MINT WW2 Russian Tokarev TT-33 | And a Very Special Guest!!

[@piobmhor8529]

I bought a Tokarev a couple of years ago. It was slathered in cosmolene which I thought at the time was a negative. After a thorough cleaning, I found it was in pristine condition. When I saw the serialized matching magazine, I realized that it was unissued. It was a 1945 Tula production, so wartime. The machining was rough which was typical for a wartime weapon, but that just adds character. After putting a few hundred rounds through it, the sights were spot on. Here in Canada, we are not required to have the after market safety or import stampings, so it is just as it left the factory. What a fun shooter. I highly recommend getting one for anyone who enjoys shooting a little piece of history.

[@maverickpaladin4155]

Beautiful pistol...really drooling over that Tokarev. Now...at least 2 errors that need addressing. First, the 1895 was a Nagant revolver, not a Mosin Nagant revolver. The Mosin Nagant was a rifle designation, aka the 3-Line Rifle (each line = 1/10"). Second...the triangle designates the Izhevsk arsenal. Izhevsk used a bow and arrow up until the mid 30s IIRC, at which point they changed it to an arrow in a triangle. Tula originally used a hammer, up until about the same time, when they switched to a star. Congrats again on a beautiful 1944 Tokarev TT33.

[@cammobunker]

Tom, I'm terribly sorry, but I must correct you. Your mint condition TT-33 was not made at Tula, which used a star as it's manufacturing mark. Rather, it was made at Izhevsk Arsenal which uses a triangle in a circle for it's manufacture marking. It' still a startlingly good condition pistol and I have to wonder where it sat all this time to be in near mint condition. Just want to ensure that the new collectors that watch your videos are getting the straight info from you, like we do with your Walther and other presentations. Thank you for all you do.

[@JoJoJoker]

Gun Jesus has blessed us with his presence on this lovely fall morning.

[@paulbervid1610]

Nice that Ian stopped by.

[@TOMAS-lh4er]

HE appeared amongst them !

[@thenationaltimelyactionhou9328]

Screw Infinity War, *this* is the most ambitious crossover in history!

[@para1324]

Russia/ Soviet Union has always copied to some extent manufacturing of weapons and many more things from across the planet. I remember when Makarov pistols were $100.00 all day long. I never shot a Tokarov but have been told it is a hot round. Thank you for another really enjoyable history lesson with show and tell on the pistol. 👍🇺🇸

[@828enigma6]

It is. The FMJ milsurp, especially. I've fired them through power poles. Be aware they are corrosive as well, like most surplus ammo.

[@para1324]

CAROLINA PATRIOT S. C. ? or N. C.

[@fryzvova]

Yep, they are pretty hot (actually is a hotter version of 7.63x25 Mauser round). Also milsurp cartridges have pretty good penetration for pistol rounds and that was widely used by killers at early post-soviet period, because most available at time bullet-proof vests was not able to stop 7.62x25. That is one of reasons why TT was so popular in organised crime groups at 1990s period. Second reason (and maybe main reason) - this guns was not presented in police databases (newer guns like Makarov - all has been test-fired and bullets and empty brass was stored for criminalistic analysis) and it was easy to make untrackable "ghost gun" from TT - just remove serial number and you ready for crimes. And because of that - many military officers that had access for military storages sold that guns to criminals.

[@fryzvova]

@keith moore yep, but it's not a big problem if you are not shooting thousands of that rounds. Also for shooting 'just for fun' - you still can use modern led-core fmj with non-corrosive primers, not soviet corrosive fmj with steel bullet core inside. (usually people are shooting those ammo for penetration testing and different demolotion-ranch-style experiments)

[@АлександрДрагович-ч2г]

VSS Vintorez, AS Val , AN94, AEK971, PKM, SVD. I don't see someone who created this before USSR.

[@williamkeith8944]

Back in the mid 1990's I bought a T 33 for not a lot. It was visually very rough but internals and bore were good. Just 2 years ago I had a black semi-gloss Cerakote finish applied. It cost $75 for a local company to do the work and I took it down for coating and put it back together afterward and had the original magazine done also. The gun now looks sharp and it's always been a good shooter. I did not have the recoil spring coated nor the bakelite grips.

[@tiredlawdog]

Letting you know your side information you offer did not go unheeded. Last week I was sitting with my wife in her hospital room. She had an issue with her heart. I played your video, and in the take off you offered information about the issue you suffered with you heart condition. I am set up tomorrow with my cardo. doctor for some work ups. I too am having a problem with shortness of breath. Just to let you know your side information is quite valuable. Thanks

[@wgs6606]

As always fun and informative. My father-in-law was a Red Army POW and after living in the former SSR for years I learned that May 9 to this day is a very serious and solemn holiday.

[@lex1945]

Gun Jesus and legacy collectibles.. only person missing is Steve1989MRE, LOL!

[@GeneralRamstein]

lol... that would be funny as fuck

[@ftdefiance1]

With a cup of instant coffee type 2

[@sandymilne224]

Watching your videos is like candy. Actually both of your videos are. The knowledge, the guns and also the history. BUT, also included in the mix is..... drum roll..... the entertainment of it all.

[@jacobstevens5773]

Story I heard about US non-import, non-safety TT33s from my grandfather was that they were allowed to get a bring back Tokarev as long as it was from a captured German that had already claimed it as a pickup from captured Russian troops previously. They had to be labeled on their bring back papers as a captured German pistol even if it was originally a Russian produced firearm. I need a nice bring back TT33 if you are looking to sell.

[@davidbowman6689]

I love crossovers. It’s really nice to see both of you sharing the screen.

[@Nontacticalboy]

I love both the guns and history. Im really quite shocked to know that Indonesia is 4th in that chart. We were colonized by the Dutch for 300+ years, so we're doomed both ways when the Japanese invaded. After japan surrendered and we declared independence, the dutch came back and we fought until the world acknowledged our sovereignty. So im not sure if the chart were showing deaths by japanese occupation or overall with the dutch colony.

[@mauricematla1215]

Well there wera a few more issue's like the moluccan and the such.... It is not like the wish for independece was actually universal. It is also not the case that anything like "indonesia" even remotely existet When the Dutch and others came by ofcourse.

[@Nontacticalboy]

@@mauricematla1215 well pretty much all nations had their fair shares of civil war or provinces/states that wanted separation.

[@mauricematla1215]

@@Nontacticalboy Sure, it is an ongoing issue in history. The Dutch, well proto Dutch themself rose up againgst "Spain" for 80 years. Funny how our minds work. When "The Ducht" came to What ia now Insonesia the country we know today as the Netherlands just like Indonesia did not exist either.

[@alderringer8816]

Great video Tom, and as usual, very knowledgeable material .

[@RichardGoth]

And Ian spake saying: "i am here for the Lebel". Blessed be!

[@georgepoulos2096]

Yesssssss I’ve been waiting for this moment!!!!!!!!!

[@dav1941]

Just noticed. It's an Izhevsk marked TT33 vs a Tula (star). Nice pistol!

[@lawrence3242]

I found this very interesting. Being a Viêt vet I had a friend that had a TT30 or TT33. He got it off the body of an NVA officer. I don’t remember much about it only that he planned on taking it home with him upon rotation. Thank you.

[@jbb823]

Gun Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love it!!!!!!!!!!!! Great content as always!

[@leonardjanda6181]

IAN KNOWS A LOT FOR SURE, great videos 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@danisaladiesman]

The best collaboration continues love it

[@denyspoyner4150]

That's one beautiful Tokarev ! Wish I still had my Romanian.

[@theol3199]

I have a 1943 mosin m38 and a 1943 nagant. Both ishevesk. Both with blonde wood, both respectable shooters in good shape. It’s my “matched set”

[@alialsaffar7389]

Amazing, particularly the historical part along with the ww2 casualties statistics

[@bassassassinnn7459]

We hath been blessed with our lord and savior Gun Jesus. We give praise and thanks to Tom for this joyous moment!

[@TOMAS-lh4er]

EVEN if the rocks didnt know the answer , Gun Jesus would know !

[@GeneralRamstein]

Amen...

[@TOMAS-lh4er]

OMG !! WE ARE NOT WORTHY , WE ARE NOT WORTHY !! My 2 favorite gun guys !! together !! (Book of Legacy 2:12 ")

[@Myhandlenagluho]

Ecxellent video. Thanks Tom!

[@not-a-theist8251]

Praise be! It's gun Jesus! I came here because of Ian

[@Stevarooni]

A great introduction to another thorough and fascinating channel. 😊👍

[@stratocaster1greg]

Ian is a knowledgeable individual. I like both ya lls videos.

[@motor4027]

Good vid. I simple man. I see Tokarev.... I CLICK

[@tommygun6028]

Hello TOM I appreciate your episode I have nice collection of TT 33 ( very good to excellent conditions ) And I never seen one like that From 1944 in this excellent condition. ( makes me wonder about those wooden grips ) 🤝😎👍😁 Thanks Ian and Tom

[@willrumbold8050]

His holiness

[@TOMAS-lh4er]

MOST HIGH POBAR !

[@arisukak]

A couple of things, Sergei Mosin had nothing to do with the M1895 Revolver. Léon Nagant designed the revolver. The T is also silent to be even more pedantic. The Triangle in a circle is the symbol for the Izhevsk Arsenal, not the Tula Arsenal. That would be a star in a circle.

[@kurtb2522]

Love the history and the weapons. It would be so good to know the individual history of this 1944 Tokarev. (f it could speak...) I have a nice Romanian and a Chicom, and appreciate these pistols.

[@WAFFENAMT1]

Yes vintage guns especially from WW2 are interesting, but without the history that goes along with them, not as much...

[@garymcguire3436]

* On the 1944 model in the Video above, the proof symbol shown as a Triangle inside a Circle, is NOT the Tula factory. It is the Izhevsk factory production model. A quick trip down memory lane is now in order. The German Army invaded Russia in June of 1941. As a result, by mid-October of 1941, the Tula Factory began to pack up their machinery & had it all moved to Eastern Russia. For the next 2 months, the German 2nd Panzer Division battled against Soviet military forces, in addition to the brutal Soviet winter weather conditions. By early December of 1941, both sides fought to a standstill. The German forces eventually retreated & took up a defensive position for the next several months. As a result, far fewer weapons were produced at the Tula plant during the War. Consequently, Tula weapons of World War II are considered much more valuable by collectors. For the remainder of the War, TT-33 Pistols would be made at the 2 production plants called Factory 74 & Factory 622. They were located in the town of Izhevsk, which was several hundred miles east of Moscow & thus well out of reach from the German War Machine.

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Great history. Thanks !! Russia's role in the war tends to get lost here in the US. Needs to be studied more.

[@johnblood3731]

Do not feel bad about the two camps. Before the world trade center a went down they had done a survey on what people did not like. The biggest complaint was that the buildings were too hot. The second biggest was that it was too. Cold. And as Ricky Nelson sang you can't please everyone so you got to please yourself.' I personally love any and all history that is gun and war related. My father made several amphibious landings in the Pacific theater during ww2. He came back to live a great life.

[@Dwnsowth]

It was a very informative video. I know how you feel about scratching the weapon during disassembly. I slide the edge of a drivers license just under the edge of the retainer clip then push the retainer and let it slide onto the card instead of against the surface of the gun. I didn't mind so much with a cheaper Romanian ttc 33. But unthinkable with a mint condition gun.

[@richardsorge3029]

Hi, 9:10 this is the emblem of the Izhevsk plant. in the 42nd year, the plant was evacuated from Tula to Izhevsk. the sign of the Tula plant is a star. Izhevsk circle with a triangle.

[@stang3787]

I once saw a TOK33 with Bring Back papers and it was listed as a German gun. Serial number on paperwork matched the mis identified pistol.

[@davidabell9358]

Tom, Thanks for the info as I ,like you never have known a whole lot about the TT33. I do know that the NVA sure did like them when they could get their hands on them.

[@frenchfan3368]

Keep the great work Tom! The combination of discussing some history of the era and the firearm is a great approach and highly admired. I really enjoyed the chart of World War II casualties and was greatly surprised that China was ahead of every other country with the exception of the U. S. S. R. The rape of Nanking and similar Chinese cities would explain such high civilian casualties. On another note, are you planning on being at the Tulsa November 2020 gun show?

