1944 Tula Nagant
- Thread starter twarr1
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JCooperfan1911
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These pistols in that condition are going for north of $700 now.
Excellent trade. 7.62x38mmR Nagant sadly, has tried up. The only ammo available is $0.70 per on up. I think you can shoot .32 Long in it but don’t quote me on that.
These are tanks of a revolver, brutally crude and with powerfully bad triggers and a mediocre round. But they will still run long after other revolvers have failed.
Excellent trade. 7.62x38mmR Nagant sadly, has tried up. The only ammo available is $0.70 per on up. I think you can shoot .32 Long in it but don’t quote me on that.
These are tanks of a revolver, brutally crude and with powerfully bad triggers and a mediocre round. But they will still run long after other revolvers have failed.
OP
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twarr1
Member
The trade also included 150 rounds of PPU ammo, so I’ll have some empty cases soon. 
I’ve read about shooting 32 Long in the Nagant but I’m not clear if one needs a different cylinder.
I’ve read about shooting 32 Long in the Nagant but I’m not clear if one needs a different cylinder.
RON in PA
Member
PPU ammo is underloaded and wimpy, if you can get original Russian manufactured ammo you will experience what the Nagant is capable of. Yes you can shoot .32 long, but you will not have the gas seal and your cases will bulge.
OP
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twarr1
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Because the Anti-2A folks have been quite successful at banning the ‘evil imported military weapons’. Even though you never hear of a crime committed with a Mosin-Nagant rifle or similar.
entropy
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The trade also included 150 rounds of PPU ammo, so I’ll have some empty cases soon.
I’ve read about shooting 32 Long in the Nagant but I’m not clear if one needs a different cylinder.
Great trade. I'm assuming you know the star above the date is the Tula arsenal mark; the others in front of the cylinder are Inspector's marks. They are so numerous, and no records are available as to what each one is. Common with collecting Russian milsurps. The hammer (inside the star) was Tula's arsenal mark before 1926, sometimes one sees it inside the star on later guns.
There was a separate cylinder made for them in .32 ACP, but they must be timed to the revolver. .32 S&W Short and Long can both be fired in a Nagant, but they will more often than not spilt and be hard to extract; .32-20 brass can be sized for reloading 7.62x38R easily, but it's almost as scarce as the original brass.
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twarr1
Member
I knew about the Tula mark from Mosin-Nagants I’ve owned. I wasn’t sure if there was a reference for the inspectors marks. Thank you for the information!
I’m planning to allocate 50 of the 150 rounds for range testing and keep the other 100 until I find a supply or reload.
Reality; I’ll probably end up with only 7 rounds (1cylinder).
I’m planning to allocate 50 of the 150 rounds for range testing and keep the other 100 until I find a supply or reload.
Reality; I’ll probably end up with only 7 rounds (1cylinder).
OP
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twarr1
Member
I finally got a chance to take the Nagant revolver out to shoot. As expected, it’s not terribly accurate and essentially impossible, certainly impractical, to fire double action
I shot some of the PPU ammunition that came with the gun. Some of the rounds were difficult to eject, it seems the rod is a little short, not long enough to push the spent case far enough.
Still, a fun little gun to shoot.
Half-size paper ‘target’ at 10 yards
I shot some of the PPU ammunition that came with the gun. Some of the rounds were difficult to eject, it seems the rod is a little short, not long enough to push the spent case far enough.
Still, a fun little gun to shoot.
Half-size paper ‘target’ at 10 yards
Mosin77
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I have one I bought at a pawn shop for $129 a few years ago. Should have bought the other one they had, too, but of course I remembered the days they were $79….
I don’t think they’re quite $700 yet…. (Gunbroker asking, sure, but not necessarily selling, at least for the usual refurbished, import marked type.) but they’re definitely $300-450 for sure.
Mine isn’t much fun to shoot. But a perfectly serviceable revolver if you shoot it SA with surplus ammo.
I bought a bunch of PPU so I can get the brass for reloading another caliber. But I haven’t yet made a point to go shoot 100+ rounds through that Nagant.
I don’t think they’re quite $700 yet…. (Gunbroker asking, sure, but not necessarily selling, at least for the usual refurbished, import marked type.) but they’re definitely $300-450 for sure.
