Buy Nagant M1895 Revolver Online
Nagant M1895 Revolver
Nagant M1895 for Sale – Revolver
The historical and legendary 7 shot, Nagant M1895 for sale is considered as antique weapon in Belgium. Nagant M1895 is critically acclaimed for its performance and shares a history more than 100 years. Nagant M1895 is known for its ability and sturdiness which does not let your face despair in front of enemies. One of the oldest revolver offers 7 shots round capacity for your utmost safety and for the exceptional experience of your shooting hobby.
Nagant M1895 for sale belongs to the famous arms family of Mosin Nagant. Mosin Nagant has its own legends to narrate as it has participated in almost every conflict and war particularly in Russo-Japanese War, World War I, Finnish Civil War, Russian Revolution, Turkish War of Independence, Spanish Civil War, World War II, Vietnam War, Afghan Civil War, War in Afghanistan, Iraq War, Syrian Civil War, 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine. Nagan M1895 for sale has exhibited its exploits in Boxer Rebellions’, Russo- Japanese War, World War I, Russian Civil War, World War II, Winter War, Chinese Civil War, Spanish War and in many other combat grounds. Nagant M1895 for sale is fondly used by Russian Imperial Army and Soviet Union.
The seven shot legend, Nagant M1895 for saleis a double action/single action revolver chambered variably in 7.62×38 mmR or .22 Caliber. It features a unique gas-seal revolver which had not seen in early revolvers. The suppression of the weapon and boost to muzzle velocity is featured by the forward movement of cylinder which closes the gap between cylinder and the barrel. The completion of gas seal is featured by the short conical section of cartridge which also eliminates the possibility of any injury, thus it offers ultimate security system. Nagant M1895 for sale is an ideal choice for your shooting habits.
Technical Data:
Caliber – 7.62×54 mmR / .22 sporting model
Mass – 1.8 lb (unloaded)
Length – 10.5 in
Barrel Length – 4.5 in
Action – Double Action / Single Action
Rate of Fire – 14 to 21 Rounds/Min
Muzzle Velocity – 891 ft/s
Magazine Capacity – 7 Round Cylinder
Of course, if someone is familiar with the 1895 Nagant, the first feature they think of is that unlike any other mass-produced revolver, it can be effectively suppressed. When fired in double action, the Nagant’s cylinder cams forward so that the mouth of the chamber comes flush with the forcing cone. This eliminates the cylinder gap. This also happens when the hammer is manually cocked.
The Nagant’s 7.62x38R cartridge features a projectile seated deeper than you’d see in a conventional wadcutter. The “empty” space in the brass neck of the cartridge protrudes into the forcing cone, completing the gas seal. Contrary to internet lore, this largely pointless feature wasn’t put on the Nagant to allow it to be suppressed. But rather, it’s there to improve accuracy and decrease fouling.
Once it was discovered that the revolver could be suppressed, it was used in that role, most notably by the KGB during the Cold War, and by Vietnamese guerrillas during the Vietnam War. A prominent captured example lives in the CIA Museum. There are also a number of videos of people shooting the Nagant suppressed.
Why the Nagant Revolver Kind of Sucks
However, when you take away the Nagant’s party trick, what you’re left with is a rather shoddy revolver. Sure, the Nagant had 7 shots. This wasn’t a feature that any other service revolvers at the time sported. But the trigger is…well it’s just the worst trigger ever. The sample I owned during my Poor Person phase had a double action trigger pull that measured over 20 pounds, and a single action trigger pull that was north of 10 pounds. By comparison, a brand-new S&W 686 has a 14-16 pound double action pull, and a 3-4 pound single action pull.
Also, unlike its contemporaries from Colt, Smith & Wesson, and Webley, the Nagant’s cylinder featured a loading gate and ejector rod, like a Colt Single Action Army. That was an innovative feature in 1870, but by the early 1900s was hopelessly obsolete.
Nagant Revolver Ammo – 7.62x38R
And don’t even get us started on the Nagant’s cartridge, 7.62x38R. When the Russians adopted the Nagant revolver, the other major powers service revolvers were chambered in 45 Colt (USA) and 455 Webley (Great Britain). The Russians chose a .30 caliber 97 grain bullet doing about 1000 feet per second, which is cool when it’s called “32 H&R Magnum” and comes in a gun with a good trigger pull, but when it’s made by Communists…isn’t as cool.
