in case of misfire and when chambering a cartridge. The bolt also has a hole for the striker, in the casing there is a cutout to accommodate the bolt stop protrusion, a tube for the return spring, and in the rear there is a groove for the trigger.
The firing pin is designed to break the cartridge primer and is located in a special groove in the bolt between the hammer and the barrel chamber.
Ejector - to hold the cartridge case (cartridge) until it meets the reflector when the bolt moves to the rear position, which ensures the ejection of the cartridge case (cartridge) from the ejector window.
Return spring - serves to return the bolt to the forward position after it has been rolled back.
The tip of the return spring is a stop for the return spring.
The guide rod also serves as a stop for the return spring and limits the movement of the bolt back, and most importantly, it guides the return spring.
Guide sleeve - serves to guide the muzzle of the barrel when the bolt moves, and also serves as a stop for the tip of the return spring.
Bolt stop - ensures that the bolt is locked in the rearmost position when the magazine is empty, which ensures quick loading of a cartridge into the chamber from a new magazine.
Slide stop spring - secures the delay to the frame and holds it in the lower position until the bolt is locked after the magazine is empty.
The trigger mechanism consists of the following parts:
Block - connects the trigger, mainspring, sear and disconnector.
Trigger – strikes the firing pin.
Mainspring - activates the trigger, giving it rapid movement for a sufficiently strong blow to the firing pin.
Sear - holds the trigger on the combat and safety cocks and ensures the trigger is released when the trigger is pressed trigger, which on the TT is essentially a button.
Disconnector - designed to disconnect the trigger rod from the sear after firing a shot. This is necessary in order to exclude the possibility of firing a shot when the shutter is not fully closed.
The trigger is made as one piece with the trigger rod. When you press the trigger with your finger, it pulls the sear back, causing the trigger, under the influence of the mainspring, to break off and hit the firing pin, and when the rod is in the forward position, it acts on the disconnector, raising it to the top for safe handling of the weapon.
Trigger spring - pushes the trigger forward and upward.
Magazine - serves to accommodate eight rounds and consists of a steel box, feeder, feeder spring and cover.
Operation of parts and mechanisms
When the bolt is moved to the rearmost position, acting on the trigger, it rotates, thereby cocking the trigger. Also, due to the impact of the supporting protrusions on the annular grooves of the barrel, the bolt retracts the barrel back. If there is a cartridge case or cartridge in the chamber, the ejector removes it and, using a reflector, throws it through a special window.
The barrel, when moving backwards, due to the rotation of the earring, lowers its thickened breech down, which causes the barrel to skew, and at the same time disengages with the bolt, since the supporting protrusions of the bolt come out of the annular grooves of the thickened part of the barrel.
The disconnector goes down under the action of the recess in the lower part of the bolt, while deflecting the trigger rod towards the bottom, thereby disengaging it from the sear.
The return spring, when the bolt moves backward, is compressed.
The sear, under the action of a spring, is pressed against the front of the trigger and successively goes behind the safety cock, and then behind the firing cock. The disconnector is then released.
As the bolt moves forward (due to the force of the return spring), the bolt moves the upper cartridge from the magazine along an inclined bevel into the breech of the barrel, into the chamber.
The barrel, due to the pressure of the bolt mirror on the bottom of the new cartridge case, moves forward and upward through the earring, while the supporting protrusions of the bolt enter the annular grooves of the thickened part of the barrel. The barrel is locked with a bolt.
