Surplus Nagant Revolvers are back.

[Mosin-Marauder]

I heard the C&H dies and the RCBS dies load the actual gas seal cartridge, but they are 98 and 168 dollars each, respectively. Grafs sells bullets for 12/100.

[noelf2]

Actually the Russian surplus they are selling now, if its the same as the 14 rounds per box stuff I already have, is milder than the commercial ammo. The pics look like it, same box, and the cases do not have the flanged mouth that seal the chamber when firing. When I ordered the last batch I was told it is target ammo.

The military surplus is definitely much more potent than the commercial ammo. For a while there was Russian target ammo that came in yellow 14 round boxes and had the same tapered case mouth vs the flange crimped case mouth of the commercial stuff. That stuff would bounce off a piece of plywood. This stuff isn't that. Some other companies still offer the milsurp ammo for it. Anyway, I still have an unopened spam can of the Nagant milsurp ammo and a bunch of loose as well. As infrequently as I shoot my Nagant, that should last me a good long time. I only wish I had picked up a couple more spam cans of surplus Tok ammo when they were $87 each. The moral to the story is: Get 'em while ya can because you'll want 'em when ya can't.

[deerslayer303]

This is very true noelf2. I buy the stuff whether I will use it right away or not.

[Cheapshooter]

The military surplus is definitely much more potent than the commercial ammo. For a while there was Russian target ammo that came in yellow 14 round boxes and had the same tapered case mouth vs the flange crimped case mouth of the commercial stuff.

So which is this?

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...roductId/24718

Looks like the same stuff I have, and was told is target ammo. Guess I'll have to set up the chrony when I get it to find out. I think I have some S&B around to add to the comparison as well. Now, waiting for UPS, and warmer weather.

[deerslayer303]

I would like to know your crony results. That's the stuff I shoot my pistol is way more accurate with it and it seems to have more bang than the factory PPU stuff.

[noelf2]

Cheapshooter what is pictured is the military surplus, and no place in the add says "target". That looks like the same stuff I got from AIMSurplus a few years ago. The stuff I got blows the socks off the Fiocchi and Hotshot/.prvi ammo. If I remember correctly, the russian target ammo (not mil-surp, came in a white or yellow 14 round box) had a deeply recessed bullet. Do the bullets in your nagant ammo look to be the same and recessed the same as those in the grafs picture?

EDIT: After looking at some ammo pictures online, I'm thinking there were surplus full power and target power loadings. If your 14 round boxes have an image of a target on them, you probably have a very light load. Anyway, someone on the grafs site left this review about the ammo back in 2012: "Reliable and pretty clean burning. As accurate as the new production PRVI stuff. Shot out of a 1936 Nagant revolver, it averaged 824.8 fps. PRVI 98 grain ammo averaged 637.2 fps for comparison." There was also a review in 2014 that claimed higher power than commercial stuff.

[Cheapshooter]

Looking back, the ammo I currently have most of is what's left of ten boxes of the surplus that was mentioned in a thread of March 2012. I think the target stuff I had was from an earlier order. Gonna have to go to the vault, and see exactly what I have. Just don't shoot the old 1895 all that much to remember.

[Mosin-Marauder]

For 250 I could get a revolver and 140 rounds of ammo. Including the holster and everything needed to maintain it. Ammo from grafs and the Nagant from AIM. It's more and more tempting by the second!

[Cheapshooter]

Cheapshooter what is pictured is the military surplus, and no place in the add says "target". That looks like the same stuff I got from AIMSurplus a few years ago. The stuff I got blows the socks off the Fiocchi and Hotshot/.prvi ammo. If I remember correctly, the russian target ammo (not mil-surp, came in a white or yellow 14 round box) had a deeply recessed bullet

Just checked the vault. Right you are. Except the yellow boxes with the target on the side are 50 round. The bullets appear to be lead swagged wad cutters, or SWC, and are seated a lot deeper.
I also have some Fiocchi, so weather permitting I can run all three over the chrony just for grins.

[Cheapshooter]

For 250 I could get a revolver and 140 rounds of ammo. Including the holster and everything needed to maintain it. Ammo from grafs and the Nagant from AIM. It's more and more tempting by the second!

If you want to stay in the milsurp guns, and Communist Bloc I would suggest the more modern, easier, and cheaper to feed 9X18 Makarov chambered CZ82.
More accurate, better shooting, and more versitile than the Nagant. I'm not sure what the retail market is on them right now, but the C&R distributor prices are still pretty reasonable.

[deerslayer303]

Who has CZ82'S in stock? I haven't seen them available lately. With that said Cheap shooter is right that pistol is fantastic!

[noelf2]

CZ82s are great, so are P64s. But a collector has to have a Nagant revolver. It's not about the looks of the gun or the ammo it shoots. It's about the history.

[Model12Win]

I might have to hit up my local FFL tomorrow and get them to send there FFL to AIM so I can get a Nagant! They are still in stock.

