Last updated September 23rd 2026
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How we tested: Every pick here is ranked against our testing methodology. Minimum round counts, accuracy and reliability protocols, the failures that disqualify a gun. Where we have not shot a specific variant ourselves, we say so in that section.
Best Tokarev Pistols in 2026 at a Glance
| Pistol | Origin | Caliber | Capacity | Card Price | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEST TOKAREV Zastava M57 | Yugoslavia | 7.62×25 | 9+1 | $299.99 | Price ↓ |
| BEST C&R PICK Chinese Type 54 | China | 7.62×25 | 8+1 | $350 | Price ↓ |
| BEST FINISH Romanian TTC | Romania | 7.62×25 | 8+1 | $399.99 | Price ↓ |
| BEST IN 9MM Zastava M88A | Yugoslavia/Serbia | 9mm Luger | 8+1 | $299.99 | Price ↓ |
| ALTERNATIVE CZ 52 | Czechoslovakia | 7.62×25 | 8+1 | $359.99 | Price ↓ |
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Tokarev in 2026
The Tokarev is the pistol the Red Army carried through World War II. Fedor Tokarev designed it at Tula around 1930, the simplified TT-33 followed, and it stayed the Soviet service pistol until the Makarov took over in the early 1950s. Tokarev also designed the SVT-40 rifle that sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko is aiming in her most famous photo. It’s a single-action, all-steel, Browning-style tilting-barrel gun, and it fires one of the fastest pistol rounds ever issued to an army.
It’s also one of the last cheap ways into Cold War surplus. You can still buy a Yugoslav M57 or a Chinese Type 54 for less than a new striker gun. But the word “Tokarev” now covers a lot of things that aren’t this pistol, and a search for it turns up a Turkish shotgun brand, a 9mm export model and a Czech pistol with a totally different lockup.
I’ve owned a Yugo M57 for years and shot the rest of the pistols here, several of them side by side on the same range day. This guide covers the variants, how to tell them apart, the curio and relic rules, the ammo traps and what each one costs right now. If you’re building a surplus collection, the Mosin Nagant guide and Mauser rifle guide cover the long guns, and the used handguns hub tracks the wider pre-owned market.
Prices below are what the retailers we track were asking on September 23, 2026. Each pick has a live price card that refreshes through the day, so trust the card over any number frozen into the text.
Tokarev Variants: What You’re Actually Buying
Almost every Tokarev on the US market is a licensed or unlicensed copy, not a Soviet original. Russian guns stopped coming in when the State Department directed ATF to deny import permits for Russian-made firearms in September 2021, and genuine Tula pistols were never common here anyway. What you’ll actually find:
- Soviet TT-33: the original, made at Tula and Izhevsk. Rare in the US and priced like the collectible it is.
- Polish wz. 33: made at Radom, about 225,500 of them from 1948 to 1955 after a small run in 1946 and 1947. Well made, and the Polish TTC we tracked was the priciest surplus Tokarev on our list.
- Hungarian 48M: made by FÉG from 1948 to 1958, recognizable by the state crest on the grips. Hungary also built a 9mm export version for Egypt, the Tokagypt 58.
- Romanian TTC: the “Tula Tokarev Cugir”, 155,648 made at Cugir from 1951 to 1957.
- Chinese Type 51 and Type 54: the Type 51 (1951 to 1954) is a near-exact TT-33 copy. The Type 54 replaced it in 1954 and ran to 1985, roughly 420,000 pistols. Norinco later sold export versions like the Model 213 in 9mm with an added safety.
- Yugoslav Zastava M57: the one most Americans own. Zastava made 260,000 to 270,000 from 1963 to 1982, with a longer grip for a 9-round magazine and a magazine safety.
They all share the same basic gun: a single-action hammer, a Browning-style tilting barrel, and a removable hammer and sear assembly that lifts out as one piece for cleaning. The differences that matter to a buyer are the safety, the magazine, the finish and the import marks.
The Missing Safety, and Why Imports Have One
The original TT-33 has no manual safety. The only concession is a half-cock notch on the hammer. Soviet soldiers carried it with the chamber empty, or chambered with the hammer at half-cock, and that’s still the right way to think about an original: it’s a single-action gun with nothing between the trigger and the shot once the hammer is back.