The ejector hook fits into the annular groove of the cartridge located in the chamber. When you press the trigger with your finger (while firing a shot), the actions of the pistol parts will be as follows: The trigger rod, by pressing the sear ledge, moves its lower part back, which leads to the sear nose coming out of the cocking groove of the hammer, after which the trigger turns on its forward axis, under the action of the mainspring, strikes the firing pin. The firing pin, moving forward, hits the cartridge primer, igniting it. From the pressure of the gases formed during the combustion of gunpowder, the bullet begins to move along the rifling and flies out of the barrel, while part of the powder gases affects the walls and bottom of the cartridge case, forcing the barrel and the bolt coupled to it to move back. After this, the pistol parts repeat the same actions as when manually retracting the bolt to the rear position (described above). As the bolt moves backward, the ejector hook removes the spent cartridge case from the chamber, continuing to hold it until it meets the reflector, upon impact with which the cartridge case flies out into the bolt frame window located on the right. At the same time, the next cartridge in the magazine, under the action of the feeder spring, rises upward. If there are no cartridges in the magazine, after the last shot, the feeder, with its hook, raises the bolt stop, which, in turn, stops the bolt in the rearmost position. The trigger, in the absence of pressure from the finger, due to the elasticity of the trigger spring, returns to the forward position, while the disconnector rises upward, entering the bolt recess with its stem.
And this is how the automatic operation of a TT pistol looks more clear. Especially for you, I found an animation of the operation of parts and mechanisms in a TT pistol during and after a shot. (God bless the one who did this. Otherwise, in such animations, all Colts and Glocks...)
Advantages and disadvantages
The simplicity of the design makes Tula Tokarev pistol inexpensive to manufacture and easy to maintain pistol. The main advantage of the TT is a powerful cartridge that provides high muzzle energy of about 500 J, a significant direct shot range and excellent penetration ability. And due to the relatively long barrel and short trigger stroke, the pistol provides good accuracy and shooting accuracy, which allows an experienced shooter to hit a target even at a distance of more than 50 meters. Also, good accuracy of combat is facilitated by the automatic operation system, which ensures that the bullet leaves the barrel without shifting the axis of the barrel in the vertical plane and without the movement of other mechanisms, which can negatively affect the trajectory of the bullet. When fired, the barrel moves backward, and the barrel is skewed and disengaged from the bolt frame only after the bullet leaves the barrel. The flat and fairly compact TT is well suited for concealed carry.
As for the shortcomings, the main one is considered to be the pistol’s low lifespan. This drawback follows from the advantage of the pistol: the use of a high-power cartridge causes intense wear on the barrel locking unit. Often, after several hundred shots, delays in the operation of the pistol appeared in the form of jamming of the cartridge case in the chamber, misalignment of the cartridges, or tearing off of the bottom of the cartridge case. Other disadvantages include the excessive sensitivity of the pistol mechanisms to clogging and minor deformations, which requires careful handling and careful maintenance of the weapon.
Another serious drawback is the unreliable fastening of the magazine in the handle; the latch mechanism, especially on worn-out TTs, often does not hold the magazine, which simply falls out of the pistol, of which there are many examples, especially from the fronts of the Second World War.
The practice of using the TT pistol has shown the low stopping power of its ammunition. The reason for this disadvantage lies in the relatively small caliber of the bullet, its shape and high initial speed, which in turn resulted in its undeniable advantage - excellent penetration ability.
The lack of a manual safety can also be considered a serious flaw, causing numerous accidents involving this pistol. So, if you fall or accidentally hit the trigger, if the cartridge is in the chamber and the trigger is not set to safety cock, the possibility of the primer being punctured by the firing pin cannot be ruled out, which will lead to a spontaneous shot.
The high persistence of the ammunition and the retention of sufficient energy by the bullet to inflict a wound at a distance of 800 - 1000 m are another disadvantage when using a pistol in urban conditions: in case of a miss when shooting at the enemy, there is a high probability of causing harm to third parties (civilians).
Complaints about the ergonomics of the pistol can hardly be called a significant omission in the design; it is rather an individual feature of the weapon, and besides, it is not fair to demand something outstanding from a pistol developed at the beginning of the last century. However, it would not be correct to compare this pistol with modern models created using high technologies and new scientific achievements.
The TT went down in history as a legendary pistol of its time, tested in the battles of the bloodiest war in human history. And the geography of its production and popularity in many countries of the world give reason to be proud of the thought of the Russian gunsmith and once again confirm the need for such weapons for the era, in the fate of which he occupied not the last place.
The TT pistol, according to its characteristics, was the best pistol among its analogues, therefore it was produced in the largest quantities among pistols of the first half of the 20th century. Popular expert weapons publications include the TT pistol in the top list of the best combat pistols. In the USSR, the pistol began its glorious journey in the 30s and was part of the USSR armed forces for more than a quarter of a century.
