Yugoslav M57: Tito's Tokarev

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Thanks to Guns.com for sponsoring this video! If you are an FFL looking to find a wider market for your inventory or a customer looking for a cool new piece, check them out!

[@mirsogeneral9305]

Hi Ian, thanks for the review. You forgot to mention that M57 have safety feature. You can block trigger and slide with hammer, just pull it little bit, just enough to release pressure from the firing pin. At least on mine M57 works, and it is with H prefix. Greetings from the sixth 🔥

[@Kremit_the_Forg]

​@@160rpm Dude... It's a niche market. Ians book is not Harry Potter. You can't live off of some small book deals.

[@tommothedog]

If you think about it the concave shape of the Yugoslav m57 should prevent lateral transfer of force downwards.

[@robertdragoff6909]

Got a dumb question…. What is a FFL?

[@mm3mm3]

@@robertdragoff6909Federal Firearms License

[@PsiCommando]

I'm from Serbia, I've held and fired dozens of these pistols over the years. The firing pin disassembly is basically a non-issue. These weapons can fire hundreds of thousands of rounds with no problems whatsoever. At one point, we got our hands on decommissioned police ammo (don't ask me how). The casings were all corroded and fouled, and the M57 just kept eating them. No matter the fouling or the gunk, it kept shooting accurately and reliably. Insane. I've never seen anything like it with any other pistol before or since.

[@vencik_krpo]

Greetings from Czechia! I'm waiting for delivery of my M57A (the new production). (I know the safety is a bit of a heresy... ;-) But it's well-made and doesn't hurt. I take it as an improvement over the original TT-33.) We Czechs are, of course, heavily biased towards our CZ 75s (and I'm no exception---and for a good reason) but I always thought that the TT-33 had its merit. AFAIK the Zastava M57 is indeed the best take on it---but I ordered the Razor Arms rubber grips for it. Now, here's the question: the original grip seems very rough (simplistic) and non-ergonomic; is it?

[@PsiCommando]

@@vencik_krpo Yes, the original grip is I think black Bakelite, and it's horrible to be honest. In the designer's defense, they had different priorities back then. I am aware that there are multiple aftermarket grip upgrades for M-57, and some of them are produced by Zastava themselves (M-57A Deluxe model), but don't expect a modern performance firearm even with the upgrades. The pistol is solid, but it's obsolete in many ways (heavy iron gun with horrible trigger pull, tiny sights and small ammo capacity) I'm very fond of the CZ75, I think it's an excellent weapon, although my current favorite is MP-446 Viking (excellent fit for my hand) the CZ75 is surely among my top 5 picks.

[@darkoradovanovic9170]

You should definitely change grip, original one is not good. I 'we installed custom made wooden ones, but some friends got ergonomic rubber grips and they are great. Only bad thing is that gun loses its originality, its not the same look anymore. @@vencik_krpo

[@boris035..4]

Jedna je "tetka" :D

[@liriodeouro]

jedna je TETKA brateeeeeeeeee

[@ChokeberryTea]

5:11 A small correction regarding the torches - Before the 1963 Constitution the back then five torches were defined as representing the five major nationalities of Yugoslavia (Slovenians, Croatians, Serbs, Montenegrins and Macedonians). After 1963 a sixth torch was added and the torches were now redefined as representing the six republics making up the federation, although this wasn't implied directly it also meant that the Bosnian Muslims were now somewhat recognized although this wasnt fully acknowledged until after the 1974 Constitutional amendment.

[@ChokeberryTea]

@@AnyoneSeenMikeHunt Oh no not at all. People often get confused over the transition of the torches emblem and honestly I dont blame them. It took me some time until I realized what the actual reasoning's were.

[@thestørmcrier2024]

@@ChokeberryTea that’s interesting. I thought/was told they were representing years alongside the 5 nationalities

[@GoonquaviusThe33rd]

The Bosnians dont exist

[@drstevej2527]

What does any of this have to do with the topic?

[@adudeontheinternet1]

He's explaining that Ian had slightly misspoken on a passing detail so that we can learn and perhaps it will help Ian later on.

[@GaldirEonai]

Tito was probably the only guy in eastern europe at the end of WW2 who could actually tell Stalin to go pound sand and live. In large part this was due to Tito's partisans making it _very_ clear that they were fully prepared to be as much of a pain in the ass to the soviets as they'd been to the germans if it came to that and Stalin wanted no part of that, but a lot of it was also Tito doing his own diplomacy before Stalin's boys ever got there.

[@zeljkoasic7137]

Mason

[@AshleyPomeroy]

Meanwhile Enver Hoxha's strategy for survival in Albania was to be so Stalinist that even Stalin thought he was weird.

[@fromthebackseat4865]

Hoxha.

[@ZZizitt]

Sadly, he was as much communist bastard, as Stalin himself.

[@vanja2565]

@@AshleyPomeroy that is not Hoxas strategy that is albanian strategy, only reason they exist today is because they become the most faightful servants of whoever is the strongest.

[@sonhuynh106]

Vietnamese army still produces Tokarev and they've upgraded it recently. The upgrade consists a longer barrel, double stack magazine and the handle which fits Vietnamese soldier's hand better than the original one.

[@MGMan37]

High hopes it gets surplussed and imported to US one day.

[@sonhuynh106]

@@MGMan37 If someone hire Vietnamese defense industry companies to make and export, those guns might be imported to US, otherwise it wouldn't since Vietnamese army don't really interested in selling personal arms.

[@kingofbithynia]

is it in original Tokarev round or 9mm?

[@sonhuynh106]

@@kingofbithynia Still the original 7,62x25 Tokarev.

[@markjones2859]

Really!! That sounds perfect. I love the 7.62x25.

[@floridahdshooter]

Thank you @ForgottenWeapons.. I purchased one of these several years ago and changed out the trigger safety much like you did. After I did that the mag release was near impossible to use and mag had to be stripped out.. gun sat in my safe for years. Took it out while watching your video and while comparing markings. It was then I noticed that I had put one of the grips on upside down. Once I installed it correctly mag catch works like a charm. back to a functional gun.. Thanks

[@MesaperProductions]

Gun Jesus has HEALED your firearm from afar!

[@Weeboslav]

FNRJ stands for "Federativna Narodna Repiublika Jugoslavija" or "Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia" In Ex-Yu countries this gun is also called "tetejac"(from initials of Russian TT33)

[@TheWolfsnack]

...Oh...not Myers-Briggs then...... grin.

[@NINEWALKING]

Tetka and Tetejac were two nick names

[@dusanjovanic2851]

Tetka

[@satunou]

socialisticka federativna republika jugoslavia SFRJ and not FNRJ😉

[@drazenkrasic9995]

SFRJ Socijalisticka Federativna Republika Jugoslavija

[@DrakesdenChannel]

My father praises this weapon for years as he had it issued. Considering the original was based on the 1902 and made in the 30's, an upgrade is not surprising.

[@hoilst265]

I'm not surprised. I'm genuinely surprised at all the clever design features - they're not crude, they're over-complicated...they just make sense and work. The fire-control group reinforcing the feed lips, the simple grip removal, taking out the trigger....it's a darn good design.

[@darkodjogo96]

The first gun that many of us shooted from. It even gained a pet name "tetka" (aunty), a pun around Serbian pronunciation of its TT (tete) abbreviation.

[@milosbrajkovic9855]

,,Tetovac,,

[@savapantic8735]

@@milosbrajkovic9855Teteac

[@ДокторНелюдь]

Тётя Таня

[@Bojan28]

​@@savapantic8735Tetejac

[@A-classic-smithy]

Lots of m57s here in Canada, not easy to get at the moment due to government insanity, they used to be 300 dollars on a very windy day.

[@grzegorzbrzeczyszykiewic3338]

What price were they on a sunny day? Are gun prices based off of weather in Canada ?

[@therealboofighter]

@@grzegorzbrzeczyszykiewic3338most things are based on how hard it is to build an igloo on that day. Sunny and warm, ice will melt fast and so things will be way more expensive. Sunny and cold, ice will be hard and good for building, things will be way cheaper. Cloudy and warm, moderate prices. If a moose walks by the national igloo centre (where prices are set) then we revert to the maple syrup standard. Which is way too complicated to explain here.

[@paulthompson4367]

@@therealboofighter 😂 oh man that’s a classic explanation of logic of Canadian gun law!!

[@sealove79able]

too expensive man if you ask me.

[@brentfellers9632]

​@@sealove79ableremember that's 300 Canadian pesos 😅

[@texas66]

There are several posts that tell you to just tear out the mag safety if you don't want it. But if you don't want to permanently alter the pistol, you can simply cut a small piece of brass from a cartridge case and wedge it between the frame and the safety/safety spring. And if you really get desperate for ammunition and you have great patience and skills, you can form the cases from 5.56 brass and use 100gr .308 bullets meant for the M1 carbine. (Or just use 30 Mauser ammo. Usually works, similar to shooting 38spl from a 357mag)

[@wavydave]

Sweet, thanks for the info. I"ve wondered about the 7.63 but didn't want to take a chance of ruining my beautiful M57. I got it from Bud's about 3 years ago for $250 including gun, shipping, and FFL transfer and it's been my favorite ever since. The only thing I would change is double-stacking the mag for better capacity and the stock sights are crap. At least to my old eyes because I have hell trying to get a viable sight picture, so easier/better sights and/or a red dot. My bucket gun would be an AR platform but with a .30 barrel blank and have a manufacturer chamber it for Tok and then you would only have to figure out how to feed her, magazine design, and off you go. The PPs as we can have them is a major disappointment but an AR-Tok would be awesomely incredible.

[@jerryw6577]

You also make brass from .38 special, but it's harder than using 5.56. You have to turn the rim off and re-cut the extractor groove, both operations on a lathe.

[@sunbeam8866]

When I got my M57 a few years ago, the PriviPartizan 7.62 ammo was way easier to find at shows than Mauser, and not too expensive. I have quite a bit now, so haven't shopped lately.

[@joshberk8120]

I had one of these, used to get my handloads up to 1600 fps. I think it was a 71gr .32S&W bullet that I used as mine had an oversized bore and power pistol powder. Fun times. I like this better than the Cz52

[@jessebell1930]

@ForgottenWeapons your knowledge on everything I have seen you present is astonishing mate. Absolutely hats off. If I may a minor point? I suspect it is because of your expertise in manufacturing of firearms you say "field strip" after a full strip of the weapons you present. For an Infantryman (or indeed any job in an Arms Corps) of any Military there is a big difference between a field strip and a full strip. A full strip is as you do. Take the weapon apart as far as possible without being an Armourer. You do this on Base after bush exercises (field exercises in American parlance) before returning your weapon to the armoury, or in between patrols when on deployment. A much more thorough clean that way. A field strip is only taking the weapon apart enough to clean the vitals. Mostly the bolt and associated parts, the barrel, and the gas system. The reason being is, if attacked, you need to be able to quickly reassemble the weapon and bring it into action. My first job was Gunner. Using what we call in Australia the F89 Minimi- what Americans call the SAW. For a field strip you take the barrel off, the working parts out, and the gas plug out. That's it. You clean them, the inside of the receiver and the feed pawls. Every second clean the spare barrel as well. A weapon I haven't seen a video from you on yet however I am sure you have done or will do one. And one you are no doubt very familiar with. Not trying to be an arsehole at all mate. This Digger absolutely loves your content and has put other Diggers onto your channel. You have only friends here Down Under in my circles mate👍👊

[@LEGIOXIIIG]

My dad had one when he served in the JNA. The nickname for this gun was "Tetejac" read out as "TeTeyats". I miss you dad. Volimo the I nikad the necemo zaboraviti.

