1895 Nagant Revolver!

[Mad Reloader]

Well folks, as of Weds. I finally have one on order.

An 1895 Gas-Seal Nagant revolver in 7.62 x 38R.

Interestingly, this won't be exactly your run-of-the-mill Nagant revolver such as is seen on Gunbroker,com, Auction Arms, etc.

Had option given for manufacture date range, so I decided to go with one from the 1911-1919 timeperiod.

(likelihood of the 1912-1917 "Petrograd" markings from Tula Arsenal, or perhaps the early Soviet Tula stamp ca. 1918-1919...which is very similar to the pre-1912 but with the word "Imperial" left off, possibly one with scrubbed pre-1918 stamping...but hopefully partly legible)

Once it gets here, will have to slug the bore to see what size projo will work best...and p/u some Aguila .32 S&W Longs (BTW, this is the one brand of .32 S&W L that can be fired with best result in a 7.62 Nagant. Pete Korbel, one of my cronies from Phoenix Rod & Gun fires those in his.)

Will let you all know what the sucker looks like when it gets here, and if it's a World War One jobber, a Kerensky* piece, or one from the Russian Civil War.

*(Aleksandr Kerensky was the fellow who --ostensibly-- was calling the shots in Russia from after the March 1917 overthrow of the Tsar to the "October" revolution -- that due to a difference in the calendars used in Old Russia vs. the Modern Era was actually in early November. FWTW. )

[Gil Martin]

Let us know what you get. All the best...
Gil

[earschplitinloudenboomer]

Mad Reloader;

...bought a CZ52...want the Nagant revolver next. I am reading up on them now, don't know what to buy...want one to shoot, would like to shoot .32 mag or S&W .32 long due to availability of ammo...may reload later...worked out good with CZ52....please post again and let us know what you got!!!

[Mad Reloader]

earschplitinloudenboomer:

Definitely will keep everybody posted.

Have already extensively researched Nagant Revolvers, so here's a few more tidbits. Some of this you may already have heard, pretty sure Gil has:

1) Aguila .32 S&W Long in 7.62 Nagant Revolver. Notice I said Aguila. Not Remington, not W-W. You will suffer the LEAST amount of split casings, but if you get off a 50 rd. box with 100% brass survival--consider yourself lucky indeed.

2) Fiocchi 7.62 Nagant Revolver ammo. It may be NC/BO and brass cased, but from what I've observed & heard--consider it non-reloadable. (overdone roll crimp causes splits/separations)

3) Bertram Brass from AUSTRALIA (home of my good buddy Azzafox) does make completely reloadable brass casings for 7.62 Nagant Revolver...but they're $1 each. ($20 US for a box of 20)Just the casing, mind!

4) Best bet for reloadable brass will be to get the Lee Precision dies for 7.62 Nagant Revolver & run .32-20 through them. (Lee is in no way Dillon or even RCBS but some of their products are pretty cool) The dies are designed for just that purpose! You will get 7.62 Nagant Revolver Shorts--but I read somewhere that at one point Izhmash and/or Tula ran off 7.62 N.R. Shorts for use in target competition.... (an article in American Rifleman I think) They won't have that "gas seal" thing going for them, but hopefully you can live with the loss of 100 f/s from factory velocity specs.

5) OR: You can do what I've done. Get the conversion cylinder (they run about $40-49.00) that allows you to shoot .32 ACP in the gas-seal 1895 Nagant Revolver.
---> Just a heads-up, so you know what you're getting into: Apparently the conversion cyls work best in "OLDER" Nagant revolvers. If yours is in practically NIB condition, odds are it will need to have a 'smith tune it so it works right (I have already braced myself for a session with the gunsmith once it gets here)

6) IF you find one of the "7.62 Tokarev in 7.62 Nagant Revolver" conversion cylinders...do NOT even consider firing live ammo in it.
Ever.
The cylinder walls are INCREDIBLY thin on these things, and as you know, the good Sellier & Bellot 7.62 Tokarev is loaded on the warm side. A recipe for disaster.
(The only sensible reason I can think of for those having been made was for the prop guns used in "Enemy At The Gates." That way the same blank ammo could be used in the Shpagin SMG's, the Tokarev TT 30/33's and the Nagant revolvers)
{FWIW, if one turns up, let me know--got a re-enactor buddy who may be willing to pay $10 or so for one. )

Here's a Link to a GREAT Nagant Revolver site, if you haven't been there already:

http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bu...1895page.html.

In closing: My HC buddy JP Slovjanski (who is also on Feldgrau and some of the WW2 sites) really really wants to get one of those CZ-52's...

[Gil Martin]

You are a wealth of useful information. I enjoy reading your posts. All the best...
Gil

[earschplitinloudenboomer]

Mad Reloader;

Thanx for all the heads-up, this is the kind of info I was really looking for. I am not familiar with the Nagants at all. I want one for plinking at the range, light loads are not a problem as my wife will probably want to shoot it too (she does'nt seem to mind the purple ball of fire from the CZ52 though)!!!

[Gil Martin]

There is a great website at www.surplusrifle.com that has loads of good information on the 1895 Nagant revolver. Hope this helps. All the best...
Gil

[Divernhunter]

I got a 1895 and it is fun to shoot. Instead of making brass I ordered a 32ACP cylinder from SOG and shoot that ammo which is easy to get. I also ordered a case of the 7.62 nagant with the gun.
A side note--Graf and sons has new brass for sale for the gun. Saves making some that is "almost" correct to me

[Mad Reloader]

Grafs is ONE of the importers of Bertram (Buffalo Arms is another)
brand 7.62 x 33 R Nagant Revolver.

It's listed as "unformed" because technically the Russian Nagant revolver case isn't fully formed until you steeply taper crimp/moderately roll crimp the mouth of the casing after seating the bullet.

Seem to recall that in BOTH the Graf's cat, as well as Buffalo Arms, the Bertram brand 7.62 Russian Nagant Revolver brass was going for $20 for a box of 20. A bit rich for MY blood, but whatever floats your boat, folks!

Once I get my Nagant revolver, and have the .32 ACP conversion cylinder installed, I'll get back with everyone on some SPECIAL .32 Auto loads I'm planning on cooking up for it.

(After all, the Russian gas-seal Nagant used a 93 - 105 grainer projo, not a 71 grainer FMJ. If I seat the projos just right....Details to follow!!!!)

[Mad Reloader]

Well, just picked it up today from Bear Mountain guns...

Tula arsenal 1917, still has the "Petrograd" markings on the frame, s/n 401xx.

Looks like it was the subject of at least ONE rebuild, front sight is the later Soviet version, DA hammer marked with Soviet Star not the Tula mallet symbol, and it's got the "bleah" bakelite grips instead of the finely checkered pre-war walnut jobbers...

Finish is 100%, I'm suspecting an arsenal reblue during that rebuild sometime after 1919...

My .32 ACP cylinder...apparently needs a little tuning. Functions OK if I have the ejector rod deployed, but barely turns if I have the ejector assembly locked up tight! (Jeff Mangum, my local gunsmith is going to be getting some business!)

Once I get the new cylinder worked in, will commence to getting going on the SPECIAL Nagant loads for .32 ACP!

[Gil Martin]

Be sure to keep us informed on this project. All the best...
Gil