That’s why so many Tokarevs in the US wear an extra lever. ATF’s factoring criteria for imported pistols (Form 4590) list a firm prerequisite before a handgun is even scored: “The pistol must have a positive manually operated safety device.” A pistol then needs 75 points on the worksheet to qualify. A bare TT-33 fails the first test, so importers and factories bolted on safeties to bring them in.
You’ll see three kinds. Factory export models like the Norinco 213 and Zastava M57A and M70A were built with a safety. Importer-added safeties on surplus guns range from a neat lever to a crude block, and a listing that says “with trigger safety” is one of these. Then there are pistols with no safety at all, which came in as curios or before the rules bit. None of this changes how well the gun shoots, but a clumsy import safety can drag on the trigger, so dry-fire one before you pay if you can.
7.62×25 Tokarev: Fast, Flat and Not for Your C96
The 7.62×25 is a bottlenecked round built on the older 7.63×25 Mauser, and it’s the reason people love this pistol. It pushes a light 85-grain bullet very fast. Over my chronograph, PPU 85-grain FMJ averaged 1,612 fps from the M57’s 4.6-inch barrel, and Sellier & Bellot ran a little quicker. That’s roughly 400 fps faster than a typical 115-grain 9mm load. It’s loud, it has a real fireball, and it shoots remarkably flat at pistol distances.
It’s also a hot round. The C.I.P., the European proof house body, sets the maximum pressure for 7,62 x 25 Tokarev at 2,500 bar, about 36,000 psi. That’s the core of the Mauser warning. The Tokarev round will chamber in a Mauser C96 “Broomhandle”, but it’s loaded hotter than those old pistols were built for, so never fire Tokarev ammo in a C96. The other way round, milder 7.63 Mauser ammo will run in a Tokarev. When you’re not sure what’s in a box of surplus, keep it out of the Mauser.
Two more ammo notes. First, a lot of old surplus 7.62×25 is corrosive, so clean the bore with a water-based solvent the same day you shoot it. Second, the narrow, fast FMJ bullet penetrates far more than 9mm FMJ does, so treat your backstop with respect. New commercial ammo from PPU, Sellier & Bellot and Fiocchi is non-corrosive, boxer-primed and reloadable.
Which Tokarevs Are C&R Eligible?
A Curio and Relic license lets collectors have eligible guns shipped straight to their door. A gun qualifies if it’s at least 50 years old, or if ATF has put it on its Curios or Relics List. The April 2025 list names some Tokarevs and skips others:
| Pistol | ATF list entry (April 2025) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Soviet TT-33 | “Russian (U.S.S.R.), Tokarev, Model TT, 1933, pistol, cal. 7.62, mfd. at the Tula Arsenal, Tula, U.S.S.R., from 1933 through 1956.” | C&R eligible |
| Chinese Type 51 and 54 | “Chinese Communist, types 51 and 54 (Tokarev) pistols, cal. 7.62mm.” | C&R eligible |
| CZ 52 | “Czechoslovakian, CZ52, pistol, cal. 7.62mm.” | C&R eligible |
| Polish wz. 33, Romanian TTC, Hungarian 48M | Not listed by name | All were built before 1976, so they qualify on age |
| Zastava M57 | Not listed | Only pistols made 50 or more years ago qualify; later M57s don’t yet |
| Zastava M88A and other 9mm TTs | Not listed | Not eligible; these are modern guns |
If you don’t hold a C&R license, none of this changes anything for you. Every pistol here ships to a local dealer for a normal transfer.
What Tokarevs Cost Right Now
Here’s what the Tokarev pistols on our tracked retailers were listed at on September 23, 2026. The spread comes down to country, condition and whether the gun has an import safety.
| Pistol and condition | Seller | Asking price |
|---|---|---|
| Yugoslav M57, surplus good, with added trigger safety | Classic Firearms | $239.99 |
| Yugoslav M57, surplus good | Classic Firearms | $299.99 |
| Zastava M88A 9mm, good to very good, blued | Classic Firearms | $299.99 |
| Zastava M88A 9mm, good to very good, chrome | Classic Firearms | $329.99 |
| Chinese Type 54 by Norinco, good to very good | Classic Firearms | $350 |
| Romanian TTC (Cugir), very good to excellent | Classic Firearms | $399.99 |
| Polish TTC, very good to excellent | Classic Firearms | $449.99 |
| CZ 52, used trade-in | Sportsman’s Outdoor Superstore | $299.99 |
| CZ 52, used | Guns.com | $359.99 |
| Norinco Tokarev, used consignment | Guns.com | $650.99 |
One trap before you shop: search a retailer for “Tokarev” and most of what comes back is shotguns. Tokarev USA is a separate company that imports Turkish shotguns under the name, so a TTF 12, TAR 12 or T300 in the results has nothing to do with this pistol. Add “7.62×25” or the country to your search and the shotguns drop out.
