7.62 x 25 mm TT
Encyclopedia
The 7.62×25mm Tokarev cartridge is a bottle-necked pistol
cartridge widely used in former Soviet and Soviet satellite states, China
and Pakistan
among other countries. The cartridge has since been replaced in Russian service by overpressure versions of the 9x19mm Parabellum.
.
The Soviets produced a wide array of loadings for this cartridge for use in submachine guns. These include armor-piercing, tracer, and incendiary
rounds. This cartridge has excellent penetration and can easily defeat lighter ballistic vests (class I, IIA and II) as well as some kevlar
helmets, such as the American PASGT helmet. Although most firearms chambered in this caliber were declared obsolete and removed from military inventories, some Police and Special Forces units in Russia
, Pakistan
and (mainly) in China
still use it because of the large quantity of stored ammunition still available.
There is a common misconception that 7.62 Tokarev surplus ammunition in the United States uses copper-coated mild steel bullets, and that this increases the chance of dangerous ricochets when fired at hard targets and can damage bullet-traps often used on shooting ranges. While steel-core ammunition in 7.62×25 is available internationally, in the United States the importation of 7.62×25 cartridges loaded with copper-coated steel bullets is illegal; federal law defines these as armor-piercing pistol ammunition. The so-called steel bullets sold in the United States are generally lead-core bullets with copper-washed steel jackets, and these do not present a significantly greater risk of ricochet than a standard copper-jacketed projectile.
Reloadable cartridge cases can be produced by resizing and trimming 9mm Winchester Magnum
brass, or alternately by reforming 5.56×45mm NATO. The cartridge case is inserted into the open-topped die, which produces a shoulder in the correct position, and one saws off the portion of the case projecting through the top. Afterward, one uses a the reamer - which fits a tap handle - to ream out the new case neck to an acceptable thickness. This is necessary because a powerful rifle cartridge has just been cut back to where the brass is relatively thick - this must be thinned if excessive chamber pressures are to be avoided in the pistol. Alternately, reloaders in the USA can purchase proper, new cases from Starline Mfg. Use .308" or .309" bullets for reloading for the Tokarev TT-33 and Czech CZ-52. Mauser C-96 and C-30 "Broomhandle" pistols typically have oversized bores, and .311" bullets may be needed to produce acceptable accuracy. Hornady makes an 85-grain .309" "XTP" bullet that functions well in all these pistols. On the Starline website, at the 7.62x25mm section, information is given about using ammunition intended for the Mauser pistol in pistols chambered for the Tokarev round.
produced for use in the PPSh-41 and PPS-43 during World War II
. This ammunition would achieve a velocity of 1,600 feet per second when fired from these weapons.
The Chinese 7.62mm Type P is a special subsonic, heavy, pointed (spitzer) loading of the cartridge, designed specifically for use in suppressed
firearms. The Chinese-produced standard loading of the cartridge is designated as the Type 51.
The most notable use of this cartridge was in the Tokarev TT-33
pistol, which was the Soviet Union's standard service pistol from the early 1930s until the mid-1960s. It was also used in the Czech ČZ vz. 52, which was the standard Czech service pistol from 1952 until 1982. The cartridge was also used in several submachine guns, including the Soviet PPD-40
, PPSh-41
, and PPS-43, the Russian PP-19 Bizon, and the Czech vz. 24
and vz. 26
.
Outside COMECON
countries it is not so common; however after the Cold War
, many weapons, especially pistols, were exported and the round is still in production. The cartridge was also used in the Russian OTs-27 Berdysh
and OTs-39 submachine gun, the North Vietnamese K-50M and VPA
/Viet Minh
modified MAS-38
(MAS Mle 1938) and MAT-49
s, and the Yugoslav M56, a submachine gun developed from the design of the German MP40
. Aftermarket conversion sleeves are also available that enable this round to be fired using the Mosin-Nagant family of rifles.
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
cartridge widely used in former Soviet and Soviet satellite states, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
among other countries. The cartridge has since been replaced in Russian service by overpressure versions of the 9x19mm Parabellum.
