TT 33 buy or no buy?
- Thread starter TheWhole9Yards
- Start date
They're an excellent pistol for learning how a pistol works. I've very much enjoyed taking mine apart and learning what each piece does. I've fixed the firing pin retaining pin with a 2 1/4" nail and plumbers goop, broken the disconnector and had the recoil spring retainer disappear into thin air for an hour. When it finally does something I can't resolve I'll sell it for a parts gun or consider it $200 worth of great hands on gunsmithing experience.
If you're just getting into pistols, this is not the pistol to start with.
They are a milsurp pistol which may have or not a good barrel for accuracy, triggers are not the nicest unless worked on, recoil is not pleasant and has poor sights for target shooting.
Just because it goes bang and uses hot milsurp ammo doesn't make it fantastic.
Having said that, I own a nice Polish one and it rarely gets shot, more looked at.
Makes sense. I've already got a 1911 so getting a good first pistol to learn with has already gone to pot lol. I do plan on purchasing a GSG 1911 to hone technique and get my wife into pistols. This TT 33 will hopefully be a cheap change in scenery and something fun to plink with.
Thanks everyone for the input thus far, I think I'll start shopping this afternoon - I know canada ammo has a deal with some Norc ammo...
- Location
- Where the sun shines
Love my 1936 Tok. Been feeding it S&B commercial ammo, then chasing down the brass and reloading it to shoot some more. It is ugly as sin, but it wasn't made to sit on a shelf to be gazed at lovingly by fat useless generals- it was a gun made to be carried into battle, and it handled battle on the hardest front in the bloodiest war the world had ever seen. I could wish for a magazine extension for a better fit to my hands, but it is not particularly hard to handle. The 7.62x25 is a snappy little round, but the recoil is quite a bit less than you'd expect despite that. Not especially accurate, but if you were wanting a target gun you wouldn't have been looking at a Tok to begin with.
Love it for the history, and shooting it is just that extra bit of icing. If it had a proper safety, (and it were legal,) I'd like it as a carry pistol, given how slim it is and how potent the round is- particularly with my soft-point handloads.
Love it for the history, and shooting it is just that extra bit of icing. If it had a proper safety, (and it were legal,) I'd like it as a carry pistol, given how slim it is and how potent the round is- particularly with my soft-point handloads.
To emphasize the lack of safety comments.
The gun has a positive firing pin. Means that, unlike the 1911, when the hammer is down the firing pin protrudes from the breach face and rest hard against any primer that might be under it.
So a hard whack to the hammer with it down on a loaded chamber could well set the gun off
Much like the classic single action revolvers - only safe to carry with an empty chamber.
The gun has a positive firing pin. Means that, unlike the 1911, when the hammer is down the firing pin protrudes from the breach face and rest hard against any primer that might be under it.
So a hard whack to the hammer with it down on a loaded chamber could well set the gun off
Much like the classic single action revolvers - only safe to carry with an empty chamber.
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
It is what it is, a military pistol and a product of its time (1930's) It is simple, reliable and soldier proof. A real one (as opposed to a norc) had no saftey and is chambered in 7.62x25. which will shove a 89 gn bullet out around 1300 fps. Some ammo, notably cech will up this to 1400 or a bit more, and out of a sub gun length barrel it will hit 17-1800 fps. As noted this makes it a flat shooter. It also makes it F@#$n LOUD...lol. Recoil is not bad, but due to the shape of the pistol it is very "flippy" (muzzle really snaps up) Military grade accuracy (ie, bout 6-8" at 25 yards, if you can see the sights, which are small, again as per the time period.
If you get a case of cheap ammo, it's a cheap shooter. Mine was purchased due to what it was, to add to the military side of my collection, and has been shot little. I don't fine them all that fun to shoot, and i have more enjoyable options. But i do consider it an important part of handgun history.
If you get a case of cheap ammo, it's a cheap shooter. Mine was purchased due to what it was, to add to the military side of my collection, and has been shot little. I don't fine them all that fun to shoot, and i have more enjoyable options. But i do consider it an important part of handgun history.
cheap loud powerful A few posts up someone did an energy chart on the tt33 rounds. A bit more worldly energy chart done by myself. Started shooting point blank at a 4x4 at the range, angled the shots and measured the thickness. At 8 1/2 inches the bullet popped out and just stuck into the next board. Not very scientific but gives you an idea as to how much punch theser things have.
I have a Russian one, functions well but not very accurate. I also have a Polish one, which constantly amazes me how well it shoots. And when you can get 2250 (or whatever) rounds for $325, whats not to like about that??
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Personally, it's a crude pistol. Bad ergonomics (tiny, skinny grip), terrible sights, crappy trigger. I have nothing good to say about them. Sold mine shortly after shooting it.
I see people like them, most likely just due to the price point and cheap surplus ammo. When you can get a S&W SD9 VE for $369 in 9mm, I don't know why you'd want the Tok. It should be a $99 pistol. Many ranges won't even let you shoot the surplus ammo as it contains steel. There goes the cheap ammo angle.
Compare it to a surplus SKS and the SKS is an awesome bang for the buck rifle.
