Just checking in - glad to see a Washington specific gun board!

Both my wife and I love target shooting and collecting military surplus firearms.

Welcome to WaGuns! Pull up a seat and stay awhile. I see you and I already have one thing in common. Eastern Block weapons.

Thanks for the welcome!

What is weird is that 20 years ago I was such a gun snob - you would not have caught me dead with a "commie" weapon. This was probably because we were in the middle of the cold war and I regularly saw the russian ships and air craft shadowing my ship when I was in the Navy.

I changed my mind after getting a hold of a 1943 91/30 Mosin and then running some rounds through it. I was impressed by the simplicity, ruggedness and reliability. (Plus the 7.62x54r is no slouch either.) Then I found the Tokarev pistol... AK, etc. Now I need an intervention because I am seriously considering a C&R license.

I know how it is with those East Block weapons. I bought my first AK right after my 18th birthday and 11 years later I have had several AK's. I built the pistol, have a few AK rifles, a mosin 91/59 carbine and looking to pickup a Tokarev.

The Tokarev is pretty sweet - I love mine because it is so thin and shoots excellent. I am considering a CZ (but don't like the weak firing pin) or getting a Rock Island 1911 in .38 super so I drop in the J&G Arms 7.62x25 conversion barrel.

J&G Arms has some Yugo Tok's still - but the draw back is they won't take standard TT-33 mags. Mine is a Romanian and will take Norinco or Russian mags.

(Maybe we should start a Tok thread? I just spent the past couple of months rebuilding mine and shooting it at ever opportunity.)

Isn't that an advantage? One more round and a more comfy grip?

Welcome to WGO, Tokarev! I like some of those Commie weapons too . . . in the Tokarev category (roughly speaking), I have a CZ-52 in 7.62x25, a Yugo M57, and a Norinco 213A, which is the double-stack Tokarev knock-off in 9mm Luger.

You are right about that - the only minor disadvantage is the magazines are just a tad bit more expensive.

Glad to see there are a few East Block weapons guys here! How well do you like the Norinco double stack?

I am really happy with my Romanian - it is an awesomely accurate shooter - I was very surprised the first time I shot it. Also, what other pistol can you fix with a vice, hammer and a few punches?

It's an interesting pistol. On one hand, it is rough and uncultured and ugly -- and when I compare it to my more modern 9mm pistols (XD, 92FS) then I just wonder why anyone would ever want to own it. But on the other hand, there's something fascinating about the roughness, and when I point it, it lines up very naturally for me.

So I dunno, I guess I have mixed feelings.

But it's still a fun toy, and it gets out to the range with me occasionally.