P38 and TT33
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 1:47 pm
Saw a Guns & Ammo piece called Battle of Berlin 1945 yesterday in the latest issue. Garry James did a side by side show and tell with the main German WWII auto pistol, the P38, and the best Russian issue equal to it, the TT 33. He of course shot them and came to the conclusion that both were first class and he liked the P38 for the better safety and the better sized grips but thought the TT33 was a fine enough pistol. The original TT33's didn't have a safety, only a half cock as an alternative. The later day imports all have safety additions to fill the well intentioned but over protective requirement imposed on imported guns.
For the first time in a long while I went out to the range with an idea of doing my own test. Drove the 30 miles to the range today. I expected it to be less crowded now that hunting season was over...and considering the cost of gas, and ammo, and the $12 to shoot. But.... it looked like feeding time at the zoo just the same.
In the P38 I was shooting some Russian hollow point in 9mm Luger and the the 7.62 fodder was full metal jacket Seller and Bellot..which is Czech ammo.
Well... with an aiming eye from hell from two operations and also being old and not so good a shot as a general thing anyway....I found that if I buried the front sight of the P38 and still aimed under the bullseye I could get the bullets to register someplace on the target at about half the test distance of Jame's 25 yards. The TT33 seemed to aim better for me with a normal haphazard sight picture. And.. I did better standing with either than supporting the guns in any way using a rest.
The P38 sometimes balked at loading the first round of the hollow point but digested the rest of a magazine without any problem. The TT 33 had no hiccups.
I think I'd take the US 1911 auto over either of them, but either would be decent protection..... if shooting at fat men at close ranges.
The targets were shot with the P38 on the left and the TT33 on the right.
For the first time in a long while I went out to the range with an idea of doing my own test. Drove the 30 miles to the range today. I expected it to be less crowded now that hunting season was over...and considering the cost of gas, and ammo, and the $12 to shoot. But.... it looked like feeding time at the zoo just the same.
In the P38 I was shooting some Russian hollow point in 9mm Luger and the the 7.62 fodder was full metal jacket Seller and Bellot..which is Czech ammo.
Well... with an aiming eye from hell from two operations and also being old and not so good a shot as a general thing anyway....I found that if I buried the front sight of the P38 and still aimed under the bullseye I could get the bullets to register someplace on the target at about half the test distance of Jame's 25 yards. The TT33 seemed to aim better for me with a normal haphazard sight picture. And.. I did better standing with either than supporting the guns in any way using a rest.
The P38 sometimes balked at loading the first round of the hollow point but digested the rest of a magazine without any problem. The TT 33 had no hiccups.
I think I'd take the US 1911 auto over either of them, but either would be decent protection..... if shooting at fat men at close ranges.
The targets were shot with the P38 on the left and the TT33 on the right.