I see people like them, most likely just due to the price point and cheap surplus ammo. When you can get a S&W SD9 VE for $369 in 9mm, I don't know why you'd want the Tok. It should be a $99 pistol. Many ranges won't even let you shoot the surplus ammo as it contains steel. There goes the cheap ammo angle.
Compare it to a surplus SKS and the SKS is an awesome bang for the buck rifle.
If you like history, buy one. For $200 your getting a working, functional piece of WW2 history. Exactly the reason I got a war dated one. It nicely completes my WW2 dated Soviet rifles. I have no regrets and plan to keep it a long time. It shoots well enough too.
Travis Bickle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Upper Lower Middle Alberta
They are hit and miss with people.
Wether you will enjoy it will depend on the type of guy you are.
I loved mine. I put almost 1500 rounds of full power surplus through mine without a single issue.
They are as accurate as any other mass produced pistol out there. I picked up some S&B quality ammo once and it shot it very well. Great accuracy for a handgun if I took my time with it. The parts that lend itself to "not being accurate" are the near perpendicular grip, the narrow sights and the slightly rough military trigger. So for people that require comfort in every aspect of a firearm to be able to shoot it and enjoy it they are obviously at odds with the design. There are also a lot of people that measure the value of a handgun based on it's MOA capability or something. As though a short range defensive firearms quality is measured in wether it can shoot 5 rounds into a 1.02" circle (well then it's s**t) but their custom $3K 1911 can shoot 5 rounds into a 0.97" circle (so now it's a great handgun!)
It's a rough, heavy, large, powerfull handgun that will always shoot when you need it to, it's accurate enough for a handgun. It's not ###y, it doesn't have fruity accessories you can put on it like modern firearms, the ergonomics are near non existant.
There is a safety, it has a half ####. I never carried it in the holster with one in the chamber on the range though lol
In Soviet Russia YOU adapt to the gun not the other way around, Comrade.
It's a cheap investment and if you don't end up likeing it sell it. You will make your mone back Sir.
Wether you will enjoy it will depend on the type of guy you are.
I loved mine. I put almost 1500 rounds of full power surplus through mine without a single issue.
They are as accurate as any other mass produced pistol out there. I picked up some S&B quality ammo once and it shot it very well. Great accuracy for a handgun if I took my time with it. The parts that lend itself to "not being accurate" are the near perpendicular grip, the narrow sights and the slightly rough military trigger. So for people that require comfort in every aspect of a firearm to be able to shoot it and enjoy it they are obviously at odds with the design. There are also a lot of people that measure the value of a handgun based on it's MOA capability or something. As though a short range defensive firearms quality is measured in wether it can shoot 5 rounds into a 1.02" circle (well then it's s**t) but their custom $3K 1911 can shoot 5 rounds into a 0.97" circle (so now it's a great handgun!)
It's a rough, heavy, large, powerfull handgun that will always shoot when you need it to, it's accurate enough for a handgun. It's not ###y, it doesn't have fruity accessories you can put on it like modern firearms, the ergonomics are near non existant.
There is a safety, it has a half ####. I never carried it in the holster with one in the chamber on the range though lol
In Soviet Russia YOU adapt to the gun not the other way around, Comrade.
It's a cheap investment and if you don't end up likeing it sell it. You will make your mone back Sir.
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Range report and pictures when it shows up.
I will be interested to see if you are happy with it.
My friends tried my izzy after practicing with the .40 m&ps and said the muzzle flip is worse. The recoil isn't really harsh though. As far as accuracy goes. With surplus @ 25 - 50M it hits 8-10 inch groups. However I find surplus is undersized and with berrys 110grn m1 bullets in .308 diameter It shoots much better. 4 - 6 in groups are doable. I'll see about uploading a video 'a crappy one mind' but its of my 14 yo daughter shooting a shaving cream can 'its one of the cheap thin ones from dollorama' @ about 7 yards. The only issues I've had in the 2500 rounds through it were ammo related. Some of the surplus gets corroded and it wont always go into battery if to corroded. A little love tap to the back of the slide usually corrects it in those cases.
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I have some Russan and Polish versions, plus the Norc in both calibers.
My Polish shoots the best, but the others are fairly good.
I used the Rpolish in a CQB match and found it produced some of the highest pistol scores I have ever had. It shot well under pressure.
That was with surplus. I have also reloaded that caliber with Berrys 110gr M1Carbine bullets. Very, very accurate.
I put Tokgypt grips on one of my Norcs. Much more comfortable. $30 on ebay.
My Polish shoots the best, but the others are fairly good.
I used the Rpolish in a CQB match and found it produced some of the highest pistol scores I have ever had. It shot well under pressure.
That was with surplus. I have also reloaded that caliber with Berrys 110gr M1Carbine bullets. Very, very accurate.
I put Tokgypt grips on one of my Norcs. Much more comfortable. $30 on ebay.
Get a polish one, just because they are new, non refurb and it shows, and as Ganderite said, accurate!! Extremely easy to field strip and clean, a very simple design and inexpensive! I wonder what one would cost if built to that standard today!?
