7.62x25mm Tokorov pistol but in 9mm??? Is it worth buying?

[bowkillpa]

So I have a chance to buy a Tokorov pistol (http://www.gunblast.com/RKCampbell_Tokarev.htm).

The guy said it's in 9mm and will sell for $100. Is this a good collectors or garbage that will not hold value.

Curious what you guys think or what qustions I should ask about the gun besides looking for pits etc...

I have not loked aat it yet so featues are clueless right now.

[SteveWag]

The 7.62x25 is the Father of the 9mm Para. The Tokarov was manufactured as a military pistol in 7.62x25 only. (And without a safety) Since the 7.62 and the 9mm are the same diameter, only a barrel change was needed to switch from 7.62 to 9mm. Norinco (China) sold a Tok. with two barrels and four mags, two had spacers for the shorter 9mm. Bulgarian Toks. are selling for $200, with an added safety, in 7.62. I like the Tok., very thin, all steel, feels a lot like a 1911.
For what it’s worth.
Steve

[HSMaxim]

Very few Tokarevs have any real collectors value IMO, except maybe for a genuine Russian non-import and some of the Polish ones.

Most Toks can be had for well less than $300.

For $100, I would buy it, even a Norinco is worth that as a shooter.

[knight0334]

Originally Posted by SteveWag

The 7.62x25 is the Father of the 9mm Para. The Tokarov was manufactured as a military pistol in 7.62x25 only. (And without a safety) Since the 7.62 and the 9mm are the same diameter, only a barrel change was needed to switch from 7.62 to 9mm. Norinco (China) sold a Tok. with two barrels and four mags, two had spacers for the shorter 9mm. Bulgarian Toks. are selling for $200, with an added safety, in 7.62. I like the Tok., very thin, all steel, feels a lot like a 1911.
For what it’s worth.
Steve

The 7.65x22 Parabellum/Luger is the parent to the 9mm Parabellum(Luger).

The 7.62x25 Tokarov is slightly different from the Luger, and works at a differing pressure level(hotter) than the 7.65para, 7.65Borchardt, and 7.63Mauser - despite all 4 being very similar in appearance and size.

With that Tokarov pistol being built originally for the 7.65Tok, if done properly it should handle the 9mm para.

[PA Rifleman]

In a single word, yes.

It's worth $100 in parts alone.

I shoot TT-33s a lot, $100 is a *great* price for a TT if it goes BANG. Make sure the bore is in decent shape (no major rust or heavy pitting, most will have a little) and it functions correctly. See if it includes an extra magazine. It originally came with a steel cleaning rod and one extra magazine. The boxes are often omitted since they were exceptionally fragile. The Chinese used a recipe similar to toilet paper for the cardboard sleeve that went over a Styrofoam core. The boxes were often damaged by the time it arrived at the distributor or dealer.

The original full-length TT can fire either 7.62x25 or 9mm with ease, all that's required is a barrel of the correct chambering. I've put 9mm barrels in my wartime TT, it ate 9mm full metal jacket just fine. Contrary to other reports, standard TT-33s firing 9mm DO NOT require a "special" magazine, extractor, etc. to fire 9mm.

A few caveats about them:

• A "9mm" Tokarev can be either a TT-33 rebarrelled from 7.62x25 or a Chinese M213. The M213 is a TT design specifically made in 9mm and cannot be rebarrelled back to 7.62x25. You can identify the M213 by the shorter ejection port and the presence of a steel filler plate in the magazine well to accommodate the shorter magazine. So, the M213 uses a unique magazine and slide. If this is a Type 54, 54-1 (Chinese designation for TT-33) or other standard TT-33, by all means get it.
• TT-33s have a near-perpendicular grip angle, and requires a little time to adjust to it. Once mastered, it's a delight to shoot and remains very affordable even today. As you'll soon discover, the 7.62x25 round is no slouch on power. You'll also eventually notice how thin the TT design is, and how suitable it can be for discreet carry.
• Parts availability remains a challenge. I had some challenges locating parts in the past. Most places selling TT parts only have 3-5 at a time an never a complete pistol, sans frame.
• Collectibility is on the rise. I bought a wartime TT decades ago for a couple of hundred, it's worth about a kilobuck now. A Polish TT-33 I bought about 5-6 years ago for about $120 sold for $350-ish on Gun Broker. They do increase in value. Earlier scalloped slides seem to have more collector appeal than the later serrated slides. See pictures (below).
• Some Chinese TT-33s had shortened firing pins that helped them gain importation acceptance. Many of these had trouble firing harder primers, as the TT design wasn't intended to be inertial. Replacing the firing pin with the original length fixes this.

The firing control mechanism is detachable, making service and repair very easy.

Photos. All will enlarge with a mouse click:
- -
Norinco M213 with wrap-around grips. Many also had panel-type grips similar to Russian TT-33. (Right) M213 in original box. The "box" was a sleeve that went over a styrofoam tray, which often broke in transport.

M213 (top) and standard 7.62mm frame TT clone (bottom)

- - -
Left pair-late production TT-33 with modern serrated slide grooves Right pair-early Soviet TT-33 with "scalloped" slide serrations. Note lack of any safety lever or controls on the original Soviet model. These unmodified examples are the most desirable among collectors.

Muzzleblast from a TT-33 (internet photo)

Polish TT-33, post-war. Note nearly identical design with wartime Soviet manufacture except for markings and grips. The small shaft with the "E" clip on it indicates this was a recent US import, with a post-manufacture safety added for import compliance.
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The detachable fire control group, and an exploded diagram of the TT-33. (Left image) The safety is a post-import addition, making this a fairly recent photo. (Right image) The TT-30 has a removeable plate on the backstrap for trigger removal, but is otherwise similar to the TT-30.

[brian]

there are few guns that are not worth a 100 bucks.

[goon]

I'd buy it.
Where is it?
Who is selling this pistol for $100?

[bowkillpa]

Great insite fellows. I think I'll buy it. I'll post up pictures later..