Nagant

kawasakifreak77 · May 15, 2008, 09:35 PM

I got a wild hair up my you know what & ordered a M1895 Nagant yesterday. Should be in early next week. Supposed to be in excellent shape. I hear the triggers are horrid on these things, who your average gunsmithy be able to sweaten the action with the complication of the cylinder moving foward mechanism? Also, I've read that you can use .32 S&W & S&W longs in them. Is this a load or true? Thanks!

Wildalaska · May 15, 2008, 11:59 PM

Trigger job?

Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahaha

You can lighten up the trigger by carefully cleaning the gunk out, a bit of light polish on the studs and some lube. Some folks use a washer to put pressure on the spring. Info on dissasembly can be found on the Nagant section of www.gunboards.com.

You can shoot 32s but you will need to clean it carefully. Best to use original ammo.

The true test of a shooter is to be able to shoot well with the 10 pound pull and rudimentary sights of a nagant revolver

I've shot 7 shots touching with Fiocchi ammo in my 1924 CCCP at 20 feet

Welcome to the club of the obscure and bizarre. Load a few of them up, stick em in your belt and pretend you are Ungern-Sternberg riding through Mongolia. Wonderful for shooting Grand Dutchesess, Kulaks and functionaries. The one you bought, depending on the date, could have popped the Czarevich, Zinoviev, Yagoda or my Great Uncle Moishe during a pogrom. FWIW, they are far more bulletproof than any other revolver made. Take one apart and see.

WildihavetenofthemAlaska TM

Stainz · May 16, 2008, 06:23 AM

I was happy... then, I had to get a Nagant... then a C&R ffl - and more Nagants! I even make my ammo - okay, similar ammo. I start with .32-20 cases... take some off the rim diameter - and the headstamp - squish them into a carbide M1 Carbine sizer... at least they fall out of the chambers, mostly without that SA-style ejector rod's aid. The Nagant's build character - and trigger finger strength. Where else can you get a refurbed to VG++ condition Victorian-era 7-shooter, with lanyard, holster, cleaning rod, & screwdriver, for as little as $65-$70?

One good thing... you'll appreciate a new Taurus' trigger (and sighting...) after firing a Nagant.

Stainz

Wildalaska · May 16, 2008, 07:27 AM

Quote:

One good thing... you'll appreciate a new Taurus' trigger (and sighting...) after firing a Nagant.

A Nagant is superior to a Taurus

WildineveryrespectAlaska TM

kawasakifreak77 · May 18, 2008, 08:41 PM

This will be my first revolver that isn't a Smith so I'm think'n I am gett'n ready to experience somethin' completely different. The weirdness & obscurity is what got me. Now I find myself goggl'n .577 boxer, lol!

Dave85 · May 19, 2008, 06:29 PM

You will want to develop your grip strength. Not to improve trigger control; there's no way to do that with a Nagant. No, you will want to have a strong grip so that you can wrest your new revolver from the hands of fellow shooters who just wanted to shoot "a round or two" from your odd little curio.

MADISON · May 20, 2008, 10:23 AM

Now that you have ordered/bought a Nagant you will find the ammo is over $21.00 a box. Get the 32 cylinder and have it installed....

carguychris · May 20, 2008, 10:26 AM

<activate phony Russian accent>

Trigger pull too heavy?!? BAH!!! <slams fist on table> Red Army soldier not need light trigger to kill enemies of motherland!!!

<deactivate phony Russian accent>

I'm sorry, I just can't help it.

Wildalaska · May 20, 2008, 01:28 PM

In my 1938, 32 S&W Magtech shoots POA at 7 yards with very little case bulging and all in the bullseye.

WilddoubleactiontooImayaddAlaska ™

**James K** · May 20, 2008, 02:10 PM

True that compared to the Taurus, Nagants have no problems. You see, problems are counted by the number of returns to the factory. Since Nagants are never returned to the factory, that means they never have any problems.

Jim

Wildalaska · May 20, 2008, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Since Nagants are never returned to the factory, that means they never have any problems.

I fix them with a cleaning rod...try doing that with aTaurus

WildpopgunAlaska ™

kawasakifreak77 · June 12, 2008, 08:27 PM

It came in today! Wierd dosen't even come close to this thing! It does feel beefy to say the least, it had enough cosmoline in it to grease a T600 & the trigger pull... Umm ya, about that. To put it politely I appriciate my K-38s trigger ALOT more! Everyone talks about how hard extraction of the used cases are... Hell, If ya point the barrel up & shake the darn thing they practically fall out! This might be due to the unordinant amounts of lubrication from the cosmolene. I do like the small grips since I'm such a small statured person & the sights are ok too. I really like the thin front blade for longer distances. The fat partridge of my K-38 makes a beer can at 50 meters hard to hit, but the tiny blade of the nagant fits great!