[@yevgenz]

At 4:44 is a Ukrainian (Soviet) lieutenant junior Oleksiy Yeremenko, who was killed in Slavyanoserbsk area, Ukraine in 1942 within hours or days (history not clear) of the photo taken by the war correspondent Max Alpert (Soviet Jew, thus the unusual name). Lanyard loops are on all TTs grips, though the lanyard loops on magazines purpose is not clearly understood, as the lanyard hook will not fit into it, only into a lanyard loop of the grip. I see that some guys already pointed out that the arrow in a triangle is Izhevsk, not Tula. And there are hardly any oil fields in Ukraine. Though I was amused to learn the term "idiot scratch", will be using it all the time now. Love from Ukraine.

[@MystikalDawn]

I bought a 1935 TT-33 a year ago here in Canada for $330 dollars, the bluing is in great shape on mine as well. Everything is numbers matching as well except the mag is "forced matching" haha

[@daleparker4207]

Good to see Iran. Both of you are great at what you do. Thank you

[@imthatguy1878]

That's a beaut for sure, my m57 is nice but nowhere near the shape up of that, the polishing of that pistol is amazing and up there with some higher end pistols

[@zbigniewgurak8261]

Differences between tt-30 and tt-33 are ONLY simplifications. I knew an old gun collector (unfortunately he passed away last year), who claimed that 30 and 33 are just uncomparable (accuracy of tt30 is uncompromised and rr33 is designed to be built cheap)

[@remko1238]

We always get both here ⚔️

[@malcomwalters9439]

Very interesting video! i have TT30 (1935) love the history part, just wondering where Sweden was on your WW2 chart, funny how they want to join NATO now!!!!😮

[@WardenWolf]

The Tokarev pistol is an excellent design, although the Russian ones tend to not be very accurate just due to their tolerance levels at the time. A 1911-style action demands high tolerances in order to be accurate that the Russian arms industry at the time just was not capable of producing. And yes, the Tokarev is basically a 1911, with the same basic manual of arms. The round it fires, though, is insanely capable even by modern standards. I've actually carried my Romanian Tokarev in a Cytac Level 2 retention holster in condition 1 (after thoroughly checking it for safety). Some individual pistols may not be safe to carry hammer back, depending on wear and tear (spring condition, hammer / sear wear, and the quality of the import safety), but most are no more dangerous than carrying a Glock or 1911.

[@jensenwilliam5434]

Thank you!!!

[@alfulton5946]

Lugar is still my favorite handgun especially the Swiss ones that were updated

[@TugboatMatt]

Love them. There are piles of them around Canada. We (Canada) has imported piles ontop of piles of Russian guns so they are very common and rather cheap here. Very fun and affordable guns

[@anthonybonomo5670]

Love these video's! Great job!

[@nojustno1216]

One of these appeared in my collection one day after I placed my Colt 1911 and 1903 together in the darkness of the gun safe...

[@mabbrey]

great stuff

[@djram777]

Amazing mint item! Congratulation!!!

[@JimMorrisonsBathtub]

I just wanted to watch more videos about TT-33s and I get a surprise appearance of Gun Jesus. Sometimes I don't hate life so much.

[@dav1941]

Is the finish original? Most of the nicer TT33 including mine have a temper line on the slide. I think the Russians had the same problems Colt and other manufactures had with M1911a1 until toward the end of the war when they could heat treat the entire slide. Maybe it's hard to see in the video or they accomplished this by 1944?

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Original. Thanks

[@dav1941]

@@thomaswhiteman4261 Thanks Tom. I believe a lot of these Tokarevs in the US were German capture guns that were in turn captured by American soldiers. I have a 1943 TT33 rig that came with a German modified holster.

[@Mr22lukasd]

I love the history and the guns!

[@danteller8282]

Ian's usually pretty matter-of-fact I love seeing him crack a joke... unless he really did take your Labelle. Actually, it's funny either way.

[@JustaGuy1250]

small note: the arrow in a triangle in a circle is NOT the Tula arsenal!! it's Izhevsk! Izhevsk is also the only arsenal that used wooden grips up until 1945 before changing to bakelite. (transitional guns had red/brown grips) Tula used a simple star as an arsenal mark, and all Tula made TT's have black bakelite grips

[@oftenwrong.]