[@poppinc8145]

Practically all of Yugoslavia's weapons were reverse-engineered copies rather than licensed-production. The USSR and Yugoslavia had fallen out not long after WW2 ended. It's also why they lacked some of the Soviet ammo calibers and stuck with older ones they had like 7.92×57mm and 20x110mm HS. Yugoslavia in the late 1940s, China and Romania in the late 1950s, Albania in the early 1960s became rivals and/or enemies of the USSR. The DPRK was a neutral state in the Sino-Soviet split and wanted to be neutral towards the West as well, having joined the Non-Aligned Movement in 1974. During the 1980s, China essentially abandoned the DPRK and Albania in favor of closer economic and political ties with the West.

[@fromthebackseat4865]

Albania was the outlier though. Albania had rivalries with EVERYONE. Hoxha thought every socialist state was a revisionist great Satan.

[@parkerlong2658]

Alot of people don't know this but yugoslavia was the major partner in Europe for the boycott movement of South African apartheid state. Alot of Africans have love for yugoslavia for it as well.

[@DireAvenger001]

DPRK wanted to be neutral toward the west? Genuinely curious as this is news to me

[@parkerlong2658]

@@DireAvenger001 the united states heavily snubbed the dprk during the nineties Right after the Soviet union collapsed the dprk realized that it would not be able to maintain the high living standards it had afforded under the USSR trade umbrella. So it offered to basically become capitalist and rejoin south Korea. Bill Clinton threatened invasion if that were to occur and specifically in I think 1995 there was a whole debacle where basically the united states demanded that the north Koreans power down the whole countries electricity grid. North Korea while in the modern day is aggressive towards western nations really is only so because of the Clinton administration basically implying that an invasion was coming multiple times. North Korea was a lot less weird of a country before the 1990s due to this. This is also not helped by bush blaming 9/11 on them for a few months and then Obama starting an assassination program back up. For some reason north Korea after the 90s kind of became a punching bag for when us politics become stale. There's basically no mention of north Korea prior to the 90s in us politics after the 60s

[@dimakhidarkovskiy2175]

@@parkerlong2658this is the major BS I have red in a year, if someone has cabbage 🥬 for brains, he can not be helped 😅 Morons are everywhere

[@grgazg1]

Just a small correction on M57 as Yugoslav police pistol: Police force weapons and equipment were under ingerence of individual Yugoslav republics (this term is same as States in the US). For example in Croatia during the existance of Yugoslavia the police had not been carrying the M57, but rather the Zastava M70, and Czech CZ50 and CZ70.

[@zuxbg9688]

Yes. In Serbia police issued M57, while in Croatia 7.65x17mm pistols were used. Not sure for other republics.

[@plavalegia]

In Slovenia čebelica (Zastava M70) was used by milica.

[@pithicus52]

Thank you for this information. I have a M70 and was wondering how that fit in with Ian's comments on the police use of the M57.

[@sjoormen1]

@@plavalegia there were also beretta M70 and others.

[@drazenkrasic9995]

To je isti pistolj samo što je m70 9mm

[@nicholaspatton5590]

Thank you for finally making an official video on the M57, Ian. I have been waiting for one since I got mine 6 years ago. If you ever need to change out the recoil spring it is definitely a three hand job (Wolff springs sells kits). The firing pin is not hard to take out or put back in if you use a vice and a flat/round punch, and bring the slide down into it vertically. If you do go searching for spare mags the only official place to get them is Zastava USA though they have been out of stock for a year. Surplus mags dried up 6 years ago and mags are over priced now. Most new mags for sale are scams. I shot my M57 in my first competition and all the older guys were so excited to see a 7.62x25. None of them had seen that cartridge before. I was almost not allowed to use it in the competition until the event organizer came over. He asked me if it was originally a rifle round but instead of saying “it was used in smg’s but inspired by one of the first pistol cartridges the 7.63x25 (.30 Mauser)” I just said yes. Zastava just announced yesterday they are selling a sight upgrade. A orange and green-tritium front sight with two white-dot rear u notch. If you want a Kydex holster, Polenar tactical has those and there are plenty of nice leather options on eBay and Etsy. In the event you would want to borrow some 9-round mags for a competition I can send you some. Though I believe you have ran a Tokarev already. Thanks for your great video and your continued efforts to improve the gun community and hobby of shooting.

[@SpiderGeometry]

An improved Yugo copy of a Soviet redesign of a Belgian variant of a Colt 1903 Hammerless. Ah, firearms history. EDIT: You're all right and I was wrong - the resemblance to a hammerless is cosmetic. So really it's an improved Yugo copy of a Soviet design that *looks* like a Belgian variant of a 1903, but *works* like a 1911.

[@ToriusHeart]

except... TT is similar to Colt 1903 only externally. If anything, it is more related to 1911 than anything else, but its as much of a copy as AK is of Garand.

[@kutter_ttl6786]

​@@ToriusHeartExactly. If you were to put a 1911 and a TT33 next to each other you start to notice just how similar they look from the the front of the grip forward. Some of the redesigns Tokarev took to simplify and speed up manufacturing are quite clever.

[@anon4854]

@@ToriusHeart There's also the functional similarity between the 1903 hamerless and the Tokarev as the Tokarev has no external hammer... edit: nvm I'm wrong

[@NotFound-lt9jq]

@@anon4854are you sure about that last part? The Tokarev absolutely has an external hammer. Point of fact, the external hammers half-cock or safety notch was the guns only form of safety. 🤷‍♂️😉

[@anon4854]

@@NotFound-lt9jq Oh true, I forgot lmao 🤦‍♂ edit: Which is even more embarrassing considering how much Tarkov I used to play

[@TyTwoFly]

I’ve always like the Yugoslavs take on Soviet Weapons. They just made improved version in my opinion.

[@jasonwooden]

The Yugo SKS, for example, is definitely the Cadillac version of the SKS family.

