Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Nagant 1895 revolver questions - Update - I got one!

    Depending on how much ice we get tonight, I may head down to the Allentown show tomorrow. I've been kicking around the idea of picking up a Nagant 1895 revolver.

    Questions for those of you who have one.

    1. What's a fair price lately at a gun show? Gun broker shows them for around $125.

    2. Anything in particular to watch out for when purchasing these specific pistols? Any chronic problems to focus on?

    3. How common/expensive/available is 7.62X38R ammo?

    4. Have any of you regularly and safely used .32 S&W ammo in them? Some say it's OK, some say it isn't. Thoughts? I dont plan on reloading, so bulged cases aren't a problem.

    I'd also appreciate any other first hand info.

    Thanks,
    Last edited by Sandcut; May 27th, 2010 at 09:10 PM.
    Sed ego sum homo indomitus

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Nagant 1895 revolver questions

    1. $75, plain and simple. Any higher is price gouging.
    2. Rust, it's old Soviet surp, rust is your only real concern (including inside the bore).
    3. Really hard to come by. I've only found one place sort of near me that sells it, and they sell 30-40 Krag. Two boxes will cost you as much as the gun, so long as you don't overpay for the gun.
    4. Nope, I've heard that the cases tend to split and can get stuck, though. It was 32 H&R mag that I had heard of, not 32 S&W.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Nagant 1895 revolver questions

    I've only fired .32 SW Long out of mine. Shot really high with wadcutters but pretty good with lead round nose. The brass does bulge a bit but it seems ok. I've never had any problems in that regard. Ammo is fairly easy to find and mail order.

    Get one. Great pieces of history and built solid. I only have one but really want a WW1 era version.

  4. #4
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    Wink Re: Nagant 1895 revolver questions

    Great gun, great history surrounding them.

    Wholesale on Nagants is around $70. Expect to add $20-$40 at least for fair markup. Personally right around $100 is a great price at a gunshow where you get to hand select your revolver.

    Ammo- So long as buying mail order isn't an issue, neither is getting ammo. J&G Sales in AZ stocks it for around $25 a box, many other on-line sources also sell the ammo. I personally like Graf and Sons to buy from since you only pay a flat handling fee on your order. At that price it costs just as much to shoot as a .32 Long or .32 H&R mag. so why shoot improper ammo with case splits and other problems?

    The only issues surrounding the Nagant is generally the horrendous trigger pull most have as a result of the heavy mainspring and gas seal camming action. You CAN stone the mainspring to make for a better trigger pull, but again if you cherry pick your gun from a dealer at a show you can at least pick one with a better action. These guns are generally in excellent/refinished condition. Bore should be like a mirror, but do look. Guns with an early date tend to bring a premium, but all things being the same buy for condition, not the date on the frame.

    Welcome to the collective, Comrade!

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Nagant 1895 revolver questions

    If you had your C&R I would say expect to pay around $79. I purchased two of them from J&G Sales and was extremely surprised by the quality of the firearms. I haven't heard to much about problems with them, but I would do the typical checks for rust and pitting and so on.

    Ammunition isn't very hard to find. If you prefer buying in bulk you can pick up hot shot from ammoman.com. If you just want a couple of boxes then J&G Sales always has some. But I would buy more than you think, because once you get shooting these things, your not gonna wanna stop. They are a blast!

    As far as shooting the .32 S&W Longs. I have heard the buldging cases and some split cases. They do sell replacement cylinders, but for the differences in the two ammunition I would just buy the 7.62 Nagant ammunition.
    Either way, they are a blast to shoot and a real piece of history.

    You could spend hours just examining the revolver. If you find a good price on one, jump on it. Good luck!
    GB

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Nagant 1895 revolver questions

    Quote Originally Posted by Sandcut View Post
    Depending on how much ice we get tonight, I may head down to the Allentown show tomorrow. I've been kicking around the idea of picking up a Nagant 1895 revolver.

