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Tokarev T54-1 w/ multiple barrels

outdoorswoman
I have a Norinco T54-1 that came with three barrels: 7.62x25mm, 9x19mm, and .38 Super Auto. However, it only came with one barrel bushing, which fits the 7.62x25mm barrel well, but is slightly loose around the 9mm barrel, and even more loose around the .38 SA barrel. I have purchased 3 more barrel bushings from Numrich, receiving one which fit the 9mm barrel fairly well, but is still loose on the .38 SA barrel, with about .015 "play". This results in greater than 6" groups at 25' when fired from a vise, whereas the 7.62 groups around 2.8"-3".
Question: Apart from spending lots of money on barrel bushings at $6.50 each, and hoping to find one slightly smaller, is there any way to fit the barrel bushing more closely to the .38 Super barrel? Can it be braised on the inside, or built up somehow, and then re-bored to the proper size?
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • v35
    Yes, a good machinist, modelmaker, toolmaker or pistolsmith can bore out one of your bushings and hard solder in a proper fitting, thin walled sleeve.
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  • rufe-snow
    Rather then getting either a gunsmith or machinist involved, which would likely be a pricey and time consuming matter. You might consider a thin bead of J-B Weld on the bushing with the tightest fit. Clean and degrease the I.D. of bushing and O.D. of barrel. Wrap some Scotch Tape on the surface of the barrel that contacts the bushing. Put a thin film of grease on the tape to prevent the J-B Weld from adhering to it. Carefully assemble the pistol with a very minimal amount of J-B Weld on the I.D. surface of the bushing. Move the slide in and out of battery so that the J-B Weld is evenly distributed around the circumference of the barrel bushing.
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  • richbug
    quote:Originally posted by rufe-snow
    Rather then getting either a gunsmith or machinist involved, which would likely be a pricey and time consuming matter. You might consider a thin bead of J-B Weld on the bushing with the tightest fit. Clean and degrease the I.D. of bushing and O.D. of barrel. Wrap some Scotch Tape on the surface of the barrel that contacts the bushing. Put a thin film of grease on the tape to prevent the J-B Weld from adhering to it. Carefully assemble the pistol with a very minimal amount of J-B Weld on the I.D. surface of the bushing. Move the slide in and out of battery so that the J-B Weld is evenly distributed around the circumference of the barrel bushing.


    Did you get that tip from the Wile E. Coyote School of Gunsmithin?
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  • rufe-snow
    quote:

    Did you get that tip from the Wile E. Coyote School of Gunsmithin?






    BEEP, BEEP
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  • stankemp
    I have the 7.62 and 38 super barrel versions. Bushing's OK but 38 super will not reliably feed . I've tried to polish the ramp etc. but the problem can't be solved by that alone.
    Seems some mag feed lip work (which will probably screw up the 7.62 feed which is dead nuts reliable) is required.
    The tangent line for the 7.62 bottle neck is very gradual compared to the straight sided 38 super.
    Just not worth the trouble IMO.
    Stan
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  • outdoorswoman
    Stankemp, I received 3 different magazines with mine. One magazine for the 7.62, and 2 for the 9mm and .38 Super. I noticed the only difference was the magazine feed lips. But for the record, the mags with the opened feed lips feed the 7.62 rounds flawlessly.
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  • v35
    The 9mm mag should be either shorter (front to rear) or a standard 7.62 mag with a spacer in the rear for the shorter 9mm ctge.
    If the 38Super bullet strikes the ramp too low, the feed lips have to be carefully opened up in front using long nose pliers to raise bullet noses.
    Tokarev 9mms feed well so 38 Super should also feed.
    As there isn't much of a feed ramp on these barrels, large open point bullets may hang up.
    You may have to dedicate one 7.62 mag to 38 Super after you alter it.
    7.62 mags are available if you mess one up.
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  • stankemp
    Thanks for the advice .
    I have 2 mags , I'll play with one of them.
    Could take me a bit though, so don't expect a report real soon.
    Stan
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  • stankemp
    Well, I did my mods to the magazine and now it runs through a mag full w/o problems.

    First I bent the mag lips out and that gave me pretty much reliable feed to the last cartridge.

    After studying the case exit from the mag I then ground out some of the lip (front to back about 3/16"). My reasoning for this was to release the cartridge (last one being the problem) sooner so it had a chance to line up with the chamber. It still would not feed the last round.

    So I looked at the difference between having a round to bear on or the follower as a cartridge fed into battery. This resulted in seeing the last round having a longer surface to pass over than the other rounds.

    It resulted in the biggest mag mod which was to the forward projection on the follower (I cut that back about 3/8 ") as a final swipe at getting the last cartridge to feed properly. I'll just use this mag for 38 Super.

    The pistol is dang accurate at 50 ft. Thanks for getting me to go back to this project. It has lain there unattended for about 8 years.
    Stan
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