[@zenly_csgo]

@@jasonwooden without crome lined barrel ? is it joke? also for example PKM yugo version - they cant doing little thing -the stock is made from a single piece of wood looks like they can not made it from resins and polymers/plywood, I suppose many of those weapons have issues with correct metals / alloys just because yougo didn got technical documentation if you see any change in construction - that means it is may can not pass soviet field requirements and testing - main reason why all weapons from sovet union are so popular the only weapon which looked good for me is yougoslav SVD - Which they made from AK with milled receiver - but you also have to check how they does barrel - how is alloys and wearing of it by shooting. Soviet weapon made by reverse engineering - is not soviet weapon

[@jasonwooden]

@@zenly_csgo It's more accurate without the chrome lining. Over-all better fit and finish, minimal tooling and machining marks compared to SKSs from other countries. The grenade launcher was a plus as well. Haven't heard of any issues with material failures, they are solid, reliable weapons. Alloys and hardening are pretty standard across the industry.

[@KrikZ32]

They usually just make stuff uglier and heavier and not parts interchangeable. They're usually reliable guns, but then so are the guns they knocked off so that isn't saying a ton.

[@JustPeasant]

Magazine safety was a popular choice for service pistols (police & military) back then. Officer and perp would got into situation where they would wrestle for the gun. While still having grip, officer would eject the magazine, making it inoperable if the perp managed to wrestle the gun from the cops hands. Alas, since the desintegration of Yugoslavia, Zastava's arms quality has taken a dip. To make their guns more competitive (read: inexpensive) on the international markets, Zastava decided that quality control should be lax. As for CZ89 ending up being CZ99, I'm gonna do a spoiler: when the designation 89 was to be stamped, Boža (Божа) grabbed two 9 stamping dies instead of 8 & 9 due him being intoxicated at the time of his undertake. The enterprise managers were furious with Boža, but what was done is done. The gun was ready to be presented to the Yugoslav authorities, and therefore the new gun was to be known as CZ99🤣🤣🤣

[@thestørmcrier2024]

Hey I’ve got one of these on my hip every day. An all matching beautiful military/police model from 1968

[@pewpewTN]

The Yugo M57 is one of the old surplus guns I've always wanted to own. Hopefully I can add one to the collection one day soon.

[@hell_march6652]

Best get one soon. I bought mine about 3 or 4 years back and they have doubled in price since then.

[@ethan5.56]

I love my older J prefix Zastava M57. I ended up putting a compensator on it and a wrap around rubber grip. It looks pretty awesome imo and it shoots great. I thought recoil was low before I added the comp and grip but after modifications it shoots very nice. Great video as always

[@tylerwilliams6022]

I would think adding a comp would make it shoot laser straight. Being that the 7.62x25 is a higher pressure round, there is an abundance of gas to run through the comp.

[@ethan5.56]

@@tylerwilliams6022 it definitely made a difference

[@healthiestsickness8646]

do you had to modify the bore on the compensator? i try to buy one but it states that ok the m57 model (compared to the normal tt-33) is suposed to have a small difference in the pistol bore diameter (which i think it’s irreverelant because it shoot the exact same cartridge, even if there is sighly difference in bore diameter because of machining tolerance does it even matter that much?) anyway if you managed to do it and its fine i guess it just plain work without involving some machining on the compasator bore.

[@ethan5.56]

@@healthiestsickness8646 it's the outside diameter of the barrel. I used a comp made for a 9mm m57 but it works fine.

[@tylerwilliams6022]

@@healthiestsickness8646 I would think the only difference would maybe be a slight bore/chamber size difference between the two. But even then you would only be talking about a .0001 or .0002 difference. And I would think comps aren't machined to the exact tolerances of the bore size. Especially lower priced comps, there is bound to be a generous size tolerance difference between the comp and bore.

[@majstorkiza]

Great overview, as always. A quick note regarding your question about the strength of the mag release button's spring: just like with the original Tokarov's, the Zastava suffered from the gradual degradation of the strength of the mag release button sprig that invariably caused a magazine to slide out of the pistol even at the slightest depression, mostly during holstering and unholstering of the gun, and other inopportune moments (I've personally witnessed some very comical ones that would end in much more serious outcome had it been a life-or-death situation) . The most common solution to prevent this from happening was to push one end of a small ball-and-bead chain through the lanyard loop (integrated on the side of the lower part of the grip) and the other end through the small loop soldered on the bottom plate of the magazine (once the mag was inserted into the pistol), then lock (click) the chain's connector clasp to close the chain up and make it hold the mag in place if the release button was to be released by accident. Yes, the mag could still ever so slightly slide down (depending on how much slack you give to the chain) but at least it could be qucikly slapped back into battery instead of looking for a dropped magazine somewhere in the dirt or mud. It was a very common sight to see these small ball-and-bead chains hanging off of the sides of grips of Zastava M57's that were usually ever so slightly protruding from the leather holsters carried on holster belts of policemen or army officers. One more thing that is important to mention with regards to the safety condition in which the TT style pistols were carried (including the Zastava M57 of course) - since the firing pins were a non-inertia pins by design, meaning that the hammer did not stop after hitting the firing-pin, (requiring the ever so slightly shorter firing-pin to reach the primer under its own inertia) but was long enough to touch the primer on the chambered cartridge when the hammer was fully dropped, it was risky to have the hammer in the utmost forward (dropped) position since it was resting on the firing pin that in turn was touching the cartridge primer. This made accidental "bumping" of the hammer very dangerous as one can just imagine how high the risk of discharge was. So, with a firearm without built in safety and without an inertia firing pin the recommendation was to always carry it with the chamber empty.

