Fedor Vasilevich Tokarev developed the TT-30 Pistol for the Soviet Military to replace the old Nagant revolvers the Soviets were using held over from the time of the Czar. The TT-33 (Tokarev-Tula) adopted in 1933, an improved design over the TT-30, was widely used by Soviet troops during World War II.

A very close, less polished facsimile of John Browning's 1911 automatic pistol in design and function with a much simpler hammer/sear assembly. It uses the 7.62 x 25 mm Tokarev cartridge based on the simular mauser 30. Caution must be used when buying ammo for this gun, because the Czechs used the this same cartridge but with a hotter charge of powder for their CZ-52 and sub machine guns. It works fine in the CZ-52 but it could cause the TT-33 or its clones to explode if used in them. The Czech cartridges are labeled with "mxp" on the bottom.

Production of the TT-33 in the USSR stopped in 1954. Also made by China as the Type 51, Type 54, M20, and TU-90, Hungary as the 48 M, Egypt as the Tokagypt 58, North Korean as the Type 68. At one time or another most communist or Soviet block countries made a variation of the TT-33 pistol. It was replaced by the Makarov

Price

Around 150 US dollars. They can usually be found at many gun shops in the US.