A Tale of two toks

[starfighter66]

I have to say I enjoy both my Tokarev's, I have one in 9mm - A Norinco 213 and a new Zastava M57 in 7.62 x 25. Both guns are really well made and I have read quite a bit of negative stuff about the 213 but IMO it shoots well and is well made. both are just fun guns for the range, easy to break down and I usually carry one or the other as a backup while hunting. The only thing I have done with either of them was to have new grips made for the 213 by Marchinko grips. The new Zastava M57 can be purchased in 9mm as well. Both guns cost just over the $200 mark and could be called a cheap gun but for me the most important thing for a gun weather for fun or for carry is that they go bang every time and so far both toks have never failed to do that.

 

[kokapelli]

I had two norinco's in 9mm and loved them, but they both wore out rather fast.

 

[starfighter66]

from what I have read it was hit or miss on them and there was no real explanation why?? For a gun from the early 1980's it has held up well and is still a great shooter.

 

[tark]

I have owned three Toks in my life. The first was a Russian military of unknown vintage; the second a commercial Chinese from the 80s. My current example of the breed is a Yugo made M-57, which is the 9 round version with the extended length grip. It is the best looking Tok I have yet seen. (East German might be better?)
Here is my problem with Tokarevs; they don't seem to hold up well to extensive and prolonged shooting. My two earlier Toks beat themselves to death. I suspect the heat treating on them was either insufficient or missing altogether. The jury is still out on the Yugo but it seems to be holding up well so far.
There had been a lot of back and forth (much of it contributed be me) as to the pressures generated by Tokarev ammo and whether it is safe to shoot in Broomhandle Mausers.
If I have found any one gun that Tokarev ammo seems to be too hot to use in IT IS THE TOKAREV ITSELF! My shooter Broomhandle has digested over 2500 rounds of 762X25 without a bobble. My Russian Tok was almost unfired when I got it. It beat itself to death in the first few hundred rounds, peening the frame where the slide whacks into the spring guide which it turn whacks into the frame. The Chinese gun cracked the slide in the same area. Obviously TOO hard.
I suspect that Russian and Commie military doctrine in general is to blame. The pistol is more of a badge of authority than a weapon that was actually meant to be used extensively. They built them cheap and fast. The average officer who was issued one probably almost never used it.
they copied a magnificent design, then turned around and downsized and lightened up the individual components to the point of weakening them too much. The fire control unit was pure genius, but they went too far trying to save material on the rest of the gun.