You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Nagants: are they gone forever?
- Thread starter Model12Win
- Start date
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.
And usually when there are exceptions its a result of political, not military decisions. Or the one decision that is both, choosing only arms made in your country. Many nations have adopted, or kept arms that were inferior (in some ways) to other nations arms, because they were made there, and so the possible interruption of supply from a foreign nation was not an issue.
Even the US does this, to a degree. The few foreign designed arms we have adopted in the past century have all been required to be made in the US, or at least lip service paid to that account.
Nagants are "gone" forever, in the sense that all there are is all there are ever going to be. No one is making them, nor will anyone make them, as a commercial venture, again. Lots of guns in that class. Even the Luger, which is arguably more useful than the Nagant can't find a current, and enduring market for new guns. Everyone who has tried to re-introduce the Luger, including Mauser, has dropped it, after a brief production, as its simply not a money maker today.
SO I seriously doubt that between the obsolesence of the guns design, and its unusual ammo, it will make a comeback on the commercial market.
So go get one, If you want one, its an interesting piece of history. But don't think its more than an interesting piece of history, in practical terms, today.
So go get one, If you want one, its an interesting piece of history. But don't think its more than an interesting piece of history, in practical terms, today.
I agree with most of what you say, but the one bright spot is that, given that there have been thousands imported into the U.S., Fiocchi will probably continue to make ammo for them for at least the next 20 years. I was blind dumb lucky enough to stumble onto a Polish Radom Nagant at a gun show back in the early 70s and was able to get Fiocchi ammo for it then when they came in the grey and yellow 25 round boxes. (I was really looking for a Russian, but I figured the Radom was better than nothing. LOLL!) I think at the time only a relatively few Russians were imported from Finland by Interarms, or else you had to stumble across a bringback.
I bought some for $60 and took them back because I hated them.
Then in 2004 I paid more and bought a couple for $80 + $25 shipping and FFL.
What miserable revolvers Nagants are. That is after the Colt SAA was designed. That is a great revolver. The Russians should have built SAA.
Then in 2004 I paid more and bought a couple for $80 + $25 shipping and FFL.
What miserable revolvers Nagants are. That is after the Colt SAA was designed. That is a great revolver. The Russians should have built SAA.
What miserable revolvers Nagants are. That is after the Colt SAA was designed. That is a great revolver. The Russians should have built SAA.
The Colt SAA is nothing more than a cartridge version of older Colt cap and ball revolvers that predate the Civil War. European designs, including the early large bore Nagants were light years ahead of the Colt SAA, or any other Colt for that matter.
One large bore Nagant, a 9.4mm, was in use by the Dutch as early as 1870, which seems to predate your Colt SAA by about 3 years.
At the time of its adoption by Russia in 1895, the Nagant was far superior to anything Colt had to offer.
silvermane_1
New member
another interesting factoid about that Nagant is that it is one of the few revolvers that can be effectively suppressed due to the ammo it uses.
The Colt SAA is nothing more than a cartridge version of older Colt cap and ball revolvers that predate the Civil War
I wouldn't say its "nothing" more, I'd say tis quite a bit more. Solid frame topstrap for one.
Not to belittle the design of the Nagant, for its time, but the Colt SAA is still with us but the Nagant, and many other early DA designs, US and European, are not.
Of course, commercial success is also a popularity contest, not entirely a valid measure of a design's actual ability.
I wouldn't say its "nothing" more, I'd say tis quite a bit more. Solid frame topstrap for one.
Which Remington beat by some 15 years. Mechanically, it's a '51 Navy.
Not to belittle the design of the Nagant, for its time, but the Colt SAA is still with us but the Nagant, and many other early DA designs, US and European, are not.
Au contraire; A little research indicates Nagants are still in use in certain former SSR satellites, and are used in Russia on the railroads and in the postal system, and certain police units, which is kudos for what is basically a 140+ year old design.
The SAA is "with us" strictly as a leisure pastime gun, not a daily worker. And you're a lot more likely to break one of the fragile parts in a Colt SAA than a Nagant part.
Last edited:
..still in use in certain former SSR satellites, and are used in Russia on the railroads and in the postal system, and certain police units, which is kudos for what is basically a 140+ year old design.
That is one way to look at it. There are lots of ways to look at it. Another way is to see the continued use of the 140+year old design as a comment on the efficiency and ...determination of the Former Soviet system, to make the most use of what they have on hand.
I'd say that if those people are still using the Nagant, by choice, then that is kudos for the design. If they are still using them, because that's all they have, and have not been supplied with anything else, then its not.
Somehow, I think that railway, postal, and some police units are further down, if not at the bottom of the priority list for new weaponry.
That is one way to look at it. There are lots of ways to look at it. Another way is to see the continued use of the 140+year old design as a comment on the efficiency and ...determination of the Former Soviet system, to make the most use of what they have on hand.
Possibly, but the point is that (using just the Russian example) after first being issued almost 120 years ago (and none being made after 1945), they are still reliable and sturdy enough to be issued as sidearms.
Last edited: