The following text is in no way an effort to publish a technical treatise on the M1895 Nagant, but is an effort to describe some of the history, characteristics, markings, data, and features of this revolver. As with most military firearms that saw service over an extended period of time, this data is only a guideline and nothing is absolute. The sources cited at the end of the text are responsible for this wealth of information, and I am grateful for their time, permissions, and assistance.

The Nagant revolver was the designed in Liege, Belgium in 1892 by Leon Nagant. Leon was the brother of Emile Nagant, who designed the box magazine on the famous Mosin Nagant M1891 rifle. Leon’s pistol design was adopted by the Russian Army as its official sidearm in 1895, and became known by the designation M1895 or M95. Early production of pistols, both commercial and military, were made in Liege, Belgium. Russian production began at the Tula arsenal around 1898.

The M1895 served the Russian armed forces until the Tokarev Model 33 7.62X25 semi-automatic pistol replaced it, sometime in the early 1930’s. Even after the T33 became available, many Russian armored troops continued to use the Nagant, because the T33 barrel would not fit out of the firing slits in the armored vehicles. An example of a group of calvary soldiers, this time mechanized, preferring the revolver to the newer semi-automatic. Soviet production of the Nagant was discontinued in 1945.

A Polish Ng30 model of the M1895 Nagant. Photo courtesy of Jim Baines.

The Nagant pistol was also used by the Russian, Greek, and Polish armed forces, as well as many police agencies throughout Europe in the early to mid 1900’s. In the late 1920’s the Polish government bought the manufacturing equipment from the Belgium firm Fabrique d’Armes Nagant Freres to replenish their worn out supply of Nagants. The equipment was installed at the Polish factory at Radom and these models are known as Rewolwer Ng 30. Approximately twenty thousand of these pistols were produced until 1936. At this time, the Ng 30 was replaced by the Polish 9mm Radom semi-automatic. Even though the Nagant revolver was obsolete by the time the Radom semi-auto was introduced, many of the Polish army officers preferred them to the Radom. This is probably because many of them were old calvary soldiers and believed the Nagant to be more suitable for mounted use.

The Nagant is of notable historical significance, because it is believed that it was one of the weapons that the Russian troops used to assassinate Czar Nicholas and his family.

The Nagant is a seven shot revolver. It has a barrel length of 4 ½ inches, and has four-groove rifling with a right hand twist. The empty weight is 1.7 pounds. Overall length is 9.2 inches. The original Nagants were single action only, but later an officer’s model was produced that was double action. While it was not the norm for a Russian or Finn enlisted man to have a pistol, it was common for mounted enlisted men, machine gunners, and armored troops. Speculation is that the Russian high command believed that enlisted men and non-commissioned officers would waste ammunition if they had the double action model, so they were issued the single action model.

The design of the Nagant is unique due to the fact that it’s cylinder moves forward into the rear of the barrel when it is cocked, creating a "gas seal" effect. The front part of the chambers on the cylinder are counterbored .060", which leaves the front portion of the cartridge protruding (SD). Upon cocking the pistol, the recoil plate is cammed forward against the base of the cartridge forcing it and the articulated cylinder to be driven forward far enough that the case mouth protrudes approximately .050" into the rear cone of the barrel. When fired, the front of the cartridge case expands to create a gas seal against the barrel forcing cone. This prohibits gases produced from the exploding gunpowder to escape between the cylinder and the barrel (flash gap). Even to this day, this "gas leak" happens to all modern revolvers. In theory and in reality, this unique design causes all of the force of the exploding gunpowder to propel the bullet out of the barrel without losing energy at the flash gap, perhaps adding several hundred feet per second to the round (printed estimates range from 70 to 275 fps.). This additional velocity may look trivial in today’s world of hot magnum caliber’s, but in a pistol design that is over one hundred years old, I believe it should be considered an innovative and significant design feature.