Funny funny stuff!

[@fathergascanlll5846]

Triangle in circle with arrow is the Izhevsk factory. Nice gun!

[@ScottfromNP]

It doesn’t have the 2 tone slide. Tone of finish should change at ejection port on a 44 original finish Tok?

[@Nattleby]

I have a Chinese type 54. Put a nice idiot scratch on it lol. It shoots great though. I found if you push on the open end of the clip you can ease it back. That unissued Tok a beautiful piece!

[@harrycallahan9733]

1:54 Didn't know Russians would take the time to polish the slide, during the war :)

[@tommygun6028]

Hello Tom. The TT33 you are showing In amazing condition Is actually made in IZHEVSK ARSENAL not in TULA..Great review 😎🤝👍

[@sugarbooger5838]

It was made at Izhevsk not Tula. Tula stamp is an arrow in a star, Izhevsk is an arrow inside a triangle.

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Thanks for the clarification

[@zbigniewgurak8261]

At 3:05 appears Nagant revolver named Mosin-Nagant. I think it's a big mistake. This revolver was ALWAYS known as Nagant (or Nagan - for primitive people in Russia and Poland). Mosin-Nagant is a designation of a rifle from car-Russia and Soviet Union (not enlighted call it Mosin, believing it's russian invention).

[@DB-yj3qc]

Ian showing up.. 👍

[@gibsondrummer]

Personally I appreciate the history that you present along with the beautiful guns lest we forget that what we all ooh and ahh over are in fact weapons of war ( elegant engineering and captivating none the less) and are intended to kill human beings as efficiently as possible The Germans certainly knew how to make their weapons visually appealing as well as perfectly deadly , the Russians did not have that luxury or mindset they just wanted to kill germans ( as well Polish officers , Political prisoners the inconvenient surviving Jews that Germany overlooked and Ukrainians) War is Hell indeed

[@miketabback2635]

I enjoyed your video very much but it looked like you were pointing that gun at Ian. Please tell me it was just the camera angle. Mike from NJ

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Different angle. But thanks for watching out for us

[@sulemanlaghari1537]

Sir i have old Chinese tt pistol plz tell me it's barrel how can rounds fired ? And I keeping it's magazine full load all the year it's magazine spring will be damaged or not?

[@TheWolfsnack]

Cool...I Had to go out to my safe and pull out one of my Tokarevs......I have a 1944 TT-33 in as nice condition, with the late war wood grips....which are a bit darker than the one you show. MY other TT-33 is a 1946 issue and with flawless original bluing. What value do you you put on a TT-33 of that vintage and in excellent condition? Oh, and the 1944 TT-33 regularly smacks steel plates at 75 yards....using surplus ComBloc ammo.

[@mfreund15448]

Still a bargain to have Ian on the channel!!

[@flipflopsguy8868]

Did he NOT relive the recoil spring BEFORE removing the slide because it looks like it almost shot out of the frame ? 🤔 IAN ! 👀

[@redcat9436]

He followed the correct disassembly procedure per the 1955 Soviet manual.

[@dr.barrycraiggarneauesq.]

Once again I started bidding on 3 on GunBroker starting last Sat. Well now the price should triple.

[@russream3732]

Great video thank you for the knowledge. I picked up a Russian 1941 TT33 for 300 today. The slide and lower have the same serial # (nn plus 4 digits), but the barrel serial # is a 46k number. It has no Safety added and no Importer Name markings. It looks like it was re-blued but I don’t see the “square with the line” stamp meaning it was refurbed - it has blue wearing on the end of the slide on both sides. (Your TT33 has a circle with triangle for Tula - mine has a small STAR between the serial number and year; is this different than yours or is mine also TULA?). Any thoughts and your impressions would be appreciated. Thank you.

[@wubaru]

How does the 1911 in the intro fire without the hammer moving 🤪

[@Noon69]

would be nice if ya can get your hands on Vietnam's K14VN that's currently in service, it's essentially a tokarev with a double stack magazine

[@codaalive5076]

In adds i've seen many people selling Jugoslavian TTs having wooden grips. They were produced after WWII, my guess is they originaly came with bakelite or plastic grips.