Accuracy was better than I expected. I placed a beer can out at fifteen meters & had no problem rolling it around (using single action of course) After a few cylinders the can was a little past 25 meters. I finally paced out 50 meters to compare long range accuracy with my K-38. At shorter ranges it seems to me as if it shoots about an inch high. At fifty meters it seems right on & I drilled the can first shot.

I highly doubt that the nagant is more accurate than my K-38 but at longer distances the thin front sight really helps in my humble oppinion.

Long story short, I like it for exactly what I bought it for, an oddity but in the long run, I'd take my beat up K-38 any day.

kawasakifreak77 · June 13, 2008, 09:13 PM

I took it apart last night & your right about how brutally simple they are. After completely giving up on trying to hit the broad side of a barn using double action, I figured out with parts needed to be removed for SA only. I took those parts out, removed 90% of the cosmolene & fiddled with the spring & sear a little trying to improve the trigger. This morning I took it out & popped off a few more rounds just to make sure that my first attempts at gunsmithing didn't prevent it from going bang.

After work I went by the local ammo store, got some Remington .32 S&W 88 grain LRN (R32SW index # IIRC) & tried 'em out. First thing I noticed is how loose they fit into the chambers. I popped one off & it fell a little short. I got used to aiming with this new ammo & began hitting consistently at shorter ranges (fifteen meters & in) The cases did come out rather bulged & doubt they'll be reloadable but if the chips were down you could use them. The accuracy wasn't as good as 7.62x38mmR's & leading is rather bad, not much worse than 158 LSWC & green dot from my K-38 however. I figure that the poor accuracy is a combination of how far the tiny .32 S&W bullet has to travel to the rifling, how loose they fit in the cambers & possibly different bullet diameter but I'd have to check some dimensions to verify this suspicion. Also the chambers aren't counter bored like a regular revolver due to the standard round's gas seal feature to align the bullet with the barrel so this probably has a lot to do with it also. I'm thinking maybe longer ammunition (.32 S&W or .32 H&R mag) might help with getting the bullet closer to the rifling & improve accuracy.

Overall I'm still impressed with the fact that this is a revolver designed well over a hundred years ago & look forward to further experimentations with it.

Ya'll have a good one!

May 15, 2008, 09:35 PM	#1
kawasakifreak77 Member Join Date: December 16, 2007 Location: St. John, Ks. Posts: 63	Nagant I got a wild hair up my you know what & ordered a M1895 Nagant yesterday. Should be in early next week. Supposed to be in excellent shape. I hear the triggers are horrid on these things, who your average gunsmithy be able to sweaten the action with the complication of the cylinder moving foward mechanism? Also, I've read that you can use .32 S&W & S&W longs in them. Is this a load or true? Thanks!

May 19, 2008, 06:29 PM	#6
Dave85 Senior Member Join Date: June 3, 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,421	You will want to develop your grip strength. Not to improve trigger control; there's no way to do that with a Nagant. No, you will want to have a strong grip so that you can wrest your new revolver from the hands of fellow shooters who just wanted to shoot "a round or two" from your odd little curio. __________________ "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" --commonly misattributed to, and most likely not, Benjamin Franklin

May 20, 2008, 10:23 AM	#7
MADISON Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2000 Location: Roanoke, Virginia Posts: 2,678	Nagant Now that you have ordered/bought a Nagant you will find the ammo is over $21.00 a box. Get the 32 cylinder and have it installed....

May 20, 2008, 10:26 AM	#8
carguychris Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2007 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 4,631	<activate phony Russian accent> Trigger pull too heavy?!? BAH!!! <slams fist on table> Red Army soldier not need light trigger to kill enemies of motherland!!! <deactivate phony Russian accent> I'm sorry, I just can't help it. __________________ "Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules... MARK IT ZERO!!" - Walter Sobchak

May 20, 2008, 02:10 PM	#10
James K Staff Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 16,439	True that compared to the Taurus, Nagants have no problems. You see, problems are counted by the number of returns to the factory. Since Nagants are never returned to the factory, that means they never have any problems. Jim __________________ Jim K

May 15, 2008, 11:59 PM	#2
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,174	Trigger job? Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahaha You can lighten up the trigger by carefully cleaning the gunk out, a bit of light polish on the studs and some lube. Some folks use a washer to put pressure on the spring. Info on dissasembly can be found on the Nagant section of www.gunboards.com. You can shoot 32s but you will need to clean it carefully. Best to use original ammo. The true test of a shooter is to be able to shoot well with the 10 pound pull and rudimentary sights of a nagant revolver I've shot 7 shots touching with Fiocchi ammo in my 1924 CCCP at 20 feet Welcome to the club of the obscure and bizarre. Load a few of them up, stick em in your belt and pretend you are Ungern-Sternberg riding through Mongolia. Wonderful for shooting Grand Dutchesess, Kulaks and functionaries. The one you bought, depending on the date, could have popped the Czarevich, Zinoviev, Yagoda or my Great Uncle Moishe during a pogrom. FWIW, they are far more bulletproof than any other revolver made. Take one apart and see. WildihavetenofthemAlaska TM