I shouldn’t dog the 7.62x38R round too much, though. It has a 100% stop rate when applied directly to the back of a dissident’s skull.
Durability of the Nagant Revolver
The real legacy of the M1895 Nagant is its impressive durability. The Russians produced it in two models: a DA/SA model for officers and NCOs and a single action only version for low-ranking enlisted personnel. The military deemed the SA only modification necessary to keep uneducated troops from wasting ammo with too much rapid fire; a feat I would personally find impressive given the awful nature of the Nagant’s DA trigger. As a fun aside, the SA only Nagants are also specifically mentioned in the Single Action Shooting Society’s rule book as legal for Cowboy Action Shooting.
Back to the durability – the features like mainspring made out of tractor leaf springs, the simple loading gate, and the generally rough nature of the gun made them incredibly long-lasting. The Russian private security service retired the last Nagants in 2009, and they’re still picking them up off the ground in Middle Eastern war zones. In 2015, a French tactical team killed an Islamic terrorist and found a fired 1895 Nagant on his person. The design of the revolver is simple and robust.
Where to Buy a Nagant M1895
Today in the West, the Nagant revolver is a collector’s curiosity item. The ability to fire suppressed attracts people who are interested in NFA items. And of course, anyone who collects Russian militaria needs one. If you want to buy a Nagant revolver,
LSB#: 221115VB002
Make: Izhevsk Mechanical Plant
Model: Nagant Model 1895
Serial#: The Cyrillic serial number is: “ShD527”; Importer’s serial is: V2526
Year of Manufacture: 1944, C&R
Caliber: 7.62x38R cartridges.
Action Type: Single and Double Action Revolver with a 7-Round Side-Loaded Cylinder
Markings: The left side of the frame is marked with the importer’s stamp “RGUNS C’ville IL / V2526 1893 Nagant 7.62x38R”. The remaining markings are in Cyrillic and have been Romanized. The left side of the frame is marked with the cyrillic serial number “ShD527”, there is a late war Izhevsk Arsenal proof above “1944G” which is the date code (1944 Goda or the year 1944) and a small refurbishment marking. The hammer has an Izhevsk proof. The left side of the trigger guard has a faded late war Izhevsk proof. The left side of the trigger has a Tula proof. The right side of the frame has inspection and refurbishment marks. The cylinder matches the frame.
Barrel Length: 4.5”
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to the muzzle end of the barrel. The rear sight is a square-notch integral to the rear end of the top-strap.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The arsenal refurbished grip panels are three-piece brown checkered wood. The butt-strap has a lanyard ring. There are two panels on the left and right sides and a centerpiece. The grip panels have some light handling marks, scuffs and nicks. The checkering remains sharp. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good plus condition.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly-bright with sharp rifling. There is light erosion concentrated in the grooves. On a scale of 1-10, this bore, as a C&R, would rate in about a 7. Many military and C&R eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide until the 1960s.
Overall Condition: The revolver retains about 95% of its metal finish. There are some light handling marks, nicks and scuffs on the gun’s metal surfaces. Some of the markings have faded but most remain clear. The screwheads have light tool-marks but they remain serviceable. Overall, the revolver is in Very Good-Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The single action trigger is crisp and the double action is smooth. The cylinder locks with only barely palpable play on each chamber. We did not fire this pistol. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: The gun comes with an aftermarket BURS holster that was made in Izhevsk, Russia. The holster has only light handling marks and remains in Very Good condition.
Our Assessment: This Soviet Izhevsk Mechanical Plant manufactured Nagant M1895 is a 7-shot single and double action revolver that takes 7.62x38mmR rounds. The Nagant M1895 had a long service life in Russia, it was originally produced by the Russian Empire and saw extensive use during WWI and the Russian Civil War. Following the establishment of the Soviet Union, the revolver continued to see use through the Great Patriotic War (WWII) until the 1950s.
This particular Nagant was produced in 1944, this was near the end of the conflict as the Red Army waged a massive counterattack against Germany and its allies. The Nagant’s unique gas sealed design both prevented hand injuries that other revolvers of the time caused, a result of gasses escaping through a gap between the cylinder and barrel, and it increased the velocity of the bullets it fired. You do not want to miss out on this revolver which was made in the USSR!
CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable (THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO OUT-OF-STATE RESIDENTS): This C&R handgun CAN be sold as a dealer sale in California but CANNOT be transferred as a Private Party Transfer (PPT) at our Simi Valley location. All C&R firearms must be transferred through your local dealer OR at our Simi Valley location; we cannot ship directly to a C&R holder in California. Out of state residents can disregard this section – your local laws apply.
he Russian Nagant M1895 revolver is usually an afterthought, at best, when the topic of military surplus weapons comes up. After all, the Nagant isn’t sexy like the German Lugers and P38s. Nor does it have the iconic lineage of the Colt 1911 or Browning Hi Power. It did, however, serve Russia and the Soviet Union for 55 years and in four major wars, including the Russian Civil War immediately following World War I and the revolutions of 1917.
The Nagant Revolver, while certainly no Colt or Smith & Wesson, has an undeservedly poor reputation. (Author’s Photo)
I believe the Nagant M1895 is undeservedly maligned and makes a novel and relatively inexpensive addition to any MILSURP collection, if for no other reason than its unique operating system. More on that in a moment, but the gun’s service deserves a little attention because it was a warhorse, despite its odd appearance and anemic reputation.
A Seasoned Campaigner
Introduced in 1895, the Nagant was deployed throughout the Russian Army in time for the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War, a bloody affair that foreshadowed the trench warfare of World War I.
The Nagant M1895 isn’t sexy, but it served through four major wars. (Author’s Photos)
The Russian military needed several years to recover from its defeat in the Far East and the Nagant stayed in service. It was obsolete by the time war broke out in 1914, but the Russian Army was still the least advanced in Europe and needed upgrades more pressing than a new service pistol. The revolutions of 1917 led to the Russians withdrawing from World War I, but peace was not at hand, as the Russian Civil War erupted almost immediately. An estimated 15 million people died before Vladimir Lenin seized firm control in 1923. The Nagant 1895 revolver served on both sides.
The years between the Russian Civil War and World War II saw the founding of the Soviet Union and the eventual power transition to Josef Stalin after Lenin died in 1924. Stalin famously brutalized his people, including his crippling purges of the Red Army officer corps in the 1930s. Within such an environment, Russian arms development did not always keep pace with the rest of the world.
This scowling Soviet soldier is loaded for bear with his two Nagant pistols, a PPSh submachine gun and various grenades and implements of destruction. World War II was the Nagant’s fourth major war. Photo: Armed (But Not Dangerous) Blog.
The Nagant M1895 was still carried by many Soviet officers when World War II broke out in 1939, despite the development of the Tokarev TT-30 and TT-33 semiautomatic pistols. In this same vein, the M1891/30 Mosin Nagant was still the standard infantry rifle despite being in service for 48 years at that point. Adolf Hitler stabbed Stalin in the back in June 1941, giving the Soviets a lot more to worry about than what sidearm their officers carried. The Nagant was produced throughout the war at the Tula Arsenal, with the last one being built in 1950.
The personal sidearm of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. The tag notes that this Nagant was presented to him by the Izhevsk Arsenal, which is odd because the star and arrow on the frame is the symbol of the Tula Arsenal. Tula moved their entire factory east to evade the approaching Germans, so perhaps some of their inventory was transferred to Izhevsk.
A Unique Design, But Was it Too Weak?
Designed by Belgian gunsmiths Leon and Emil Nagant, who were also mostly responsible for the Mosin Nagant rifle, the M1895 revolver is better than generally thought. Part of that reputation stems from the 30 caliber (7.62x38R) cartridge which by modern standards is underpowered. But in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, chamberings such as 6.5mm and 7.65 mm (.32 ACP) were very common in Europe. Some still are in European police forces. My Beretta 81, chambered in 7.65, is an Italian police trade in and it was made in the 1980s.
Belgian gunmaker Leon Nagant
Now, I’m not saying that the 7.65 and the 7.62x38R are viable military, police, or defensive cartridges in 2022. My Beretta 81 is a fun gun that lives in a backpack. Heck, I won’t even own a .380. But the 7.62x38R isn’t as bad as many claim. And remember the Nagant was introduced in 1895, so proper context is important. Even the United States tried to go with a softer shooting sidearm with the Colt New Army/Navy, introduced in 1892, which was chambered in .38 Long Colt. That cartridge’s underwhelming performance prompted the return to the .45 ACP with the M1911 and the Smith & Wesson Model 1917 revolver.
