Gunboards Forums banner

TT33 Conversion to 9MM question

24K views 34 replies 18 participants last post by  stantheman86 
#1 ·
Has anybody tried using 9mm parts from Sarco to convert a TT33 over to 9mm?

Specifically these two items:
TOKP034 Barrel 9mm very good condition $39.95
TOKP037 Barrel bushing 9mm $16.50
List of parts is here: http://www.sarcoinc.com/tokp.html

Recently I tried doing a conversion using parts from e-gunparts, but that turned out to be a bust (9mm barrel didn't fit my barrel bushing, also link lug was out of spec on the 9mm barrel). See this thread if interested: http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=32993

Just curious if anybody has tried those Sarco parts on their TT33 and was successful with the conversion.
 
#3 ·
I personally would rather have a separate pistol in 9mm, but your project sounds interesting and fun. I have had a number of very unhappy experiences with SARCO and cannot recommend them at all, but if you get the gun running, please post your experiences! Gun lore is always worth reading about!!
 
#4 ·
Picked one up at an on line auction (without bushing, barrel only). Was told it was Chinese ? It drops in perfectly (no fitting or adjustments) and shoots just fine. One problem tho, every couple of clips, it jams. I’m guessing it wants a 9mm mag, as the Tok mag is a little too large. Thought I would use it more….but Tok ammo is more or less the same price as 9mm and it is the round the pistol was built for.
 
#5 ·
I have two barrels in 9mm for my tok - one requires a different bushing (i believe it is from a commercial chineese tok) and the other one works great with the original bushing. Links were pre-installed on both barrels and they all work fine. Original tok mag is not the 100% for 9 mm - it works but does jam occasionally. The wide well 9mm chineese mag works great. Still, i think that it is just a waste of money - if i'd be smarter back then i would've bought 2 toks - one chineese or hungarian in 9 mm and one in 7.62 rather then a barrel.

Cheers,

Me.
 
#6 ·
I tried the opposite way from 9mm (Norinco 213 in 9mm) to 7.62x25 Tok. Got the parts I needed from SARCO, but couldn't get it to work. I didn't want to try to hand fit the parts so I kept the 9mm Norinco stock and bought a few TT-33s for 7.62x25 ammo. Hope your conversion works.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the replies guys, it's much appreciated.

That's one of the things that's been keeping me from purchasing the parts is Sarco's reputation of being not so great to do business with, and my recent failure in trying to do the conversion with an e-gun parts barrel which didn't fit my bushing. I'm guessing the 9mm barrels carried by e-gun parts must be for a commercial Chinese Tok as they don't seem to have a barrel that fits my bushing, and the bushings they do have for sale are for the 7.62X25 barrel, so there's no way to purchase the right combo of parts from them.

The more I shoot it, the more I REALLY like my Tok, and since I reload my own 9mm, it was kind of a natural thing to want the ability to shoot 9mm too in the same frame. Maybe my best bet would be to just keep an eye out for a Norinco Tok in 9mm to add to my collection, then I'd have both calibers available to shoot without swapping out parts (plus the Norinco would have the correct magazine for 9mm). Too bad you can't get them new in the US anymore. That's probably the best direction to take the more I think about it.

I have a funny feeling though that I need to invest in another 7.62X25 Tok too before the current imports run dry, it's always good to have a spare! ;)
 
#8 ·
I have both a Norinco 213 9mm and a Romanian TT-33. I was able to get the 9mm barrel and bushing from the Norinco to work in the Romanian. I could also get the 9mm rounds to work in the wider mags by tapping them against the shooting table before inserting the mag, so that they line up in front of the mag.
I just got enough $$ to be able to buy a couple of more 9mm Tok barrels. I'm converting the Norinco to be able to shoot 9x23 Winchester, I have already done it to the Romanian Tok.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Mastiff, what velocities are you getting with 9x23?

Also, do 7.62 Tok mags work totally reliably with the 9x23?
 
#13 ·
I'm getting 1550 fps with the 125gn, and 1400 fps with the 147gn through a friends chrono..
I haven't had any problems whatsoever with the Tok mags and the 9x23 Winchester.

I needed to use the Norinco 9mm bushing with the 9mm barrel, the original bushing on the Romanian won't fit the 9mm Norinco barrel.
 
#10 ·
I had my T.U.90 down in Cinci over the weekend and we took a bunch o guns out to the farm and did some shooting. I have the origonal 9mm barrel and a 7.62 barrel that I picked up. Both work with the same bushing and the 9mm feed moderately well from the 7.62 mags. I shot up the box of surplus 7.62 first and then switched out the barrels and fired off a few boxes of 9mms. Out of 150 or so 9s I had 6 jams, all of wich cleared easily. I never thought of taping the rounds to the front of the mag, I'll have to try that. I'll also start looking for a 9mm mag with the spacer and maybe a 9x23 barrel.
 
