Just for kicks...Nagant revolver

[Dr_2_B]

Anyone ever keep one for self defense... perhaps on the farm or something? Would anyone trust it to defend yourself? How would you compare it's efficacy to more popular calibers?

 

[19-3Ben]

It's just a Nagant M1895 revolver. Mosin-Nagant is a rifle.

 

[Ron James]

If that is the only thing available, it is a lot better than a sharp stick. The 1894 Nagant was obsolete in 1894, only the Russians would keep making something like that for 40 years

 

[The_Next_Generation]

Actually, whats cool about those revolvers is that they can be suppressed. I believe the cylinder moves forward to close the gap that normally allows gases to escape out of the sides (making revolvers inherently "un-suppressable").

Here is a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvF4...xt=C3a44d22UDOEgsToPDskIVqanqbdaEHWypYNwahL6i

- TNG

 

[Telekinesis]

Just as a general point, one doesn't often associate "just for kicks" and self defense

I think it would be a fun gun to shoot at the range, but I wouldn't use it for defense unless it was an absolute last resort. Modern commercial loads are a good bit less powerful than the military load originally was, and that puts its power level between about .32 and .380 or so. The DA trigger pull is terrible as well seeing as you have to move the entire cylinder forward as well as all the other actions a typical DA revolver would have. I would honestly choose a Makarov first.

 

[cleardiddion]

I used to keep one in the glovebox and on the hip when out in the woods.

Can't say it was the best thing ever but it was more than functional.

 

[DWFan]

My niece has one. She lives alone now and it's all she could afford. I sent her a .32 ACP cylinder rechambered to .32-20 and had her brother pick up 100 rounds of ammo for her. She shoots the gun SA and I understand she's pretty decent with it.

 

[Elm Creek Smith]

I have one, and it shoots pretty well with Hotshot ammunition loaded by Prvi Partisan. I would not use it for defensive purposes if I had something more effective, but I would trust my life to it. I can make headshots at 25 yards single action with it. Mine was manufactured at Tula in 1929.

The .32 ACP cylinder loaded with CorBon would probably make it more effective than the FMJ 7.62X28R ammo.

ECS

 

[mashaffer]

Seems like if you trust a .32 H&R or hot loaded .32 S&W long then the Nagant should be fine. If you wouldn't then not so much.

mike

 

[Stainz]

Check out the gunboards.com 1895 Nagant specific forum for more info. They are an oddity - and, I suppose, could be pushed into self defense use - but a ~.30 caliber ~100gr FMJ at 760 fps isn't awe-inspiring. Don't fool with aftermarket different calibe cylinders - just find the Serbian made 'Hot Shot' ammo (below) and be happy. Refurbished, they have a 20+ lbDA pull - SA is a bit less. Tweaked, you might break 20 lb DA.



You can get a Curio & Relic ffl and have them delivered to your home. They did come with a holster, lanyard, screwdriver, and cleaning rod - and ran as low as $65 several years ago - much more now. They were made for fifty years - until 1945.

Stainz

PS The correct ammo is 7.62 x 38r.

 

[RaceM]

Mine's a '45 refurb, converted to 22LR. Shoots fine, but the DA pull is terrible. I want another one to convert to 22 magnum. They're good guns, and with a hotter 32 load they'll do for SD use. The original loading is pretty anemic.

 

[smokey30725]

Who did the 22 conversion? I was thinking of picking up a pair of them. I would love to keep one original and also shoot the various 32 loads out of it and a 22 conversion on the other would be just plain fun.

 

[Nakanokalronin]

Mine is a 1914 refurb. Tight and still a great shooter. Fun guns to shoot, ammo is getting harder to find but .32S&W Longs, and H&R Magnums have been reported to work fine with some slight case bulging but I haven't done it myself.

 

[Flint Ridge]

I think it would make an excellent hammer, so it would work for self defense. Caliber is sufficient, there are better and worse. You might want to check the SA pull which seems about 20#, the DA doubles as a safety. Here are some pic's I snapped of my nephew's. Checkout that firing pin

 

[Sergei Mosin]

I knew Léon Nagant. Léon Nagant was a good friend of mine. But I haven't carried his revolver since 1902.

OK, now that I'm done channeling my namesake, I have a Nagant and I enjoy it as a plinker, but I wouldn't use it for self-defense unless it was the only gun I had. Modern commercial ammunition is too lightly loaded and the double-action trigger pull has got to be at least 20 pounds.

I suppose if you really wanted to, you could tune a Nagant for self-defense. You'd need to use military surplus ammunition or make up some handloads to military specifications, and you'd need to lighten the trigger so that it could be fired effectively in DA mode. It might be a fun project, but it's still not going to be a great SD gun.

