One Tok over the line

[Shear_stress]

Inspired by all the recent "world's greatest 9mm" threads, I decided to spend good money on a 9mm Norinco 213, which I arbitrarilly declare to be the SIG P210 of cheap Chinese Tokarevs. Bizarrely, after subtracting the cost of the extra 7.62x25 barrel and magazine as well as some other stuff that came with it, the cost of the gun itself worked out to be $63. In 2007 dollars. Crazy.

With expectations literally sky high, I got the gun home and disassembled it. Exterior finish of reminded me of an arsenal-refurbed 1911, which is not a bad thing at all. Markings were limited to the importer's stamp, the serial number and a little "66" on the frame. A former owner had removed the useless BATFE-mandated safety. It will not be missed. Interior finish was a little crude in places (parts of the barrel appeared to have been kissed by a coarse bastard file), but at least everything was hewn from old-fashioned, god-fearing steel. Lock up was surprisingly solid as well.

Like other Tokarevs, the action is pure, link-barrel Browning. Cleverly, the sear/hammer/disconnector/mainspring are mounted in a subassembly that can be yanked from the frame at will. In addition, the hammer's half-cock position also locks the slide. Kinda neat.

At range: I originally just intended to see if the thing functioned. Ammo was nothing fancy, just 9mm ball (WWB). Lo and behold, the damn thing just wouldn't stop working, so I decided to shoot for accuracy at 25 yards (the only distance available). Despite the primitive sights (regulated for 7.62x25 POI) and Stone Age ergonomics, the Norinco did a yeoman's job at the firing line. While not a target pistol by any stretch of the imagination, it was entirely possible to shoot recognizable offhand groups--more than I expected for a weapon designed to put down Red Army deserters.

The more I shot the Norinco, the more it grew on me. Maybe I'll buy another bushing and get that 7.62 barrel running.

 

[makarovnik]

I have one in 7.62x25 (polish) and I love it. It's a tack driver and being so slim it's an excellent carry piece. I don't carry a round in the chamber though. That's the only downside to this pistol. I paid $150 out the door and mine was in like new condition. Looks like it had never been fired and no mushrooming where the hammer hits the slide.

 

[Shear_stress]

It's a tack driver and being so slim it's an excellent carry piece. I don't carry a round in the chamber though. That's the only downside to this pistol.

I agree. The slide is only 0.83" wide and I love the semi-concealed hammer. If only they had a modern version with better sights, a more comfortable grip-frame and a safety that was actually safe.

 

[kokapelli]

This only applies to the 9mm Norincos. I had two of them.

They were very reliable, accurate and I really liked how thin they are, but I found out that the Norinco Tok is a through away after 2000 rounds.

The importer says they are only made to last for 2000 rounds.

The slides are soft and the part of the slide that recocks the hammer when the pistol cycles began spreading and rubbing against the rails afer a couple thousand rounds, on both of mine.

I did file the metal off that was rubbing against the rails and shot about another thousand rounds before getting rid of them.

 

[Mortech]

Never heard about the Norincos being soft , I'm damn glad I got a TT-33 now