#22 ·
I'll also start looking for a 9mm mag with the spacer and maybe a 9x23 barrel.
The 9x23 barrel is just a 9x19 Norinco Model 213 barrel reamed out to chamber the longer round.

This is from a different board. I take no responsibility for the info, it is just the way I converted mine:

I got the information from Clark, I'll repeat his post below. I have a 115 piece TIN coated drill bit set from Harbor Freight. I just followed Clarks directions about using the different sized drills. I used a 9x23 Winchester round and 9x23 empty case from fired cases of CorBons Pow'rball load in 9x23, since I have a Star Super A that will fire the round.
I didn't need anything extra, simce I had a spare Norinco 213 barrel that I got years ago that I have never needed. Sarco and Numrich have 9mm barrels for sale.

From Clark:

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.


I converted a Tokarev or two to 9x23mm by reaming out a 9x19mm barrel.
The Tokarevs are designed for the 7.62x25mm Tokarev round with an OAL of 1.35".

That is longer than the magazine design for 45acp at 1.275" or 9x19mm Luger at 1.169"

IIRC, the 9x23mm cartridge is not SAAMI registered, but most put the OAL at 1.245"

I have been shooting 9x23 in my Tokarev with:
158 gr Hornady XTP JHP and 16 gr of Power Pistol, 1.36"
In contrast, the Alliant max load for 357 magnum is:
158 gr Hornady XTP JHP and 8 gr of Power Pistol, 1.575"


For those who know what that means, they can see my Tokarev has gone atomic with 9x23mm

And:


Quote:
Could you share with me who you got to convert a Tok to 9x23?
1) Put a 9x23mm reamer in a lathe tailstock chuck and the barrel in the lathe headstock chuck and remove material with Sulfered cutting oil until a case will chamber with the pistols assembled.

2) Or, put a 9x23mm reamer in a drill chuck, and hold the drill chuck in the right hand and the barrel in the left hand, and give a twist of the wrist until as 9x23mm case will chamber.

3) Or, use a 115 piece drill set, a drill chuck, and two hands.
(Had a url to a drill size chart here)
As you can see, V drill will make a .3770" hole and a W drill will make a .3860" hole. The correct choice for lengthening the chamber is 25/64ths =.3906". This make the chamber .0060" sloppy, but that is fine.
The throat should be .357"
As you can see the T drill makes a .358" hole. that is .001" oversize
23/64 drill will make a .3594" hole, that is .0027" oversize.
U drill will make a .3680" hole, that is .011" oversize.
I find that I like the U drill better for getting the cartridge to fall in the chamber, but drill holes made with a twist of the wrist may be a few thousands small.
I seat a .358" LSWC bullet out to 1.36" and cut the throat until the cartridge falls in.

If you want 1.36" loads with 158 gr .357" and .358" bullets, then the 9x23mm reamer from Brownells is not going to do it all.
 
#11 ·
I just attempted a 9mm conversion on my Tokarev TT-33 with a 9mm barrel from Gunparts Corp. The barrel seems to function ok with the link and all, but wont fit the existing barrel bushing. I measured both barrels and found the 9mm to be .012 larger in diameter than my existing 7.62X25. I guess I need to find a larger barrel bushing for the 9mm or turn the barrel to remove .012. Or I could buy a seperate barrel bushing for the 7.62X25 caliber and ream it out to fit the 9mm barrel. Such are my choices. I guess Sarco Inc has a 9mm barrel bushing for sale but wonder if it will realy fit my barrel. Suggestions would be appreciated.
 
#12 · (Edited)
If it was me, I'd get a spare barrel bushing, NOT ordered from SARCO.

Feel free to go their direction, but if you do, don't be surprised if they send you a barrel of bushes... :D
 
#16 · (Edited)
Lots of reasons really, but for me it's mostly because I reload 9mm, so I already have a ton of 9mm in varying loads, bullets, etc (that cost me much less per round to make than what can be purchased at the local Walmart). There are also situations where the penetration capabilities of the 7.62X25 aren't always desirable or needed.

It basically comes down to enjoying the ergonomics of the TT33, and wanting to tailor it to different shooting situations or needs, thus the desire for both calibers. I will have to say though, having one in 9X23 looks like a GREAT combination!
 
