Carrying a Tokarev half-cocked

[JHK94]

So, I just bought a Romanian milsurp Tokarev pistol, and I really like it (plus, a big tin of cheap milsurp ammo doesn't hurt!). I don't really expect to ever carry this gun around city-wise, but I figured it would make a decent woods/hiking gun. I haven't been able to find a lot of consistent info on how secure the half cock feature is...

Is there any reason carrying with a round chambered, half cocked is unsafe? The halfcock seems really secure. Is the only drawback having to lower the hammer manually on a filled chamber?

 

[Dan Crocker]

Would it be faster (albeit noisier) to just rack the slide than to cock the hammer?

 

[JHK94]

It wouldn't be a big difference in time, but I can cock the hammer one handed, and need two to rack the slide.

 

[krs]

Be sure of where you are and where you're pointing the pistol when you lower to halfcock and I'd doubt there's any harm in it. Not exactly delicate trigger sears or hammers that might lose their tune if carried in contact with each other.

Don't carry cocked and locked though. There's been some talk of unreliability of the safety in those. Besides, the safety is nearly painful to switch on and off. Who needs that?

 

[JHK94]

Yeah, cocked-and-locked is definitely not something I want to do on mine. The after-the-fact ATF-mandated safety is really crappy. It's positioned ok, but its just not that robust, and its relatively easy to knock off/on.

 

[JHK94]

Does anyone have any experience with the Yugo Tok's (M57, I think)? They seem to have a 1911-style safety? Is that a better setup?

 

[wnycollector]

I remember reading on another board that "someone" posted about trying to make a tok slip off the half-cock notch...with a 2x4! He hit it several times and the tok was rock solid. I agree that the half-cock on my Polish Wz-48 is robust and would work 99% of the time...I just worry about that 1%! If my tok was the only pistol at my disposal I would carry it on half cock...but I have LOTS of pistols that are much safer in my collection.

 

[Mastiff]

I've had Toks for over 17 years. Right now I have a Chinese, a Romanian, and two M-57 Yugo's.
The safety on the Yugo's is light years better than the safety on any of the other Toks I've owned. I don't trust any of the others, I used the half-cock as a safety. I cocked the hammer fully as part of my draw. Not anymore, folks. I've now retired my other Toks from being carry pistols, the Yugo's get that job hands down. I fully trust that added safety on them. The extra round in the Yugo doesn't distress me, either.

 

[Gordon]

Where are you getting Yugo mags?

 

[makarovnik]

I believe the Russians designed it to be carried in the half-cock position. That is the ORIGINAL safety.

 

[Ron James]

The Russians designed it to be carried hammer down on an empty chamber{ the same as the American military with the 1911}. The half cock is not a safety, it is designed to catch the hammer if, when de-cocking your thumb slips. I personally know of a young man playing with a single action on half cock. We had to use a garden hose to clean the blood and brains from the walls. However, your gun, do as you please. I believe in the Darwin theory

 

[BHP FAN]

the half cock on the Tokarev is light years more robust than the one on the SAA [meant for loading/unloading by the way] and has nothing to do with SAA's or the 1911.The Colt Browning design it shares the most in common with is the 1903.

 

[Ron James]

Like I said, I'm a believer in the Darwin theory. Use the half cock notch for a safety. The world is over crowded anyway I'm very family with the Browning designed guns. Having carried them, built them, and shot them for a few years. Same thing, the half cock notch was not designed to be used for a safety.

 

[amd6547]

The Tokarev is not a Browning designed firearm. The Tokarev half cock is the safety...It locks the trigger, and the slide. If you are going to carry the Tokarev empty chamber, it should be done hammer cocked.

 

[mgregg85]

I would feel safer carrying w/out a round in the chamber and I think I would be able to rack the slide faster than I would be able to cock the hammer.

If you want a faster draw then you should probably buy a gun with a manual safety or a heavy DA trigger pull.