[@dmitryb9752]

Circle with triangle is Iszhevsk arsenal not Tula

[@veritasaequitas9252]

Comrade Stalin APPROVED. 😎

[@mohammedcohen]

...actually MUCH, MUCH MORE than 'decimated'...decimated means losing 10%...1 in 10, 10 in 100, 100 in 1,000, etc...BTW - the fletched arrow in the triangle is the Izhevsk arsenal...the Tula arsenal mark is a fletched arrow in a STAR...good shit nonetheless, my friend...good army bud of mine has a WWII capture TT 33 acquired by his dad in a trade for a case of beer...it was made at Izhevsk...forget the year, but has clear 'plastic grips (wartime made, from, most likely, a captured German aircraft - the clear plexiglass was usually used to cover a photograph of a girlfriend or wife) I originally thought these grips to be fake of made by as GI, but after reading a number of sources found it was popular will all of the armies...

[@fryzvova]

Nice video! But I have few comments. At first - it's not correct to say 'russians' about soviet union, there was much more nations under that soviet/commie occupation (ukrainians, belorusians, georgians, etc.) and all that people was fighting in war as Red Army soldiers, so better name that people not 'russians' but 'soviets'. And about gun itself - very good catch on that half-cock safety feature, there is very interesting story about it. Officers that was issued with TT in field, in most cases, was not properly educated how to use this modern gun, and most of them even didn't know about that safety feature - that resulted that a lot of people was carrying that gun with cartridge in chamber and hammer fully cocked or fully down. That resulted in pretty high number of self-shots. After that in official documents was prohibited to carry gun with round in chamber (and as I know - in most post-soviet countries this limitations are still existing for sidearms in military and police service). One more good catch in your video - you was not dry-firing this gun, and that's what you need to deal with TT - firing pin there is hold by retainer pin, that can be broken with dry-firind, and during war sometimes that was resulted in possibility to get firing pin directly into shooters eye when slide with broken pin was reciprocating. So, thanks for great video!

[@sbreheny]

Where did you get the Eastern front war footage? Is that staged or real? It seems odd if it is real because at one point a German soldier is sneaking up on the position where the camera is and is clearly visible to the camera operator but the Soviet soldier next to the camera appears not to see the German and would be in danger from him.

[@alfulton5946]

Wouldn't Brandon Herrera have been a better fit for a Tokerev.

[@spangy8405]

God I love Walk in Wednesdays ... and what a pleasant surprise to see 'Gun Jesus' LOL I love the History parts as much as I do the firearm parts ... The chart was very interesting and surprising, got some fact checking to do t'day Thanks Tom (

[@ryanpanganiban4649]

what an epic epsode idols🥰

[@extramild1]

Anybody else think the Special Guest was going to be Brandon Herrera?

[@dcwillis87]

...... its just a Nagant revolver. Mosin is the rifle.

[@thelastjohnwayne]

I would say that the Country that suffered the most during WW2 was probably Poland.

[@sharpsvilleBill]

GUN Jesus, yes!

[@jons23]

Gun jesus the legend!!

[@PunaMieto]

How did you miss Finland?

[@jamesthunder7590]

Hello from Sweden 🇸🇪🇺🇸. I ❤️ Jesus ✝️ and Guns🇺🇸🇸🇪✝️

[@danbuckley4126]

Could have captured one from German Troops.

[@ftdefiance1]

@keith moore that makes sense.

[@noth606]

@@ftdefiance1 too nice for either, I'd think a smart GI in berlin traded with a sovjet officer, or maybe played cards and won it. That thing hasn't been to war.

[@noth606]

​@keith moore Well, first off it is in the US without import marks so it likely came back with a US GI. And its a sovjet brand new piece, and there was no war or combat between the sovjets and the US. This makes it unlikely to have been a capture. I'm just stating the most logical provenance being berlin 1945/46 but not capture, more likely traded for as there was no direct hostility with the sovjets. Occams razor etc.

[@noth606]

@keith moore I don't agree, but no need to get your panties in a twist over it.