First Reloads for the 7.62x25mm Tokarev
The 7.62x25mm Tokarev is a bottle-necked pistol cartridge that was first adopted by the Russian military in 1930. This round is based on the 7.63 Mauser round that was used in the C96 pistol. The 7.62mm Tokarev cartridge was used in the TT series of pistols as well as the PPS sub machine gun by the Russians. Additionally, many other countries followed Russia and adopted the 7.62mm Tokarev cartridge. The gun that I am shooting is a Yugoslavian M57 based on the Russian TT design. The 7.62mm Tokarev is mostly known for its bottle-neck and its high velocity. It is common for 7.62 Tokarev ammo to exceed 1500 fps and 1800 fps can be reached.
I have decided to start reloading for the Tokarev and purchased the following:
Lee 7.62 Tokarev Dies
Lee 7.62 Tokarev Factory Crimp Die
Hornady 90gr. XTP .309″
Winchester 296 powder
WSP primers
I am using the Lee Classic Turret press and I started with a very low charge and I am working my way up. I want to make sure that the gun will function with the XTP bullets and check signs of stress before proceeding to the higher velocity loading. This video is Part 1 in a series of video’s that I plan on making using the 7.62mm Tokarev cartridge.
KFW
I enjoy all things outdoors and gun related. I am a life long hunter and staunch supporter of self defense and the right to keep and bear arms. I am a Concealed Carry Instructor in the state of Kentucky and enjoy helping people exercise their Second Amendment Rights. I also enjoy collecting historic firearms and recently started reloading ammunition.
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Do not ‘monkey’ with less than recommended loads using the W296…that powder will not tolerate it.
Nice pistol though, looks like Browning had some influence on their designer.
Thanks for advice. I will definitely keep that in mind going forward. The original Russian TT-33 pistol is very similar to John Browning’s model 1903 and has some 1911 characteristics as well. The Yugo M57 that I have is variant of the TT-33 and is a fun little pistol to shoot. Thanks again.
That’s the bad thing with 296/H110 powder. Very narrow band of usable weight.
Awesome! Looks like a fun little pistol. It’s good you can keep it fed.
I spent a whole summer trying out loads for the Tokarev with a bunch of powder and bullet combinations, it’s a fun round to load. My dad and I bought our Lee die sets at the same time and both had the same problem…sized brass would not pass the “plunk” test falling in and out of the chamber. I had five different Tokarevs and two CZ 52’s to test with. The brass would fit fine in the ’52 barrel but not in any of the Tokarevs, and that was with 3 Yugos and 2 Romanian. We found that the body… Read more »