Design
The cartridge is in principle an enhanced Soviet version of the 7.63×25mm Mauser7.63×25mm Mauser
The 7.63×25mm Mauser round was the original ammunition of the Mauser C96 service pistol. This cartridge headspaces on the shoulder of the case. The basis of this cartridge was the 7.65×25mm Borchardt cartridge of 1893, the only successful automatic pistol cartridge in production at the time...
.
The Soviets produced a wide array of loadings for this cartridge for use in submachine guns. These include armor-piercing, tracer, and incendiary
Incendiary ammunition
-World War I:One of the first uses of incendiary ammunition occurred in World War I. At the time, phosphorus—the primary ingredient in the incendiary charge—ignited upon firing, leaving a trail of blue smoke. They were also known as 'smoke tracer' for this reason. The effective range of...
rounds. This cartridge has excellent penetration and can easily defeat lighter ballistic vests (class I, IIA and II) as well as some kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
helmets, such as the American PASGT helmet. Although most firearms chambered in this caliber were declared obsolete and removed from military inventories, some Police and Special Forces units in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and (mainly) in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
still use it because of the large quantity of stored ammunition still available.
There is a common misconception that 7.62 Tokarev surplus ammunition in the United States uses copper-coated mild steel bullets, and that this increases the chance of dangerous ricochets when fired at hard targets and can damage bullet-traps often used on shooting ranges. While steel-core ammunition in 7.62×25 is available internationally, in the United States the importation of 7.62×25 cartridges loaded with copper-coated steel bullets is illegal; federal law defines these as armor-piercing pistol ammunition. The so-called steel bullets sold in the United States are generally lead-core bullets with copper-washed steel jackets, and these do not present a significantly greater risk of ricochet than a standard copper-jacketed projectile.
Reloadable cartridge cases can be produced by resizing and trimming 9mm Winchester Magnum
9mm Winchester Magnum
The 9 mm Winchester Magnum, which is also known as the 9x29mm, is a centerfire handgun cartridge developed by Winchester in the late 1970s. The cartridge was developed to duplicate the performance of the .357 S&W Magnum in an auto-pistol cartridge....
brass, or alternately by reforming 5.56×45mm NATO. The cartridge case is inserted into the open-topped die, which produces a shoulder in the correct position, and one saws off the portion of the case projecting through the top. Afterward, one uses a the reamer - which fits a tap handle - to ream out the new case neck to an acceptable thickness. This is necessary because a powerful rifle cartridge has just been cut back to where the brass is relatively thick - this must be thinned if excessive chamber pressures are to be avoided in the pistol. Alternately, reloaders in the USA can purchase proper, new cases from Starline Mfg. Use .308" or .309" bullets for reloading for the Tokarev TT-33 and Czech CZ-52. Mauser C-96 and C-30 "Broomhandle" pistols typically have oversized bores, and .311" bullets may be needed to produce acceptable accuracy. Hornady makes an 85-grain .309" "XTP" bullet that functions well in all these pistols. On the Starline website, at the 7.62x25mm section, information is given about using ammunition intended for the Mauser pistol in pistols chambered for the Tokarev round.
Performance
The cartridge has an average muzzle velocity of around 442 metres per second (1,450.1 ft/s), and has about 544 joules (401.2 ft·lbf) of energy. However, given the wide disparity in ammunition manufactured in many different nations, ammunition will be encountered that yields much higher velocity. Most newly manufactured ammunition intended for commercial use have a higher average velocity (apprx 1560 fps). Some of this ammunition, such as the Wolf Gold and Sellier & Belot, use boxer primed, brass cases that are reloadable.Notable variants
The Soviet P-41 was a 74 grain, steel-cored, incendiary variantIncendiary ammunition
-World War I:One of the first uses of incendiary ammunition occurred in World War I. At the time, phosphorus—the primary ingredient in the incendiary charge—ignited upon firing, leaving a trail of blue smoke. They were also known as 'smoke tracer' for this reason. The effective range of...
produced for use in the PPSh-41 and PPS-43 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. This ammunition would achieve a velocity of 1,600 feet per second when fired from these weapons.
The Chinese 7.62mm Type P is a special subsonic, heavy, pointed (spitzer) loading of the cartridge, designed specifically for use in suppressed
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
firearms. The Chinese-produced standard loading of the cartridge is designated as the Type 51.
