Russian Day at the Indoor Range: M44 and M1895

[Dave DeLaurant]

I own two 1895 Nagant gas seal revolvers that I equipped with Century Arms conversion cylinders for .32 ACP back when they were still available. These are easy to identify at a glance because they lack the Nagant's usual oval flutes between chambers.



I also own a Clymer .32 H&R chamber reamer, so converting the chambers on both of these cylinders was an easy and quick operation. With both the original and altered cylinders, these two revolvers can shoot a total of six different .32 cartridges.

I bought a clean 1954-dated Romanian M44 last year, and thought it would be spiffy to be able to shoot both types of Soviet-era weapons using the same cartridge.



Chamber converters in 7.62x54R to .32 revolver cartridges were marketed by Sportsmans Guide and Shooter's Box at one time, but the supply suddenly dried up a couple years ago.

Numrich/GPC does currently offer a converter that uses the bottlenecked 7.62 Tokarev autopistol cartridge, but I no longer shoot or handload that one:

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1367820

I had to wait quite a few months for delivery of my .32 H&R-to-7.62x54R chamber converters, but they finally arrived last Friday from MCA Sports. I needed to remove a small amount of material from the shoulder of both adapters before they would chamber in my rifle, so that's probably a sign that I should check headspace. This rifle has a matching-numbered bolt that works much more smoothly than other Mosins I've handled, plus a surprisingly light trigger.

I found that my rifle grouped a bit better with 100 gr. cast lead semi-wadcutters than with full HBWCs, as did my revolver. My 19-yard groups weren't super-tight, but they were acceptable for a first try.

 

[Riomouse911]

Cool way to make all of those old milsurps more versatile so you can shoot them more often .

I’m not enamored enough with Russian surplus arms to buy some and then have to build up an ammo stockpile, but I do like seeing the pictures and reading about how they shoot for folks. Your guns look awesome.

Stay safe.

 

[JCooperfan1911]

Worst handgun I ever owned.

I was “lucky” enough to get one where the forcing cone diameter was LARGER than the throats.

Upon firing any traditional 7.62x38mmR cartridges the case mouths would swell and flare out, ejection was virtually impossible. Further research showed many have made it into this country with this manufacturing flaw. Add to that the abysmal trigger pulls and Mickey Mouse ejector rod assembly, and it really was just... awful.

But they’re neat looking guns and a part of firearms history. I see they’re now going for close to $1K with all accesories and I think anyone paying a grand for an M1895 Nagant is truly a nut.

 

[1KPerDay]

That’s great!

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Worst handgun I ever owned. [snip]
But they’re neat looking guns and a part of firearms history. I see they’re now going for close to $1K with all accesories and I think anyone paying a grand for an M1895 Nagant is truly a nut.

Yeah, they've turned out to be the most unlikely blue chip investment I've ever made -- both of mine cost well south of $100 when I bought them!

There's something decidedly steampunk (a.k.a. impractical) about the way the cylinder clunks back and forth with each revolution of the cylinder. Despite plenty of competition, they have easily the worst double action trigger on any production military revolver.

Along with their long history, a definite attraction for me of the Russian Nagants is that they provide so many built-in excuses for producing poor groups.

I have the beginnings of a small/medium bore military revolver collection:



Maybe I'll score an 8mm Rast & Gasser or 1892 French revolver next. Or a Swedish Nagant -- those were manufactured to a higher standard than most of the Russians, despite selling in about the same ballpark.

 

[kBob]

Wonder if a converter for the M44 could be had in .327?

have you shot .32S&W Long in the converter and M44 or the M1985?

Thanks for posting and thanks for the video!

-kBob

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Wonder if a converter for the M44 could be had in .327?

have you shot .32S&W Long in the converter and M44 or the M1985?

Thanks for posting and thanks for the video!

-kBob

Not in the M44, but I have used .32 S&W Long HBWC loads with adapters in my MAS 36 and 1903 Springfield. They are indistinguishable from the .32 H&R in function and accuracy -- I use .32 H&R because I have far more ammo stockpiled.

If I was limited to factory ammo (and could afford it), .32 Long match wadcutter would be my ammo
of choice with adapters. https://www.lapua.com/cartridges/32-sw-lwc/

Same is true for the Nagant revolver, and with my Ruger .32s for that matter (SP101 and Single Six). If someone else loaded the revolver for me, I could not tell you from recoil or group size whether I was shooting Longs or H&R.

BTW, accuracy from the M1895 is a challenge with any ammo!

There's a fellow on eBay who is selling turned brass chamber adapters using a .327 Federal reamer for maximum ammo compatibility; at present he's not offering 7,62x54R, just .30-06, .303 British and 8x50R Lebel (I think).

I have a Ruger Single Seven and love shooting .327 in that, but I'd be very cautious about using full-pressure .327 in a chamber converter. Being rigid, the adapters do not obturate at the case neck so there can be the occasional bit of gas escaping via the breech. This could be a much bigger deal 45K psi than 21K (my handloads don't go even that high).

I've also been seeing good adapter accuracy at relatively low velocities; I'd like to say exactly what those velocities are, but the Labradar chronographs are on serious back-order right now.

 

[kBob]

thanks, muchly!

-kBob

 

[tark]

There's something decidedly steampunk (a.k.a. impractical) about the way the cylinder clunks back and forth with each revolution of the cylinder. Despite plenty of competition, they have easily the worst double action trigger on any production military revolver.

Nice Nagants but I'm not so sure about that trigger pull Dave, my Webley Mk. VI is pretty gruesome. I'm enjoying the books!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I love the M95, I find all it's "oddities" most enduring.

I got mine for $80 at a gun show, which included the .32acp cylinder. Mine is very accurate with the .32 cylinder, and I have taken grouse with it. I find that interesting as the free-bore with that short ACP case is...wait for it...long. Probably almost an inch from the nose of the bullet to the barrel. !!! With 7.62X38mm ammo I've not had much luck after a lot of experimentation. I also used .32-20 brass for a while and not much luck. But again works great with the .32acp/7.65 Browning cylinder.

Mine also has a large forcing cone, so 7.62X38mm is difficult to extract. But again, with the 7.65 Browning cylinder it makes a great, and unique, and quirky small game/survival pistol, with just enough power to use as wolf repellent.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Nice Nagants but I'm not so sure about that trigger pull Dave, my Webley Mk. VI is pretty gruesome. I'm enjoying the books!

Glad you like 'em!

My Mk VI actually has a pretty sweet trigger, SA & DA -- the runner-up behind the Nagant for me is the billygoat DA pull on the Swiss Ordnance 82/29.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I love the M95, I find all it's "oddities" most enduring.

I got mine for $80 at a gun show, which included the .32acp cylinder. Mine is very accurate with the .32 cylinder, and I have taken grouse with it. I find that interesting as the free-bore with that short ACP case is...wait for it...long. Probably almost an inch from the nose of the bullet to the barrel. !!! With 7.62X38mm ammo I've not had much luck after a lot of experimentation. I also used .32-20 brass for a while and not much luck. But again works great with the .32acp/7.65 Browning cylinder.

Mine also has a large forcing cone, so 7.62X38mm is difficult to extract. But again, with the 7.65 Browning cylinder it makes a great, and unique, and quirky small game/survival pistol, with just enough power to use as wolf repellent.

This older TFB video has some interesting discussion about the M1895, including the extraction problems:



I recently bought a bag of PPU Nagant revolver brass, which I trimmed for use in my M82/29 Swiss revolver in the manner described in this video. Grafs has a bunch of the stuff in stock right now at a fairly reasonable price.

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/77289

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Well, good video, but I think I figured that all out a long time ago. !!!

I have chronographed different lots of surplus ammo, and get up to 1000fps + or-. (with some wild velocity variations) So his finding of 750fps is more for the Fiocci ammo than the cartridge in general. Also the surplus "target" ammo (which is LESS accurate in my gun) is low velocity. But much of the surplus I have fired goes 1000fps.

Yep I got a boatload of PPU brass when they first produced it, but again, between difficult extraction (even with low velocity/grouse loads) and not great accuracy, I went back to the .32acp cylinder. My .32acp rounds in the gun, again, (Geco) are very accurate and clock in at 850-900fps (as I recall) which is more better for an all around, all purpose woods-bumming gun.

Of course the best thing about the pistol is when I stop to rest, eat something, or make my morning coffee, and I'm sitting with my back against a tree, and taking that sucker out, looking at it, and just thinking: "wow...this thing is too far out!". Something to "ponder on", or puzzle over. !!!