I'm thinking about purchasing one from Aim, anything I should know?
http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Russian_1895_7.62_Nagant_Revolver.html
http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Russian_1895_7.62_Nagant_Revolver.html
Anyone have a Nagant?
- Thread starter Crawfish141
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Only buy it as a collector/conversation piece if you collect Soviet/Russian stuff or are interested in obsolete arms.
The Internet Conjecture says that they are mostly double action only, but a few are DA / SA or SAO. I hear they have terrible heavy triggers. People say the ammo is expensive, but I've seen ~ $25 a box ammo somewhere online. More rumors abound about using .32 revolver cartridges with less than stellar accuracy.
If I could find one in DA / SA with a decent trigger, I'd consider it... I dont think they are legal in California anyway, so I'm just hosed. Fascinating history!
If I could find one in DA / SA with a decent trigger, I'd consider it... I dont think they are legal in California anyway, so I'm just hosed. Fascinating history!
They are $99 at my local shop.
EDIT: only $80 at AIM, i may have to get one for display purposes!
EDIT: only $80 at AIM, i may have to get one for display purposes!
They are not DA only, almost all are DA/SA. The DA pull is so heavy only a chimp can use them DA. vit gave some very good advice.
I looked at a Nagant in a gun shop a couple of years ago, and it was in such good shape, I thought about getting it... until I picked it up (and after making sure it was unloaded) dry fired the thing. I almost had to put a second finger on the trigger in order to pull it, the DA pull was so heavy. (About a week later, I read an article on one in a gun magazine, the author had the same experience, saying that his first thought was "is it broken?"). The single action trigger was awful as well, but was at least manageable with merely human physical strength.
I will never understand why the Russians ever adopted the Nagant, since at the time they took it into service, they already had a revolver that was markedly superior in every way. When they traded in the S&W revolvers they had adopted in the 1870s for the Nagant, they traded a potent, manstopping cartridge for a pipsqueak one. They traded a break top with automatic ejection, which could be reloaded very quickly, for a revolver that had to have its cartridges loaded one at a time through a loading gate, and ejected, again one at a time, with a rod (and not a spring loaded one either, so it's slower than the one on a Colt SAA). And they traded a revolver with a very good single action pull for one with a horrible one. The only theoretical advantage they gained was with the double action trigger, and since that was so heavy as to render it unusable, it was no gain at all. The gun was surely seldom fired in DA mode. I can't even imagine shooting a revolver accurately with such a heavy DA pull. It surely can't be possible to hit anything beyond point blank range with it; the effort of pulling that nautilus machine-like trigger would inevitably pull one's shot off the point of aim.
I will never understand why the Russians ever adopted the Nagant, since at the time they took it into service, they already had a revolver that was markedly superior in every way. When they traded in the S&W revolvers they had adopted in the 1870s for the Nagant, they traded a potent, manstopping cartridge for a pipsqueak one. They traded a break top with automatic ejection, which could be reloaded very quickly, for a revolver that had to have its cartridges loaded one at a time through a loading gate, and ejected, again one at a time, with a rod (and not a spring loaded one either, so it's slower than the one on a Colt SAA). And they traded a revolver with a very good single action pull for one with a horrible one. The only theoretical advantage they gained was with the double action trigger, and since that was so heavy as to render it unusable, it was no gain at all. The gun was surely seldom fired in DA mode. I can't even imagine shooting a revolver accurately with such a heavy DA pull. It surely can't be possible to hit anything beyond point blank range with it; the effort of pulling that nautilus machine-like trigger would inevitably pull one's shot off the point of aim.
I have one but I have never shot it. I bought it to go along with some of my other WWII firearms. It is a cool revolver though.
Later,
Person
Later,
Person
The Russians never liked the S&W top break .44, too big, heavy and prone to breakage. In the Russian mind set a handgun was a status symbol. The double action 94 was for officers and the single action only was for NCOs. Since very, very few NCOs were issued handguns, there are very few single action only 94 Nagants. Then at the onset of WWII , to save production cost and time only the double action 94 Nagants was made. In 1894, at the time of it's acceptance it was state of the art ( for Europe ). and you do know the Nagant is not a Russian design.
Yes, I know it's not a Russian design; it's a Belgian design. I still don't see the sense of it. A pistol may be a status symbol for most, but as a weapon of pretty much last resort, if it ever is needed, it's going to be needed in the worst way. The last thing I'd want in my holster in that situation is man jewelry. I'd want a practical firearm, and with the S&W weighing 2 lbs 8oz, and the Nagant 1lb 10oz, the weight savings just isn't something you'd notice much in a holster. I have never heard that the Russians didn't like the S&W either, or that it was unreliable. I have heard that they did want the pistol to be lighter though (whether that's wise or not), and to have the same diameter bore as the Mosin Nagant rifle, however (though this still makes no sense to me -- it's not like the ammo would be interchangeable).
