Adventures with M57 Tokarev

Zorba · 02-07-2020, 11:52 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bJS1GN9qOk

HerrKaiser · 02-08-2020, 12:58 AM

As luck would have it, I was looking into these on classic firearms' site earlier in the day...might just have to be my next firearm purchase if they stay below $300 on there. I will be sure to watch the full video sometime soon as a review of the quality to expect.

Zorba · 02-08-2020, 10:42 AM

About the only thing I can squawk about is a moderately frosty barrel.

DonVoigt · 02-08-2020, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorba

About the only thing I can squawk about is a moderately frosty barrel.

I've heard of that; always wondered how you get the frosting into the barrel? Very small spatula?

Thanks for the video. Good job.

I changed the trigger with "safety" out for a friend about a year ago, took me forever to figure out how to get the trigger out- once you know how it will "fall" out!

Zorba · 02-08-2020, 06:00 PM

I'm afraid that my trigger finger would have been sore and/or mangled with that "safety trigger" in place - very sharp feeling to me. Even the stock trigger is a bit on the skinny side - I like a bit more meat on one.

pitsword · 02-09-2020, 03:58 PM

Great Video. A couple of months ago I purchased an unissued m 57 from Dan's Ammo in Pa. New holster and spare mag with loop and it was spotless..no cosmo. I love this pistol and carry it around the farm in a GI 1911 shoulder holster. Accurate and a lot of punch, before it was either a G23 or .45 Commander. BTW, Dan also sold me an unissued Berreta 81 for mother.

Zorba · 02-09-2020, 05:35 PM

Thanx for your kind words. Making a video like this makes me respect those who are good at it! I'm still learning...

Mac Cat · 02-09-2020, 06:37 PM

I've never seen a TT-57
I inherited a model T-54, which is a mis-matched chinese copy of the TT-33 my father brought back from Vietnam.
it is a really fun to shoot and powerful !

I'm looking for a real Russian made TT-33.

Zorba · 02-09-2020, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac Cat

I'm looking for a real Russian made TT-33.

I was too - but this will do until such time as I find the "right" one.

Olle · 02-11-2020, 09:42 AM

I bought six of these, thought I better do it before ATF starts raising hell about the safety. I chose the VG + hand select options, and it was kind of a mixed bag. The bores ranged from very good (just some small specks) to like new, and the bluing was very good to excellent except for one. Some appeared to be rearsenaled, and this particular gun had a large rust pit under the bluing, right next to the Yugo crest. It also had extremely sloppy grips and a stuck extractor, but after some discussion they agreed to replace it.

I have heard comments from those that were not so lucky, seems like the QC at Classic Firearms is a bit hit or miss. Still, it's a lot of gun for the money and the lack of a frame mounted safety is priceless. Just install a $20 TT-33 trigger, and the gun will be as close to an as-issued M57 as you can realistically get. It will still be import marked, but they put this on the bottom of the trigger guard so it's not nearly as bad as it can be on other imports.

BTW: The firing pin assembly in these is more complicated than in the original TT-33, so I would not recommend taking it apart unless you really have to. I believe they modified it to work with the factory frame mounted thumb safety on other models, and the reassembly is a royal PITA.

Zorba · 02-11-2020, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olle

BTW: The firing pin assembly in these is more complicated than in the original TT-33, so I would not recommend taking it apart unless you really have to. I believe they modified it to work with the factory frame mounted thumb safety on other models, and the reassembly is a royal PITA.

The 'net is full of people who say to not disassemble the FP on these at any cost - but I really didn't find it to be much of a problem. Watch "targetpopper's" reassy video (linked from mine), it really isn't bad. Took me about 20 seconds and no swearing.

Olle · 02-11-2020, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorba

The 'net is full of people who say to not disassemble the FP on these at any cost - but I really didn't find it to be much of a problem. Watch "targetpopper's" reassy video (linked from mine), it really isn't bad. Took me about 20 seconds and no swearing.

I did it just like in the video, but I felt that there was a high risk of parts slipping and flying into orbit. A steady hand and good pliers will do it, but I still wouldn't recommend it to "the casual gunsmith".

Zorba · 02-12-2020, 01:32 AM

Yea, I hear what you're saying. Speaking for *myself*, I have to confess that if I were to worry about parts flying into orbit, I'd never do anything to any gun! I've been lucky so far...

