1895 Nagant Question?

[ABitterPill]

Hey guys want to get a 1895 Nagant revolver for a truck gun,but have questions.I heard you can shoot 32 sw long?Has anyone tried this?Looking for data on ballistics for it too.And watched a youtube video of a Guy shooting at 25 yards into ballistics gel and got 12 inches of penetration.Is this good or decent or what with 32 sw long in a Nagant?Please help.

 

[zoom6zoom]

The correct ammo has gotten much easier to find and will work much better than any workarounds. And probably cheaper than the .32 to boot. The conversion cylinders for .32 cost nearly as much as the revolver itself. If you are shooting .32 from the original cylinder, expect bulging and splitting of your cases, so reloading them will be problematic.
http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=A76238RFMJ

The main drawback on these is that they are slow as hell to reload if the first cylinder doesn't do the trick.

 

[RON in PA]

Original Soviet origin 7.62x38 Nagant ammo (vintage 1970s) is now available from a number of online ammo dealers. This ammo has the proper ballistics that Hot Shot and Fiocchi lack.

As long as slow reloading and DA trigger pulls that require gorilla finger strength are OK with you the Nagant is usable, but no where near a S&W or Ruger.

 

[DPris]

The Nagant is a very poor choice to bet a life on, no matter how cheap it is to buy.

Commercial PRVI Partisan ammunition in the correct caliber is cheaper than the .32 S&W Long (about fifty cents a round), but both loads are low-powered and may chronograph around 600 FPS or so through an average Nagant.
I have not tried the Fiocci.

The lead round-nosed bullets of the .32 S&W in any factory version are also very inefficient in terms of terminal ballistics, and in my converted Nagant they build up lead deposits around the forcing cone.

The Russian steel-jacketed surplus stuff chronographs at 900 FPS through one of my unconverted Nagants (still low, it's supposed to be around 1100 FPS), which is a better way to go if you insist on using a Nagant for any serious purposes.
It's a flat-nosed round that's still far from the best choice for defensive applications, but far better than the very anemic .32 S&W in any factory version.

Otherwise, the guns are very hard to shoot rapidly or accurately in DA mode.
With ammunition an individual gun likes (bore diameters vary & if you get an oversized one accuracy will be affected), 25-yard groups can run from a little over 2 inches off a rest to 6 inches or so.

I have three Nagants, they're great pieces of historical militaria, and they're fairly durable, but Nagant did not develop the gun to be efficient, just to provide very basic functions. And the Russians never intended it to be anything more than a last ditch close-up proposition by troops who weren't issued rifles, it was never a major part of their field armament tactics or expectations.
They typically carried the things in full-flap holsters with 14 spare rounds carried inside another flap-covered internal pocket, absolutely no expectation of a quick reload whatever.

If reloading your truck gun may be required, you can forget it with the Nagant. Quick reloads were never designed into the things.

If you have your heart set on one for defensive uses, just make your decision realistically & understand what you don't get for your hundred bucks.
Denis

 

[Apple a Day]

I have one and have a .32 ACP conversion cylinder. Accuracy is a little better with the actual Nagant ammo than with .32 S&W Long or ACP but none of them gives you stellar performance.
Now I'm curious, though. I'll have to grab some more Nagant ammo and so some of my wahido testing versus catalogues.

 

[DPris]

I did the surplus chronographing about two weeks ago. The PRVI was a couple years back.
Two different guns.
Denis

Forgot to include that the .32 was chronographed about 13 years ago, in a third gun.

 

[ABitterPill]

Hey guys been searching and the priv ammo is all out of stock.There are some 7.62 nagant ammo out there but for 50 rounds the 32 cost the same.I heard 12 inches is good penetration.As for reloading if 7 rounds isn't enough I picked the wrong fight.So no one has tried any testing with .32 sw? Might try some lrn and wadcutter fiouchi's once I get me a nagant and test myself.I will also try some 7.62 ammo.

 

[Kleanbore]

Anemic round, miserable double action pull, slow to load and unload, large....

There are better choices--many of them.

 

[Twmaster]

As pointed out the 32 ammo will bulge and may split. For the same money you can get PRVI and it's the correct size for the gun and is reloadable.

You can buy PRVI on the shelf in Cabela's. My local store has it.

Now, having said that... The Nagant is a fun plinking gun. In a pinch it would be better than no handgun but as also pointed out there are a lot better choices for SD situations. If price is the limiting factor there are other inexpensive options. (or you can save up and buy a truly good gun).

I own a Nagant and reload for it. It would not be my choice for SD. (truck gun etc)

 

[ABitterPill]

Hey just checked ammunitiontogo and they have priv and fiouchi 7.62 ammo instock.And just to let you guys know if I get one I have no plans of using the da I am a single action man.

 

[Kleanbore]

Posted by ABitterPill: And just to let you guys know if I get one I ave no plans of using the da I am a single action man.