    Questions for those of you who have one.

    1. What's a fair price lately at a gun show? Gun broker shows them for around $125.
    You should be able to get a good one for under $100. A few that have collector interest (like pre-1899) will command a much higher price.
    Quote Originally Posted by Sandcut View Post

    2. Anything in particular to watch out for when purchasing these specific pistols? Any chronic problems to focus on?
    Nothing specific to the Nagant.

    Pay close attention to the condition of the bore, corrosion in particular. The first example I bought had a pitted bore, but nearly all of them were like this. I suspect the bad ones were sold off first, and each successive wave were examples in better condition.

    I'm not aware of any non-corrosive 7.62mm Nagant ammunition made before they were surplussed to the US within the past 15 years.

    Also check the cylinder play or coaxial sloppiness when the hammer is fully rearward. Less cylinder play=better.

    Also note the cylinder hand should pick up and turn the cylinder every time the hammer is pulled back. This is part of my regular revolver pre-purchase inspection.
    Quote Originally Posted by Sandcut View Post

    3. How common/expensive/available is 7.62X38R ammo?
    It's available, but expensive. All the sources I know of are online, and near 50 cents per round. See URL link, below.

    http://gun-deals.com/ammo.php?caliber=7.62+Nagant

    Quote Originally Posted by Sandcut View Post
    4. Have any of you regularly and safely used .32 S&W ammo in them? Some say it's OK, some say it isn't. Thoughts? I dont plan on reloading, so bulged cases aren't a problem.
    No, I'm not big on monkeying around with original designs. I don't shoot enough anymore for the cost of 7.62 Nagant to be a factor.

    There are folks that make replacement cylinders in 32 (32 ACP?) The 32 ACP should be fine, but won't have the power of the original cartridge since it can't seal. The cylinder will cost almost as much as the revolver!

    Quote Originally Posted by Sandcut View Post
    I'd also appreciate any other first hand info.
    The example I fired didn't feel like it had much power. It didn't have much recoil, either. They -do- adapt well to suppressors & silencers.
    More:

    http://www.sff.net/people/sanders/nagant.html

    Also note the 1895 Revolver pre-dates the 1898 cutoff date of the 1968 Gun Control Act, that means there are a few (and I mean, a few) Nagant revolvers that are in the same category as antiques and black powder guns. These examples can easily top out over $400 in auctions. The date should be on the receiver.
    Gloria: "65 percent of the people murdered in the last 10 years were killed by hand guns"
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  7. #7
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    Default Re: Nagant 1895 revolver questions

    didnt these sell for like 50 to 70 dollars just a few years ago? i always thought of buying a boogered up one to make a snub nose out of but id imagine it would cost way too much to do and never ended up with one
    A.T.F alcohol, tabacco, and firearms... who's bringing the chips?

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Nagant 1895 revolver questions

    Lots of good info, guys. Thanks a lot. Ends up, there were none to be had at the show. One of the shops supposedly had one at their store. If I get a chance, I'll swing down next time I'm in the area.
    Sed ego sum homo indomitus

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Nagant 1895 revolver questions

    Quote Originally Posted by Sandcut View Post
    Lots of good info, guys. Thanks a lot. Ends up, there were none to be had at the show. One of the shops supposedly had one at their store. If I get a chance, I'll swing down next time I'm in the area.
    Best option is spend the $30 for the 03 C&R FFL. It's good for 3 years, not only can you get these and many other guns shipped right to your door, there are quite a few places that give you an FFL discount which easily pays for the C&R. If you don't think it's worth the $30, don't renew it. Once you see the price difference in having it, you'll want to renew it. It's an easy process to get one, J&G Sales has all the info on their website.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Nagant 1895 revolver questions

    get the C&R license, avoid the middle man, you would be better off, i got my 1900 and 1920 something a few years ago, no problems with either ammo. i paid a few dollars more for the earlier dates.


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