1. Zastava M57 – Best Tokarev to Buy
- Caliber: 7.62×25 Tokarev
- Barrel: 4.6″
- Capacity: 9+1
- Action: Single action, short recoil, locked breech, magazine safety
- Made: Zastava, Yugoslavia, 1963 to 1982
- C&R: Not on ATF’s list; 50-year rule only
| Value | Reliability | Accuracy | Ergonomics | Collector Appeal |
| 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
Pros
- Nine rounds instead of eight
- Longer grip fits big hands
- Cheapest Tokarev on the market
Cons
- Bore isn’t chrome lined
- Import safeties vary in quality
- Later guns aren’t C&R eligible
If you want one Tokarev and you’d rather shoot it than frame it, buy a Yugo M57. Zastava’s engineers took the TT-33 and fixed the two things people complained about. The grip is longer, which gives you a full-size handhold and a ninth round, and there’s a magazine safety so the gun won’t fire with the magazine out. Everything else is the Tokarev you’ve read about.
Mine has well over 1,500 rounds through it, mostly PPU and Sellier & Bellot FMJ, with a few boxes of old Yugoslav surplus mixed in. It’s had two failures to feed in that time, both with the surplus. At 15 yards off a rest, five-shot groups ran 2.1 to 2.9 inches with PPU, and the trigger broke at about 5 pounds with a short, gritty takeup. The sights are small, so bring your good eyes.
Two things to check. The M57 bore isn’t chrome lined, so look hard at it on a gun that’s been fed corrosive surplus. And look at how the import safety was done. The cheapest M57 we saw was $239.99 for one with an added trigger safety, while the card above leads with the $299.99 surplus pistol. Pay the difference if the cheaper gun’s safety feels crude.
Best For: The shooter who wants the most shootable Tokarev for the least money.
2. Chinese Type 54 – Best C&R Tokarev
- Caliber: 7.62×25 Tokarev
- Barrel: 4.6″
- Capacity: 8+1
- Action: Single action, short recoil, locked breech
- Made: Norinco, China, 1954 to 1985
- C&R: On ATF’s list by name
| Value | Reliability | Accuracy | Ergonomics | Collector Appeal |
| 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Pros
- Named on ATF’s C&R list
- Closest copy of the TT-33
- Ships direct to C&R holders
Cons
- Short grip crowds larger hands
- Eight rounds, no magazine safety
- Finish varies a lot by gun
The Type 54 is China’s TT-33, and it’s the closest thing to a Soviet pistol most of us will ever shoot. It keeps the original eight-round magazine, the short grip and the plain single-action layout. It’s also the Tokarev that ATF names outright on the Curios or Relics List, so a dealer can ship it straight to a C&R holder no matter when it was made.
Shooting it next to the M57, the difference is all in the hand. The short grip puts my pinky under the magazine, and the gun points a touch high for me. Accuracy was a match for the Yugo, 2.3 to 3.0 inches at 15 yards with the same PPU load, and it ran 400 rounds without a hiccup. Finish is where they vary. Some are a deep, even blue, and others were refinished at an arsenal and show it.
The card above found the Type 54 at $350. Look at the photos on any listing for a Chinese star on the grips and Chinese markings on the frame; plain, unmarked Chinese pistols do exist, but they’re a different story and a harder buy.
Best For: The C&R collector who wants the most authentic Tokarev shipped to the door.
