7.62x25mm Tokarev
Flat, fast, and startlingly loud with a fireball to match — a collector's delight whose surplus ammo supply is drying up.
Family
Handgun
Introduced
1930
Origin
Soviet Union, derived from 7.63mm Mauser
Military
7.62mm TT (Soviet service, TT-33 and PPSh-41)
History
The Soviets adopted the 7.62x25mm in 1930, adapting the 7.63mm Mauser cartridge for the Tokarev TT pistol and later the PPSh-41 and PPS-43 submachine guns of WWII. It is a small, very fast bottlenecked pistol round with a distinctive crack. Surplus TT pistols and CZ-52s carried it into American collections in huge numbers.
What it's used for
Iconic platforms
Tokarev TT-33 and its Polish, Romanian, and Chinese clones, the CZ-52, and WWII Soviet submachine guns.
Common load types
FMJ, largely surplus or imported steel-case production.
Reference only — not loading data, not ballistics advice, and KitID links to no ammunition sellers. Know your local law before you buy anything that goes bang.