Anyone own a Nagant M1895 revolver?

lowercase · 04-29-2008, 10:56 PM

I am just curious about these guns because I was thinking about getting one. The prices are super low, and I figure that it might be nice to have one with a matching year to my Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifle.

If anyone owns one, how do you like shooting it? What are your general impressions of the gun? I've heard that the trigger pull is pretty stout on those old warhorses.

stalebiscuit · 04-29-2008, 11:06 PM

cool gun, but the ammo is real expensive (unless you wanna buy a .32acp cylinder for it)

8 shots, but its real under powered and not the best design

damage855 · 04-30-2008, 06:36 AM

Have one plan on getting atleast one more, fun to shoot good tackle box gun but they are underpowered. ofcourse having a small gun is better than no gun.

Bravo · 04-30-2008, 09:34 AM

I think they can be suppressed

There is only 1 revolver that can be suppressed because of its design. I think the Nagant slides the cylinder over the beginning of the barrel, but I may be thinking of another gun.

NRAJOE · 04-30-2008, 02:59 PM

I have a '38 Tula and 11 boxes of the Russian yellowbox ammo...fun to shoot at the range...the Russian ammo is smoky and stinky though...

Big Dog · 04-30-2008, 05:26 PM

It's a quaint design, fun to shoot, great plinker! I like shooting it with my steel spinner targets - cast lead bullets of course. We load it to about 750FPS - not a blazing load but not too bad. I wouldn't use it for defense - handguns in Europe at the time were more 'badges of rank' than weapons of war. But then, 'shot placement is everything'!

matt760 · 04-30-2008, 10:10 PM

ive been wanting to get one mostly just because theyre cheap. but i hear the ammo is kind of expensive and the 32 acp cylinders are hard to find. if i buy one i will buy a 32 cylinder for it too. there was i think a 3 part write up on customizing them in "shot gun news" in the last year or so. check that out

stalebiscuit · 05-01-2008, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt760

ive been wanting to get one mostly just because theyre cheap. but i hear the ammo is kind of expensive and the 32 acp cylinders are hard to find. if i buy one i will buy a 32 cylinder for it too. there was i think a 3 part write up on customizing them in "shot gun news" in the last year or so. check that out

aimsurplus has got them for the same price as the gun (lol)

Zephri · 05-01-2008, 02:03 AM

I have one, bought it awhile back for around 140, it's made in 1901 (107 years old) and has pristine rifling despite how the outside looks.

btw: The cylinder does move foward and seal the barrel, given that you use the right ammo (russian stuff). Which has a longer case than some of the stuff people reload, The longer case helps seal the barrel by covering the small gap (I think).

dgray64 · 05-03-2008, 02:53 PM

I like .32 long wad cutters. They make a nice round hole in paper, are pretty cheap and don't foul your gun. I tried .32 H&R magnums, but here is too much blowback with them. You need to wear a full face mask. The standard round for this revolver is very expensive, not worth the money for me. Enjoy your toy!!

Dave

Big Dog · 05-03-2008, 04:29 PM

Those .32ACP cylinders are iffy on quality - many need modded to fit the gun properly. DO NOT mod the gun to fit the cylinder - then you have a quaint paper-weight.

Capt'n Mil Coll · 05-03-2008, 11:28 PM

So to clear it all up. Using the cylinder that came with the revolver you can shoot the standard 7.62x38R. You can also shoot out of the same cylinder .32 S&W or .32 H&R Magnum. You really dont need the .32 cylinder at all. Hope that helps ya.

dgray64 · 05-04-2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NRAJOE

I have a '38 Tula and 11 boxes of the Russian yellowbox ammo...fun to shoot at the range...the Russian ammo is smoky and stinky though...

What did you have to pay for the Russian ammo? Most that I've seen has been really expensive.

Dave

NRAJOE · 05-04-2008, 03:37 PM

I bought it back when it was $14.99 a box

Rope · 05-09-2008, 04:51 AM

I have five of them. My favorite is a Vietnam bring-back with virtually no bluing left.

I fitted a .32 acp cylinder to one and it is the only one I shoot with any sort of regularity (usually to call the dogs, they can hear me shooting a mile or more away).

The original Russian ammo is running about $25 a box of late.

It is the only successful gas-sealing revolver ever made commercially. They were produced by the Russians and Swedes as military issue. The cylinder does move forward and the cartridge, with its recessed bullet, formed part of the sealing mechanism. That does not preclude shooting 32. acp, but the bullet is a tad undersized for the rifling with the acp so accuracy suffers quite a bit.

Fun gun for a plinker, but even .32 acp is expensive. Would never count on it for self defense.

More Russians running from battle were shot with the Nagant than Nazis. It never was meant to be a stopping round. It was primarily a dress gun for officers. It came in two versions. The double action (most common) was issued to officers. The rare single action version was issued primarily to artillerymen.

They are a nice bit of history that is available relatively inexpensively.

matt760 · 05-11-2008, 05:19 PM

so you can shoot 32 S&W and 32H&R through the original cylinder? how much is that ammo?

squirrelbaster · 05-11-2008, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt760

so you can shoot 32 S&W and 32H&R through the original cylinder? how much is that ammo?

yes you can. and midway USA has 32s&w for $18-$25

matt760 · 05-12-2008, 02:44 PM

is that a box of 20 or 50? either way its just about as expensive to shoot my 44 mag and cheaper to shoot my 40 s&w.

troy2000 · 05-12-2008, 03:11 PM

The trigger pull is pure hell on them if you shoot them double-action, because you're cranking the whole cylinder forward to put the end of the round into the forcing cone of the barrel as you're cocking it. The one I bought for my son has a very nice, crisp trigger pull if you ear back the hammer first.

They're very accurate little guns with the right ammo, too; the Russians put special grips (and probably sights) on them and used them in international competition very successfully.

The Russian rounds in the yellow boxes are kind of wimpy paper-punching loads, good for targets and not much else. They do make a satisfying amount of smoke, noise and stink, though.

matt760 · 05-12-2008, 04:29 PM

yeah that article in shotgun news told how to fix the heavy trigger pull problem. it was a good article. wish i knew which issues it was in so i could tell you all. i think it was a two or three part article. good information. maybe contact SHOTGUN NEWS about back issues if you're that inetersted in it. i think they were published sometime last year

04-29-2008, 10:56 PM	#1
lowercase Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 146 Trader Rating: (0)	Anyone own a Nagant M1895 revolver? I am just curious about these guns because I was thinking about getting one. The prices are super low, and I figure that it might be nice to have one with a matching year to my Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifle. If anyone owns one, how do you like shooting it? What are your general impressions of the gun? I've heard that the trigger pull is pretty stout on those old warhorses.

04-30-2008, 06:36 AM	#3
damage855 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina / Lake Norman Posts: 864 Trader Rating: (0)	Have one plan on getting atleast one more, fun to shoot good tackle box gun but they are underpowered. ofcourse having a small gun is better than no gun. __________________ If total goverment control will make us all safer, then why are prisons so dangerous?

04-30-2008, 02:59 PM	#5
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 18,992 Trader Rating: (0)	I have a '38 Tula and 11 boxes of the Russian yellowbox ammo...fun to shoot at the range...the Russian ammo is smoky and stinky though... __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

04-30-2008, 05:26 PM	#6
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 10,020 Trader Rating: (0)	It's a quaint design, fun to shoot, great plinker! I like shooting it with my steel spinner targets - cast lead bullets of course. We load it to about 750FPS - not a blazing load but not too bad. I wouldn't use it for defense - handguns in Europe at the time were more 'badges of rank' than weapons of war. But then, 'shot placement is everything'! __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.

05-01-2008, 02:03 AM	#9
Zephri Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN. "The city where nothing happens." Posts: 1,021 Trader Rating: (1)	I have one, bought it awhile back for around 140, it's made in 1901 (107 years old) and has pristine rifling despite how the outside looks. btw: The cylinder does move foward and seal the barrel, given that you use the right ammo (russian stuff). Which has a longer case than some of the stuff people reload, The longer case helps seal the barrel by covering the small gap (I think). __________________ "All rifles need a sharp pointy object on the end!" http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l195/zephri/

04-29-2008, 11:06 PM	#2
stalebiscuit Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: atlanta, but much rather be in valdosta Posts: 1,344 Trader Rating: (0)	cool gun, but the ammo is real expensive (unless you wanna buy a .32acp cylinder for it) 8 shots, but its real under powered and not the best design

04-30-2008, 09:34 AM	#4
Bravo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Maine, USA Posts: 1,749 Trader Rating: (0)	I think they can be suppressed There is only 1 revolver that can be suppressed because of its design. I think the Nagant slides the cylinder over the beginning of the barrel, but I may be thinking of another gun.

