Hello, i'm a relatively new shooter from northern Ontario and there's a few small clubs around but not a whole lot really for handgun shooting, it's a pretty small community. I've shot and owned long guns for a few years and have shot pistols a couple times and really liked it. I'm a fairly serious shooter but am definitely on a budget, so i've been looking at Tokarev pistols as i've shot them and know that they are quite cheap too. They fit me nicely as I'm a pretty small person and find full size handguns like 1911's are just a tad large for me. I could still shoot a larger handgun, but would like something kind of intermediate size and power, hence why i've been looking at the Tokarev. I don't have my RPAL as i've still got a little bit to wait before i'm old enough. But my mom's boyfriend has his and just hasn't bothered buying any restricted firearms before because of the hassle of it (before C-42. but i don't really know where we stand on some of those law changes either) and he doesn't go to the range often enough to bother starting into handguns. (despite being a long arms collector) So some questions I have are. what are the opinions on the surplus Tokarev pistols and would it be a good one to start out with? or is there any other good pistols in that price range? How exactly do I go about the purchasing of one? I know Bill C-42 was supposed to make life a lot easier in general but with the new liberal government I'm just not really clear on where a lot of things stand since by the sounds of it they're trying to reverse everything. Should I just call the store I'll be buying from and find out exactly what the procedure is? any other tips or warnings getting into it? thanks ahead of time. Please bear in mind I am fairly new to restricted firearms and I'm just having a hard time finding info. I mostly just need a place to start from and get things rolling in the process of obtaining one. thank you!
Getting started into pistols
- Thread starter Jordanlf
- Start date
i cant comment on the tokarev as ive never handled or shot one before...
but for acquiring a restricted firearm, you would not be able to get one until you get your RPAL. however, your mom's bf can purchase one under his name, get a range membership under his name and bring you to the range as his guest to shoot the pistol.... until you are old enough to get your RPAL and possess your own restricted firearms.
but for acquiring a restricted firearm, you would not be able to get one until you get your RPAL. however, your mom's bf can purchase one under his name, get a range membership under his name and bring you to the range as his guest to shoot the pistol.... until you are old enough to get your RPAL and possess your own restricted firearms.
If you are dead set on getting a 33 for shooting, not collecting - get Polish and stay away from war made Russian ones. When it comes to TT, most cases I've seen it's love or hate thing. If you fired it and like the feeling - get one. It costs third of most modern, commercial handguns. Ideal scenario would be to visit a range with rental option and fire different handguns. You never know.
I love my post-war, Soviet made tokarev...I just don't plan on hitting anything with it. It's fun with a Big Bang and even flames sometimes but wildly inaccurate. If it was the only pistol I had, I'd probably hate it.
I haven't shot the polish version but as stated above, I have heard it's a decent shooter. There are better options for a first pistol IMHO and a Norinco 9mm in the $300 range is a good, inexpensive start. For a little more you can get a decent .22LR. I would go with one of those options myself.
I haven't shot the polish version but as stated above, I have heard it's a decent shooter. There are better options for a first pistol IMHO and a Norinco 9mm in the $300 range is a good, inexpensive start. For a little more you can get a decent .22LR. I would go with one of those options myself.
OldFrankHog
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Gatineau QC
Nice first post
Welcome to the forum and shooting community. Most of the info for getting your RPAL can be found here so I won't go through it all. I assume your mothers boyfriend is member of a shooting range or gun club already? If not he would need to get his collectors status to be able to buy a restricted. Now this is not a law, there is nothing saying you can't buy without one of those two things but it is the policy of most if not all CFOs to ask for proof of membership before accepting a transfer. That I guess would be the first step to get sorted out for now.
As you have been counseled already, the TT33 might not be the best handgun to buy first. Several reasons having been enumerated but mostly, since you are on a budget, because of the shooting costs. Ammo is the main money sink in the shooting sport. You want to shoot as much as possible so even if it means paying a pistol 200$ or 300$ more then a TT33, the offset in shooting .22 LR vs. 7.62x25 will make up that amount in very little time. Not t mention you would be getting a modern firearm with a warranty if bought new and most likely better suited to you and your intended use ie: target shooting.
Again I won't go through all the options here because there are an overwhelming amount of pistols and revolvers chambered in .22LR for every budget, every style and every size/strenght of shooters. Pick something you like as I think it is important to have pride in the ownership of a gun you will enjoy shooting and looking at.
Remember that any cost you save on a cheaper pistol will be quickly offset by the price of ammunition.
Have fun, be safe and again, welcome to the sport.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
TT33's are a fun old pistol to shoot, I'm glad I didn't buy one as my first handgun. It's not the most acurate gun out there or I should say to be acurate with one you really need to be concentrating on your fundamentals. When I'm really doing my part I shoot decently with it with surplus ammo.
