7.62x25mm Tokarev

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7.62x25mm Tokarev

A steel-cased FMJ 7.62 mm Tokarev cartridge.
Type Pistol
Place of origin Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
Specifications
Bullet diameter .307 in (7.8 mm)
Neck diameter .330 in (8.4 mm)
Shoulder diameter .370 in (9.4 mm)
Base diameter .380 in (9.7 mm)
Rim diameter .390 in (9.9 mm)
Rim thickness .052 in (1.3 mm)
Case length .97 in (25 mm)
Overall length 1.35 in (34 mm)
Rifling twist 10
Primer type Berdan or Boxer
Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy
85 gr (5.5 g) JHP 1,235 ft/s (376 m/s) 288 ft·lbf (390 J)
90 gr (5.8 g) FMJ 1,343 ft/s (409 m/s) 361 ft·lbf (489 J)
Source: Makarov.com [1]

The 7.62x25mm Tokarev cartridge is a bottle-necked pistol cartridge widely used in former Soviet and Soviet satellite states. The actual caliber of its bullet is 7.85 mm (.309 in).

Contents

[edit] Design

The cartridge is in principle a Soviet version of the 7.63x25 Mauser. They are very similar: in fact, some weapons can use both cartridges interchangeably, although this is not recommended.

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). Although most firearms chambered in this caliber were declared obsolete and removed from military inventories, some Police and Special Forces units in Russia and (mainly) in China still use it for its superior penetration, rather than the more popular 9 mm Makarov ammunition in current use.

The 7.62 Tokarev is usually much more powerful than its Mauser counterpart and may damage any firearms chambered for 7.63 mm Mauser. The Czech version of this cartridge has 25% higher pressure loading with significantly more velocity and energy than other common loads and may present a danger to the user when fired from weapons not specifically designed to use it.

[edit] Performance

The cartridge has an average muzzle velocity of around 1,500 feet per second (460 m/s), and has about 440 ft·lbf (600 J) of energy. Recoil from the cartridge is on par with a .357 SIG. The unusually loud report and bright muzzle flash produced when this cartridge is fired from pistols can surprise onlookers.

Some firearms that use this round are the pistols Tokarev TT-33 and the Vz. 52 (also known as the CZ-52). Submachine guns include the Soviet PPD-40, PPSh-41 and PPS-43, and the Czech Vz.24, Vz.26 (ref.CZ Model 25) and K-50m.

Reloaders have been known to custom load 7.62 x 25 mm with sabot rounds using .22 caliber 55 grain (3.6 g) bullets. Muzzle velocities in excess of 2200 ft/s (670 m/s) have been obtained with this method.[citation needed] These speeds are seldom obtained with a handgun; usually, the longer barrel of a rifle is required.

Initial Speed

  • Tokarev TT 33 : 420 m/s
  • PPsh-41 Energy in the muzzle: 693 joules
  • Tokarev TT : 540 J

[edit] Synonyms

  • 7.62 mm Type P
  • 7.62 mm Tokarev
  • 7.62x25mm TT
  • .30 Tokarev

[edit] Weapons

Chinese copy of the TT-33 called the Type 54 with 7.62x25mm ammo
Chinese copy of the TT-33 called the Type 54 with 7.62x25mm ammo

As the 7.62x25mm was largely an Eastern Bloc round, it remained relatively rare in the west. However after the Cold War, many weapons, especially pistols, were exported to the west with the round now currently in production. Weapons produced in this caliber include pistols such as the TT-33, vz. 52, and the Russian OTs-27 Berdysh (Poleaxe). Submachine guns include the Soviet PPD-40, PPSh-41,PPS-43 and OTs-39, the Czech vz. 24, vz. 26, and the North Vietnamese K-50m and VPA/Viet Minh modified a few MAS-38 (MAS Mle 1938) and many Mat-49, and the Yugoslav M56, a submachine gun similar in appearance to the German MP40.

[edit] See also

7.62 mm Tokarev rounds. Left: standard FMJ. Right: military armour piercing round.
7.62 mm Tokarev rounds. Left: standard FMJ. Right: military armour piercing round.
Round comparison 7.65 mm Browning, 7.62 Tokarev, 9mm Parabellum
Round comparison 7.65 mm Browning, 7.62 Tokarev, 9mm Parabellum
7.62 mm Tokarev cartridge next to 9mm Luger cartridge
7.62 mm Tokarev cartridge next to 9mm Luger cartridge
Rear view of the head-stamp on a Sellier & Bellot 7.62 mm Tokarev cartridge
Rear view of the head-stamp on a Sellier & Bellot 7.62 mm Tokarev cartridge

[edit] References

  1. ^ load data at Makarov.com
  • Cartridges of the World 11th Edition, Book by Frank C. Barnes, Edited by Stan Skinner, Gun Digest Books, 2006, ISBN 0-89689-297-2 pp. 288,337