Weapons and Service Use
TT-33
The TT-30 is a Russian semi-automatic pistol. It was developed in the early 1930s by Fedor Tokarev as a service pistol for the Soviet military to replace the Nagant M1895 revolver that had been in use since tsarist times, though it never fully replaced the M1895.-Development:In 1930, the...
pistol, which was the Soviet Union's standard service pistol from the early 1930s until the mid-1960s. It was also used in the Czech ČZ vz. 52, which was the standard Czech service pistol from 1952 until 1982. The cartridge was also used in several submachine guns, including the Soviet PPD-40
PPD-40
The PPD is a submachine gun originally designed in 1934. The PPD had a conventional wooden stock, fired from an open bolt, and was capable of selective fire....
, PPSh-41
PPSh-41
The PPSh-41 was a Soviet submachine gun designed by Georgi Shpagin as an inexpensive, simplified alternative to the PPD-40. Intended for use by minimally-trained conscript soldiers, the PPSh was a magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun using an open-bolt, blowback action...
, and PPS-43, the Russian PP-19 Bizon, and the Czech vz. 24
CZ Model 25
The CZ Model 25 was perhaps the best known of a series of Czechoslovak designed submachine guns introduced in 1948. There were four generally very similar submachine guns in this series: the Sa 23, Sa 24, Sa 25, and Sa 26...
and vz. 26
CZ Model 25
The CZ Model 25 was perhaps the best known of a series of Czechoslovak designed submachine guns introduced in 1948. There were four generally very similar submachine guns in this series: the Sa 23, Sa 24, Sa 25, and Sa 26...
.
Outside COMECON
Comecon
The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance , 1949–1991, was an economic organisation under hegemony of Soviet Union comprising the countries of the Eastern Bloc along with a number of communist states elsewhere in the world...
countries it is not so common; however after the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, many weapons, especially pistols, were exported and the round is still in production. The cartridge was also used in the Russian OTs-27 Berdysh
OTs-27 Berdysh
The OTs-27 Berdysh is a Russian semi-automatic pistol developed in the early 1990s by TsKIB SOO as a candidate to replace the standard Makarov PM service pistol in service with the Russian Armed Forces.-External links:...
and OTs-39 submachine gun, the North Vietnamese K-50M and VPA
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
/Viet Minh
Viet Minh
Việt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
modified MAS-38
MAS-38
The MAS-38 was a French submachine gun designed prior to the Second World War and used by French and German forces.It derived from a small arms development program that took place between 1918 and 1922 under the control of the Service Technique de l'Armement. A submachine gun, a light machine gun...
(MAS Mle 1938) and MAT-49
MAT-49
The MAT-49 was a submachine gun developed by French arms factory Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de Tulle for use by the French Army.-Development:...
s, and the Yugoslav M56, a submachine gun developed from the design of the German MP40
MP40
The MP 38 and MP 40 , often called Schmeisser, were submachine guns developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by paratroopers, tank crews, platoon and squad leaders, and other troops during World War II.-Development:The MP 40 descended from its predecessor, the MP 38, which was in turn based...
. Aftermarket conversion sleeves are also available that enable this round to be fired using the Mosin-Nagant family of rifles.
Synonyms
- 7.62mm Type P
- 7.62mm Type 51
- 7.62mm Tokarev
- 7.62×25mm TT
- .30 Tokarev
- Czech M48
- 7.62 TT
See also
- 7.65×25mm Borchardt
- 7.63×25mm Mauser7.63×25mm MauserThe 7.63×25mm Mauser round was the original ammunition of the Mauser C96 service pistol. This cartridge headspaces on the shoulder of the case. The basis of this cartridge was the 7.65×25mm Borchardt cartridge of 1893, the only successful automatic pistol cartridge in production at the time...
- 7.65×22mm Parabellum
- .30 Carbine.30 CarbineThe .30 Carbine is the cartridge used in the M1 Carbine introduced in the 1940s. It is an intermediate round designed to be fired from the M1 carbine's 18-inch barrel.-History:...
- 7 mm caliber7 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the to caliber range.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge....