just got my first Russian TT-33

[TruthTellers]

I own 3 TT33s and 8 7.62x25 Variants. I really like the pistol design and cartridge ... but ... a hot 7.62x25 in an LCP/P3AT-size/weight package? Just the thought of that makes my hand hurt.

Well, that's your hand. I'm sure younger members of the carry movement would be fine with it.

And it doesn't need to be exactly LCP size and weight, maybe something in between the LCP and the LC9 that's still easy to pocket carry.

I'm just throwing out ideas for what I think is a great cartridge that's been forgotten over the decades that has a lot of potential with the advancements in hollow point design.

 

[ROAshooter]

"'m just throwing out ideas for what I think is a great cartridge that's been forgotten over the decades that has a lot of potential with the advancements in hollow point design."

there's a good reason its been "forgotten" over the decades.....its called advancement/improvement of ammunition........surely your utubing of this.... would have pointed this out......

 

[R.W.Dale]

"'m just throwing out ideas for what I think is a great cartridge that's been forgotten over the decades that has a lot of potential with the advancements in hollow point design."

there's a good reason its been "forgotten" over the decades.....its called advancement/improvement of ammunition........surely your utubing of this.... would have pointed this out......

If your assertion was in any way based on reason then two of the top three pistol cartridges would be as third rate as the 7.62x25 seeing as 9x19 and 45 acp are just as old.

I would contend that advancement and availability of body armor gives 7.62x25 more merit than ever. A modern pistol would bridge the gap between 5.7x28 and 357 sig quite well. Especially with a modern all copper projectile load.

 

[ROAshooter]

"I would contend that advancement and availability of body armor gives 7.62x25 more merit than ever."

If it were a viable round....it would be in production...with all the fanfare of the "hot new round"

 

[ROAshooter]

"If your assertion was in any way based on reason then two of the top three pistol cartridges would be as third rate as the 7.62x25 seeing as 9x19 and 45 acp are just as old."


so what "reason"....do two of the three...are still so very popular...and the 7.62 is not?

 

[GBExpat]

Well, that's your hand. I'm sure younger members of the carry movement would be fine with it.

And it doesn't need to be exactly LCP size and weight, maybe something in between the LCP and the LC9 that's still easy to pocket carry.

It is a mighty fierce, magnum-w/o-the-moniker, cartridge for such a tiny-form-factor handgun. My TTs weigh ~2lbs, loaded, and are a handful with standard loads (S&B FMJ clocks ~1450fps). Loaded, my P3AT weighs a little over 11oz.

I'm just throwing out ideas for what I think is a great cartridge that's been forgotten over the decades that has a lot of potential with the advancements in hollow point design.

Relative to SD potential for the 7,62x25, I have long thought that a slower, heavier, HP projectile (I am partial to GoldDots ) might be a slightly better way to go, but I have yet to work on developing/testing any such loads.

Several years ago I special-ordered a crossdraw holster from Ross and I like carrying one of my Romys (usually) while driving and/or under a winter coat. Very handy, comfortable and accessible.

 

[TruthTellers]

Relative to SD potential for the 7,62x25, I have long thought that a slower, heavier, HP projectile (I am partial to GoldDots ) might be a slightly better way to go, but I have yet to work on developing/testing any such loads.

So you believe that a .380 JHP is better than a modern JHP 7.62x25?

 

[GBExpat]

So you believe that a .380 JHP is better than a modern JHP 7.62x25?

Nope.

 

[WardenWolf]

Nice-looking pistol. Don't expect it to be very accurate, though. The Russian ones had very poor tolerances compared to other Russian guns of the same era. Romanians, Polish, and Yugos are generally regarded as much better shooters.

I've always liked the Tokarev, not so much for the gun itself, although they are really solid like most Russian guns are, but because of the 7.62x25 round. I think bottlenecked pistol cartridges are something cool and I wish that companies would work with the old 7.62x25 and make a good hollowpoint loading for it and come up with some new pistols that shoot it.

Unfortunately, the moment someone makes a modern gun to fire it, the ATF would probably take notice and reclassify the round as armor-piercing, completely banning it. It will, after all, go through Level 2 armor. That's also probably the general reason for a lack of bottleneck cartridges. They're far more likely to get that kind of negative attention.

