Nagant Revolver Ammo

.32 S&W diameter is too small for the Nagant and cases will bulge and maybe split, so I can't really recommend using that ammo. At one time, people made special swaging dies to work down .32-20 brass and then cut the cases to about 1". This worked OK, but was a bit tedious. Fiocchi made/makes the ammo and I have some bought at a gun show. It works OK.

I have considered buying one of those .32 ACP cylinders and reaming it to take .32 H&R Magnum, which should be fine. (Safety is not really a problem; the Nagant round has a lot more power and pressure than the .32 Magnum.)

Of course, none of these cartridges will seal the barrel-cylinder gap, so there may be some gas cutting, but I don't suppose anyone is considering firing thousands of rounds in a Nagant or using one in the National Matches.

Jim
 
The original Nagant round is more powerful than the .32 ACP, 32 H&R Mag and most definitely the .32 Long. All of these have been fired in Nagants without ill effect on the gun. However, you will experience case bulges and splits with .32 Longs the .32 H&R's stand up better. In any event, you would be firing ammo that was not made for the revolver and you have to make a personal choice on whether you should or not. I have been shooting both Longs and H&R Mags with the Mags being more accurate.

FYI, there have been some problems getting the .32 ACP cylinder to fit and function properly with the Nagants.

Jim,

The reaming out to a .32 H&R is interesting and would be great. If you ever do it, let me know.
 
johnwill,

You can fire .32 mag and long's in the existing cylinder but they do move around a bit since the Nagant cartridge is larger. The long's will definitely bulge and sometimes split. Although I have and continue to shoot with the existing cylinder, it would be nice to have one that is made to handle that ammo without those issues.

There is a current thread over on Gunboards.com in the Nagant forum. Makarov.com is talking about providing cylinders that are reamed out to .32 H&R mag which will then also take .32 longs and shorts. They currently offer the 32. ACP cylinder as well for approx. $44 shipped.
 
So you're talking about a new cylinder, I understand that. I was just wondering how you "reamed out" the larger hole in the stock cylinder! :D:D
 
I'll ditto the safe use of other rounds in the Nagant.

7.62 Nagant rounds for the gas seal 1895 Nagant are either unavailable or very expensive. It will fire .32 S&W Long and .32 H&R Magnum with no problems. I have brass and dies for the original round but until I decide to reload I'll buy whichever of the two is cheaper at the moment, both are pricey. I've also found photos and instructions for modifying .223 brass to duplicate the original 7.62 Nagant gas seal cartridges. I doubt I'm that committed. Using either .32 above in small quantities is cheaper than buying an extra .32acp cylinder.

First purchase price favored the .32 H&R Magum (it's a modest load) and it did well. I shot offhand at steel plates with good results. I felt spitting on my forehead and cheeks but shooting glasses protected my eyes. Others had commented that the .32 S&W Long also spit a bit so I wasn't surprised. I wouldn't shoot either combination without good eyewear. The front of all cases bulged slightly to about 1/4" from the base (also known in advance) but no signs of cracks or fractures. I'll double check dimensions before trying to use them again. Fun, safe and cheap to shoot. It's really a neat revolver.

This week I'll try some .32 S&W Long wadcutters I bought at a local show. If there is any difference I'll let you know.

Thanks, Herb Fredricksen herbfred@cpcug.org
 
Hi, Johnwill,

I just looked in on this thread again. I think I was the one who mentioned reaming. I said, "I have considered buying one of those .32 ACP cylinders and reaming it to take .32 H&R Magnum, which should be fine."

So I was talking about a new .32ACP cylinder, not the original cylinder.

HTH

Jim
 
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