04-30-2008, 10:10 PM	#7
matt760 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 147 Trader Rating: (0)	ive been wanting to get one mostly just because theyre cheap. but i hear the ammo is kind of expensive and the 32 acp cylinders are hard to find. if i buy one i will buy a 32 cylinder for it too. there was i think a 3 part write up on customizing them in "shot gun news" in the last year or so. check that out

05-03-2008, 02:53 PM	#10
dgray64 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: central Texas Posts: 207 Trader Rating: (0)	I like .32 long wad cutters. They make a nice round hole in paper, are pretty cheap and don't foul your gun. I tried .32 H&R magnums, but here is too much blowback with them. You need to wear a full face mask. The standard round for this revolver is very expensive, not worth the money for me. Enjoy your toy!! Dave

05-03-2008, 04:29 PM	#11
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 10,020 Trader Rating: (0)	Those .32ACP cylinders are iffy on quality - many need modded to fit the gun properly. DO NOT mod the gun to fit the cylinder - then you have a quaint paper-weight. __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.

05-03-2008, 11:28 PM	#12
Capt'n Mil Coll Military Rifle Collector Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Right behind you. -NRA Member- Posts: 2,011 Trader Rating: (0)	So to clear it all up. Using the cylinder that came with the revolver you can shoot the standard 7.62x38R. You can also shoot out of the same cylinder .32 S&W or .32 H&R Magnum. You really dont need the .32 cylinder at all. Hope that helps ya. __________________ Let's light this fuse and see what happens! Last edited by Capt'n Mil Coll; 05-03-2008 at 11:59 PM.

05-04-2008, 03:37 PM	#14
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 18,992 Trader Rating: (0)	I bought it back when it was $14.99 a box __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

05-09-2008, 04:51 AM	#15
Rope Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2 Trader Rating: (0)	I have five of them. My favorite is a Vietnam bring-back with virtually no bluing left. I fitted a .32 acp cylinder to one and it is the only one I shoot with any sort of regularity (usually to call the dogs, they can hear me shooting a mile or more away). The original Russian ammo is running about $25 a box of late. It is the only successful gas-sealing revolver ever made commercially. They were produced by the Russians and Swedes as military issue. The cylinder does move forward and the cartridge, with its recessed bullet, formed part of the sealing mechanism. That does not preclude shooting 32. acp, but the bullet is a tad undersized for the rifling with the acp so accuracy suffers quite a bit. Fun gun for a plinker, but even .32 acp is expensive. Would never count on it for self defense. More Russians running from battle were shot with the Nagant than Nazis. It never was meant to be a stopping round. It was primarily a dress gun for officers. It came in two versions. The double action (most common) was issued to officers. The rare single action version was issued primarily to artillerymen. They are a nice bit of history that is available relatively inexpensively.

05-11-2008, 05:19 PM	#16
matt760 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 147 Trader Rating: (0)	so you can shoot 32 S&W and 32H&R through the original cylinder? how much is that ammo?

05-12-2008, 02:44 PM	#18
matt760 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 147 Trader Rating: (0)	is that a box of 20 or 50? either way its just about as expensive to shoot my 44 mag and cheaper to shoot my 40 s&w.

05-12-2008, 03:11 PM	#19
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 8,884 Trader Rating: (0)	The trigger pull is pure hell on them if you shoot them double-action, because you're cranking the whole cylinder forward to put the end of the round into the forcing cone of the barrel as you're cocking it. The one I bought for my son has a very nice, crisp trigger pull if you ear back the hammer first. They're very accurate little guns with the right ammo, too; the Russians put special grips (and probably sights) on them and used them in international competition very successfully. The Russian rounds in the yellow boxes are kind of wimpy paper-punching loads, good for targets and not much else. They do make a satisfying amount of smoke, noise and stink, though. __________________ If a million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. -Anatole France

05-12-2008, 04:29 PM	#20
matt760 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 147 Trader Rating: (0)	yeah that article in shotgun news told how to fix the heavy trigger pull problem. it was a good article. wish i knew which issues it was in so i could tell you all. i think it was a two or three part article. good information. maybe contact SHOTGUN NEWS about back issues if you're that inetersted in it. i think they were published sometime last year