Tokarev TX3 HD Shotgun
Good Gun, Great Price
Denny found the Tokarev TX3 HD shotgun reliable.
Located 1,100 miles south of the Tula Tokarev facility of WWII fame, the new Tokarev continues the tradition of quality arms manufacturing at their facility in southwestern Turkey, combining state-of-the-art CNC equipment with old-world manufacturing knowledge. Tokarev firearms and accessories are available in North America exclusively through Tokarev USA.
I recently received a Tokarev TX3 HD shotgun for evaluation.
A ventilated shroud sits atop the barrel giving the Tokarev a very business-like appearance.
Controls are very similar to the Remington 870.
The TX3 HD
The TX3 HD is a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun. Finish is a matte blue. Thanks to an aluminum receiver, the weight is kept to 6.8 lbs. The stock and forend is made from Turkish walnut and fitted with a rubber recoil pad. Sling studs are located on the stock and end of the magazine cap.
The 18.5″ barrel is fitted with a single extractor and chambered to accept 3″ shells. A ventilated barrel shroud sits atop the barrel. An adjustable rear ghost ring sight is mounted on an M1913 rail. It has a fiber-optic front sight. The TX3 HD is compatible with Remington pattern extension tubes. Standard capacity is 5+1. Length of pull is 13.5″ and overall length is 39″.
Controls are reminiscent of the Remington 870, with the action release located on the left side at the front of the trigger guard, and the push-button safety located at the rear of the trigger guard. The lifter is slotted, which makes reducing a malfunction easier.
Each TX3 HD comes with a choke kit with two extra chokes, a choke wrench, a three-round magazine limiter and an owner’s manual.
Adjustable rear ghost ring sight is mounted on an M1913 rail.
At The Range
I fired a total of around 200 rounds, mostly birdshot, through the TX3 HD. With this admittedly small number of rounds, extraction was positive with the single extractor.
Since there are no serrations or checkering on the forend, it’s a bit slick but still easy to manipulate if the thumb and fingers remain in the groove TX3 HD at the top of the forend.
The safety button is triangular in shape, and I found it more positive to employ than the standard small round button of the 870, especially with gloves. The fiber optic front sight was easy to pick up under speed.
I also fired buckshot and some slugs through the TX3 HD.
There was a time when I suggested buying several brands of shotgun shells and pattern them in your shotgun to see which load performed best.
As they say, that was then and this is now and you can save yourself considerable time and money by going straight to the Federal Law Enforcement Tactical round with the FliteControl wad.
Federal offers this in both 9- and 9-pellet loading. I prefer the 8-pellet load because, there is less of a chance of a flyer — and you are morally and legally responsible for each and every projectile launched.
Because of the way the FliteControl wad is constructed, there is virtually no spread at 10 yards. At 25 yards the pattern rarely opens up more than 8″. A side benefit is the Tactical load has less recoil.
Although it’s still no rifle, with the adjustable ghost ring sights, hits out to 50–75 yards are quite possible using quality slugs.
The Hornady American Gunner 1-oz. slug is designed to hit point of aim at 50 yards and with no hold over and the TX3 HD did just that. At 50 yards these slugs are still traveling at 1,038 feet-per-second with 1,046 foot-pounds of energy.
TX3 HD has a single extractor but performed flawlessly.
Bargain Price
A no-frills self-defense Remington 870 is currently selling for around $450. A Mossberg 500/590 is going for around $500.
The dealer price of the TX3 HD is $279, which means the retail price will probably be under $350 making this shotgun a bargain.
It may be Turkish made, but this gun is definitely no turkey and is a quality shotgun.
