Tokarev Question

[jeffesonm]

Hi all,

I just received my Tokarev from J&G along with a few extra mags. It looks fantastic, if I didn't know any better I would think it has never been fired. I took it all apart and gave it a good solid cleaning, removing all the excess cosmoline with some Hoppes #9 and then lubricating lightly with RemOil. Managed to get it all back together just fine, including the tiny pin on the safety. I then did the same with all the mags, omitting the RemOil.

So here is my question... I tried fitting the empty mags, some of which fit better than others. With some of the mags, when they are fully inserted and I rack the slide, the slide gets stuck in the "back" position. Even when I depress the slide release (?) lever, the slide does not move. If I eject the mag and again depress the slide release, the slide closes. On other mags this does not happen and the slide closes with no issue.

Any ideas what is going on here? Hoping to go shooting this weekend but want to feel confident everything is in working order.

 

[OldMac]

Might be ammo

I had a problem with the slide working when using Polish surplus. The crimps on the neck protruded slightly and the necks looks slightly bulged. Scrubbed the chamber with a .410 brush to be sure everything seated properly. Still locked up. Changed to other ammo and everything worked perfect. Romanian, Bulgarian, S&B, etc. all worked fine.

 

[Jim K]

The OP's problem sounds like out of spec magazines, probably ones the importer had made. It is usually not hard to figure out what is causing the hangup, but feed lips too high is one possibility.

jim

 

[tkopp]

My RIA 1911 did this when brand new, to the point where some brands wouldn't allow the slide to close without ammo in them, and even some mags of the same brand (I ended up with all Kimbers).

I'm a little surprised your pistol is so tight, being a Russian design, but after a hundred or a hundred and fifty rounds are through it the rough spots should have worn to the point where it will fit your mags properly.

 

[John Wayne]

There will be more resistance when depressing the slide release with an empty magazine inserted than with no magazine or a loaded mag.

This is because the release has to overcome the additional tension placed on it by the mag follower pushing it up.

If it absolutely will not go forward at all, then you have a problem. If it chambers rounds fine, then it's just stiff.

 

[Onmilo]

If your pistol is Romanian or Polish, they will work better with Eastern Bloc made magazines.
If the spare magazines J&G sent are Chinese, this is the problem.
The diensions on Chinese magazines are slightly different and they will hang up in east bloc pistols.

Strangely or intentionally, east bloc magazines usually work fine in Chinese guns.

If your gun was Romanian and the magazines are Romanian, this might also be a problem because the Romanian magazines I got with my Romanian Tokarev were both used up and Junky.
I ended up replacing them with Polish magazines and a couple genuine Russian magazines I had, these work much better.

 

[wnycollector]

If your pistol is Romanian or Polish, they will work better with Eastern Bloc made magazines.
If the spare magazines J&G sent are Chinese, this is the problem.

I have 5 mags for my polish wz48 tok. two polish mags, 2 romanian and one norinco chinese. The norinco mag sucks (multiple failures to feed)! it is strickly range use only. I dont use my tok as a CCW, but if I did it would have the eastern bloc mags.

 

[NC-Mike]

I bought a Romanian and it came with just one mag.

I saw Southern Ohio Gun had Tok mags for 7.95 each so I bought five of them. They came in yesterday and they look fantastic. Didn't get a chance to function test them as I'm out of town but I will when I get back.

 

[wally]

The SOG Tok mags have worked great for me. Can't beat the price. A little tight in my Chinese Tok, they work but don't drop free, 100% in my Romanian.

--wally.

 

[krs]

when they are fully inserted and I rack the slide, the slide gets stuck in the "back" position. Even when I depress the slide release (?) lever, the slide does not move. If I eject the mag and again depress the slide release, the slide closes

That's completely normal and correct. Your first semi-auto pistol?

 

[jeffesonm]

That's completely normal and correct. Your first semi-auto pistol?

My 3rd

Pressing the slide release should release the slide, no? It does with two of the mags, but not the other two. It also does this with my CZ75 and Buckmark. Just with these two mags it seems to get hung up.

I will probably return these to J&G and pick up some of the SOG ones.