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There is a tendency to dismiss "milsurp" guns as cheap and junk because they are cheap. But that is a fallacy. There have been exceptions, but in general, a country will provide its armed forces with the best arms the nation can afford to make or buy. After all, the continued existence of the nation itself may depend on the quality of its arms.
That does not mean that time stands still. A rifle or handgun that was top quality in the 1890s might be second or third rate by 1940, and a real antique by 2014. The Nagant revolver, and the Mosin-Nagant rifle, were on a par with the weapons of other nations when they were first adopted by Russia. Unfortunately for the Motherland, economics did not allow their replacement when they became obsolete, and a devastating war required their continuation in service. (The same was true of the British Empire, with its Lee-Enfield and its revolvers.)
The Nagant revolver is not a practical gun today for most purposes; it is still an interesting gun and collectible. But it is not, and never was, junk or a gun good only for contact killing.
Jim
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