Nagant revolver

[Battis]

I saw one in Montana years ago for around $150. I actually got a C&R license to purchase that gun but things happened and it never came about. Don't see them too often on the East Coast but I found two recently - one in good shape, a newer one in much better shape.
I'm thinking that I might get the older, cheaper one, as a collectible, not a shooter (though I do have a box of ammo).
Any thoughts on these novelty revolvers?
My C&R, which I need to buy it, expires in two days, and I'm not renewing it.

[Targa]

I would sure like to have one but at the prices they are going for today I think I missed the boat.

[Sasquatch-1]

They definitely turn an eye at the range. It's the most novel gun I have every handled.

[Daekar]

I like the cartridge, it's just the right amount of power to be satisfying. Supposedly reloadable, although I haven't tried yet. My example is sturdy, easy to understand, and easy to field strip. It is reliable, and the single action trigger (which is supposedly what they expected the officers to use) is actually not half bad. The double action trigger is just as bad as internet lore would lead you to believe, my wife couldn't squeeze the trigger hard enough without both hands. I enjoy suffering, so I shoot it double action on the special occasions when it comes out to play. Mine doesn't really shoot to the sights, at least not with the ammo I've tried.

I am not a collector, so I can't really tell you if it's a good investment or not, but it's certainly an interesting gun to which you're unlikely to find an equivalent. Mine survived the purge of all the guns I didn't really shoot, including some nice CZ and H&K pistols.

[Battis]

I'm an accidental collector. I bought some loaded rounds a few years ago, now I need the gun. Reloading does look like a challenge. They have two at the store - one's in good shape, the other is really good, though it looks like it might have been refurbished. $200 difference - I'll get the "good" one.

[Dutchman]

This one came from Century Arms for $50 when there was no ammo.



This is the Russian military ammo. Full power (which ain't sayin' much).


This yellow box stuff was available for a while. Very wimpy "target" loads.


The Fiocchi has the bullet weight 98 grs and velocity 1082 fps. Weaker than the military.

[poppy42]

Don’t own the gun (although I would like to) but I just happen to have some brass for it. I don’t have a lot, and I think some of it is berdan. I think it’s about 30 or 40 cases. I’m currently not at home and I’m not positive about the amount I would have to dig it out and see how much I actually have. Anyway what I’m getting at if someone is in need and would like this brass send me a PM and I’ll send it off to you!

Ps it will only go to someone who can actually use it! I’ll probably have you send me a picture of the weapon or something. I’ve done similar things for a couple of people not necessarily on this forum only to find the stuff up for sale again in three days! People that do things like that or just lowlifes in my book. I certainly don’t think anyone on this form falls into that category. But as I said I wanna make sure it’s going to somebody they can actually use it.

[Idz]

The DA trigger pull on the Nagant seems to be about 30 pounds. Not exactly a bullseye gun! The are several articles on re-loading for it. I've used Rainier 32 cal bullets.

[Stewbaby]

I’ve had two. Not very accurate or fun to shoot and when a trigger spring breaks, you have a paperweight.

[schutzen-jager]

got mine over 30 years ago complete with acessories + box of Russian ammo for $99.00 - never used it - sold it 3 months ago at my collectors association swap meet for $400.00 - i still have the box of ammo -

[HumptyDumpty]

They suppress very well, and some were threaded from the factory for that purpose. I've got everything I need to reload mine, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

[owejia]

Have two sitting in my safe waiting to be shot. Have several boxes of Fiocchi ammo, empty brass, Lee reloading dies and a mould to cast boolits for them. Maybe this fall will get to try them out. Life doesn't always cooperate!

[6string]

There was a target version known as the MTs-4, or sometimes the Type 49.
They were chambered for the original Nagant round, but could be had in 32 S&W long.
The sights are very crude (screw adjusted front sight for elevation, windage adjustable rear. No clicks, just friction screws.) but decent sight picture.

More info
http://gunlab.net/nagant-target-pistol/

[anothernewb]

huh, just shot one of those last Thursday. I should have saved the target myself apparently. put 6 shots in the black (50 foot slowfire target) at 30 feet. About a 2 in ch group. First one was a bad flier since the sights were way off for me. Considering everything he was telling me about the lack of accuracy with it he was quite impressed. He took the target home with him.

Heavy trigger though. wow. but really no recoil.

[reddog81]

Interesting concept but a terrible gun. Horrible trigger pull, single action style reloading gate, abysmal accuracy, pain to reload the cartridge. Having the DA trigger pull move the cylinder forward requires too many moving parts and ruins the trigger pull. Even single action the trigger is the worst of any gun I've shot.

Someone mentioned suppressing it, which would be cool if the barrel was threaded... Without a threaded barrel it's an absolutely useless feature and you'd have to move the front sight in order to get it threaded.

I'm glad they jumped up in price because I sold mine.

[Battis]

I have an 1860s Savage and North .36. Like the Nagant, the cylinder moves forward, forming a gas seal between the cylinder and forcing cone. Interesting concept.
I still haven't bought the Nagant yet. I have an antique Reichrevolver .44 Russian which might be enough Roosky gun for now.

[Noah Zark]

I have done trigger pull lightening jobs on a number of 1895 Nagant revolvers based on one in my collection that was a Finn capture; it has the characteristic deep almost black blueing and a "boxed SA" stamp.

What's of greater interest is how light the trigger pull is, about 7.2 lbs or so compared to 12 to 16 lbs of others in the collection. The difference is the lower leg of the SA's mainspring was ground thinner. I fired over 200 rds of Prvi and Fiocchi through the SA without a single failure to fire, and thinned the spring on a "shooter" condition Tula 95 with the same fail-free results. So I did some for others as well.

Made all the difference in shrinking group size. Still not a target gun, but I got 2" and less groups at 10 yds.

Noah

[ascast]

I'd like to know what your loading in these. Book says .295 with proper brass. Some guys shooting 32;s , .312 with 32-20 brass. So, who makes a .295 ish mold?

[TDB9901]

Haven't shot mine a lot, but get decent accuracy with Starline 32-20 brass and 30 carbine loading dies. You don't need to set the boolit deeply into the case to function. I leave it protruding from the shorter 3220 case to the same approximate length as the factory case. Mine seems to like the old hornady hollowbase .314 wadcutter over a bit of Bullseye or Red Dot. Lee TL 90 gr swc works too. I checked old data for early K frame Smith 32-20's for a ballpark starting point.

My bore slugs .312.
YMMV as always.

[wonderwolf]

I've used 32-20 brass to load for these, its a fun little round. I'd buy one all day at $125 or less. I think someday I would like to sleeve a contender barrel or handi rifle barrel to shoot this and have a pistol rifle combo