Surplus Nagant M1895 revolvers often come with a flap holster. (Author’s Photos)
The cartridge’s performance, however, is helped by the gun’s operating system. Let’s take a closer look at how that system works. The cocking mechanism, as the hammer comes back, moves the cylinder forward to create, along with the cartridge, a seal that prevents most of the gas and energy from escaping out the sides. The noticeably long firing pin is necessary to reach the primer as the cylinder moves forward. This system all but eliminates the “cylinder gap” of other revolvers. This feature makes the Nagant the only revolver of which I’m aware that can be effectively suppressed, if you’re so inclined.
The Cartridge Itself is Part of the System
As I mentioned, the unusual cartridge developed by the Nagant brothers is designed to create the seal that keeps the energy in the chamber and barrel. The brass is tapered up around the cone of the bullet and extends just past the nose. Russian military ammo featured a long consistent tapering while most commercial rounds feature a straight brass case which is crimped just beyond the bullet nose.
The tapered cartridge is part of the Nagant sealing system. Surplus ammo (left) has long, tapered brass. Commercial ammo (right) is crimped at the nose. Performance wise, surplus ammo is better. Cheap, underpowered commercial ammo is partially responsible for the round’s anemic reputation but there are some better performing brands out there. (Author’s photos)
Either way, when the cylinder moves forward as the hammer pulls back, the cartridge case enters the barrel, completing the seal. Therefore, all the energy and gas are focused forward through the barrel and out the muzzle. The seal gives the round an estimated 50 to 70 FPS in extra velocity, translating to a little more energy at the muzzle and on the target.
Left: The Nagant’s cylinder while the gun is uncocked. Right: Cocking the gun moves the cylinder forward to create a seal, which prevents most of the gas from escaping through the gap. (Author’s photos)
The sources I found rate the Nagant’s performance, with 108 grain military ammo, at 900 to 1,100 FPS. Not exactly consistent, but I looked at several tests, and with military ammo, the Nagant outperformed the .32 ACP and was comparable to the .380 ACP. In one test, with surplus ammo testing in the 950 FPS range, the bullet went through four layers of denim and produced a 20-inch penetration of ten percent ballistic gel at a range of about three yards.
The long firing pin on the hammer is necessary because of the cylinder’s forward position. (Author’s photo)
Choose Quality Ammo
Despite the cool operating system, the Nagant’s performance relies on quality ammunition. Part of the gun’s reputation for weakness comes from the poor quality, low powered ammo that was made for target shooting. The crimped commercial ammo also reportedly uses bullets that are just a touch smaller in diameter to facilitate the crimping on the front end of the cartridge. This technique is supposedly easier and less expensive than the tapering of the military rounds but comes at the price of a less efficient seal and reduced accuracy.
Despite the strange looking grip, the Nagant M1895 is actually pretty comfortable in the hand (Author’s photos)
There are, however, better quality rounds out there. Fiocchi and Prvi PPU make pretty good ammo for the Nagant. They still used crimped brass and undersized bullets, but they are the best commercial cartridges I’ve run across. Ideally, you should get military surplus ammo for the best performance, but with the current international situation, that may dry up quickly.
The Nagant is a double action revolver, but the cylinder doesn’t swing out. It has a loading gate like single action Colts and Rugers. The DA trigger is very heavy due to the cylinder system. Treat it like a single action and you’ll enjoy it a lot more. (Author’s photos)
A Few Things to Know
If you run across a Nagant M1895 and decide to buy it, here are a few tips:
- Don’t be turned off by the weird looking grip. It’s more comfortable than you think.
- The cylinder does not swing out. You have to use the loading gate and load the cartridges one at a time. Not really so different than a Ruger Blackhawk or similar single action revolver.
- The gun has double action capability, but thanks to way the action works, the DA trigger is truly atrocious. Treat it like a single action revolver and all will be well.
- If you want to suppress it, you’ll have to do some work. The front sight base is milled into the barrel. You’ll have to get the barrel threaded. But the results, if done right, are spectacular. The hammer hitting the firing pin is louder than the shot.
Left: You’ll have to do some work, like removing the front sight, if you want to suppress a Nagant, but the results are spectacular. Right: The author’s son’s Nagant was built in 1932. (Author’s photos)
So, don’t let the sometimes-bad rap of the Nagant revolver deter you. It’s a cool little gun that is surprisingly pleasant to shoot. Many are in great shape, and they aren’t terribly expensive, even with the way MILSURPS have gone up the last ten years. The Nagant M1895served well through four bloody wars and deserves a place in your collection.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.