3. Romanian TTC – Best-Finished Tokarev
- Caliber: 7.62×25 Tokarev
- Barrel: 4.6″
- Capacity: 8+1
- Action: Single action, short recoil, locked breech
- Made: Cugir, Romania, 1951 to 1957
- C&R: Eligible on age
| Value | Reliability | Accuracy | Ergonomics | Collector Appeal |
| 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
Pros
- Often very good to excellent condition
- Only 155,648 were ever made
- Old enough for C&R eligibility
Cons
- Costs more than an M57
- Short grip, eight rounds
- Import safety on most examples
Cugir built the TTC for only six years, and Romania kept many of them in police and military storage until the late 1990s. That’s why the ones coming in now tend to be clean. The last TTC I handled had a crisp bore, even bluing and matching numbers, and it looked like it had spent more time in a rack than on a belt.
It shoots exactly like a Type 54, since it’s the same short-grip, eight-round design. I put 250 rounds of Sellier & Bellot through one with no malfunctions, and it held about 2.5 inches at 15 yards. Most surplus TTCs carry an added safety lever from import, like the one in the photo, so check that it moves cleanly before you buy.
You pay for condition. The card above showed the TTC at $399.99, about $100 over an M57, and the Polish TTC we tracked sat higher still at $449.99. Every TTC is also old enough to count as a curio on age alone.
Best For: The collector who wants a clean, all-original Eastern Bloc Tokarev.
4. Zastava M88A – Best Tokarev-Type Pistol in 9mm
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel: 3.8″
- Capacity: 8+1
- Action: Single action, short recoil, slide-mounted safety
- Made: Zastava, designed in Yugoslavia in 1987
- C&R: Not eligible
| Value | Reliability | Accuracy | Ergonomics | Collector Appeal |
| 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 |
Pros
- Shoots cheap 9mm Luger ammo
- Real manual safety from the factory
- Compact and easy to carry
Cons
- Not a true TT-33 copy
- Not C&R eligible
- Only eight rounds of 9mm
The M88A is what Zastava built when it wanted a compact 9mm police pistol and started from the Tokarev. It keeps the TT’s operating system, but it’s shorter, it’s chambered for 9mm Luger, and it has a proper safety at the rear of the slide that blocks the firing pin and disconnects the trigger. Outwardly, it doesn’t look much like a TT-33 anymore.
This is the one to buy if you like the idea of a Tokarev but want to feed it the ammo you already have. I shot one with 115-grain Blazer Brass and Federal HST and it held under 3 inches at 15 yards, with one failure to eject in the first magazine and none after. Recoil is sharper than a full-size TT because the gun is smaller, but it’s manageable.
The card above showed the blued M88A at $299.99, and the chrome version we tracked was $329.99. Don’t confuse it with the earlier M70A, a full-size 9mm M57, or Zastava’s unrelated blowback M70 in .32 ACP.
Best For: The shooter who wants Tokarev character in 9mm Luger with a real safety.
5. CZ 52 – The 7.62×25 Alternative That Isn’t a Tokarev
- Caliber: 7.62×25 Tokarev
- Barrel: 4.7″
- Capacity: 8+1
- Action: Single action, roller-locked short recoil, decocker
- Made: Czechoslovakia, 1952 to 1954
- C&R: On ATF’s list by name
| Value | Reliability | Accuracy | Ergonomics | Collector Appeal |
| 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Pros
- Roller-locked design, unique in pistols
- On ATF’s C&R list by name
- Same cheap 7.62×25 ammo
Cons
- Not a Tokarev design at all
- Blocky grip angle
- Often sold as used trade-ins
The CZ 52 shows up in every Tokarev search because it fires the same cartridge, but it’s a completely different pistol. Czechoslovakia designed it on its own, and instead of a tilting barrel it locks with a pair of rollers, a lockup similar to the German MG 42 machine gun’s. About 200,000 were built from 1952 to 1954.
It’s in this guide because it’s the obvious alternative when you’re shopping 7.62×25. The CZ 52 has a combination decock and safety lever, it’s on ATF’s C&R list by name, and the card above found one at $359.99, not far off a good M57. The cheapest we tracked was a $299.99 used trade-in. I found it accurate, about 2.4 inches at 15 yards, but the grip angle is steep and blocky, and it isn’t for everyone.
Best For: The collector who wants a second 7.62×25 pistol with a genuinely different design.
What to Check Before You Buy a Surplus Tokarev
- The bore. Corrosive surplus ammo was the norm. Look for dark pitting and weak rifling, especially on M57s, which weren’t chrome lined.
- The half-cock notch. With the chamber empty, set the hammer at half-cock and pull the trigger firmly. The hammer should stay put.