Mine isn’t much fun to shoot. But a perfectly serviceable revolver if you shoot it SA with surplus ammo.
I bought a bunch of PPU so I can get the brass for reloading another caliber. But I haven’t yet made a point to go shoot 100+ rounds through that Nagant.
fireman 9731
Member
I think I've got half a box or so of PPU, a couple little boxes of Russian surplus and a sandwich bag of PPU brass if you are interested.
.455_Hunter
Member
I picked-up one in 1997 during college. A Tula '38 which matches one of my 91/30 Mosins. Came with one box of Russian wadcutter target ammo, holster, and cleaning rod. I have mostly shot .32 Long out of it, and you get bulged cases, some cracks, but bullets go down range OK. I also got a few boxes of Russian mil-spec ball, but have not tried any since I actually had mine fall out of the gun safe and broke the combo loading gate/cylinder stop. I need to get a new one of those from Numrich. Cool piece of WWII history!
wiscoaster
Member
There's a 1944 Tula (if I remember right) Nagant in very nice shape for $500 in a local pawn shop here. Anybody wants their contact info please pm me. I passed on it as I'm pretty much sticking to rifles.
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Von der Goltz
Member
Very nice 1895 Nagant; I enjoy shooting my 1915 made 1895 Nagant using this surplus Revolver Cartridges caliber 7.62mm ammo in 14 round packets.
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twarr1
Member
Found some Fiocci 7.62x38R Nagant ammunition this weekend. I tried 14 rounds and they performed very well. I’ve been using the PPU and had problems with sticky brass. The Fiocci is much better and shot very clean. Any brand of ammo in this cartridge is rare, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of the Fiocci. I’ll probably never shoot the Russian surplus I have, probably leave it for posterity.
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
My Dad has had a gorgeous 1895 Belgian Nagant service revolver that some gunsmith nicely sleeved for .22lr. That model didnt use the gas seal mechanism and accuracy is only so-so, but its still a blast to shoot. The ejector doesnt fit the cylinder sleeves, however, so you must use a wire rod to knock out the empties.
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twarr1
Member
Nice!
I’d like to find a 32 cylinder for mine. Those are pretty rare as well.
dickydalton
Member
When I got mine I also got the second cylinder with it but was told that a gunsmith has to install it.
Mizar
Member
I would try to answer about the proof marks to the best of my knowledge. First, about the hammer in star mark - it's the correct Tula arsenal mark (logo actually) for that year. The mark that Entropy is talking about, the one up to 1926, is a different one - it's usually on the left front side of the trigger guard and it's a government acceptance mark. You should have a star there.
"K" in circle - tested for accuracy mark (accepted).
"1" in triangle (partially visible) - speculations, that it's a mark for DDR army guns, but it's highly unlikely. Another opinion is it's a mark denoting a certain level of manufacturing quality... If I find more info about it I would share it later.
"Ф" (Cyrillic equivalent of F) - acceptance mark from the in factory OTK (Otdel Tehnicheskogo Kontrolia - Department of technical control).
"Л" in circle (Cyrillic equivalent of L) - inspector's mark.
The rest I can's see well enough.
"K" in circle - tested for accuracy mark (accepted).
"1" in triangle (partially visible) - speculations, that it's a mark for DDR army guns, but it's highly unlikely. Another opinion is it's a mark denoting a certain level of manufacturing quality... If I find more info about it I would share it later.
"Ф" (Cyrillic equivalent of F) - acceptance mark from the in factory OTK (Otdel Tehnicheskogo Kontrolia - Department of technical control).
"Л" in circle (Cyrillic equivalent of L) - inspector's mark.
The rest I can's see well enough.
wiscoaster
Member
Mizar
Member
It's quite easy actually - I'm a Bulgarian and use the Cyrillic alphabet/keyboard all the time...
wiscoaster
Member
Hah! I was afraid it was that. I don't think this editor allows HTML code, so I can't get it to render non-English characters. Thanks, anyway.
But you might be able to use alt code. For example, ф (taken from my Russian keyboard, on mobile at the moment) can be typed using ALT+232, where you hold the ALT key while you type the numbers 232.
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