Romanian TTC Tokarov Pistol

The TTC Tokarov pistol, from Romania, is one hard hitting weapon. Similar in external appearance to the Browning 1903, the Tokarov is internally a totally unique design. Firing the powerful 7.62*25 Tokarov cartridge, this pistol is one of only a few that can penetrate level II and IIa body armor at ranges of 25 yards, and punch through a U.S. Kevlar helmet at ranges of 25 feet.

Looking for a replacement for the Model M1895 revolver, the Russian army selected the 8 round Tokarov using a more powerful version of the 7.63 Mauser bullet. The Tokarov can fire the lighter 7.63 Mauser bullet but the same cannot be said for the German C96 pistol as the action cannot handle the higher pressures. Many captured Russian Tokarov's were used by the Germans with Mauser ammunition.

While many Tokarovs were manufactured in World War II, they never fully replaced the M1895 revolver. The Russians manufactured the Tokarov, known as the TT-33, until 1954. Other Soviet countries manufactured the weapon in their own armories, such as Romania, China, and Yugoslavia.

The Romanian TTC Tokarov in my collection was made in 1954. While the grip looks skinny, it is actually very comfortable and solid feeling. The round is very powerful but has less recoil than the smaller 9mm Makarov that replaced it. Ammunition is cheap and plentiful in the surplus market, but new production is higher priced than more common calibers due to so few pistols or rifles that use it. With a muzzle velocity of about 1450+ feet per second, the round has one of the highest velocities for a pistol and I have little difficulty engaging targets at ranges of 100 yards with it.