A 7.62-mm 1933 TT pistol, USSR.

A 7.62-mm 1933 TT pistol, USSR.

The Soviet Union was faced with the challenge of developing its own self-loading pistol in the middle of the 1920s, when the Red Army started to lag behind many foreign countries in terms of small arms. The pistol developed by one of the oldest Russian weapons designers F. V. Tokarev was named the winner of a 1930 nationwide competition. In 1931, it was adopted for service in the Red Army under the designation “7.62-mm Tokarev pistol model 1930” (TT stands for Tula, Tokarev).

When putting the pistol into production in 1933, design changes were made to simplify manufacturing. The upgraded TT pistol was adopted for service in 1933.

By accepting the pistol, the Red Army for the first time received a state-of-the-art powerful and reliable personal hand weapon. Tokarev pistols were widely spread across the frontline and were in service in virtually all of the Soviet combat arms.

In 1933–1945, Soviet manufacturers built more than 1.6 million 1933 TT pistols for the Red Army.

Characteristics:
Caliber, mm — 7.62
Weight, unloaded, kg — 0.854
Length, mm — 195
Muzzle velocity, m/s — 420
Effective firing range, m — 50
Usable rate of fire, rpm — 25-30
Magazine capacity, rounds — 8