I ordered a Tokarev thinking I can use .30 Mauser in it, true or false?

GatorFarmer · May 17, 2013

I have not purchased a factory new firearm from a dealer in a number of years. Generally there are not a newly made firearms that interest me. Fewer still that I can justify the cost of.

I noticed an email from Centerfire Systems this week. They had new commercial production Zastava Tokarevs in 9mm and 7.62x25mm. The price was good and they are shipping free. The 9mm versions were 30 dollars more.

Supplies of cheap 7.62x25mm surplus are dried up. Even the commercial ammo has dried up, alongside everything else. But I ordered one in 7.62mm and not 9mm.

I had noticed that I could still obtain .30 Mauser ammo. In fact, it costs the same as 9mm as of late, but I have not seen any 9mm for a while now.

I figured that I should be able to fire that .30 Mauser ammo in a Tokarev. Generally one is told that Mauser ammo is a lighter load, but I noticed that Fiocchi was claiming a muzzle velocity of over 1400 fps on their Mauser offering.

My only other handgun right now is my Python. I wanted to have a spare gun and one with ammo for it.

So...smart plan or did I order a paperweight?

walnutred · May 17, 2013

My understanding is that you can use the 30 Mauser ammo in the Tok. The last one I owned came with both a 9x19 barrel and a 7.62 barrel.

Arik · May 17, 2013

30 Mauser in a Tok is fine. A lot of Tok rounds exceed 1400fps and some hover around 2000fps. This is why you shouldn't shoot 7.62Tok in a Mauser.

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Alpo · May 17, 2013

It's kinda like 38 ACP and 38 Super. Same size, but one is much more powerful than the other.

You can safely fire 30 Mauser in a 7.62x25 Tok or CZ52, but it might not have the umph to work the slide. It will not damage your gun, though.

Going the other way, though - shooting 7.62x25 Tok in a Broomhandle, is kinda asking for a KABOOM.

41RF · May 17, 2013

It probably will work fine; Fiocchi and Privi Partizan both make good ammo for .30 Mauser. For what it's worth, the newly made Toks probably have an inertia firing pin, unlike the original which was full length (hammer down, pin was pressing on the primer). May be worth checking anyway, I saw one recent Polish import that still had the full length pin, while an OLD Chinese army surplus one had the inertia pin, so one never knnows....Enjoy, they are great, reliable and powerful handguns!

OFT II · May 17, 2013

No problem. I bought one in 1973 and you couldn't find the 7.62 tok ammo anywhere but 7.63 Mauser was available so I put several boxes through it.

iouri · May 17, 2013

I guess everything been said about using 30 Mauser in Tok, I can only add a comment about new production Tokarevs - it's horrible. I've got one about a month ago. New production Yugo in 7.62x25. Machining is absolutely horrendous, there's no smooth edge on my gun. I can't even wipe it, cause rag is always catching up on edges. In addition mine had front sight bent left and rear I could move with just my fingers

I've sent it to importer (CAI) about 2 weeks ago and haven't heard anything back from them. So if you buying online make sure to lower your expectations

Cyrano · May 17, 2013

I think that 7.63 Mauser and 7.62 Tokarev ammo deliver about the same pressures and should work Mausers and Tokarvs with no problems. Most Russian 7.62 was made for the SMGs, parimarily the PPSh 41. The SMGs have a longer barrel so a slower powder was used. This gives considerably more blast in the shorter Tok barrel and the impression of hotter ammo. Tok and Mauser ammo both can be used in the bromhandle with no problem: the broomhandle will handle very high pressures with no problem: recoil is its downfall. The ammo to be careful of is Czech ammo intended for the CZ 52. This is definitely too hot for either the Tok or the Mauser. I chronographed two lots of it: one gave 1605 fps, the other 1580. If my memory serves, the Czech ammo was headstamped bnz.

Tokarevs and the CZ 52 are made to minimum case dimensions for the 7.63 Mauser. Some Mauser ammo may not chamber, although I've never found any. If you reload, you'll have problems shortening cases and resizing cases fired in a Mauser small enough for use in a Tok.

GatorFarmer · May 18, 2013

iouri said:
I guess everything been said about using 30 Mauser in Tok, I can only add a comment about new production Tokarevs - it's horrible. I've got one about a month ago. New production Yugo in 7.62x25. Machining is absolutely horrendous, there's no smooth edge on my gun. I can't even wipe it, cause rag is always catching up on edges. In addition mine had front sight bent left and rear I could move with just my fingers I've sent it to importer (CAI) about 2 weeks ago and haven't heard anything back from them. So if you buying online make sure to lower your expectations

That might explain why the cost was in line with a Jiminez or HiPoint.

Did it go bang reliably?

I imagine I could stone or file or some such sharp edges smooth and refinish with a can of Alumnahyde. Hopefully mine will have working sights though.

I have been thinking about sending my Python to Colt for a refinish and did not want to be without a handgun. Thus the Tokarev...

I ordered a Tokarev thinking I can use .30 Mauser in it, true or false?

GatorFarmer

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walnutred

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Arik

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Alpo

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41RF

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OFT II

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iouri

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Cyrano

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GatorFarmer

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