 

[RaceM]

Smokey- I did the conversion myself. New barrel (turned on the lathe to similar contours of the original), new firing pin, cylinder inserts, lightened cylinder return spring, and a little frame work to clear the new firing pin and prevent the cartridges from hanging up in the breech block tunnel.

 

[Pyro]

I'd buy a Nagant Revolver if the the local shop wasn't selling it for $250.
That gun has been sitting there for years

 

[Stainz]

I thought the Nagant brothers were Ettoire and Emille?

I wouldn't shoot the .32 H&RM rounds in the Nagant, although some sellers did suggest them (No one does now - the pressure is too high and the cartridge cases will expand/bulge!). The OEM 7.62 x 38r cartridge is tapered - like an M1 Carbine (Don't shoot them, either!) round. It certainly isn't straight walled - like the .32 S&WL, etc. The softer brass of a .32 S&WL, like the less expensive Magtechs, will split, too - definitely wear good eye protection. In any case, the bulged .32 S&WL/H&RM cases - even if they don't split - are rendered useless and cannot be reloaded. Fiocchi and the less expensive Serbian 'Hot Shot' ammo, Prvi Partizan (See box in my picture.) work great, if a bit expensive ($45 for Fiocchi; $26 for PrviPartizan - both 50 round boxes and nearly identical ballistically - ~800 fps.). The Russian made 'target ammo', <700fps, seems to have dried up. The original 'combat loads', reportedly ~100gr nearing 1,000 fps, haven't been available anywhere I know of since my interest started ~6+ years ago.

Stainz

 

[Mp7]

there were probably more people killed with that model
than with any other issued military sidearm ....

... as a beater gun for the tool-box .. sure, why not?

 

[harmon rabb]

Anyone ever keep one for self defense... perhaps on the farm or something? Would anyone trust it to defend yourself? How would you compare it's efficacy to more popular calibers?

I have one. Have never used it for self defense because I have better options, but I do trust it to go bang every time. They're turds... but they're reliable turds that last forever. Would take one over a hi-point for self defense if that was all I could afford.

I suppose if you wanted a gun to toss in a toolbox or tacklebox and never worry about, the Nagant would be a decent choice. For defense, I'd load it with whatever JHP .32h&r mag load I could find.

 

[Nakanokalronin]

The original 'combat loads', reportedly ~100gr nearing 1,000 fps, haven't been available anywhere I know of since my interest started ~6+ years ago.

I know a place that sells sealed tins of the original military stuff but we're talking 1,092rds for $550 or 14rds for $8. Kind of expensive for a less then stellar round.

Here you go: http://www.rguns.net/ammo.shtml

The Russian made 'target ammo', <700fps, seems to have dried up.

I also had a box of those old yellow Russian target loads and they were the nastiest stuff I've ever used. Lots of smoke, lots of stink and not much fun.

 

[Hamilton Felix]

I must confess to a slight itch here. And Dad has been expressing an interest in the Nagant. Sure it's a plinker, making less rational sense in America today than a .32 auto. But it's cool because it's a design oddity. So is the Webley Fosbery automatic revolver. Something wonderfully different.

I think you can get dies for the cartridge, though I expect reloading is interesting.

Correct, it could be suppressed. And suppressors are legal in my state. Also, I learned that some supressors can be used for more than one caliber. One might perhaps spend the big dollars and hassle with the paperwork for a 9mm suppressor, then thread the barrel of a Nagant (hopefully, they're still cheap enough that you don't get a guilt trip over "defacing" a collectible) use the same suppressor on the Nagant for fun and quiet practice.

Just for a "kit gun" to carry in the woods, the Nagant would lend you a bit of character.

 

[lathedog]

I think they are a good sturdy revolver. I would prefer something else, but would expect them to fire reliably if provided with good ammo.

I believe the cylinder is only locked when the trigger is held back, so the cylinders can turn freely at other times, but probably would not turn in a holster. Not a huge problem, but nice to know. A lot of guys like to carry differing loads in a revolver out on the farm (a few snake shot loads for close in snakes, a few hollow points, maybe a hard cast solid or two at the end); if the cylinder did its own thing without consulting you, you might be unhappy when you found out.

I question the effectiveness of the ammo as compared to 9mm, 40 S&W, etc. But compared to being unarmed, it is pretty effective after all.

When these first got dumped into our (US) civilian arms market, they were selling as low as $49 at times. Then they crept up but are back down in price, I think due to more imports. I'd expect them to go back up in price if the importation dries up (whether due to admin reasons or supply drying up).

A good S&W 38 special would be a better bet, and can be found for $250ish if you look carefully, depending on where you live and all that. For under $100, not much else beats a 1895 Nagant revolver.