Nagant M1895
| Nagant Revolver | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Service Pistol |
| Place of origin |  Belgium /  Russia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1895-Present |
| Used by | USSR, Argentina, Belgium, Russian Empire, Norway, Sweden, Greece |
| Wars | Russo-Japanese War, World War I, Russian Civil War, World War II, others |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Emile & Léon Nagant |
| Designed | 1886 |
| Manufacturer | Nagant, Soviet Arsenals (Tula & Izhevsk) |
| Produced | 1895-1945 (1895-1898 Nagant, 1899-1945 Tula, 1943-1945 Izhevsk) |
| No. built | approx 2,000,000 |
| Variants | Single-action NCO version, .22 caliber sporting model |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1.8lb (0.8kg), unloaded |
| Length | 10.5in. (235mm) |
| Barrel length | 4.5in. (114mm) |
| Cartridge | mostly 7.62 x 38 R (7.62mm Nagant), .22 LR |
| Caliber | 7.62mm (and others) |
| Action | Double Action revolver |
| Rate of fire | 14-21 rounds/minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 750ft/s (272m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 25yds |
| Maximum firing range | 200yds |
| Feed system | 7-round cylinder |
| Sights | fixed front post and rear notch |
The Nagant Revolver was designed and produced by a Belgian industrialist, Léon Nagant. It was adopted, in various forms, by the police and military services of Sweden (as M1887 in 7.5 mm calibre), Norway (as M1893), Poland, France (in 8 mm) and Greece (as Peristrofon M1895), among others. The most famous user though was Russia, who adopted it as the model of 1895.
Russian M1895
Léon Nagant and his brother Emile were well known in the Russian Tsar's court and military administration because of the important part they had played in the design of the Russian service rifle, the Mosin-Nagant model of 1891. The Nagant M1895 became the standard issue side arm for Russian army and police officers, later including the special services, the NKVD and the KGB.
Production began in Liège, Belgium, but was soon moved to Russia. The revolver began to be replaced by a more modern, semi-automatic pistol, the Tokarev, in 1933, but it was still produced and used in great numbers during the Great Patriotic War. Its distinctive shape and name helped it achieve cult status in Russia, and in the early 1930s the presentation of a Nagant M1895 revolver with an embossed Red Star was one of the greatest honours that could be bestowed on a Party Member. Production and usage continued until 1950, making it one of the longest-serving side arms in modern military history, but not longer than the Webley Service Revolver (1887-1963) and the Colt M1911 (1911-1984). It is still in use with the Russian Railways and various remote police forces.
Technical Characteristics
Most other (non-gas seal) revolvers have a small gap between the cylinder and the barrel; the small gap between the cylinder and barrel is necessary to allow the revolver's cylinder to revolve, presenting a new, loaded chamber for firing. This necessitates that the bullet jump the gap when fired, which may have an adverse effect on accuracy, especially if the barrel and chamber are misaligned, and also presents a path for the escape of high-pressure and high-temperature gases from behind the bullet. The M1895 has a mechanism which, as the hammer is cocked, first turns the cylinder and then moves it forward, closing the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. The cartridge, also unique, plays an important part in sealing the gun to the escape of propellant gases. The bullet is deeply seated, entirely within the cartridge case, and the case is slightly reduced in diameter at its mouth. The barrel features a short conical section at its rear; this accepts the mouth of the cartridge, completing the gas seal. By sealing the gap, the velocity of the bullet is increased by 50 to 150 ft/s (15 to 45 m/s).
This closed firing system meant that the Nagant revolver, unlike other revolvers, could be effectively fitted with a suppressor, as indeed it was [1]. During World War II, a small number of Nagant revolvers used by Russian recon and scout troops were outfitted with a variety of sound suppressor known as the “Bramit device.” The Cheka/NKVD/KGB were known to use the silenced Nagant for assassinations. Silenced Nagant revolvers, modified in clandestine metal shops, also turned up in the hands of Viet Cong guerrillas during the Vietnam War as assassination weapons. There is an example of a silenced Nagant M1895 in the CIA Museum in Langley, Virginia.
However, success had its price. Nagant revolvers had to be reloaded one cartridge at a time through a loading gate with the need to manually eject each of the used cartridges. Therefore, reloading was laborious and time-consuming. However, the loaded revolver was safer to carry around and could stay loaded for longer periods of time. This was a major factor in the longevity of the weapon: such features made the weapon a good choice for those who had to carry the gun a lot, but did not need to fire it often, like officers or policemen. This, the ability to use a silencer, and the large number of "free" Nagant revolvers available from Russian army reserves put the weapon on the short list of options whenever a self-defense gun was needed.
The Nagant M1895 was made in both single-action and double-action models before and during World War I; they are known colloquially as the “Private model” and the “Officer’s model”, respectively. Production of the single-action model seems to have stopped after 1918, with some exceptions, including examples made for target competition. Most single-action revolvers were later converted to double-action, making original single-action revolvers rather rare.
Cartridge
The Nagant M1895 fires a unique cartridge, 7.62 Nagant, also known as 7.62x38R (Rimmed) or "Cartridge, Type R." The projectile is seated below the mouth of the cartridge, with the cartridge crimp sitting just above the bullet. When fired in the Nagant revolver, the crimp expands into the forcing cone, completing the gas seal and ostensibly increasing muzzle velocity by approximately 75 ft/s.
The 7.62mm calibre was chosen, in part, to simplify the tooling used in barrel-making and manufacture of projectiles—the Russian service rifle of the time—the Mosin Nagant M91 featured an identical bore diameter, being chambered for the 7.62x54R rifle cartridge.
Handloading supplies (particularly proper brass) are relatively difficult to obtain for the 7.62 Nagant.
Three other cartridges—.32 S&W, .32 S&W Long, and .32 H&R Magnum—will also chamber and fire in the revolver, but will not achieve the gas seal.
References
- Wilson, Royce: "The Nagant M1895 Revolver". Australian & New Zealand Handgun, Issue 4 (January 2006).
- Gerard, HENROTIN : "The Nagant Revolvers", H&L Publishing - HLebooks.com 2001