 

[TruthTellers]

Unfortunately, the moment someone makes a modern gun to fire it, the ATF would probably take notice and reclassify the round as armor-piercing, completely banning it. It will, after all, go through Level 2 armor. That's also probably the general reason for a lack of bottleneck cartridges. They're far more likely to get that kind of negative attention.

That's baloney because were that the case the 5.7mm, .22 TCM, and .357 Sig would all be found "armor piercing" rounds. Out of those, only the AP variants of the 5.7 have been banned from civilian ownership because they are armor piercing.

 

[WardenWolf]

That's baloney because were that the case the 5.7mm, .22 TCM, and .357 Sig would all be found "armor piercing" rounds. Out of those, only the AP variants of the 5.7 have been banned from civilian ownership because they are armor piercing.

The problem is that all FMJ versions of 7.62x25 are effectively AP. All that would be left is expensive hollowpoints. Trust me, we don't want a modern firearm in this caliber. Either the round would have to be neutered to the point of ineffectiveness, removing its appeal and the ability to function in a lot of surplus guns, or we wouldn't have any cheap ammo.

 

[tark]

Wolf is making 7.62X25 hollowpoint ammo. Their gold line, brass cased, boxer primed. Never fired any, don't know how good it is, but it is out there.

 

[raubvogel]

Is the 5.7x28 a reimagineered 7.62x25?

 

[TruthTellers]

Wolf is making 7.62X25 hollowpoint ammo. Their gold line, brass cased, boxer primed. Never fired any, don't know how good it is, but it is out there.

I've seen other Eastern European ammunition that are hollow point, but won't expand worth a damn.

Sorry, but I don't trust Wolf as a carry ammo.

 

[GBExpat]

By ~10 years ago I had accumulated >1K S&B commercial 86gr FMJs (.307-.3075) at excellent prices ... and, for fun-shooting, I still have >10k of the milsurp 7,62x25 that was dirt-cheap.

Rather than buy commercial 7,62 SD ammo, with a number of boxes of the S&B, I simply replaced the 86gr FMJ bullets with 85gr Sierra Sports Master SPs (.308) ... which both shoot and expand very well.

I have also acquired a small supply (few hundred, each) of Hornady 90gr SP (.308) and 90gr XTPs (.309) for testing, but I have not yet gotten around to working with them.

 

[WardenWolf]

I've seen other Eastern European ammunition that are hollow point, but won't expand worth a damn.

Sorry, but I don't trust Wolf as a carry ammo.

The Wolf hollowpoint ammo has been tested to expand to .46. It's good stuff. Sorry, I don't have a link to the tests; it was a long time ago, but they were legitimate ballistic gel tests.

Also, I've stacked Wolf and S&B in a magazine before, and there is no difference in recoil. S&B is one of the rounds that's been tested to penetrate Level 2 body armor.

If you reload, the best option I've seen is using Gold Dot hollowpoints. Those are downright NASTY and produce a temporary wound cavity that has visible tornadic twisting. The effects are far worse than 9mm or .45. Brassfetcher.com has the videos.

 

[Richard Head]

Brass fetcher's testing with handloads proved the round has potential with expanding bullets. The 32 caliber 100 grain XTP at 1550 fps did pretty good.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=245469

$600 is too much for a TT33

 

[Shrike]

I have a polish Tok., which has no special markings on the grip.
Very slight corrosion inside the bore. Still it shoots ragged holes at 10 metres. Amazing good trigger pull. The polish officer who shot the gun looked well after it and adjudged the sights to smack on @ 10 meters. The overall condition can be rated as very good. Although corrosive bulk 7.62x25 is available in crates rather cheap, I prefer to shoot good Sellier and Bellot ammo in mine.

 

[Tallball]

I think the plum is beautiful. My Tok is an ugly Chinese one in 9mm. But it shoots like a champ.

 

[Ibmikey]

Setting the plumb color aside, where did the grips originate? They are neat and look as utilitarian as the rest of the Tokorev.