Replacement Tugoslavian M57 (tokarev) barrel?

[Snowdog]

I just received my Yugoslavian M57 from SOG and the exterior is in great condition. The trigger is phenomenal for a military pistol (about the same SA as my CZ82) and I indeed received correct magazines for the pistol.

However, the bore doesn't look good at all. I'm going to have to dig out my bronze bore brush to see if this stuff isn't some kind of dried up cosmoline, but it wouldn't come out with a cleaning patch and carb cleaner, so I do believe there's rust in there (though the rifling is sharp).

If I end up with a horribly pitted barrel after cleaning out this potential rust, I might look into replacing it. I don't want to send this pistol back for replacement due to the surprisingly sweet trigger and overall excellent condition. Does the Yugo M57 use the same barrel as the TT33 (will they more or less "drop in")?

Thanks in advance!

 

[DaBull]

My trigger is not sweet. Magazine safety gives it a little hitch. No problem with yours?

 

[Snowdog]

It's absolutely perfect; the safety crisply snaps into and out of position. The trigger does have a little take up, but is very light which I found surprising for not only a tokarev but one with a magazine safety (that works).

That's precisely why I don't want to exchange this pistol, I would rather pay for a replacement barrel if this is indeed rust and not some dried up gunk.

 

[wally]

Have you shot it yet?

Yugoslavia lacked chromium so their barrels are not plated despite corrosive ammo being the norm, hence dark bores are very common in Yugo guns. But many of them still shoot just fine, so I'd try it first.

 

[Snowdog]

I haven't, I only received it a couple hours ago and have thus far only removed the cosmoline.

A few years ago I shot a Spanish Mauser in .308win that had a pitted barrel (belonging to a buddy). It was one of the most accurate military surplus rifles I've ever fired.

I'm not too worried if the rust has only slightly pittled the barrel, but I'm just curious what my options are if I ultimately find it unacceptable for whatever reason.
I understand some parts will not interchange with a TT33 such as the magazine, but I'm hoping the barrels will.

 

[Snowdog]

Well, I took a bronze brush to the bore along with some BreakFree and most if not all of the gunk came right out. I do think some of it was dried cosmoline, but the bore does look "frosted". I suspect it shoots fine though, which I will determine tomorrow.

All in all, it's a nice addition to my little C&R pistol family.

Bore:



Family (L-R: 1895 Nagant, Yugoslavian M57, Czech CZ82, Czech CZ52):

 

[Lakeshore]

Snowdog the barrel on my Yugo M57 from SOG was in rough condition as well. I spent a good hour working on it with Rem 40-X bore cleaner, Break Free CLP and a bronze wire brush and it cleaned up nicely. It's still frosted but the rifling is sharp so I don't think shootability will be affected.

Also my manual safety was blocking the sear in the safety off position but a bit of reshaping with a small file got that problem squared away too.

 

[stoney1666]

Lakeshore, I assume you took metal off the safety, my really screws up the trigger. Shoots fine with out the safety installed. #10 trigger

 

[BHP FAN]

That's going to shoot just fine.I definitely would not replace that barrel.I have a WWII Inglis that has a barrel that looks like a cross between a war era Hanoi airfield and the surface of the moon [ so bad I was actually a little scared to shoot it!] and it shoots just fine.