Olle · 02-12-2020, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorba

Yea, I hear what you're saying. Speaking for *myself*, I have to confess that if I were to worry about parts flying into orbit, I'd never do anything to any gun! I've been lucky so far...

I wouldn't be in the business I'm in if I worried about things like that, you'd find a small fortune in small gun parts if you cleaned all the dark corners of my shop. No guts, no glory.

My point is that you and I can handle it, but I don't want to be the one being accused of saying "this is easy" to somebody who fails miserably and gets parts scattered all over the place.

02-07-2020, 11:52 PM	#1
Zorba User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Merritt Island, Fl Posts: 952 Thanks: 777 Thanked 527 Times in 290 Posts	Adventures with M57 Tokarev https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bJS1GN9qOk

02-08-2020, 12:58 AM	#2
HerrKaiser User Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: South Carolina Posts: 844 Thanks: 781 Thanked 860 Times in 410 Posts	As luck would have it, I was looking into these on classic firearms' site earlier in the day...might just have to be my next firearm purchase if they stay below $300 on there. I will be sure to watch the full video sometime soon as a review of the quality to expect. __________________ -QM Looking for Mauser S/42 toggle train #22

02-11-2020, 09:42 AM	#10
Olle User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,149 Thanks: 159 Thanked 663 Times in 318 Posts	I bought six of these, thought I better do it before ATF starts raising hell about the safety. I chose the VG + hand select options, and it was kind of a mixed bag. The bores ranged from very good (just some small specks) to like new, and the bluing was very good to excellent except for one. Some appeared to be rearsenaled, and this particular gun had a large rust pit under the bluing, right next to the Yugo crest. It also had extremely sloppy grips and a stuck extractor, but after some discussion they agreed to replace it. I have heard comments from those that were not so lucky, seems like the QC at Classic Firearms is a bit hit or miss. Still, it's a lot of gun for the money and the lack of a frame mounted safety is priceless. Just install a $20 TT-33 trigger, and the gun will be as close to an as-issued M57 as you can realistically get. It will still be import marked, but they put this on the bottom of the trigger guard so it's not nearly as bad as it can be on other imports. BTW: The firing pin assembly in these is more complicated than in the original TT-33, so I would not recommend taking it apart unless you really have to. I believe they modified it to work with the factory frame mounted thumb safety on other models, and the reassembly is a royal PITA. __________________ Deer Hollow Enterprises, LLC Gun repair and restoration

02-08-2020, 10:42 AM	#3
Zorba User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Merritt Island, Fl Posts: 952 Thanks: 777 Thanked 527 Times in 290 Posts	About the only thing I can squawk about is a moderately frosty barrel.

02-08-2020, 06:00 PM	#5
Zorba User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Merritt Island, Fl Posts: 952 Thanks: 777 Thanked 527 Times in 290 Posts	I'm afraid that my trigger finger would have been sore and/or mangled with that "safety trigger" in place - very sharp feeling to me. Even the stock trigger is a bit on the skinny side - I like a bit more meat on one.

02-09-2020, 03:58 PM	#6
pitsword User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Southern Maine Posts: 459 Thanks: 3,964 Thanked 103 Times in 83 Posts	Great Video. A couple of months ago I purchased an unissued m 57 from Dan's Ammo in Pa. New holster and spare mag with loop and it was spotless..no cosmo. I love this pistol and carry it around the farm in a GI 1911 shoulder holster. Accurate and a lot of punch, before it was either a G23 or .45 Commander. BTW, Dan also sold me an unissued Berreta 81 for mother.

02-09-2020, 05:35 PM	#7
Zorba User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Merritt Island, Fl Posts: 952 Thanks: 777 Thanked 527 Times in 290 Posts	Thanx for your kind words. Making a video like this makes me respect those who are good at it! I'm still learning...

02-09-2020, 06:37 PM	#8
Mac Cat Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 719 Thanks: 2,081 Thanked 598 Times in 322 Posts	I've never seen a TT-57 I inherited a model T-54, which is a mis-matched chinese copy of the TT-33 my father brought back from Vietnam. it is a really fun to shoot and powerful ! I'm looking for a real Russian made TT-33.

02-12-2020, 01:32 AM	#13
Zorba User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Merritt Island, Fl Posts: 952 Thanks: 777 Thanked 527 Times in 290 Posts	Yea, I hear what you're saying. Speaking for myself, I have to confess that if I were to worry about parts flying into orbit, I'd never do anything to any gun! I've been lucky so far...