[DPris]

I've chronographed Russian surplus from J&G at 919 FPS. 5 shots at 25 yards best group was 2 5/8 inches.

PRVI Partisan at 637 FPS, 3.5 inches at 25 yards.
There's a wide range of velocities out there.

Some Nagants are better than others, I wouldn't consider the average one to be especially accurate.
Denis

[Mosin-Marauder]

Not sure I should buy one or not. Be pretty neat to have/fun to shoot.

[noelf2]

"Mosin-Marauder" and you're wondering whether you should get a Nagant revolver?

Look at it as an investment. ALL of the C&R guns I've collected over the years have gone way up in value, and they have never gone back down. You just can't go wrong with them. Those Nagant revolvers will not be available long. They will be gone in a couple weeks, and then your only options will be to do without or pay the going rate. Either way, you'll be kicking yourself.

All guns are good investments, but C&R milsurp guns are exceptional investments from my experience. You just have to get them while they're readily available and inexpensive. And a C&R FFL comes in handy.

[Mosin-Marauder]

I could get the C&H dies and load the actual gas seal cartridge if I got tired of buying loaded ammo. Not using .32-20/etc. I suppose I should take the leap. If I don't like it it could always be sold and I'd get my a bit more than I spent on it. I've been saving up for quite some time now.

[dogrunner]

You can buy a set of Lee's dies for little cost..........they'll load either the longer cartridge or the shorter conversions. Try around 7.5 grains of Blue Dot under a 100 gr. cast............works great in my '41 Tula.

Note that when I bought the Lee dies I did have to mod the seating die to insert the bullet to a deeper seat. Simply took a piece of plastic rod and inserted it behind the seating plug....works great. Bullet is also out of a Lee mould and sized .308 on my Ly. 450 w/alox during sizing..........I also dribble some of the Lee liquid alox on top of the seated bullet.......leading is non existant even with a less than pristine bore.

Gun shoots quite accurately but DA will test your resolve!!!

[Cheapshooter]

CZ82s are great, so are P64s. But a collector has to have a Nagant revolver. It's not about the looks of the gun or the ammo it shoots. It's about the history.

Agreed, but.

I'm really considering one of these for my first handgun. I don't want a .22, and another piece of history would be awesome. Ammo's not too bad. 22/50 PPU rounds or 3.49-4.99 for 14 surplus. Plus it's a revolver. It'd pair nicely with my Mosin. Then I'd have a Mosin/Nagant!

I still think for a Mosin-Marauder's first handgun there are better choices.
No doubt the 1895 Nagunt is fun to shoot, what gun isn't? It's also an interesting collector. But for a first, and maybe only for some time handgun something with better ammo available would be better.

[DPris]

As a collector piece, worth having.

As a first handgun, to learn handgunning with, a bad choice.
Denis

[noelf2]

But for a first, and maybe only for some time handgun something with better ammo available would be better.

For what?

As a first handgun, to learn handgunning with, a bad choice.

I missed the part where he said he was learning handgunning...

My first handgun, and experience with handguns, was with a replica 1848 .31 caliber Colt Baby Dragoon shooting cap and ball. I learned some skills with that gun that have been a benefit to this day.

[deerslayer303]

A nagant revolver is worth having for any collector who appreciates it for what it is, but you also have to realize what it isnt. For a first handgun, I would have to agree. Nagant ammo is not easy to find. But 9X18 Mak is not all that easy to find locally either. There are alot of revolvers chambered in more readily available ammo that are on the cheap side of the price spectrum. The nagant is not going to be available at that price long either. I guess there is more than one way to look at it.

[noelf2]

I think we're trying to read his mind. Maybe he knows how to use them, just never had a use for one (Quigley..). I'm picturing him shooting it at a range, or back yard, with reloaded ammo. If he plans to use it for self defense or something, I would agree that he needs to look for something else.

Also keep in mind that the Nagant can shoot 32 s&w, 32 s&w long, 32 magnum (for the brave, or as a last resort) and can be fitted with a conversion cylinder to shoot 32acp. All that as well as Hotshot/.prvi, Fiocchi, and Russian surplus ammo is available from the plinking range to damn near 38 special performance. Not such a bad choice as far as I can tell.

[DPris]

Mo now has an RG revolver.
Mo is 15.
Mo has little handgun experience.

The caliber & trigger of the Nagant make it a poor choice as a first handgun for learning to shoot well.
The glacially-quick reloading sequence of the Nagant adds character, but really drags shooting sessions.

My first two handguns at 16 were an RG 10 & a .36 percussion.

I learned nothing from the RG, did get some basics from the .36, which I still own.

There are soooooo many better first-gun choices to learn with than the Nagant.
Denis

[noelf2]

There are soooooo many better first-gun choices to learn with than the Nagant.

I guess. I think I was 15 when I got the baby dragoon. What do you think would be a better revolver to start with than the Nagant? Keep the price around $190 and I'll bet the trigger, caliber, condition, and loading isn't much better than a Nagant. And I doubt it will last a lifetime like a Nagant.