Russian Nagant M1895 Revolver

By Crusader1307

Designed by Leon Nagant for use by Imperial Russian Forces, The Model 1895 Revolver used a revolutionary “gas sealing” system to better facilitate the weapons cyclic function. As with most Revolvers of the Era, some gas from the chemical reaction of the round igniting was lost. Nagant cleverly designed a series of seals to further minimize such loss and thus created a Revolver with superior range and handling. Weighing slightly over 1-pound, The Model 1895 was 10.5-inches in length and was both a single and double action weapon. It fired the European 7.62mm round, but could also chamber a .38 Caliber shell. The cylinder held 7 shots, and a skilled User could fire 14 to 21 rounds per minute with reloading. The Nagant had a 50-yard minimum effective range, with tests having it going as far as 800-yards. The problem with The Nagant was that with most Revolving Firearms, the cylinder swung out to allow for reloading. Nagant’s system of sealing the escaping gas meant that the cylinder was sealed and could not be withdrawn. Shells were loaded (slowing), from the rearward most available cylinder opening. This caused The Model 1895 to not be seen in use much outside of Russia. The Model 1895 remained in use during The Russian Revolution and World War II.