The pivoting/floating firing pin is another rather unusual feature of the Nagant. It sticks out like a sore thumb when you examine your first pistol. If not properly maintained and allowed to rust and seize, there is potential for them to break. A colleague of mine has a father-in-law who was employed in a munitions factory in the former Soviet Union. While he never actually owned a Nagant (no 2^nd Amendment in the USSR), he shot them often while on the plant grounds. Two safety rules that they abided by was to always carry the pistol with the hammer down on an empty chamber, and to check to see if the cylinder had turned on it’s own after the pistol was dropped or received any external blow. I am curious to find out if the practice of leaving the hammer down on an empty chamber was employed by the Russian military, as was done by the American cowboy with the single action Colt.

Unloading the Nagant is a slow and time-consuming job that can try your patience. I cannot imagine this being done effectively in the heat of battle, much less from a moving horse in the case of the Russian calvary.

Target models with longer barrels, silenced versions, and snub-nosed models were also produced. The silenced versions were commonly used as assassination weapons by the Communist forces in Viet Nam, because they didn’t have the sound of a cycling semi-auto (T33), and there were no telltale casing to give away the shooters location (SD). The snub-nosed model also had a handle that was shorter than the standard model. All of these are fairly rare in the USA, and I personally have not seen them offered for sale on the surplus market or at any gun shows. There is also a model 1910 that had a swing away cylinder that made loading easier. I have not seen one of these either, except as illustrated in Zhuk’s "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Handguns".

The Poles version, previously mentioned, called the Ng 30, was made at the Radom factory, beginning in 1930. It is marked that way on the right side of the frame above the grips, and is identical to the Russian version with the exception of some small details.

Most Nagants have identifying marks stamped on the left side of the frame just above the grip. Models made before the Russians began production were marked with Roman letters. Many of them say "Tula Weapons Factory" in some form (i.e. "First Tula Weapons Factory"). There are a variety of different markings that I hope to explore in a future version of this article, after I have an opportunity to observe more live examples. Often at gun shows, I will see a new or different way of marking the pistols. Most of the Russian made pistols (after the 1917 revolution and prior to 1930) will be "CCCP" marked (WW). The Tula Arsenal mark (five point star with an arrow pointing up in the center of the star), or the Ishvesk Arsenal mark (arrow pointed up inside of a triangle) above the production date will be found on later guns, probably post 1930. All of the Ishvesk marked pistols I have observed (a total of three) have been rearsenaled. This may indicated that they never produced any, but only rearsenaled them.

Training models in .22 caliber (long rifle) were also produced in limited numbers and are extremely rare. The accompanying photographs are of two different .22 caliber models. The pistol marked 1937 Tula was produced as a .22, while the 1922 Tula SA (Finnish capture) marked one was converted to a .22 by sleeving the barrel and cylinders. On the right side of the Finn above the grip, is stamped 5.6 mm to show the proper cartridge. Functioning of the cylinder works just as it’s 7.62 big brother, camming forward to form a gas seal. But, since the .22 caliber round is not designed to take advantage of this unique feature, as well as being too short, it does not work.

Some Nagants have the frame slotted at the butt to accommodate a shoulder stock, but no stocks have been reported.

The Nagant fires the 7.62 mm Nagant cartridge (.30 caliber), and to my knowledge is the only firearm ever to do so. In order to facilitate the "gas seal" design feature, the bullet is totally recessed into the shell casing and the end of the case slightly crimped inward, giving it the outward appearance of a blank cartridge. A standard load would be a 108 grain lead bullet in front of five grains of smokeless powder. This would produce a velocity of 725 feet per second, with 122 foot pounds of energy.

Availability of ammunition is spotty and price varies considerably. I have seen it for as little as $9 for a box of fifty (surplus - Shotgun News) to $29 a box of twenty for new Fiocchi. Unless specifically identified by the manufacturer as non-corrosive, all ammunition must be considered corrosive, and proper cleaning techniques applied accordingly immediately after each shooting session.

The grips are usually diamond checkered and made out of a light tan wood, or cordovan colored plastic. The wooden grips are checked with large or small checkering. The earlier pistols seem to sport the small checkering. The plastic grips usually appear on the arsenal-reconditioned pistols. They are made up of three panels, which is a unique feature of the Nagant, and are screwed on from the inside.

If you must remove the grips, it is done by first removing the screw on the right side of the frame. This allows you to remove the left side plate, exposing the insides. The left grip panel can then be tightened, but the right side is behind the spring. The spring is pinned to the frame, but can be removed. Sometimes even after removing the grips there is not enough threaded area on the screw to sufficiently tighten the grip. Some have re-engineered this problem by applying tape to the inside of the grip to act as a spacer. Those on the C&R list report that while removing the grips, spring and trigger mechanisms is not an extremely difficult task, putting it back together may try your patience (I think we have all been there). Bottom line, do not remove the grips unless absolutely necessary.

There also is a non-swiveling lanyard ring attached to the bottom of the butt.

"The serial number is generally stamped on the left side of the frame just ahead of the cylinder or on the right side of the frame just above the handle. The most common serial number system for pistols made in 1938 and later is in the form AB 123, where AB are two Cyrillic uppercase letters, and 123 is a two or three digit number in standard Arabic numbers. I (WW) have seen 2- and 3-digit numbers only. The entire year is, to the best of my knowledge, invariably present, as in 1940. Communist pistols through 1937 seem to have a five-digit serial number, without letters. However, I have a Russian handwritten warehouse inventory list which includes a 1945 gun with a five-digit number w/o letters, so you can never be too sure about these things. Russians seem to append the last two digits of the production year to the serial number, although the guns are not actually so marked. For example, my specimen of the Nagant, AC142, made in 1940, would appear in Russian inventories as "AC-142-40" (WW).

The year of production is stamped under the arsenal mark on the left side of the frame, and is sometimes followed by an "r" (a lower case "g" in Russian), which stands for "god" or "of the year" (TR). On the rearsenaled pistols there are little proof (check) marks and symbols all over (hammer, frame, butt, cylinder, trigger, barrel) the pistol. They are in the form of a small T-shaped hammer. Most of these rearsenaled pistols that I have observed have dates in the 1940-1945 range. Also, don’t expect a highly polished and buffed blue finish. Many of the examples I have still had many machine marks on them when they were blued. You get the feeling that these were done in somewhat of a hurry and stored away for the upcoming conflict with the "capitalist dogs", much like the current crop of M91/59 Bulgarian carbines on the market.

The Finns acquired many Nagants from the Russians during the three campaigns that took place during WWII (Winter War, Continuation War, and Lapland War). Finnish sources say that many of them were never turned over to the Army, because they were popular "souvenirs". There are probably thousands still in the possession of Finnish citizens, and will have no Finnish markings. Captured Finnish Nagants are usually identifiable by a "SA" stamped on the frame above the grip on the right side of the pistol (BB).

Rear sights on all Nagants I have observed are fixed and non-adjustable. They are comprised of a groove cut along the backstrap.

The front is an angular notched affair that is dovetailed into the barrel on the later models, and semi circular on the early ones (note that both of the ,22 examples have the notched version). Some sources say the front sights on the .22 caliber models are smaller, but I have been unable to measure those examples for a comparison. They can be adjusted for windage by drifting it right or left.

Most of the pistols that have been imported recently come with a plastic pebble grained, top flapped holster with leather trim and a brass hold down stud. Later WWII holsters were all leather (WW). Many of these are marked MVD – RSFSR (Ministry of Internal Affairs – Russian Soviet Federalist Socialist Republic) (W).

The lanyards supplied with these recent Nagant shipments are an olive drab woven cord with leather tabs sewn at each end, attached to galvanized or tinned steel rings. The rings are attached to a leather loop at one end and a steel clip at the other. "So far as I have been able to tell from photos and uniform reference books, WWI-era practice was to fasten the lanyard to the upper part of the RH suspender. WWII-era practice was to attach the lanyard to the belt, just in front of the holster. The 32.5" length of the woven lanyard is adequate for either location. The official position for the holster was always on the right (WW)."

