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Work order — Tokarev TT-33

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: medium.

Shop difficulty: Tier 2 of 3

36 parts with a drop-out hammer module, but the hammer spring has to be held depressed while its pin is tapped through, the firing pin and magazine catch split pins need a wedge tool or they break, and the slide-stop retainer clip can need a brass punch. 36 parts (complete pistol per the Norinco 'Safety Service Manual for Model 54 Pistol' PART LEGEND (keys 1-36); Model 54 = Chinese Type 54 copy of the TT-33 (listed in alsoKnownAs); magazine is a single key (18)). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~20 min, rebuild ~30 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• tool with a wedge-shaped cutout — Closing the legs of the firing pin and magazine catch split pins
• brass punch — Slide stop retainer clip
• dovetail sight pusher (or brass drift and padded vise) — Removing and refitting dovetailed sights for coating

Watch for:

• Reassembling the hammer group means pressing the hammer spring down with a screwdriver or punch until the hammer pin can hold it, then tapping the pin through. (reassembly; American Rifleman (NRA))
• The hammer spring retainer pin is under spring tension and American Rifleman advises against stripping the hammer group. (disassembly; American Rifleman (NRA))
• The firing pin and magazine catch are held by split pins that break or deform if driven with a flat punch; a wedge-cut tool closes their legs. (both; American Rifleman (NRA))
• The slide stop retainer clip can be tight and need a brass punch or screwdriver. (disassembly; American Rifleman (NRA))

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
   Warning: This pistol most likely has no manual safety. Muzzle discipline is the only safety you have.
2. Press the magazine release and remove the magazine.
3. Retract the slide fully to eject any chambered round and lock it open on the slide stop.
4. Inspect the chamber with a light and physically confirm it is empty.
5. Remove all live ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure and let the slide forward.
2. On the right side of the pistol, rotate the slide stop retaining clip up and off the end of the slide stop pin.
   Warning: This clip is small and springy. It is the part people lose. Work over a tray.
3. Retract the slide until the takedown notch aligns with the slide stop lug, then push the slide stop out from the right and withdraw it from the left.
4. Ease the slide forward and off the front of the frame.
5. Withdraw the recoil spring and guide from the slide.
   Warning: Under spring tension — control it.
6. Rotate the barrel bushing and remove it from the front of the slide.
7. Move the barrel forward and lift it out of the slide.
8. To remove the hammer and sear assembly, lift the entire module straight up and out of the frame as a single unit.
   Tip: This modular fire control group was a deliberate design choice to simplify field maintenance, and it remains one of the pistol's most interesting features.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

No manufacturer statement of materials or finish is recorded. Identify each part's material before choosing prep and cure.

4. Reassemble

Reassembly

1. Seat the hammer and sear module back into the frame as a unit, pressing it fully down into its recess.
2. Set the barrel into the slide, seating its locking lugs into the slide's recesses.
3. Install the barrel bushing over the barrel and rotate it into its locked position.
4. Install the recoil spring and guide into the slide.
5. Set the slide onto the frame rails and push it rearward until the takedown notch aligns with the slide stop hole.
6. Tip the barrel link forward so its hole aligns, then insert the slide stop from the left and press it home.
   Warning: Never force the slide stop. If it does not pass through, the barrel link is not aligned.
7. Rotate the slide stop retaining clip back into its groove.
   Warning: Confirm the clip is seated. Without it the slide stop can walk out under recoil.
8. Rack the slide several times and perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Fit or check on rebuild

• Slide stop retainer clip tight — This page records slide stops walking out during firing
• Function check: trigger reset, sear/striker engagement, safeties — Standard post-reassembly check on any pistol whose fire-control parts were removed; a mis-seated spring shows up here, not on the bench

6. Function check

• Verify the pistol is unloaded with no magazine inserted before each check.
• Rack the slide and confirm it returns fully into battery.
• Cock the hammer and press the trigger. The hammer should fall cleanly.
• Cock the hammer, then lower it carefully to the half-cock notch. Press the trigger — the hammer must not fall from half-cock.
• Hold the trigger back, rack the slide, release slowly for the reset, and press again.
• Confirm the slide locks open on an empty magazine.
• Confirm the slide stop retaining clip is fully seated.
• If an aftermarket import safety is fitted, verify it actually blocks the trigger or hammer — some do not work reliably.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. 7.62mm Tokarev Self-Loading Pistol Manual — USSR Ministry of Defence primary
2. Small Arms Identification and Operation Guide — Eurasian Communist Countries — U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency secondary
3. Exploded View: The Tokarev Pistol — American Rifleman (NRA) secondary
   https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2014/8/1/exploded-view-the-tokarev-pistol
4. Safety Service Manual for Model 54 Pistol (Norinco, Made in China; PW Arms import copy on archive.org) — Norinco (China North Industries) primary
   https://archive.org/download/norinco-type-54-tokarev-tt-33-manual-pw-arms2/manual%20original%20-%20Safety%20Service%20Manual%20for%20Model%2054%20Pistol.pdf

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.