Thompson, Leroy Soviet Pistols. Tokarev, Makarov, Stechkin and others

This is the absorbing story of the development, combat use and legacy of the influential sidearms used by the armed forces of the Soviet Union.
Featuring archive and present-day photography and specially commissioned artwork, this is the story of the pistols that armed the forces of the Soviet Union and its allies during and after World War II. In 1930 the TT, a single-action semi-automatic pistol developed by Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev and firing 7.62×25mm ammunition, began to supplement the venerable Nagant M1895 revolver in Soviet military service. From 1933 the TT-33, a simplified version, was also issued; all three would equip Soviet and proxy forces throughout and after World War II, seeing action across the globe.
In 1951 a new pistol designed by Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov entered Soviet service; it became the primary Soviet military and police sidearm during the Cold War era and continued in use into the 21st century. The 9×18mm Makarov round was used in various weapons used by Soviet allies, notably the Czech vz 82, the Hungarian FÉG PA63 and the Polish P64 and P83. The PM was quickly joined by the Stechkin machine pistol. Other specialized versions of the Makarov were developed, including the PB suppressed version and the 5.45×18mm PSM, a more compact version. Initially developed in 1990, the improved PMM version of the Makarov was intended primarily to increase the stopping power of the 9×18mm round by chambering a higher-pressure load.
In this study, noted weaponry expert Leroy Thompson tells the story of the Tokarev, Makarov, Stechkin and other handguns in service with Soviet and other forces around the world, exploring the development, combat use and legacy of these formidable firearms.

In 1930, the TT, a semi-automatic pistol with a single trigger and 7.62 x 25 mm ammunition developed by Fyodor Vasilyevich Tokarev, began to replace the time-honoured Nagant revolver M1895 in Soviet military service. From 1933, the TT-33, a simplified version, was also issued; all three equipped Soviet and proxy forces during and after the Second World War and were in service worldwide.
In 1951, a new pistol designed by Nikolai Fedorovich Makarov entered Soviet service; it became the main Soviet military and police weapon during the Cold War and is still in use today. The 9×18 mm Makarov bullet was used in various weapons of the Soviet allies, in particular in the Czech VZ 82, the Hungarian FÉG PA63 and the Polish P64 and P83. The PM was soon joined by the Stechkin submachine gun. Further special versions of the Makarov were developed, including the silenced PB version and the more compact 5.45×18 mm PSM version. Originally developed in 1990, the improved PMM version of the Makarov was primarily intended to increase the penetrating power of the 9×18 mm cartridge by loading it at a higher pressure.
In this study, renowned weapons expert Leroy Thompson tells the story of the Tokarev, Makarov, Stechkin and other small arms that were in service with Soviet and other armed forces around the world.