- The import safety. Work it several times. It should move cleanly and actually block the gun from firing.
- The magazine. TT magazines are thin, and a bent feed lip causes most feeding problems. Buy a spare.
- The model. Make sure the listing is a pistol and not a Tokarev USA shotgun, and that the caliber matches what you want: 7.62×25 or 9mm.
7.62×25 Ammo Prices
New 7.62×25 is easy to find from PPU, Sellier & Bellot and Fiocchi, and the cheapest boxes we tracked came in at about 55 cents a round, more than bulk 9mm. The card below tracks the current prices across our retailers.
How We Tested
I shot the M57, Type 54, TTC and CZ 52 at 7 and 15 yards, off a rest and standing, with PPU 85-grain FMJ, Sellier & Bellot 85-grain FMJ and a few boxes of Yugoslav surplus. The M88A got Blazer Brass and Federal HST in 9mm. I measured trigger pulls with a Lyman digital gauge, ran velocities over a chronograph and logged every stoppage. Prices came from the live catalog behind our price cards on September 23, 2026. Specs and history came from published references and the retailers’ own listings, pressure figures from the C.I.P. datasheet, and C&R status from ATF’s April 2025 list. I haven’t shot a Polish or Hungarian Tokarev for this guide, so they’re covered as collector options rather than picks.
Final Verdict
For shooting, buy the Zastava M57. It’s the cheapest real Tokarev, it holds nine rounds, and the longer grip makes it the easiest to shoot well. For a collection, the Type 54 is the one ATF names outright, and the Romanian TTC is the cleanest you’ll find. If you want the feel in 9mm, the M88A is your gun, and the CZ 52 is the 7.62×25 wildcard. Whatever you buy, keep Tokarev ammo out of any Mauser C96.
The Tokarev’s replacement in Soviet service was the Makarov, and our Makarov pistol guide covers it the same way. For the rifles of the same era, see the Lee-Enfield guide, and for the gear to go with it, our military surplus clothing and gear guide.
FAQ: Tokarev Pistols
Is a Tokarev a good pistol to buy?
Yes, if you want an affordable, reliable surplus handgun with a lot of history. A Yugoslav Zastava M57 is the best value, with a longer grip and nine rounds, while a Chinese Type 54 or Romanian TTC suits collectors. Just remember that most original Tokarevs have no manual safety and are single action only.
Can you shoot 7.62x25 Tokarev in a Mauser C96?
No. The 7.62x25 Tokarev round chambers in a C96 Broomhandle, but it is loaded hotter than those old pistols were built for. The C.I.P. sets its maximum pressure at 2,500 bar, about 36,000 psi. Milder 7.63 Mauser ammo will run in a Tokarev, but never fire Tokarev ammo in a C96.
Why do some Tokarevs have a safety and others don't?
The original Soviet TT-33 has no manual safety, only a half-cock notch. ATF's import rules for handguns (Form 4590) require a positive manually operated safety, so export models like the Norinco 213 and Zastava M57A were built with one, and importers added safeties to many surplus pistols.
Are Tokarev pistols C&R eligible?
Many are. ATF's April 2025 Curios or Relics List names the Soviet TT-33 made at Tula and the Chinese Type 51 and Type 54 pistols. Polish, Romanian and Hungarian Tokarevs qualify because they are over 50 years old. Later Zastava M57s and 9mm models like the M88A are not eligible.
What is the difference between a TT-33 and a Zastava M57?
The M57 is Yugoslavia's improved TT-33. It has a longer grip that holds a nine-round magazine instead of eight, and it adds a magazine safety so it will not fire with the magazine removed. Unlike many TT-33 copies, its bore is not chrome lined.
Is Tokarev USA the same as the Tokarev pistol?
No. Tokarev USA is a separate company that imports Turkish shotguns such as the TTF 12, TAR 12 and T300. They share the name only. Search for 7.62x25 or a country name, like Yugoslav M57 or Chinese Type 54, to find the pistol.
How much does a Tokarev cost in 2026?
On September 23, 2026, a surplus Yugoslav M57 listed at $239.99 to $299.99, a Chinese Type 54 at $350, a Romanian TTC at $399.99 and a Polish TTC at $449.99. Condition, country and whether the pistol has an import safety drive most of the difference.
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