New toy. Chinese knock off Tokarev

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Oldnoob

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Got a Norinco Type 54-1 (Tokarev). Just pick it up three days ago. I purchase from a young fellow that was selling out his dad's old collection. The Norinco looks brand new but can tell it was sit in a safe for years without a drop of oil.

In CA, there is 10 days waiting period. So the was 10 days I can't touch the gun. And last thursday when I pick up my new toy, I can't help but shoot few rounds to "dust it off". It performed 104 rounds flawlessly (with Romania surplus ammo from ammoman).

That 7.62x25 has nice little kick. It felt like a hot 9mm, maybe around 9 +p. The trigger was nice, very 1911 like (very bad for 1911). I need to put some nail polisher on that sight, to improve its visibility.

After 100rd, there are two minor problem beside that tiny sight. One the Chinese knock off Tokarev has a safety located similar to where 1911 thumb safety is. However, instead to be horizontal to go along with the thumb. It's run almost vertical which upon recoil, it will dig in to my shooting hand thumb. 2nd, the gun got heat up really quick. After just 4 mags of shooting, the dust cover will be too hot to touch (not to the point burn my hand, but uncomfortable to touch).

I can't do anything about the over heat problem but I just spend 2 hours to detail cleaning that gun (strip to the least of parts). And I think the gun can function without the safety so I might try it next week to see if I can shoot it and not get burn from sparks coming out that hole (where used to by safety).

Also, there was two towel full of red rusty(?) mud that I wash out the gun. I really should of clean the gun before shooting it but I was really surprise that the gun function flawlessly even with internal full of dust and dry out lube.

Pictures are in order.

Norinco54-1right.jpg

Norinco54-1left.jpg
 
Very nice, good writeup and you got a really cool gun. I'd love to have a Tokarev like that!

Also, there was two towel full of red rusty(?) mud that I wash out the gun. I really should of clean the gun before shooting it but I was really surprise that the gun function flawlessly even with internal full of dust and dry out lube.
Click to expand...

Yep, par for the course. Russian designed firearms will function in the most brutal conditions you can imagine.
 
Um, don't even think about using that gun defensively without the safety. I know that it seems weird, but a lawyer would tear you up on that. Just saying. Also, pretty pistol.
 
I have the Yugoslavian M57. It's basically the same pistol, but with a slightly longer grip to accommodate a 9-round magazine.

The safety was added by importers. The weapon used everywhere else in the world lacks one. The Yugo model is a little different in that Zastava designed a safety for their 9mm version of the Tokarev, then added it to their 7.62x25 pistols as well. So at least the safety I got was included by the original manufacturer and fits well with the design! (looks and feels like a 1911 thumb safety, acts different internally).

Ammunition is cheap, plentiful, and corrosive. make sure you run windex down the barrel, wipe windex along the hammer group, on the feed ramp, the magazine, and along the muzzle end of the slide -- everywhere the corrosive salts can touch. This must be done within a few hours of firing. Don't wait overnight. Then use gun oil and clean as normal.
 
Thanks tkopp, I did remember to spray it down with windex. Man that ammonia sure stinks.

Also, I think I'm addict to Tokarev round now. I will start looking out for any Tokarev clone/variants and CZ52 that's around me locally.
 
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shotgunjoel,
Um, don't even think about using that gun defensively without the safety. I know that it seems weird, but a lawyer would tear you up on that. Just saying. Also, pretty pistol.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice, I was never intend to use that gun for SD/HD. I'm a big believer of HP ammo for defense and penetration type ammo (5.7x28, 357sig...etc) for banks job :D.
 
Nice. I have a Polish Tok and was going to nix the safety but was also worried about liability if I had to shoot someone.

Maybe the safety can be filed down, smoothed out and reinstalled?

A slip on rubber grip or Tokagypt (once piece wraparound type) would help with the safety bite.
 
It's worth noting that a glock doesn't have a safety you flick off, either, and there aren't any cries to not use those for self defense! The Tokarev may be single action, but it sure does take a deliberate amount of pressure to light it off. Hair trigger it ain't.

I wouldn't carry it cocked and locked without a safety though, and I'd look real close at whatever safety the importer added before I did it with a Tokarev. Now, you *can* get soft points or hollow points in 7.62x25. No worries there. They won't be .10 a round like milsurp, but they ought to have plenty of power to force expansion!

My main problem is with the heavy trigger pull I find myself stringing shots to the left.
 
Great find, I have two type 54s, one for my personal carry(the gun is heavy but so slim it'll slide right into my larger pockets behind my wallet and stay there no trouble, I load it with Wolf JHPs and I'm like a surgeon with it out to thirty yards, I used red nail polish on its front sight.

I do like my Romanian models better(got six of them, four wrapped up for the one day kids, one for the students in my NRA First Steps pistol class, and one for my nightstand. The polish are okay but I have to say the Romanians are the best by far, granted I don't have the Yugo models. I;ve got a couple early KSI imports in 9mm that I converted to 9x23 Winchester and haven't had any problems in the 400 or so rounds i've fired through them.