History of the design and development of the Tula Tokarev (TT) pistol
By the age of 20 Soviet army used a Nagan pistol made in 1895. The country's leadership understood the need to develop new small arms that would meet modern realities.
By order of the Revolutionary Military Council, in the late 20s of the 20th century, development of a new pistol began. Of the presented series of developments, the pistol of the Tula designer Fedor Tokarev best met the technical requirements.
Already in 1930, the Revolutionary Military Council adopted a resolution to begin testing new small arms.
During these tests, on January 7, 1931, the potential of the pistol was noted, and after 3 months an order was received for the production of 1000 pieces of the new weapon, codenamed “TT-30.”
After testing in military units, in 1930 the pistol was adopted by the Red Army.
For the period from 1930 to 1936 About 93 thousand TT pistols were manufactured.
Simultaneously with the start of production, designers began to change the pistol in accordance with the requirements of the military. Some changes were made to the design: changes affected the barrel, disconnector, trigger and frame.
A modified version of the pistol began to be produced in 1934, it received the code TT-33. The pistol was widely used by Soviet troops during World War II.
According to official data, by 1941, about 600 thousand pistols were manufactured, although due to the secrecy regime of those years, more than a million copies of the weapon could have been manufactured.
In November and December 1941, production of the TT-33 was moved to Izhevsk, to machine-building plant No. 74.
In 1946, the design of the pistol was simplified to reduce production costs, but the TT's performance characteristics were no worse before the changes were made.
In 1952, the pistol was finally discontinued with the introduction of the Makarov pistol (PM).
Due to the great popularity of the pistol in the USSR, the weapon was exported to the countries of the socialist bloc and Asian countries.
The pistol was produced by various countries of the communist bloc under license, including China (as type 52, 54, M20), Poland (as PW wz.33), North Korea(as type 68/M68), Romania (as TTC or Cugir Tokarov) and Yugoslavia (as M57, M65, M70A). Weapons were also exported to Egypt. The pistol is still used in Pakistan and some African countries.
Design Features
The Tokarev pistol is a semi-automatic single-action pistol.
Externally, the TT-33 is very similar to the FN Model 1903 semi-automatic pistol, and internally it uses the Browning short recoil barrel system from the M1911 pistol. The TT differs from the Browning design in that it uses a much simpler sear assembly.
Soviet engineers made several changes to make the mechanism easier to manufacture and maintain, particularly simplifying the barrel locking tips, which reduced the number of processing steps. Some models use a recoil spring grip mounted on a guide rod that depends on the barrel bushing to keep it under tension.
The TT has no safety latch other than a half-cock notch that prevents the trigger from engaging until the hammer is returned and then manually lowered to the half-circle position.
One of the design features of the pistol is the ability to fire a large number of shots without experiencing problems with the pistol, in other words, the design of the pistol is able to withstand enormous loads.
The TT pistol is chambered for the 7.62x25mm cartridge. The cartridge of this caliber is powerful, has an extremely flat trajectory and is capable of penetrating thick clothing and thin body armor.
Operating principle of the TT pistol
In the design of the TT pistol, all mechanisms have the principle of a “block” connection, which allows the owner of the weapon to disconnect each mechanism from the others and carry out partial or complete disassembly, clean and lubricate the parts.
From a user point of view, this is very convenient, especially when there is no need to disassemble the entire pistol.
By pressing the trigger with his index finger, he acts on the protrusion of the sear, which is pressed and rotated, thereby releasing the trigger. Next, thanks to the directed action of the spring, the trigger hits the firing pin, and a shot occurs. Powder gases act in the opposite direction of bullet movement. Thanks to this, the gases move the sleeve parallel to their movement. The bolt reverses until it hits the reflector, then the cartridge case is ejected from the barrel. The bolt simultaneously drags the barrel as it moves.
After the gases are released and their pressure decreases, the movement of the barrel stops, disengaging the bolt-barrel system. And the shutter, which is still moving, disconnects the sear-trigger system. This allows the trigger to cock. For a split second, the breech of the barrel opens, where the next cartridge falls. Due to the inertial movement of the bolt, the new cartridge is fixed for a new cycle.