All knowledgeable experts recommend against cocking a single action revolver in a defensive situation.

The reasons have to do with significant degradation of fine motor skills in a stressful situation and the resultant risk of an unintended discharge.

It is for that reason that the hammer spurs of many DA revolvers in law enforcement usage were removed, and that most of today's police pistols are either striker fired or DA/SA.

You would be far better off acquiring a used .38 Special Colt, Ruger, or Smith and Wesson.

 

[ABitterPill]

Okay may not use it as a truck gun but still might get one to try it out.Thanks for the info guys.

 

[WardenWolf]

I do not recommend the Nagant for a self-defense weapon, but it will work in a pinch. The usual substitute ammo is .32 H&R Magnum. As others have said, though, proper ammo is once again in production and is relatively easy to find. They're an interesting weapon from another time, and I'd like to own one eventually.

 

[zoom6zoom]

You would be far better off acquiring a used .38 Special Colt, Ruger, or Smith and Wesson.

Or even a Jennings! (yes, that's how bad a choice the Nagant is for a defensive weapon. They were carried more as a badge of office by officers, rather than as a combat arm. Works fine if you're just shooting partisans in the back of the head.)

 

[ABitterPill]

Come guys Haten on the nagant can't be that bad?I guess I could go for a bazooka.

 

[kingcheese]

I handload for it, and used fiochi and privi, and have the original on hand, the original catridge makes this gun a fire breathing and scooting down the lane at around 900fps, this gun was also used by the Russians for a long time, if it worked for them, it'll work for you

 

[DPris]

Did you try AIM and J&G for surplus?

By all means get one if you like 'em, as I said I have three, and three Mosin Nagant rifles.
Great affordable pieces of classic miltary armaments.
But, the revolver remains a very poor choice for SD for the reasons listed.
That's not "hating" on the gun, it's very simply being practical.

Even at 900 FPS, a relatively light flatnose jacketed bullet is not as ballistically efficient as a heavier semi-wad .38 Special, for example, traveling at about 850 FPS.
It doesn't expand, and it leaves a relatively small wound channel.

The problem with single-action fire in today's world is a potential risk, as Kleanbore mentions.

The role of the Nagant revolver in the Russian military machine was extremely limited, and it was largely issued to soldiers whose assignments essentially did not require a gun.
It shoots, but poorly.

You'd be much better off finding a decent $250 used S&W .38 Special for your truck gun.
Much more efficient to shoot, more effective & easier-to-locate ammunition, you can get it worked on if anything goes bad, and there's practical leather available if you decide to carry the thing outside your truck.
Denis

 

[ABitterPill]

Thanks guys I will try out the 32 sw longs but might just stick with the fiouchi 7.62 nagants.Hey I know this is off topic but would one of those onld Taurus Model 82 revolvers serve what I am looking for?They were police trade ins.

 

[Twmaster]

If you want a good deal on a wheel gun Bud's has S&W model 10's for $269 shipped. (38SPL police trade-in guns)

 

[Clark]

I have a few 1895 Nagant revolvers and I think they are disgusting.

The 1895 designer must have seen the 1874 Colt single action army. That is a great design.
How could anyone design that 1895 piece of junk after having seen the 1874 SAA?

Disgusting.

 

[CraigC]

You mean the 1873 Single Action Army, which actually debuted in 1872???

I really can't find a good reason to own a Nagant. Even as cheap as they are.

 

[Cosmoline]

There are a lot of good reasons to own a Nagant revolver. First off they're darn near indestructible. Second, they're ultra-reliable. Third, they're cheap. Forth, with the proper ammo they are dead-on accurate. Fifth, they'll put lead down range when needed. The trigger pull is brutal in double action mode, but you get used to it. And I really like the balance of the piece.

They're not the most potent of military sidearms, but they will work and have seen a lot more combat than the vaunted 1911. The biggest downside to the Nagant is the archaic loading system.

How could anyone design that 1895 piece of junk after having seen the 1874 SAA?

The SAA is a completely different firearm. It's a single action black powder cartridge revolver. The Nagant is a smokeless European revolver with a completely different background. Under no set of circumstances would a Colt SAA be a good choice for a truck gun.

 

[CraigC]

First off they're darn near indestructible. Second, they're ultra-reliable. Third, they're cheap. Forth, with the proper ammo they are dead-on accurate. Fifth, they'll put lead down range when needed.

So are a lot of other guns that are far more interesting, powerful, accurate, useful, attractive and fun to shoot.

 

[Cosmoline]

How much do they cost, though? And would you leave them behind the seat of your pickup truck?

Anyway I think they are beautiful. And there's an easy way to overcome the slow loading time--carry a Polish Reload.



http://www.forgottenweapons.com/vintage-saturday-no-such-thing-as-overarmed/

 

[CraigC]

Gotta .32H&R Single Six that will do the same thing, is just as indestructible and only cost me $250. An XD .45 serves truck duty.