If your budget minded look into some of the Norinco offerings like the sig clone or into the beretta clone that Girsan makes, then once you have some strong fundamentals under your belt grab a TT33. Either a polish or a post war Russian will treat you nicely.
If your budget minded look into some of the Norinco offerings like the sig clone or into the beretta clone that Girsan makes, then once you have some strong fundamentals under your belt grab a TT33. Either a polish or a post war Russian will treat you nicely.
A war time TT33 was my first handgun and it's pretty accurate with reloads so am pretty happy with it. More of a novelty for me now as I've since acquired other more user friendly pistols. Enjoy my various Norc clones and have had no real issues with any of them. Can't go wrong with an M93 to start in my opinion. If it can only be a single pistol for a while I think you'd be better off with a centerfire since just shooting a 22 will get boring quick. A young man on a budget may be well served by a Norc of one form or an other in 9mm and have something left over for ammo.
Welcome aboard! As has been already said, the TT33 is not the most accurate to shoot, small sights and a snappy report make it rather inaccurate without a lot of practice, especially with the surplus ammo. Plus if you do use the surplus corrosive ammo it means you'll be disassembling after every use for cleaning. And some ranges don't allow you to use steel jacketed ammo. I love mine but with poor eyesight it makes 10 yard targets a challenge.
I have a Norinco 1911 that was bought here on the EE for $275.00 and it is a great pistol to shoot, never gives me any type of grief of any sort. Its probably my favorite to shoot regularly. But ammo is about $35.00 a box and going up unless you start reloading.
Your best bet would be to get a .22 cal pistol as they are the cheapest to shoot. A really nice one if you can find it is a Beretta M71, they can be had for about $250.00 used, and are very dependable, plus they sound like they would fit your hand well.
I have a Norinco 1911 that was bought here on the EE for $275.00 and it is a great pistol to shoot, never gives me any type of grief of any sort. Its probably my favorite to shoot regularly. But ammo is about $35.00 a box and going up unless you start reloading.
Your best bet would be to get a .22 cal pistol as they are the cheapest to shoot. A really nice one if you can find it is a Beretta M71, they can be had for about $250.00 used, and are very dependable, plus they sound like they would fit your hand well.
Welcome to CGN.
I assume you are under 18. Give this a read:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/minor-mineur-eng.htm
Basically anyone holding an RPAL can allow you under their direct and immediate supervision to shoot their owned restricted firearm, wherever a restricted weapon is permitted to be discharged. This means an approved handgun range. So if you can meet these conditions, you are good.
For buying a first budget handgun consider the cost of ammo. A .22 would be cheapest to shoot.
I assume you are under 18. Give this a read:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/minor-mineur-eng.htm
Basically anyone holding an RPAL can allow you under their direct and immediate supervision to shoot their owned restricted firearm, wherever a restricted weapon is permitted to be discharged. This means an approved handgun range. So if you can meet these conditions, you are good.
For buying a first budget handgun consider the cost of ammo. A .22 would be cheapest to shoot.
I have a Tokarev (as my third handgun) and i wouldn't recommend it as a first pistol. Its not accurate, ammo are not that cheap and the recoil is more "snappy" than a 9mm. Sure its a very funny pistol to shoot, but not as your "first and only" pistol. I assume you're not 18 since you can't get your RPal yet so just start with a good 22lr, learn to shoot and then move up in to 9mm/7.62x25 pistol.
My first purchase was a beretta 92g (9mm) and a beretta 71 (22lr) and i really don't regret it. Take a look at these little beretta 71, they are great, reliable, funny to shoot, cheap to buy and to feed. If you have small hands, they are gonna be great for you. Ruger SR-22 is a good choice too for small hands.
If you reeeaaaalllllyyy want a tokarev style pistol as your first. I've seen a 22lr tokarev a while ago on EE, or you can always buy the 9mm version, im pretty sure they are more accurate than my 1944 Russian Tt-33.
My first purchase was a beretta 92g (9mm) and a beretta 71 (22lr) and i really don't regret it. Take a look at these little beretta 71, they are great, reliable, funny to shoot, cheap to buy and to feed. If you have small hands, they are gonna be great for you. Ruger SR-22 is a good choice too for small hands.
If you reeeaaaalllllyyy want a tokarev style pistol as your first. I've seen a 22lr tokarev a while ago on EE, or you can always buy the 9mm version, im pretty sure they are more accurate than my 1944 Russian Tt-33.
- Location
- West Quebec
Good luck with your shooting experience I would recommend a good solid 22 to get started something like a Buckmark or Ruger to get your feet wet.