May 16, 2008, 06:23 AM	#3
Stainz Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2007 Location: Alabama Posts: 739	I was happy... then, I had to get a Nagant... then a C&R ffl - and more Nagants! I even make my ammo - okay, similar ammo. I start with .32-20 cases... take some off the rim diameter - and the headstamp - squish them into a carbide M1 Carbine sizer... at least they fall out of the chambers, mostly without that SA-style ejector rod's aid. The Nagant's build character - and trigger finger strength. Where else can you get a refurbed to VG++ condition Victorian-era 7-shooter, with lanyard, holster, cleaning rod, & screwdriver, for as little as $65-$70? One good thing... you'll appreciate a new Taurus' trigger (and sighting...) after firing a Nagant. Stainz

May 18, 2008, 08:41 PM	#5
kawasakifreak77 Member Join Date: December 16, 2007 Location: St. John, Ks. Posts: 63	This will be my first revolver that isn't a Smith so I'm think'n I am gett'n ready to experience somethin' completely different. The weirdness & obscurity is what got me. Now I find myself goggl'n .577 boxer, lol!

May 20, 2008, 01:28 PM	#9
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,174	In my 1938, 32 S&W Magtech shoots POA at 7 yards with very little case bulging and all in the bullseye. WilddoubleactiontooImayaddAlaska ™

June 12, 2008, 08:27 PM	#12
kawasakifreak77 Member Join Date: December 16, 2007 Location: St. John, Ks. Posts: 63	It came in today! Wierd dosen't even come close to this thing! It does feel beefy to say the least, it had enough cosmoline in it to grease a T600 & the trigger pull... Umm ya, about that. To put it politely I appriciate my K-38s trigger ALOT more! Everyone talks about how hard extraction of the used cases are... Hell, If ya point the barrel up & shake the darn thing they practically fall out! This might be due to the unordinant amounts of lubrication from the cosmolene. I do like the small grips since I'm such a small statured person & the sights are ok too. I really like the thin front blade for longer distances. The fat partridge of my K-38 makes a beer can at 50 meters hard to hit, but the tiny blade of the nagant fits great! Accuracy was better than I expected. I placed a beer can out at fifteen meters & had no problem rolling it around (using single action of course) After a few cylinders the can was a little past 25 meters. I finally paced out 50 meters to compare long range accuracy with my K-38. At shorter ranges it seems to me as if it shoots about an inch high. At fifty meters it seems right on & I drilled the can first shot. I highly doubt that the nagant is more accurate than my K-38 but at longer distances the thin front sight really helps in my humble oppinion. Long story short, I like it for exactly what I bought it for, an oddity but in the long run, I'd take my beat up K-38 any day.

June 13, 2008, 09:13 PM	#13
kawasakifreak77 Member Join Date: December 16, 2007 Location: St. John, Ks. Posts: 63	I took it apart last night & your right about how brutally simple they are. After completely giving up on trying to hit the broad side of a barn using double action, I figured out with parts needed to be removed for SA only. I took those parts out, removed 90% of the cosmolene & fiddled with the spring & sear a little trying to improve the trigger. This morning I took it out & popped off a few more rounds just to make sure that my first attempts at gunsmithing didn't prevent it from going bang. After work I went by the local ammo store, got some Remington .32 S&W 88 grain LRN (R32SW index # IIRC) & tried 'em out. First thing I noticed is how loose they fit into the chambers. I popped one off & it fell a little short. I got used to aiming with this new ammo & began hitting consistently at shorter ranges (fifteen meters & in) The cases did come out rather bulged & doubt they'll be reloadable but if the chips were down you could use them. The accuracy wasn't as good as 7.62x38mmR's & leading is rather bad, not much worse than 158 LSWC & green dot from my K-38 however. I figure that the poor accuracy is a combination of how far the tiny .32 S&W bullet has to travel to the rifling, how loose they fit in the cambers & possibly different bullet diameter but I'd have to check some dimensions to verify this suspicion. Also the chambers aren't counter bored like a regular revolver due to the standard round's gas seal feature to align the bullet with the barrel so this probably has a lot to do with it also. I'm thinking maybe longer ammunition (.32 S&W or .32 H&R mag) might help with getting the bullet closer to the rifling & improve accuracy. Overall I'm still impressed with the fact that this is a revolver designed well over a hundred years ago & look forward to further experimentations with it. Ya'll have a good one!