I've been comparing my 1911 and tokarev tt-33 trying to decide which one I would want to carry in a combat situation, I've been firing them side-by-side for a year now and admire them both.
The tt-33 is basically a modified 1911 and the changes have produced a very rugged and reliable handgun with fewer parts than the 1911, it is also slimmer and lighter.
the 7.62x25 cal. round has exellent penatration and long range accuracy and the 45 acp is bigger and slower which is better for close quarters stopping power.
The Tokarev was brought into service in the mid-1930s as the TT-33, to replace the old Nagant revolvers as the official Red Army sidearm. The Sovs made a jillion of them, and also farmed out production to other Warsaw Pact countries like Romania and Yugoslavia. They were finally discontinued in the early 1950s.
Like all Russki guns of that era, the Tok is like a hammer. It is rugged to a fault, and can handle ill-treatment that would reduce other guns to immobile lumps of steel.
The Tok is an interesting gun to shoot. The grip is rather upright for my liking, making it feel strange to a 1911 shooter. But its reliably accurate, and the big frame handles the 7.62mms recoil without any fuss. It uses more or less the same mechanics as the Colt 1911, except that unlike the 1911, the Tok has no safety catch of any kindno grip safety, manual safety, nada. So this is not a gun you carry around in Condition One, because its always in Condition 0, loaded. The Tok has a half-cock facility for its hammer, but I dont trust half-cock on any gun, least of all a Russki one. Best way to carry the Tok is with an empty chamber, which makes it not the primo choice for self-defense.
Both guns are time and battle tested, plenty of parts and ammo around, one is a work of mechanical art and the other is a ugly ass workhorse.
I think I've made a decision......I have to carry both!
The tt-33 is basically a modified 1911 and the changes have produced a very rugged and reliable handgun with fewer parts than the 1911, it is also slimmer and lighter.
the 7.62x25 cal. round has exellent penatration and long range accuracy and the 45 acp is bigger and slower which is better for close quarters stopping power.
The Tokarev was brought into service in the mid-1930s as the TT-33, to replace the old Nagant revolvers as the official Red Army sidearm. The Sovs made a jillion of them, and also farmed out production to other Warsaw Pact countries like Romania and Yugoslavia. They were finally discontinued in the early 1950s.
Like all Russki guns of that era, the Tok is like a hammer. It is rugged to a fault, and can handle ill-treatment that would reduce other guns to immobile lumps of steel.
The Tok is an interesting gun to shoot. The grip is rather upright for my liking, making it feel strange to a 1911 shooter. But its reliably accurate, and the big frame handles the 7.62mms recoil without any fuss. It uses more or less the same mechanics as the Colt 1911, except that unlike the 1911, the Tok has no safety catch of any kindno grip safety, manual safety, nada. So this is not a gun you carry around in Condition One, because its always in Condition 0, loaded. The Tok has a half-cock facility for its hammer, but I dont trust half-cock on any gun, least of all a Russki one. Best way to carry the Tok is with an empty chamber, which makes it not the primo choice for self-defense.
Both guns are time and battle tested, plenty of parts and ammo around, one is a work of mechanical art and the other is a ugly ass workhorse.
I think I've made a decision......I have to carry both!
