The gun world has a particular set of guys. There are 1911 ‘guys,’ Glock ‘guys,’ AK ‘guys,’ and more. Guys who like guns but have a particular love for one platform.
I know they have to exist, but I’ve never met a Tokarev guy. Every serious enthusiast knows what a TT-33 is, often just called a Tokarev or a Tok, but I’ve never met a hardcore Tok guy.
That was frustrating because I found it a bit difficult to find information on one of my latest acquisitions, the Norinco TU-90.
Norinco’s are a bit like Hen’s teeth these days. America banned the imports of most Chinese weaponry after Norinco tried to import and sell firearms to criminal organizations. (A bust the ATF often claims credit for, but was a Custom’s case in reality.)
We can get Chinese shotguns, but not much else. When I saw the words Norinco and recognized a Tok, I snatched it up.
The Oddities of the TU-90
It was different than other Toks. Namely, it is a chrome-finished gun that looks like Tommy Lee Jones would call a nickel-plated sissy pistol. It’s shiny, and I don’t think the finish is fancy, but it seems durable since the gun has some wear but still no rust. There is a manual safety, which isn’t uncommon on Toks.
The original TT-33 lacked a manual safety and relied on the half-cocked position. Plus, if the primary purpose of your gun is to kill dissidents who have committed anti-revolutionary thought crimes, then what do you need a safety for? Safeties were often tacked on for import purposes.
The good old point system required it. However, the TU-90 has a thumb safety positioned at the rear of the grip, just below the slide. It moves forward and rearward rather than up and down. The safety sits behind a pair of ‘target’ grips. They are rear wrap-around grips that encompass the rear of the frame.
On the left side sits a hefty thumb rest that makes it challenging to shoot the gun with your left hand. The barrel is chrome lined, which is nice, especially if you are gonna shoot that old corrosive ammo they could barely give away a decade ago.
Besides that, the TU-90 is pretty standard as far as Toks go. It’s a 7.62x25mm model, but there seem to have been 9mm guns available. Some were marked TU-90, others were called the NP-10 and N-213.
Behind the TU-90
Norinco made the TU-90, but they didn’t design it. In reality, the TU-90 is a copy of a Hungarian gun. China is famous for stealing intellectual property and reproducing it, and that’s what they did with Type 54. However, one of the few things the Communists shared was misery and weaponry.
China copied the TT-33 as the Type 54. From there, they copied the Hungarian Tokagypt 58. The Tokagypt 58 is a copy of the TT-33, which was modified with the safety, grips, and chrome-lined barrel. This makes the TU-90 a copy of a copy. The main difference is the fact the Tokagypt 58 was a 9mm gun.
Specifically, a Hungarian-produced Tokarev was designed for Egypt. However, some TU-90 pistols chamber 9mm.
It’s a long way for China to make a Tok, a copy of a Tok. Why they went this route is beyond me. Maybe they wanted a more straightforward import with a better built-in safety? Maybe Navy Arms, the importer, wanted it? Perhaps they just wanted to export to military forces who wanted a similar design.
It’s tough to say. This makes the TU-90 a relatively odd little gun. It’s strange for a Tokarev, for sure, and a weird way for Norinco to release another export-ready handgun.
Shooting the TU-90
Holy crap, the price of 7.62×25 has risen drastically since I owned a CZ 52. Man, at 30ish dollars a box, I felt the pain. The pain comes from the fact the old wax paper wrapped corrosive ammo with the paper held together by twine hand-tied by some babushka 80 years ago cost almost nothing.
Luckily, this isn’t a torture test, or Scott would owe me a raise!
I do believe that everyone should eventually shoot a magnum revolver, a lever action rifle, an M1 Garand, and a Tokarev. The 7.62x25mm round might have been ahead of its time. It’s almost a PDW round in a lot of ways, and it excelled in submachine guns. In handguns, it’s a blast to shoot.
It’s loud; it has some serious muzzle flash and a bit more recoil than a 9mm. The recoil is a little stiff and snappy, but you’d expect more recoil compared to the volume and flash. It’s smile-inducing if you’re not recoil-sensitive or afraid of a little flash. It’s a thrill to be sure.
The Chinese TU-90 proved to be accurate. It’s not fast and accurate. The chrome-plated sights are super small and have zero contrast. That can make them tough to see and align properly. If I take my time, it’s not a big problem. When I take that time, align the sights, and press the trigger the TU-90 shoots straight.
Hearing that 7.62-round blast into a steel target at 25 yards is also smile-inducing. It hits the target so hard and makes such a big ding. At 25 yards, it makes a 10-inch gong swing hard. It’s a gut punch.
Fast Little Rounds
The TU-90 handles quite nicely. The trigger has a bit of takeup before the wall and the distinct and crisp brake. The recoil isn’t rough or painful but noticeable. It’s just a fun gun overall. It’s a cheap gun, but the ammo sure isn’t all that cheap. I’m actively searching for a compatible 9mm barrel to lighten the cost at the cost of some of the fun.
Still, the TU-90 provides a unique Tokarev that maintains the cheap nature of the Tok design while delivering a somewhat unique layout.
Where To Buy
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