I find the old Ivan kind of interesting, and that includes shooting- Yes the trigger is heavy, because of the way in which the cylinder is moved forward to seal against the forcing cone/barrel. If that bothers you, don't buy it as a shooter-
However, if you enjoy the process, and take things a bit slower, maybe don't shoot a couple of hundred rounds per outing, shooting this beast can have a satisfaction all its own...and as an inexpensive trail/garage/truck/pack gun it fills a certain niche...
Just my 2 cents, YMMV
However, if you enjoy the process, and take things a bit slower, maybe don't shoot a couple of hundred rounds per outing, shooting this beast can have a satisfaction all its own...and as an inexpensive trail/garage/truck/pack gun it fills a certain niche...
Just my 2 cents, YMMV
I have two,a 1939 and a 1928.both shoot to point of aim,and have decent triggers.I just bought two more boxes of ''Hotshot'' 7.62x38 from Midway,which seems to be Privi Partizan,some of the finest made ammo in the world [try the 8mm Mauser,you'll never go back to milsurp!] and I shoot reloaded .32 H&R mags in them as well as I'll be reloading the 7.62 with RCBS dies.The 7.62 set I got had no shell holder,but since I just got one,I'm good to go.Next I'll try hand fitting a .32 acp cylinder to the '28.
CajunBass
Member
I've got one. It was $79.95 or something like that. I figured "why not?"
I've never fired it. Probably never will. Still fun to have.
I've never fired it. Probably never will. Still fun to have.
Anything you need to know:
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/4064/PersCollection/M1895page.html
http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18
Nagants can be extremely accurate guns mechanically. The unique gas-sealing mechanism aligns the barrel with cylinder chambers even if the timing of the gun is a bit sloppy. After the war, many Nagants were converted to 25m centerfire competition pistols just by adding adjustable sights, anatomic grip and some weight to the barrel. SA trigger pull can be lightened considerably by inserting a small nut between the trigger spring and grip frame.
I had one. It was a good shooter too. I used .32 S&W long. Never had an issue and at 10 yards, 1 1/2 inch groups were common.
The secret is that Chicks dig Nagant revolvers, I am not joking.
Female comes over, sees that I own guns.
CZ550 Rifle (that pritty woodwork)
Model 15, model 36 S&W (ooo, they match!)
My BHP (looks like a gun)
Nagant (ooo, its CUTE!)
every time.
In all seriousness, they are a curio more then a "real gun" as they DA pull is well, horrid. However getting a Mosin and a Nagant made in the same year at the same factory is a easy and inexpensive "russian/soviet" arms collection. That, and they are VERY accurate in good condition.
Female comes over, sees that I own guns.
CZ550 Rifle (that pritty woodwork)
Model 15, model 36 S&W (ooo, they match!)
My BHP (looks like a gun)
Nagant (ooo, its CUTE!)
every time.
In all seriousness, they are a curio more then a "real gun" as they DA pull is well, horrid. However getting a Mosin and a Nagant made in the same year at the same factory is a easy and inexpensive "russian/soviet" arms collection. That, and they are VERY accurate in good condition.
I have one... The DA pull is horrid, but manageable. The SA pull is better.
CURRENTLY, I have the thing loaded and in my safe... In case I get robbed, I can do a full blown movie scene. You know, the bad guys let you reach into the safe without watching and you grab the gun instead of the stack and start a gun fight...
Hey, everything has to have a purpose right.
Power wise the factory loads are like .32 s&w. Stars and Stripes does reloads that match the original mil spec, which puts it around a .32 mag.
CURRENTLY, I have the thing loaded and in my safe... In case I get robbed, I can do a full blown movie scene. You know, the bad guys let you reach into the safe without watching and you grab the gun instead of the stack and start a gun fight...
Hey, everything has to have a purpose right.
Power wise the factory loads are like .32 s&w. Stars and Stripes does reloads that match the original mil spec, which puts it around a .32 mag.
BCRider
Member
I understand that the Nagants were used mostly for the officers to chase the troops forward or for doling out discipline for desertion. In that role it's likely fine since it would be OK for up close. And as a way to scare the conscripts into moving forward it's more about the noise and some splash of dirt to "inspire" them so accuracy would not be a big requirement.
i have one. buy one as a toy, not as an actual gun. the double action trigger is beyond terrible.
they're pretty accurate though.
they're pretty accurate though.
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