#18 ·
Fairlane, I'm very frustrated with the 9mm conversion myself. Wish I never started this project. Everything is hard to locate including a lousy spare barrel bushing. I would be willing to ream it out to fit my 9mm barrel if I could find one. If I get real frustrated I might just turn down the barrel and hope it works. Hope your project goes better than mine.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Micky,
I feel your pain... maybe you could take a chance with Sarco? They do list a 9mm bushing, it may very well fit your barrel, or at least it would provide you with a bushing you could ream out if it in fact does turn out to be one of the 7.62X25 bushings with the smaller opening. I have already returned all of my parts to Gunparts.com for refund a while back since even the barrel they sent me wouldn't fit in the slide, much less my barrel bushing, it was really out of tolerance.
I have decided to find a used Norinco 9mm instead of going the conversion route, it will cost more money, but hopefully will be much less aggravation! :rolleyes:
 
#19 ·
Penetration of Wolf Gold 86 grain HP is LESS than many 9x19 HP's. The "overpenetration" argument only applies to FMJ's and even then may or may not be true depending on what 9x19 round the 7.62 Tok round is being compared to. Deep penetration of hard targets like steel plate does NOT necessarily apply to other media.

In my opinion the Tok is a very poor concealed carry pistol for a variety of safety reasons, none of which have to do with the cartridge itself. The conditions under which I prefer it are wholly different than those presented in typical in-town concealed carry situations.
 
#21 · (Edited)
The only 7.62X25 ammo I have is a bunch of surplus corrosive FMJ, and some current production S&B FMJ, but both seem less than ideal for hunting (or personal defense), but are great plinking rounds. I have some 124GR Remington Golden Saber rounds I reload in 9mm that I prefer for small game and personal defense (depending on the load). I have taken lots of small game with the 124GR Golden Saber fired out of my High Point Carbine, and feel it presents a good compromise between ballistics, penetration, and expandibility. It would be fun to work up a similar loading for the Tok (in 9mm), just to see how it performs. Also someday I would really like trying something in 9X23, but that's way down the road, too many other projects right now that need finishing.

My personal carry weapons of choice are the Kel-Tec P-3AT and PF-9, both of which I feel much safer carrying (and are a lot smaller and lighter) than the TT-33. However, they don't make me smile nearly as much when shooting them as the TT-33... go figure!
 
#23 ·
I'm in the process of installing a 9mm barrel in my Romo Tok pistol. While waiting for my new barrel bushing to arrive, I was thinking about the process of feeding 9mm cartridges out of a 7.62 mag. Then a disturbing thought came to me of what would happen if one should forget a 7.62 barrel was in the pistol and feeding 9mm ammo. The 9mm round happens to chambers in the 7.62 barrel ok. All I can imagine is a 9mm bullet going thru a 7.62mm barrel. The results have to be catastrophic. I can't see any way to avoid this potentially dangerous situation. Any thoughts on this?
 
#26 ·
We have actually had members make this mistake with a CZ-52. The gun held together. Pressure was high but no real damage. Just like anything else in shooting- be aware. And guns can sometimes be forgiving. By the way, a 7.62x25 will also chamber in a 9mm barrel. I was testing some romanian and bulgarian to see if they would spin test in my cz barrel (removed from the gun of course) and it was about a 20% and 50% success rate, respectively. I got curious and saw if the 9 would go in the 7.62x25 and vice versa. Both did.

Wolf 115 grain fmj 9x19 feeds fine out of my CZ-52 7.62x25 magazines.
 
#27 ·
It's Been Done!

One member posted a photo of a 9mm bullet with a .30 hole blown right through it's nose; he popped it into a 7.62 X 25mm CZ-52 IIRC as he had another one in 9mm on the bench, and it blew the lead core right out through the nose of the jacket.

The pistol, much to it's credit, held.

You've GOTTA be CAREFUL when messing around between these two rounds!

That's one reason why I'd rather convert a normally 7.62 chambered pistol into 9X21, LARGO, or (I didn't realize it would fit but apparently it does) X23 Win, even if I didn't care about the extra horsepower. You ain't gonna get one of those rounds in a .30 TOK chamber! Besides; the magazine being made for the longer than X19 round, the longer 9s should function more reliably I would think.

I don't worry about brass; I make my X25mms out of cut down 5.56X45mm / .223 cases to begin with; I'd just trim 'em a little shorter and neglect to neck them down, that's all.


...........
 
#29 ·
Yes, I have finally completed the conversion. Getting the right parts was no easy task. The 9mm barrel came from Numrich, the barrel bushing from Springfield Sporter. It works, but there is too much clearance between the barrel and bushing. So I went looking for parts once again. Bought another 9mm barrel from a Gunbroker auction. This time the barrel was turned down and fit my original 7.62 barrel bushing with too much clearance. In frustration I made my own barrel sleeve for the 9mm barrel bushing to fit the turned down 9mm barrel. This works nicely but it took a lot of efford and I probably would have been better off to buy a complete 9mm Tokarev pistol. Still want to continue the 9mm conversion?
 