Back when you could get them for $150 they were a great budget gun, now you have to hunt the estate sales and private sales at gunshows to find them for less than $200.
 
Makarovnik said
''Nice. I have a Polish Tok and was going to nix the safety but was also worried about liability if I had to shoot someone.
Maybe the safety can be filed down, smoothed out and reinstalled?
A slip on rubber grip or Tokagypt (once piece wraparound type) would help with the safety bite...''

I have one set up just like that,with a Houge ''Hand All'' slip on grip .I converted it to 9mm years ago,when 7.62x25 was rare here.I wish I hadn't now.It'd dead reliable and accurate though.
 
Isn'y it illegal to modify an imported gun to a state that would be illegal to import- like removing the safety- without replacing a bunch of parts to make it "US made"? Wouldn't this fall under 922r?
 
It's worth noting that a glock doesn't have a safety you flick off, either, and there aren't any cries to not use those for self defense!
Click to expand...

That's because the consumer isn't deactivating a safety feature in order to use their Glock. It's not hard to imagine a prosecutor saying something like "So you were so eager to shoot an intruder that you deliberately removed the safety from your gun?"
 
Makarovnik said
''Nice. I have a Polish Tok and was going to nix the safety but was also worried about liability if I had to shoot someone.
Maybe the safety can be filed down, smoothed out and reinstalled?
A slip on rubber grip or Tokagypt (once piece wraparound type) would help with the safety bite...''

I don't think smoothing up a safety is an illegal modification,is it?Wouldn't that just make it safer?
 
The safeties installed on the Type 54 Chinese guns were actually added in China before export, if I recall correctly, and are actually identical to those used on the Hungarian Tokagypt 1958 Model, so they are a legitimate factory designed safety.

The Tokagypt style safeties actually block the sear and are much more effective than the "import" style safeties that only block the triggers on other Tokarevs of various pedigree.
 
The safeties installed on the Type 54 Chinese guns were actually added in China before export, if I recall correctly, and are actually identical to those used on the Hungarian Tokagypt 1958 Model, so they are a legitimate factory designed safety.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but I think that it still needs one to be imported, so if you removed it, then it would in that condition not be legal for import, and thus illegal in that form.
 
That gun is absolutely beautiful. Great find. The 7.62x25 round is meaner than hell too. It has similar ballistics to a 9mm +P. I have a feeling that the 357 sig round is a close copy of that cartridge.
 
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Frank_Drebin said:
That gun is absolutely beautiful. Great find. The 7.62x25 round is meaner than hell too. It has similar ballistics to a 9mm +P. I have a feeling that the 357 sig round is a close copy of that cartridge.
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I think 357sig made it right and it's a great successor of 7.62x25. A factory 357sig should perform a bit better than average Tokarev round. And it's definitely a better round of 5.7x28 in almost every aspects.
 
A month ago me and my bro had a blast shooting our Norc 54 1. No jams whatsoever. 6 inch groups at 15 yds firing standing freehand. 7 yds WAS much better about 3-4 inch groups. THis time it was standing using only one hand dominant right then switching to left non dominant.

ANd it feels good on the hand with its low recoil. More trigger time too for low cost Romanian surplus.
 
"These guns are NOT SAFE to carry with one in the chamber no matter how you do it."

The Zastava slide mounted safety not only locks the sear but rotates a cam over the firing pin. With the safety engaged it is unlikely a hammer could even reach the firing pin. I suppose a pebble of the exact right size could fall between the cam and hammer and the sear locking portion could fail. The primer could also spontaneously ignite. That being said the only safety for a gun is located between the ears of the person handling the gun. Been carrying mine for 20 years and don't find it to be a problem. I had a few of the Norincos didn't care for that design and never carried one in the spout of those.
 
Yeah, but I think that it still needs one to be imported, so if you removed it, then it would in that condition not be legal for import, and thus illegal in that form.
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Yes. we all know that; That wasn't the point. The point was that the type of safety used on the Norinco was the result of Combloc information/technology trading and that it is a legitmate, effective type of safety that was first used on the 1958 Hungarian produced Tokagypt pistols. (The Tokagypt was an attempt to interest the Egyptian government in a slightly updated version of the TT33 Tokarev in 9mm.)
 
no, it's illegal to import a handgun without safety , but there's absolutely no law prohibiting removal of it or having a handgun without a safety, i took mine off
 
Oldnoob, Your Norinco may well have been brand new as you suggested and "without a drop of oil".
I just purchased a new Norc NZ85B, haven't even fired it yet. It came in a sealed plastic bag with gauze wads which I presume are impregnated with VCI stuff but it was bone dry. Never seen a new gun before with absolutely no oil or grease on it.
Recently also purchased JW 105 and JW 15 (Norinco 223 and 22) and have never seen commercial rifles with as much thick rust prevenative on them so was surprised by the NZ85B.
Mine is nickel plated so no red rust stuff but yours might have a touch of surface rust because it was stored out of its bag without a preservative coat of oil. Your photo suggests a trace of rust on the slide.
Probably ran hot because there was absolutely no lube on it.
 
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