[@justjoe5373]

Half cock the gun and it's all good, that's its safety. There's a video on DumDum channel (The channel is in Serbian but it may have Engluish subs, not sure about that tho) that shows exactly what you typed about the safety. Darko then explains how when the gun is half cocked you can't pull the trigger and the hammer is blocked from going forward. You also couldn't rack the slide while the gun was half cocked so you had to cock it all the way and if you wanted to decock it (didn't have to use the gun but you were prepared to do so) you had to hold the hammer with a thumb, pull the trigger and slowly release the hammer so you can uncock it and then half cock it again So if you knew what you were doing and your instructor wasn't a buffoon you could carry it with a loaded chamber safely

[@Pandareen]

I like how well you are informed about weapons and countries that made them, you are not man of rumors but facts, good job!

[@volusian95]

Cool to see Ian wearing a Hawaiian shirt in honor of famous Rocket Power character Tito

[@hoilst265]

Kingfishers!

[@oolooo]

I love Surfshack Tito so much .

[@burnout-d]

A cigar is missing for full effect 😀

[@Loriddian]

Tito was a boss

[@John-mf6ky]

Lmao!

[@d_rooster]

My dad has one of these and this was the first handgun I ever fired. In Yugoslavia you could hardly get it as a civilian so it was a coveted piece... after the dissolution they were a dime a dozen. As a kid I thought this was the original Tokarev and the Russian copied us :D I didn't even know the original doesn't have a captive spring. Pft, such savages.

[@swevicus]

So what was available as a civilian? Did Yugoslavia have strict gun laws?

[@d_rooster]

@swevicus Basically no military arms, semi auto (pistols, probably not rifles?), you had to be either a sports shooter or hunter... most civilian guns were concentrated with the hunters, imho. Those were mostly Mauser M98, Manlichers, Manlicher-Carcanos... It was stricter than it is now in successor states (except Serbia). Keep in mind this is mostly anecdotal "knowledge" and I am not very familiar with Yugoslav arms legislation.

[@swevicus]

@@d_rooster I see. Thank you.

[@skookapalooza2016]

I REALLY LIKE the trigger safety. I wish someone would make a 2011 with that feature. The Tokarev, 7.62x25, was regarded well by some SEALS who used them in Vietnam.

[@Meyer-gp7nq]

I love the 7.62 tokarev round. I think it should be more popular in the US. It is such a neat round.

[@jonathanhudak2059]

Me too!

[@worldtraveler930]

I second that motion!!! 🤠👍

[@Tadicuslegion78]

Russian gun: What are you? Yugo gun: I’m you with the flaws removed

[@85Sirex]

Good video. I love my M57. Got it to be the sidearm partner to my M59/66A1 rifle. Years ago, when 7.62x25 dried up rather quickly, I bought a 9mm conversion kit just in case, but haven't had to use it yet. :)

[@sunbeam8866]

Because of concerns with ammo supplies, my first Tokarev variant was a NIB commercial 9mm Zastava M70a. Since then, as ammo became widely available, I bought a couple of the M57s, plus Romanian, Polish, and Russian versions. I have enough 7.2 x 25 for now - so I haven't searched lately

[@goldbaron357]

I LOVE this gun, snagged one at auction... It is my favorite. Absolute pleasure to shoot. And there is plenty of ammo available, just the two box per order limit Midway has is annoying. But the sardine cans full of 7.62 x 25 do turn up at auction now and then.

[@damionnorby2678]

I think the term that Ian was looking for Yugoslavia was that Tito was part of the Non Aligned Movement

[@causewaykayak]

Sadly mourned

[@drazenkrasic9995]

Tito je bio najvece mudo na svjetu jedini je on zapalio Kubu cigaretu u Bjeloj kuci kad su Kuba i Amerika bili na ivici rata

[@williestyle35]

Good catch! Ian also struggled a bit with "Warsaw Pact" countries, instead of "Communist block" (2:40).

[@PaulP999]

The "Tokagypt" version made for the Egyptians had a wrap round plastic grip which so changes the look, much more attractive - surprising how different it looks, even quite stylish!

[@Enthusiastics]

15:33 My Zastava M70 has that same retaining mechanism for the firing pin. You’re correct in saying it can be a pain the first couple of times you take it apart. 😅

[@ivanjokovic]

Zastava TT, also known as "Tetejac" 😅

[@zdravkonovosel122]

I have a military version M57 7.62x25 from 1966. They are known to have made the best M57 pistols between the 1960's and 1970's and used the best steels and materials. I've had the gun for 15 years, never a single jam or any issues. Really,build like a tank!

[@Joe-by3bu]

I have a 1964 and I've had some of the newer pistols from the 80s and you are absolutely right. The older guns are far better quality and the guns even made during the late years of the Yugoslavian days are still far better than what they are making currently today. The stuff today is very rough. If you can snag a 1960s m57 I tell everybody do it.

[@kutter_ttl6786]

An example of just how adept Tito was at balancing his relationship between the West and the Soviets, the Yugoslavian Air Force operated the F-86 Sabre instead of the Mig-15.

[@vanja2565]

tito was churchill's agent and later a friend of the west, when Stalin figured him out he started crying to the west for equipment to fight off "coming Soviet invasion".

[@arthunterns]

Until he sold "Yugoslav space program" to the USA, for 2 billion back then. Since it was pretty much fraud. Nixon almost planned to attack Yugoslavia. Then the end of Yugoslavia was inevitable.

[@douro20]

I still occasionally find reamers and such with the name SFR Yugoslavia stamped on them. We imported tons of them back in the 1980s.

[@matthayward7889]

6:50 genuine question: do those import markings have to be visible on the outside of the firearm? Could it not be inside the frame (difficult to do, I know) or, say, under the grip panels?

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Yes, they must be visible on the outside.

[@matthayward7889]

@@ForgottenWeapons thank you!

[@AnthonyRBlacker]

The serrations on the back of the slide on the Yugoslavian Tokarev are seemingly the same angle of the grips. This shows great attention to detail on their behalf!

[@PandaArms]

When trying to date my gun I see a C prefix, however I have noticed an A prefix laser penciled on some of the parts. What does this mean as far as dating the gun? Also there is no crest on the slide by the rear sight.

