Osprey - Weapon 84 - Soviet Pistols Tokarev, Makarov, Stechkin and Others.pdf

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SOVIET PISTOLS
Tokarev, Makarov, Stechkin and others
LEROY THOMPSON
SOVIET PISTOLS
LEROY THOMPSON
Series Editor Martin Pegler
Illustrated by Johnny Shumate & Alan Gilliland
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
DEVELOPMENT
The evolution of Soviet handguns
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7
34
61
76
78
80
USE
Soviet handguns in action
IMPACT
A global legacy
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
INTRODUCTION
April 1991: a member of the
OMON special internal security
unit points his PM pistol. (Alain
Nogues/Sygma/Sygma via
Getty Images)
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As in many countries, the handgun in Russia and the Soviet Union has
served as a symbol of authority for military officers and state-security
personnel, as well as a primary small arm for the armed forces’ armoured
crews, artillerymen, transport drivers and medical personnel among others.
Russian handguns have traditionally been exceptionally durable and simple
to operate. That reputation is evident in the fact that the Nagant M1895
revolver, originally adopted in the 19th century, remains in second-line
service with some Russian police and military units at the time of writing,
as does the Tokarev TT-33 pistol, initially adopted in the 1930s. Originally
adopted in 1951, the Makarov PM pistol is still in front-line service with
many Russian military and police units, though various newer pistol designs
such as the GSh-18 and MP-443
Grach
have also come into service.
Intended as a replacement for the M1895, the TT-30 was designed by
Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev (1871–1968), who also designed the SVT-38
and SVT-40 self-loading rifles. To accelerate production, changes were
made to the TT-30’s design, resulting in the redesigned pistol being
designated the TT-33. By the end of World War II, a total of 1,330,000
Tokarev pistols had been produced, with limited production continuing
after the war. Eventually, TT-33 variants would be produced by eight
other countries, most of which were within the Soviet sphere of influence,
and would see action in myriad conflicts, especially Soviet- or Chinese-
supported insurgencies. The substantial number of Tokarev pistols
brought back by US veterans of the Korean War (1950–53) and the
Vietnam War (1955–75) attest to its widespread usage in those conflicts.
The TT-33’s great strength is its high-velocity bullet that will punch
through thick clothing and equipment – an invaluable advantage in the
conditions of the winter fighting on the Eastern Front or during
the Korean War. However, it lacks an external safety, thus increasing the
likelihood of a negligent discharge and was a single-action (SA) design in
the post-Walther PP, PPK and P 38 era of double-action (DA) pistols.
A TT-33 along with a typical style
of holster and a packet of
7.62×25mm cartridges.
The Soviets were well aware of the DA/SA design of Walther pistols,
having captured large numbers of them from German forces. Additionally,
Zella-Mehlis, where the Walther manufacturing plant was located, lay in
the Soviet occupation zone of post-war Germany, giving the post-war
Soviet Army access to tooling and prototype pistols. There is little doubt
that the Walther design for a double-action pistol influenced the design of
the TT-33’s replacement, the Makarov PM (Pistolet
Makarova,
‘Makarova’s Pistol’). In the post-World War II competition to find a more
compact and modern replacement for the TT-33, the design from Nikolay
Fyodorovich Makarov (1914–88) was chosen.
The round for the new pistol, the 9×18mm Makarov, had actually
been developed prior to the pistol itself. The round was designed by Boris
Vladimirovich Semin (1911–82); though it fired a 9mm bullet, it was not
as powerful as the 9×19mm Parabellum round, but was more powerful
than the 9×17mm round used in Walther PP and PPK pistols. This
intermediate round could be fired in a blowback design, thus allowing the
PM to be cheaper to produce and more compact.
The PM has proven to be a highly reliable pistol that may be carried
safely yet brought into action quickly due to its DA/SA design. Production
was made quicker and cheaper as the PM has only 27 parts. It may be
quickly disassembled for cleaning, with small components remaining
‘captive’ so they do not get lost.
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