Performance characteristics
| Constructor | Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev |
| Manufacturer country | USSR |
| Year of issue | 1930 |
| Trigger mechanism | single action |
| Caliber, mm | 7.62×25 mm TT |
| Length, mm | 195 |
| Height, mm | 120 |
| Width, mm | 28 |
| Barrel length, mm | 116 |
| Rifling | 4, right-handed |
| Rifling pitch, mm | 240 |
| Weight without cartridges, g | 825 |
| Weight with cartridges, g | 910 |
| Magazine capacity, cartridge. | 80 |
| Rate of fire, v/m | 30 |
| Initial bullet speed, m/s | 420 |
| Sighting range, m | 30-50 |
| Trigger force when firing from combat cocking, N, no more | 21 |
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
- Powerful caliber;
- Great penetrating force;
- Low production costs;
- The hook release is very soft.
Flaws:
- Poor ergonomics;
- No fuse;
- Small magazine capacity;
- Effective only on close range from the enemy;
- Poor magazine fixation.
Modification options
The TT pistol has not only combat applications. Got the gun new life due to new directions of use.
Airguns
Today there are many options for the TT air pistol in the world. All of them are united by a 4.5 mm explosive caliber for a carbon dioxide cylinder. Pistols from many companies are produced around the world, but the most popular are Pneumatic guns tt, manufactured by Gletcher.
Pistol Gletcher TT-P
Let's focus on the model whose purchases are growing at the fastest pace. This model began to be produced in 2014 and was appreciated by fans of pneumatics. Due to the fact that the body is made of plastic, the weight of the TT pistol is only 0.4 kg. The trigger mechanism is made of metal. The shutter is stationary. The pistol has a safety feature that allows you to block the trigger.
The cost of weapons varies up to 3,500 thousand rubles, depending on the region of purchase.
Technical characteristics of Gletcher TT-P:
Airsoft guns
Since in this article we decided to discuss with you only the best modifications of the TT pistol, then I will bring to your attention the Gletcher TT-A Soft Air airsoft pistol.
The weapon completely copies the original combat pistol, even in size and weight. Thanks to this similarity, you will not leave the feeling that you are holding a real combat TT in your hands.
You can fire a shot after preliminary cocking. The pistol has a safety, a movable bolt, and a delayed bolt. 6 mm plastic balls are used as cartridges.
Thanks to the installed Blowback system, recoil is simulated, like that of a combat TT, and the bolt frame is also driven. The pistol of this model is made with high quality, its reliability is beyond doubt. Thanks to timely care and cleaning, you can use the gun for a very long time.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the airsoft Gletcher TT-A Soft Air:
Traumatic weapon
The TT traumatic pistol is one of the modifications of the famous Soviet combat pistol Tokarev, intended for self-defense. The main difference from its combat brother is the absence of a barrel. Another feature of the pistol is that the cartridges are 10x32T rubber bullets.
For those readers who are just beginning to get acquainted with trauma, I will say that all that remains of military weapons is their appearance. It is very similar to combat, and, if necessary, can produce a psychological effect on the attacker. And the internal mechanisms, of course, have been changed.
The TT traumatic pistol retains all the combat characteristics: dimensions, weight. I believe that one of the advantages of a traumatic pistol is automatic loading, which occurs at the moment of recoil of the bolt.
A prominent representative of such weapons is the Russian-made Leader traumatic pistol.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the traumatic pistol "Leader":
Collectibles
TT pistols are also of great collector's value. Of particular value are combat examples with marks or commemorative inscriptions.
Collectible pistols are permitted to be purchased and stored legally in accordance with the law. I note that such weapons cannot be fired with live ammunition.
According to established tradition, every year on May 9, various jewelry companies They produce collectible TT pistols - modified versions decorated with gold or other valuable stones.
Of particular value are pistols that have award sheets and a passport, which indicates the serial number of a particular TT.
The cost of collectible pistols ranges from several tens of thousands to several million rubles.
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