[@langlang-z4b]

The pistol uses 7.62x25 TT caliber ammunition, while Zastava Oruzje began producing a similar pistol in the 1970s that used 9x19 luger ammunition. It is about the model Zastava M70. I have that 9mm model and it is quite reliable and accurate, after shooting.

[@keithhampton9700]

Ihave a model 54 Norinco.Have had it for 30 years.Never a problem and is more accurate than my brothers 1911 hotrod. Seriously a very impressive pistol.

[@donwyoming1936]

I think a lot of people worry too much about how other people pack their CCW piece. Or the caliber. Or the brand. Or the holster.

[@Crustymarine]

Agree. One has to do what works for them.

[@Pattamatt1998]

A .22 you train with and carry will always be more useful than a 9mm that you don't.

[@natwolf687]

Oh I loathe that sh*t. 'Friends don't let friends carry mouse guns.' Oh yeah, you hunting a lot of moose in the bar?

[@Procket12]

Also for that 1911 style firing pin retainer on the Yugo M57, it may be more of a pain to take out, but that level of disassembly would only be done at the armory level and its not too much more of a hassle for the armorer when he's working on guns.

[@chubbycatfish4573]

I bought one of these about 10 years ago for $240. It's a fun little flamethrower.

[@thomassmith7451]

I have both an M57 and a Chinese Type 54 both had the trigger safety when I got them, both now are "restored" to original. Now I need to look over the markings

[@EvanEverhart911]

Great video! This pistol's on my list of 1911 adjacent pistols which fascinate me immensely, and the analysis of its superiority to the standard Soviet version has definitely decided me on which model to procure! Enjoyable and informative!

[@kylemarkloff4451]

I had the choice of the Yugo or a Chinese 9mm version... Went with the Yugo

[@sunbeam8866]

Never really wanted a Chinese one, and when I got my M57 some years ago, the Chinese ones were about double the price!

[@kylemarkloff4451]

@@sunbeam8866 the only trade is ammo availability and price, 7.62 may be the cheaper/higher quality gun but the 9mm would get taken to the range more... Still not regretting my decision

[@gordtron]

my fav of all the tok's i've had. best one for bigger hands!

[@OFPruzkumnik]

@ForgottenWeapons The Tokarev does in fact have a safety. The Russians considered the half-cock position to be a safety. At half-cock, the gun is entirely locked up and no amount of dropping or messing with the trigger will cause it to go off.

[@justjoe5373]

One more thing: the gun's stock safety is half cock safety. You start cocking the gun and there's the first click, not the full cock but you'll feel it when pulling the hammer back slightly. Now the trigger can't fire when pulled and the hammer can't move forward and acidentally discharge if you drop the gun on the hammer, like it can when you don't half cock it (Darko from DumDum showed it in his video about the M57). That's the original Tito's Titty safety

[@ivankrylov6270]

Got an older model love that little hand cannon but unfortunately the slide stop/barrel pin sheared off

[@StonedWandererAZ]

My first pistol was a Zastava M70A, which is just this rechambered for 9mm and with a (surprisingly functional) safely added. It's not fancy, but surprisingly reliable and accurate.

[@dvereckis]

I own 3 tt-33's and what I read on the "proper" way to carry them was with an empty chamber and cocked hammer. This allows an almost effortless racking action as you draw and raise the gun to fire, it takes a little practice but I have found it to be safe and quick as it becomes part of the draw.

[@bigwhiteyeti]

There's a half-cock notch right? How come you don't use that?

[@DaBiggestChungus]

I own a firearm that Ian is doing an episode on?! This is the coolest day of my life!

[@BallisticDamage]

Fun fact,I found out few days ago and I was amazed that m57 is just slightly bigger then glock 19,it looks so much bigger on internet,I also held one as a child so I always thought it is a big pistol

[@hell_march6652]

I would imagine the m57 is slimmer though since it only has a single stack magazine as opposed to a double stack.

[@BallisticDamage]

@@hell_march6652 It is slimmer.

[@Nahlol72]

In Pakistan, there are 14-shot Tokarevs locally referred to as "Beretta 2," as well as 20-round magazine capacity Tokarevs known as "20-shots," both of which come with a functional switch. KZbin and Facebook are brimming with videos and posts featuring local gunsmiths from the Khyber region of Pakistan, showcasing numerous variations of the Tokarev.

[@wavydave]

A Tok with a fun switch? I'll take 2 please and wish for the millionth time that the gov't would increase/improve punishments for all gun crimes because if they know how screwed they'll be when they get caught maybe they won't do the crime in the first place.

[@djurodrazic8566]

Got everything correct when it comes to history except number of flames and what they represent. As always great video. LOVE your work.

[@unclemike2044]

Hi, I found that using the slide stop lever helps in the disassembly of the firing pin. All the ones I had were jamming due to grease in the firing pin channel, regards, Mike PS , Great presentation!

[@catfishsiegel30]

I purchase several of these years ago and bought tons of ammo. Over the years as I see one, I pick it up if the price is right.. and I always look for ammo, even though I know, reload this caliber. over the years, I

[@TheDennys21]

Why do you have several? Is one not enough?

[@catfishsiegel30]

@TheDennys21 they were inexpensive at the time an there are fun to shoot. And one isn't enough.

[@catfishsiegel30]

@@TheDennys21 no

[@jerryw6577]

​​@@TheDennys21 Two is one, one is none. Always have a backup plan.

[@TheDennys21]

@@jerryw6577 silly Americans, so obsessed with guns.

[@hankwilliams-hx9ww]

Ian I discovered a neat little trick owning one of these after a few years. You can use the slide release as a takedown tool for the firing pin channel. You can also use it to reinstall. Makes it much easier than growing a third hand. 😅

[@PeaceMG]

My first gun was a Zastava M57 Tokarev. Still have it and still love it to death. Was my bedside gun for about a year as well just because it's what I had.

[@double_0_jake263]

I have heard it said that a magazine safety is often selected for police because if they are in an altercation where a person is attempting to wrestle their firearm away from them, they are taught to disconnect the magazine so that they cannot be shot with their own gun.