#32 ·
I have a Norinco 201C, stock in 9mm. Also have a 7.62x25 barrel that uses the same bushing. Even though I now have the dedicated 9mm mags, have had no problems with 7.62 mags. I use a short piece of a wooden chopstick as a mag loader- depress floorplate and load. Holds the 9mm rounds to the front of the mag and feeds perfectly. I transport loaded mags with stick in place, removing it when ready to insert in mag well.
The 9mm barrel has a bright finish. I cold blued the 7.62mm barrel so that you can tell at a glance which barrel is in the pistol. I like having the switch barrel setup. The 7.62 surplus ammo is super cheap and a blast to shoot, but there is a much wider selection of defense loads available for the 9mm.
 
#33 · (Edited)
my 9mm conversion barrels dropped right in and function perfectly

the barrel on the left is a 9mm conversion from SARCO that uses the standard barrel bushing

the barrel on the right came off a Norinco 213 9mm pistol and has a heavier / thicker barrel and uses the larger diameter barrel bushing

I also picked up a couple 9mm mags with a spacer inside for the shorter 9mm round, but any standard 7.62 Tok magazine will also function with these barrels
 
#34 ·
Conversion Kits by TokTok, for Tokarevs

my 9mm conversion barrels dropped right in and function perfectly

the barrel on the left is a 9mm conversion from SARCO that uses the standard barrel bushing

the barrel on the right came off a Norinco 213 9mm pistol and has a heavier / thicker barrel and uses the larger diameter barrel bushing

I also picked up a couple 9mm mags with a spacer inside for the shorter 9mm round, but any standard 7.62 Tok magazine will also function with these barrels

Hello, a fellow in Kansas City has TT-33 barrels in 9x23 Winchester and 38 Super. They only fit 7.62x25 pistols.

He also matches Bushings to the barrels for a National Match type fit. This single custom touch improves point of aim in the same way it does on Colt 1911's.

Norinco 213's are not the same as the 7.62x25 pistols. Only the Norinco models 51, 54, and TU-90 are true 7.62x25 frames and slides.

If you want to convert only to 9mm, this guy can supply the super rare Wide Body magazines that have the Follower, Spring, and Spacer in the magazine; so you do not have to drill holes in your frame to mount a spacer in the mag well and stop using 7.62x25 size magazines because they will not fit anymore. He uses Wolf Springs in his magazines.

Contact him through the mail at,
TokTok, 3404 south Leslie Ave., Independence, Mo. 64055.

List a phone number where he can reach you, list a Time and Date for contact. Make sure the Date you list is ten days out from the day you issue your letter. Also note that he lives in Central Standard Time Zone.

TokTok knows everything about converting Tokarevs and even restores frames to original condition. Those sucky safeties and the holes in the frame vanish.
 
#35 ·
I would simply buy a Zastava M88, which is basically a "Tokarev Compact" in 9mm.

Built from the start as a 9, it has a few subtle changes such as a link-less barrel amd does away with the recoil spring plug, instead using a guide rod. Improvements in my opinion, I only wish they made a full size pistol. I love mine, they are a lot of gun for the money, I got mine for less than $300, and it's a nice little package and a accurate and reliable shooter.

Or seek out a used Norinco in 9mm, I have seen them all over gun shows recently. With all the poly guns coming out lots of people are unloading the "cheap" Norinco Toks in 9mm they bought back in the 90's as cheap shooters.

I had a conversion 9mm barrel for my 7.62 Tokarev, but it didn't eject right with the 9 barrel in, plus to avoid confusion I just sold the 9mm barrel on GunBroker. Since the gun was marked "7.62x25" on the slide, I was afraid of leaving the 9mm barrel in and forgetting months later, and popping some 7.62x25 into the mags and shooting it inadvertantly. I "caught" myself having to do a muzzle test with the 7.62x25 round to make sure I had the right barrel in one time, since externally both barrels looked the same, and it was hard to trust judging the size of the muzzle hole "by eye". I don't like "convertible" pistols or rifles, I prefer to have one complete gun dedicated to each caliber, rather than swapping barrels all the time. I want to just use a different pistol for each caliber, so if I want to shoot 9, I grab say my Glock 17 or CZ85, if I want to shoot 7.62x25 I grab my Tok or CZ-52. I don't want to have to pop in a barrel to suit what I feel like shooting.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top