Urgent Safety Recall Notice! - Romanian TT33-C Pistols

[Karl/PA]

[This from AIM Surplus]

Urgent Safety Recall Notice!

Romanian Tokarev TT33-C Pistols purchased since October 2009 and Imported by I.O. Inc. (Inter Ordnance). Some of these pistols have defective safety devices and SHOULD NOT BE FIRED.
I.O. Inc. has established a recall system. We are sending our customers notices by mail with instructions from I.O. Inc. as to how the returns/repairs will be made.

[zachomega]

HAHAHAHA...Sorry, not to take safety lightly but the Safety on those pistols is a joke to begin with.

Great guns to play with at the range, but the safeties were all added after the fact so they could be imported.

-Zach

[shiloh]

Wonder what makes the safety on the I.O. imported version worse than the POS safety on the Century Arms import I got a couple years ago from J&G. The safety on the TTC I have is really crude -- just a button you twist to block the trigger from moving. Ugly as sin, and I've never used it. Looks about the same as the picture of the one on AIM's Web site, though.

[TJB63]

HAHAHAHA...Sorry, not to take safety lightly but the Safety on those pistols is a joke to begin with.

Great guns to play with at the range, but the safeties were all added after the fact so they could be imported.

-Zach

Agreed, As Originally Manufactured, They didn't have Safeties.

TJ

[Nullifidian]

Wonder what makes the safety on the I.O. imported version worse than the POS safety on the Century Arms import I got a couple years ago from J&G. The safety on the TTC I have is really crude -- just a button you twist to block the trigger from moving. Ugly as sin, and I've never used it. Looks about the same as the picture of the one on AIM's Web site, though.

As an owner of a recent TT33 acquisition from AIM, I can tell you what is wrong with the safety on MINE: it doesn't always work. I've tested out the trigger pull with the safety engaged and sometimes it doesn't do squat to prevent me from pulling the trigger. The safety is defective and doesn't always do its job.

It has in no way interfered with the operation of the gun though. With the safety off and the hammer cocked, when you pull the trigger with a round chambered, it goes bang. It sends the lead downrange with reasonable accuracy and complete consistency. I've only put a few hundred rounds through it so far but haven't had an FTE, FTF, or any other issue whatsoever.

I was sure I was going to have an issue last time at the range when I tried some rapid fire on a target (i.e. unload the entire magazine as fast as possible). Not only did it have no problem chambering every round, firing, and ejecting each shell with rapid precision, I managed to get every single shot on target. Mind you it was only 15 feet. I didn't have a stop watch with me at the time, but I had to have unloaded the whole mag in under 2 seconds. Sure it's only 8 but the last time I tried something like that, it was with a friend's Taurus 9mm, and the result was a shell casing getting stuck (not ejected completely).

As far as I've experienced, this recall has no bearing on what I use this pistol for. Besides, if you want to engage the REAL safety on this gun, just lower the hammer. The gun won't fire with the hammer lowered.

[zachomega]

As an owner of a recent TT33 acquisition from AIM, I can tell you what is wrong with the safety on MINE: it doesn't always work. I've tested out the trigger pull with the safety engaged and sometimes it doesn't do squat to prevent me from pulling the trigger. The safety is defective and doesn't always do its job.

It has in no way interfered with the operation of the gun though. With the safety off and the hammer cocked, when you pull the trigger with a round chambered, it goes bang. It sends the lead downrange with reasonable accuracy and complete consistency. I've only put a few hundred rounds through it so far but haven't had an FTE, FTF, or any other issue whatsoever.

I was sure I was going to have an issue last time at the range when I tried some rapid fire on a target (i.e. unload the entire magazine as fast as possible). Not only did it have no problem chambering every round, firing, and ejecting each shell with rapid precision, I managed to get every single shot on target. Mind you it was only 15 feet. I didn't have a stop watch with me at the time, but I had to have unloaded the whole mag in under 2 seconds. Sure it's only 8 but the last time I tried something like that, it was with a friend's Taurus 9mm, and the result was a shell casing getting stuck (not ejected completely).

As far as I've experienced, this recall has no bearing on what I use this pistol for. Besides, if you want to engage the REAL safety on this gun, just lower the hammer. The gun won't fire with the hammer lowered.

If only that were true. No firing pin safety. It absolutely will fire if there is a round in the chamber and it it dropped or bumped hard enough on the hammer.

-Zach

[Nullifidian]

If only that were true. No firing pin safety. It absolutely will fire if there is a round in the chamber and it it dropped or bumped hard enough on the hammer.

-Zach

Good point.

In any case, as far as I'm concerned I don't need or care about having a safety on this gun. The only time I ever load it is the moment before I shoot it. Any other time it is handled, the very first thing I do is make sure there is no mag in it and that the chamber is empty.

The only way I'd ever be concerned about the safety is if it had the opposite effect: preventing me from squeezing the trigger even when the safety is off.

[TJB63]

I agree with "Null"

I've known quite a few people to remove the import safety completely, of course that leaves a big hole in both sides of the frame that I haven't really seen an easy fix for.

I left mine intact as it really dosen't bother me as much as it seems to others. But IMHO it is pretty much worthless. I treat every firearm as if I pull the trigger, it's gonna go off whether it has a safety or not, In other words my finger is never in/on the trigger unless I plan to shoot something.

Your Mileage may vary.

TJB

[Nullifidian]

I agree with "Null"

I've known quite a few people to remove the import safety completely, of course that leaves a big hole in both sides of the frame that I haven't really seen an easy fix for.

I left mine intact as it really dosen't bother me as much as it seems to others. But IMHO it is pretty much worthless. I treat every firearm as if I pull the trigger, it's gonna go off whether it has a safety or not, In other words my finger is never in/on the trigger unless I plan to shoot something.

Your Mileage may vary.

TJB

Agreed. The only type of firearm I would be concerned about with regards to a safety is one that may be in a position where the trigger could accidentally be pulled while loaded when there is no intention to do so.

Basic proper firearm safety and handling procedure eliminates that nearly entirely.

I would suppose for a carry gun I'd want a safety (one that was extremely easy to disable though). But for a range gun it doesn't matter.

[nosedive]

Yea,, My TT-33C was recalled by IO. Good thing, the darn thing, 'like new-Unissued' is a high priced trout line anchor. It:

1. Will not discharge ANY ammo. None, zip, nada.
2. Will not eject ANY unfired ammo if you try to rack the slide.
3. The slide "LOCKS UP TIGHT". Period. Won't move forward or back.
4. With the slide 'locked', obviously, will not feed in new round into chamber.

I bought one form J&G and it shots like a champ. Really a kick to take to the field. AND, paid $35 LESS than the one I bought from IO. The J&G unit was 'used in good condition' but really is in EXCELLENT shape. And, the 'after factory' safety works.

So, lesson here is, Buy from J&G, Pay less, get a unit that shoots. I shipped my IO supplied unit back yesterday. I detailed all my issues and packed her back to them. Let's see if they can make good and my purchase.