[@WardenWolf]

I have the later Yugo M70 Tokarev in 9mm. It's very accurate and super pleasant to shoot. I like Tokarevs a lot, and they actually carry well IWB because they're extremely thin and light for their size. I sometimes carry it when I want something larger than my subcompact carry piece and something smaller than a full size, and it easily eats Gold Dots. One additional bonus, besides the extra one-round magazine capacity, is that you can also +1 it. You could not +1 an original Tokarev because the magazine did not have enough extra give even for that.

[@pyrexvision3009]

Дуга деветка 😎

[@R2debo_]

As a gun enthusiast, it's always exciting to delve into the stories behind these lesser-known prototypes.

[@Tunkkis]

Not exactly a prototype, but a mass produced and issued weapon.

[@illegalclown]

A friend and I bought a couple of these about 15 years ago. The slide on his cracked the first time we took them to the range. We were using commercial ammo but I'm guessing his has a rough service life.

[@Cheesemonk3h]

i was looking at a brand new m57 in a store about two weeks ago and the metal was so poor quality that the slide release had pushed the metal of the slide detent back and the slide release lever no longer engaged with the slide at all. the gun had never been fired. unfortunately, that seems par the course, i have an m88a and the locking grooves in the slide have worn away and the barrel nut no longer engages with the slide safely and the gun is no longer safe to fire these guns are very bad, but it isn't because they're designed badly, they just have the worst manufacturing quality out of every gun i own. and I own MULTIPLE Jiminez.

[@sunbeam8866]

@@Cheesemonk3hToo bad if new Zastava quality has declined so much. I've had no problems with the new 9mm M70a version I bought a dozen years ago, and the only problem with the few surplus M57s I've had was a poorly machined importer-added safety on one pistol, that caused drag on the slide. A little careful 'machining' with a file took care of that!

[@anthonyfedock5321]

... I own a Chinese Tokarev, a commercial Type 54-1, in 9mm. When I would disassemble or reassemble the pistol I would move the barrel bushing to relieve the tension on the recoil spring, it saves me the frustration of the recoil spring popping out ...

[@Roadking26]

I purchased a cheap Yugo one for $179. I had a gunsmith go through it and clean and polish all internals, including the feed ramp. I had him install a wolf spring kit and had it all cericoted. Then the final touch a pair of custome made black walnut grips. A beautiful accurate pistol. Now before people say i ruined a collector piece. These come in by the crate load. My grandson will be old before this will have any serious collectors value. So get a cheap (Yugo) one and make it a project gun. The reason I say yugo is that Yugo ammo need a harder primer strike. With the Yugo you dont have to worry about what country your ammo is from.

[@user-wg3wj6ur9z]

I have two. Thanks for driving the value up with this video.

[@comiketiger]

One thing is certain! Ian won't run out of subject matter! He can do months on the Tokarev pistols alone! 😉😉😉 God bless all here.

[@Anon4495]

I have an early C prefix commercial example without the Yugoslav crest. I just ordered a standard M57 and got a commercial example. Century imported so it only had the trigger safety that I have replaced. Is a good condition example. I have always wanted a standard military model but have not bothered to buy another one for my Yugoslav small arms collection.

[@klinfield]

The Zastava 10mm Tokarev (Z10 or P10 they've been referred to) is another updated version of this famous pistol.

[@Jesses001]

Zastava's civilian 9mm of this is very interesting. They did not make a dedicated 9mm, but instead modified off the line 7.62 guns. So a factory conversion rather than a separate production line. I have one of them around here...someplace...where did I put that thing?

[@ZeonicZaku1-Zeon_Grunt_Suit]

I have one, love mine a lot. Was my first handgun (that I purchased myself and not gifted from an older family member)

[@Jesses001]

@@ZeonicZaku1-Zeon_Grunt_Suit It is not a half bad firearm for the price. I have yet to find one that is unreliable, accurate, tall sights, and even looks nice. I mean, it is single stack, and single action only trigger is not ideal for a modern handgun, but I can think of far worse weapons that cost more. Also that rear sight I used all the time as almost a cocking hook it is so big, ha.

[@williestyle35]

(2:30) Ian was having a bit of trouble describing Yugoslavia here. It is the "Warsaw Pact" that united Eastern European countries, as desired by the Soviet Union. "Communist Block" (or "Soviet block") is a later term that includes countries outside of the Warsaw Pact. Also another commenter caught that Yugoslavia was also a part of the "Non Aligned movement" with others like Spain, Finland, and to a lesser extent Sweden, etc (in Europe).

[@sergecashman5990]

I was surprised to learn that it's a common doctrine to carry a pistol with a round in a chamber. Back in the 90s when I was a security contractor in Israel it was a rule to not chamber a round unless you are about to shoot. It was same for rifles in the army - you would only chamber a round when on a range or on patrol in enemy territory. We were told that some undercover special operations agents did carry their pistols chambered but those guys had hundreds of thousands of rounds training behind them. And trigger safety is not a safety, it's a bureaucracy in action.

[@derrickgardener2148]

Great vid 👍. I had a Tokerev for a time , best $200 i ever spent. It was never fired and out of cold storage from 1946. Super easy to maintaine and low recoil. I love the 7.62.25 round. It is far superior to the 9mm. The only problem was nobody made defence ammo in that caliber. A 90gr SJHP would be perfect. And the sound and fireball it makes is really impressive , you would think your firing 357mag +Ps . Any how thank you John Browning for going to Russia and help design this little beast , im sure alot of Vodka was consumed during this visit. Its a poor mans Browning Hi Power. Just a few years ago Norinco was exporting to Canada their NP22 sig 226 clone chambered in 7.62×25. Really liked the 9mm version as i owned 2 of them and they worked fantastic. But when i lived in canada i saw the writing on the wall for firearms and the Trudeau liberal government so i sold off all my firearms before i was no longer able to do so.

