Russian 7.62 Nagant Revolver Buying Guide

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boostedtt91

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I have been thinking of buying one of the Russian 7.62 Nagant Revolvers at a upcoming gun show in the area while they are only $100. I've never shot one or owned one. Since this is a quite old revolver, i was wondeing if there is anything special to look for when buying one? Is there any certain areas to check out to assure its a good save firing gun? Since they are always sold in crates with like 30-40 in the crate, i wanna have an idea what to look for when picking one out. Any information or someone with experience with one that could give me some help would be appriciated.

You can shoot something other than the 7.62 nagant ammo in these as well can't ya, i dont remember what it was, but remember reading you could use something else.
 
If it's not rusty and the cylinder spins when you pull the trigger, that's about all the checkout they need, at least the cheap ones. "Heavy" is a generous description of the trigger pull.

As for ammo, 7.62x38R is getting easier to find, but not any cheaper. You're going to hear a lot of opinions about this, but I have shot plenty of 32 smith and wesson long out of mine. The cases bulge and rip sometimes, but that's it. People use 32 magnum too, but I don't see the advantage to it. It's no cheaper than the right stuff and almost as hard to find.
 
what about the gas seal? Is there anyway to check the function of that? Doesn't the revolver move forward when cocking to seal the chamber to the barrel?
Don't these have a different way of loading than a conventional revolver? You have to unlatch something and pull out the front pin or am i thinking of taking it apart?
 
I just bought one, I'll get some pictures of the cylinder action around the gas seal, and post them tomorrow sometime.

The cylinder moves forward when the hammer is cocked and then back after the hammer drops basically.

Just look for signs of excessive wear on the exterior, that the cylinder turns when the hammer is cocked, and that the cylinder slides up to for the gas seal.
 
Ref the gas seal, the cylinder does slide forward to cut down (not eliminate) the gases escaping from the gap between the cylinder and barrel.

Weather if really makes a difference is up for grabs. It's not a real powerful round regardless.

What I can tell you about the Nagant is it's a heck of a lot of fun, well worth the $100 bucks.

Mine came with a holster, and some tools. The trigger pull isn't the best but not too bad in single action. Double action is rather stiff.

If you concentrate on the front sight it is a fairly accurate revolver.

In reality, if you count the many purges in Russia, under the Czar, Lenin, and Stalin, I would venture to bet the Nagant Revolver killed more people then any pistol or revolver in history.

It's a good companion for you Mosin. I wouldn't count on the price stay low for long as people start realizing how much fun the little revolver is.

Suckers so ugly its cute.

If you get it, and want to reload, get back with me and I'll give you the info I developed.
 
I haven't shot mine in a while, but IIRC, they load more like a traditional single action revolver (i.e. the cylinder doesn't swing out for a mass ejection and reload). You are correct in that the cylinder moves forward to seal, but that is pretty easy to see when you cock the hammer (if they will let you do that at the show). There will be some with plastic stocks and others with wood ... that really is a personal preference, although I recall hearing somewhere that the wood was less common ... FWIW :rolleyes:

The other thing is that you will see the date stamped on them, so if you have 40 to choose from, maybe you can get one from a year that means something to you?

They are fun and pretty easy to reload for if you want to go that route. They are definitely curios ... as the main reason to own one is that they are different and have some history.

Good luck!

Saands
 
As for reloading, I use Starline 32-20 brass, Meister Hard Cast 100gr DEWC and Lee's dies with VihtaVuori N105 powder. A nice mild load of 7.2 grains of N105 with a COAL of 1.375" gives me ~800fps ... QuickLoad predicts that performance will happen with N105 at about 11,000 PSI.

Be safe and work those loads up yourself ... this isn't supposed to be a barn burner, so go easy! I'm sure that KraigWY will chime in with his recipes as well ... I'll be looking to see what I can learn from him. Beware that some batches of brass need to have the cases trimmed for them to clear the thin gap in the Nagant pistol ... IIRC, mine worked without trimming ... but I just checked my database and it was 2005 when I got and prepared that brass, so I could have forgotten something by now.

Saands
 
The gas seal is part of the cocking check. If the gun fully cocks, the cylinder will mate up with the forcing cone. The cylinder is milled out for the forcing cone, it either fits or it doesn't. As far as serial numbers, the mainspring had one on it, but it looked like it was put there by some guy in a cave with a rock. I think the inside of the grip frame had one, I can't remember. I got rid of mine because it didn't work right. Thing would decock instead of shoot when I pulled the trigger.
 
Every Nagant revolver I've seen looked absolutely pristine. The Bolsheviks were obsessed with producing tons of weaponry only to place them in storage, only to have them sold to us filthy capitalist pigs 70-80 years later.

The triggers are horrendous on these revolvers however.
 
The gas seal aspect of the Nagant only really works if you have Nagant ammunition. Otherwise, it's just like every other revolver.
 
Ok a little late and not the best pictures, but here's the gas seal action of a Nagant.

DSC00218.jpg


DSC00219.jpg


If it does that it's working.
 
got my nagant revolver two days ago and absolutley love it! Well worth the money, except for i paid more for a couple boxes of ammo than i did the gun haha. The only issue im having is it shoots a couple inches higher than the point of aim. Is there any way to fix that or make it better?
 
Ref the gas seal, the cylinder does slide forward to cut down (not eliminate) the gases escaping from the gap between the cylinder and barrel.
Click to expand...

How do you figure?????

The 7.62 Nagant round is longer than the cylinder. When the cylinder slides forward, the end of the case mouth is shoved into the forcing cone.

When the cartridge is detonated, the bullet, as it is propelled forward, expands the case mouth against the forcing cone, creating a complete gas seal.
 
The only issue im having is it shoots a couple inches higher than the point of aim. Is there any way to fix that or make it better?
Click to expand...

Yes. Aim lower, or shoot at a longer distance.:D
 
I find the Nagant revolver a fine little plinker, as fun and nearly as cheap to shoot as a rimfire. I handload using the .32-20 cases in the Lee Nagant die set. It is very easy to load for, and with the low pressures, my 300 cases should last the rest of my shooting life.
This all presupposes one doesn't get anal about the gas sealing - the .32-20 case is far too short for it. I just load it so the bullet doesn't protrude from the cylinder face, like any other standard revolver load.
At approximately 750FPS, it's no powerhouse, but it's great fun with steel swinger targets (cast lead bullets only!) and death to any soda can within 30 yards. ;)
 
As cheap as they are, get the best condition you can find, and be sure to get the accessories, which is usually holster, cleaning rod, jag, etc., that came with the revolver. Some show dealers like to sell that separately as 'extra'. Leather holsters are uncommon and worth buying the pistol to get the holster.

Look for good finish and markings, Izhevsk armory is a triangle with a 'I' in it's center, Tula armory is a Star. Earlier production may have CCCP, RFSR, or Czarist markings, and are sought after. WWII production years are common.

These are cheap enough you can pick up a dozen, in a year, for less than a grand, and fun to collect and shoot.
 
Don't these have a different way of loading than a conventional revolver? You have to unlatch something and pull out the front pin or am i thinking of taking it apart?
Click to expand...

That'e the ejection rod that releases with the pin, and swings over to the chamber that is aligned with the loading gate. It doesn't have a swing out cylinder like a modern DA revolver, but rather a loading gate like an old SA.
 
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