My wife and I just got into handguns. Bought a TT-33 and my wife bought a Walther PPX range kit. I wanted the TT, because I have a bunch of other Red firearms. The wife wanted to see if she wanted to get into competitive shooting so we picked the PPX for her. The PPX in 9mm has much less recoil than the TT, it shoots much better and being 9mm, it is relatively cheap to shoot (about $0.30 per round). The PPX has a great trigger. The grip is kinda funky with the bulge in the back strap, but it fits her smaller hands very well. The PPX also as a range kit, gets you 3 mags and a holster. The TT is a much smaller gun, only 8 round mags. Range legal ammo for the TT may be tough and expensive to find depending on the rules of your range. Almost all surplus ammo has steel core bullets, you can't shoot this indoors or at steel targets due to ricochet concerns. I love my TT and my wife loves her PPX, both have their pros and cons. If you are into old stuff the TT would be good. If you are serious about shooting, then look for something like the PPX. Personally I like the TT for its snappy recoil and historical background and the fact it is a COOL OLD GUN!
I suppose I should have given a little bit more detail. I am on a budget, mainly just a budget for the gun itself though. i'm not super concerned about ammo prices because i already feed a few .308s and 7.62s and some other long guns I bought (through my mom's boyfriend as well). buying ammo isn't as bad for me because if my money is only disappearing a little bit at a time I can pretend i'm not spending too much on ammo! lol. I just don't want to spend a whole ton on the pistol right off the bat. In case I just don't use it as much as I intend to or end up not liking it for whatever reason, ETC. I also should have clarified the one i was shooting was a 9mm variant. (I believe it was still made by Tokarev but correct me if it was just a knock off in 9mm) It felt really nice and fit me well. but I definitely will look into some .22s as well. i've shot some of them before too. also I do have my license (not that it does a whole lot gun-wise under 18, it mainly just lets me use one hunting and doesn't affect restricted ones much as far as i know). And my mom's boyfriend has his RPAL and I would be getting mine ASAP once i turn 18 to transfer the handgun to my name. I do have to convince him to join one of the local clubs though. I wish there was a place to go try out some. But i'd likely have to travel several hours to get to a range that rents. Almost no one up here shoots handguns, but i have a friend who owns a small gun company and builds ARs and sells pistols. so i've shot with him before. Also, i have a range at my house, we live way out in the country. But I heard you still have to go to a licensed range and that i wouldn't be able to shoot it here. Is that true? doesn't make a lot of sense to me since it's on my property but i suppose not all of the gun laws make much sense at all. So yeah, i'd kind of like to start with a centre-fire personally, since i've shot enough to get a feel for them and build my technique. but I will definitely check out some .22s as well. thanks for such awesome quick replies. I appreciate all the advice and understanding. It's risky on a lot of forums mentioning you're under 18 and I appreciate the understanding.
To shoot a handgun you must be at an approved handgun range. Your provincial CFO would be the person who approves ranges. You can get a private range on your own property approved, BUT the hoops you have to jump through are huge. Approved ranges (private or public) are subject to periodical inspections, so you have to keep them up to spec.
Yeah... In canada the only place to shoot handguns is at the range. I find that stupid too, you can shoot a 308 in your backyard but not a 9mm... (Ever heard of balistic? Hahaha)
For your information, some shooting range don't allow surplus ammo and these 7.62x25 factory ammo are kinda expensive. And even if your range allow surplus ammo (mine don't...), another problem is the availability of these ammo. Sometimes they are hard to find and the price goes up a lot. If you have already some "experience" in handguns, you could go straight for a 9mm pistol, they are fun and cheap to shoot, ammo are always available everywhere, and there is a lot of choices to choose from. On a budget, you could grab a brand new walther ppx or s&w mp9 range kit (3 mags/speed loader/case/3 size grips) for 500/600$. You can also grab a used 9mm for a nice price (paid my beretta 92 400$) or even grab one of these p226/p228 norinco (yeah its Norinco.... But it's not worst than an old tokarev) for 300/400$. Welcome in the 9mm world!
For 9mm ammo price, i pay 250$ for 1000 rounds (0.25$/round -factory reload)
My last 7.62x25 ammo box was 17$ for 70 rounds (0.24$/round - surplus) and the seller told me they starting to become harder to get...
For your information, some shooting range don't allow surplus ammo and these 7.62x25 factory ammo are kinda expensive. And even if your range allow surplus ammo (mine don't...), another problem is the availability of these ammo. Sometimes they are hard to find and the price goes up a lot. If you have already some "experience" in handguns, you could go straight for a 9mm pistol, they are fun and cheap to shoot, ammo are always available everywhere, and there is a lot of choices to choose from. On a budget, you could grab a brand new walther ppx or s&w mp9 range kit (3 mags/speed loader/case/3 size grips) for 500/600$. You can also grab a used 9mm for a nice price (paid my beretta 92 400$) or even grab one of these p226/p228 norinco (yeah its Norinco.... But it's not worst than an old tokarev) for 300/400$. Welcome in the 9mm world!
For 9mm ammo price, i pay 250$ for 1000 rounds (0.25$/round -factory reload)
My last 7.62x25 ammo box was 17$ for 70 rounds (0.24$/round - surplus) and the seller told me they starting to become harder to get...