[@HillSummitHomestead]

Had a TT, changed the barrel out from the 7.62 to a 9mm, simple fix, drill a bigger hole on the front cover. The ejector and mag didn't need any modifications. My wife learned on it, I shot idk how many thousands of rounds, NEVER an issue. Although, I never used it as my EDC after acquiring a Glock 19. The "tetejac" was once carried by a Major of the enemy. So it was more than just a hand gun.

[@theAKGeek]

It's not everyday I have a gun that Ian covers lol

[@mnguy98]

I purchased one of these last year at a gun show for about $300 iirc. Unfortunately from a purist's perspective, mine is marred with the 1911-style thumb safety, but from a utilitarian and shooter's perspective, I don't mind it, and it's much more bearable IMO than the later Beretta-style slide-mounted safeties.

[@georgeking3218]

The firing pin retainer on the Russian Tokarev is not a threaded screw. Even though it looks like one, because of the horizontal cut on it's end. It's actually a high carbon steel spring. That requires a special "V" shaped tool, to compress the end of the spring to remove it. Had to fix a Russian Toke years ago that was missing one of these retaining springs. Couldn't find one, from any of the parts houses. Wound up reaming the hole in the slide for a roll pin, to retain the firing pin. The slide was so hard I was afraid I was going to break the reamer.

[@MTR1984]

Not familiar personally with Tokarev’s, but what do you mean cocking the hammer (from half cock safety position) vs racking the slide is not much faster? How does it differ from revolvers or 1911’s where I can {safely, decocking is another topic} full cock the hammer one handed before my support hand reaches the firearm on draw?

[@adammccomb4567]

I just acquired an m57, all the research I've done shows that the slide should lock at half cock, but mine doesn't. I can't see anything that looks broken internally. I doubt it's a problem as I don't plan to carry this for self defense, but I'm curious as to what may be happening.

[@nenaddubaic3302]

Popular name for m57 in Serbia is TeTka , and that means Aunt in english 😃😃😃. Because of TT marking also is called TeTejac..

[@ChrisElsasser]

I had the Yugoslav 9mmm compact version of this gun and it was excellent 👍

[@danirizary6926]

This is my carry gun. It fit all my old 1911 holsters. Mine is a late model commercial model with the 1911 style slide safety.

[@robertloomis1479]

Great video as always thank you for sharing the knowledge.

[@sidviscous5959]

I have to take exception to the statement that racking the slide is only marginally slower than cocking the hammer. The big difference is that you can cock it with one hand.

[@JerryEricsson]

Over my years as an FFL Dealer (gave it up in 90) I had owned personally 3 Tokorav's One was a GI bring back from Vietnam, A vet traded it to me for a Star 9mm BK in Chrome finish, later he contacted me and wanted to buy it back, I made the reverse trade, veteran to veteran and ordered him a lot of ammo so he could shoot the pistol. One was a cheep china that was OK I guess as a shooter, the last was a 9mm version that a fellow police officer purchased from me on the range when we were practicing and I pulled it out of the box and put a magazine through her. She was a great shooter, all my round landed in the X ring (I have always been a pretty good shot) , and the other officer had to have it. I heard from him about 3 weeks before he died, he still had that pistol, it was the only one he kept when he retired, his kids got his Colt Trooper and rifles. Agent Orange took him from us. Strange, we served about 12 miles apart in Nam over about the same time period, but didn't meet till I signed on with the same PD.

[@biffphuddle6581]

Great video. Very informative. I always wondered what the differences were between the m57 and the Soviet versions. Thanks !

[@propdoctor21564]

I commented about 11 days ago after watching this video and a day or two later found one of these for sale at JG Sales so I ordered it... The one I got had the little Glock style trigger safety thing which I depressed so it was flush and put a little tack weld on the back side to hold it flush... Also remove the magazine disconnect and have been enjoying shooting it... Has functioned perfectly and is very accurate... All these pistols also give me Hammer bite cuz I have rather large hands so I just grind off some of the rear edge of the hammer to alleviate this problem...

[@sproutpits]

I have an odd military M57. Looks like it was imported in the same CAI batch as yours, as it came with the trigger dingus safety, and was imported in the last couple of years. The slide has a C prefix, but the serial number is out of range for the prefix (35XXX) according to White's book. Even weirder, the prefix on the frame is not C. It's X, and the prefix appears to have been added at a different time, since it's deeper than the numbers. Lastly, there appears to be an old, partially removed serial number under the "extended e-clip," as I believe you called it. It's a different number, but only the last 3 numbers are legible. I can't find any mention of serial numbers in that location, so I'm definitely curious what's going on here. To summarize, the X prefix doesn't seem to exist in any reference I can find, the partially-obliterated serial number under the disassembly clip is also seemingly unique, and the serial number is actually in the D range, not C. I doubt I'll ever solve the mystery, but I thought I'd mention in here for posterity, in case someone else runs across something similar.

[@craighansen7594]

Bought a bunch of them when they were real cheap. Some have the safety on the frame, ok considering how little I paid. Most have the trigger safety, I'm going to Apex right now to order some original triggers. Most of the M57s I purchased look unissued but my favorite is the most well worn of the bunch.

[@SHMUGI2]

Oh hey look. My favourite pistol.

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you , Ian . 🐺 Loupis Canis .

[@MPi-KM]

I honestly didn't know the M57 mag would work in a TT-33, thanks Ian! Will the M57 recoil spring assembly work in a TT-33?

[@OATMEALMAN147]

I would like to see the angle of the little point on the rear of the trigger assembly, as my Chinese t54 import trigger is differently angled than the presumably polish one I bought. I believe this acts on the disconnector and due to a recent burst fire I had, I am trying to determine what part I need to replace for safety.

[@HorstMichel-mh7gv]

The improvements looking clever.

[@YakovTow]

CCCP is actually stands not for "SSSP" but for "SSSR". That's how you pronounce it. Great video anyway!