Tokarev TT-30
Tula Arms Plant · Pistol · Discontinued · 1930
Also known as: TT-30, Tula-Tokarev 1930, Pistolet TT obr. 1930 g.
Overview
The Tokarev TT-30 is a Soviet single-action, short-recoil semi-automatic pistol designed by Fedor Tokarev and adopted in 1930 to replace the Nagant M1895 revolver. Chambered in the high-velocity 7.62x25mm Tokarev cartridge, it adapted John Browning's locked-breech, swinging-link action while using a removable hammer and lockwork module for easy maintenance. It was the original variant, soon refined into the simplified and far more widely produced TT-33.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 825 g (29.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 193 mm (7.60") |
| Barrel Length | 116 mm (4.57") |
| Height | 130 mm (5.12") |
| Width | 28 mm (1.10") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 420 m/s (1378 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 485 J (358 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x25mm Tokarev · primary — also known as 7.62x25mm, 7.62 Tokarev, Type 51
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Removable Hammer Group, Browning Locked Breech, No Manual Safety
Service history
Operators
- Soviet Armed Forces · adopted 1930 · as TT-30
- People's Liberation Army
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 93,000 · Production years: 1930-1936
Roughly 93,000 TT-30 pistols were built before the simplified TT-33 took over production; surviving TT-30 examples are scarce and collectible.
Origin
Country of origin: Soviet Union
Designer: Fedor Tokarev
Discontinued: 1936
Notes
The TT-30 was produced only briefly before the improved TT-33 superseded it in 1933. The TT-30 used a barrel with full-circumference locking lugs and a more complex frame; the TT-33 simplified production with a redesigned trigger/locking arrangement. The TT-30 famously has no manual safety, relying only on a half-cock hammer position.
Background
Because the TT-30's grip frame and lockwork were costly to machine, Soviet engineers redesigned it within three years into the TT-33, making the original TT-30 one of the shortest-lived standard Soviet service pistols. To speed field maintenance, Tokarev mounted the hammer, sear and springs in a single removable module that lifts out of the frame as one unit.