A steel cleaning rod and a two bladed reversible wooden handled screwdriver complete the normal package.

To disassemble the Nagant for cleaning follow the following steps. These will field strip the pistol so it can be cleaned (NRA). Further disassembly should be left to those with skills greater than the average novice shooter.

Make sure the pistol is unloaded by opening the loading gate and inspecting the cylinder. Close the loading gate.

With the hammer down, turn the knurled end of the ejector rod 180 degrees counterclockwise. Pull it forward (toward the muzzle) until it stops.

Rotate the rod and it’s retaining sleeve clockwise until the two index marks (one on the top of the frame and the other on the rod housing) line up.

The cylinder pin underneath the barrel is now exposed and can be removed (toward the muzzle) by pulling on the collar attached to it.

Open the loading gate and remove the cylinder. The cylinder pin sleeve and spring can then be removed from the cylinder by aligning the index mark on the sleeve with the slotted hole in the cylinder. Reverse this process to reassemble.

The only drawback to fully utilizing this aged warrior is the somewhat pricey ammunition, but recently Century has offered a .32 ACP replacement cylinder for affordable shooting. The fit on these vary from pistol to pistol and it is usually a matter of finding a frame that the cylinder will fit in correctly. Mine fits in all of the ones I have, but there are several reports of pistols that they will not cycle correctly in. These .32 after-market cylinders do not have flutes on the cylinder, and are finished in a deep blue.

There are also some pistols that have been converted to .32 Smith and Wesson and .32-20. Dennis Kroh, of Empire Arms, reports that Lapua .32 S&W will shoot in Nagants without any modification, but U.S. manufactured ammunition requires that the back of the cylinder be ground to accommodate the thicker rims.

There are some pistols out there in circulation that have been converted to 7.62X25 (used in CZ52, PPSH 41 subgun, Tokarev, etc.) by some enterprising fellow. All knowledgable smiths, collectors and hobbiests have warned against shooting these conversions. There are no documented tests that I know of, but a good dose of common sense is in order here. The 7.62X25 round releases pressure far higher than the loads intended for this pre-1900 design. DON"T DO IT !!!

The "American Gunsmithing" article advises that shooting anything other than the gas-seal ammo will shorten the life of the pistol, so "caveat emptor".

As far as I know there are no sources of original or aftermarket parts for these pistols, so repairing one may well cost more than a new one. Some of the internal parts are hand-fitted, so interchangeability is not guaranteed. That having been said, their reputation for reliability and rugged construction should not warrant many trips to the smith.

The Nagant is dollar for dollar probably the best buy on the surplus scene today. For as little as $49.87 (9/98 Century International Arms with a Federal Firearms License) you get an arsenal reconditioned, fully functioning seven shot revolver with a holster, screwdriver, cleaning rod, and lanyard delivered to your door (if you have a Curios & Relics or other Federal Firearms License). Not many deals like that around today. Many collectors pay more than that for poor condition wallhangers. Don’t pass up your chance to get one of these before the supply at the dealers dries up.

"American Gunsmithing", October, 1995, ppg. 7-10.

"American Rifleman", May, 1996, ppg. 45-46.

"Military Small Arms in Finland 1918-1988", Volumes I-III, Markku Palokangas. ISBN 951-25-0508-8 (written in Finnish, with English summaries).

"Small Arms of the World", 12th Edition, 1993, Barnes and Noble Books, E. D. Ezell.

"Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers", 1995, NRA, Odysseus Editions, Inc., Major Julian S. Hatcher.

"The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Handguns (pistols and revolvers of the world, 1870 to the present", 1997, Greenhill Military Paperbacks, A. B. Zhuk.

Bob Benzinger (BB) - FFL/C&R holder and collector.

Dave V. aka "Woodchuck" (W) – collector and admirer of small furry rodents

Steve DeForrest (SD) - gunmaker and contributor.

Mark Kubes (MK) - FFL dealer, C&R sales/parts, and collector.

Tom Rosenthal (TR) – contributor.

William Whitelaw (WW) – contributor.