1895 Nagant vs. 1895 Nagant Part 1
The Russian Version of BBs vs. Pellets
By Dennis Adler

I know, all we hear about is Russia, Russia, Russia, but I’m taking about Mother Russia, 19th century Russia and the golden age of firearms, a time when America’s captains of industry and armsmakers courted the Russian Czars and lavished them with presentation pistols. Samuel Colt was among the first with a magnificent Gustav Young engraved and gold inlaid 3rd Model Dragoon and a pair of matching 1851 Navy Model revolvers that he personally presented to Czar Nicholas I in 1853 and 1854. By the end of the 19th century, everyone from Colt to Smith & Wesson had sold arms to Russia, but in 1895 Czar Nicholas II turned to the Nagant Brothers in Belgium and purchased their newest double action revolver to rearm his military.

The first revolvers to be carried in significant numbers by the Imperial Russian Army was a modified Smith & Wesson Model 3, followed by the Second Model Russian Smith & Wesson revolver and Third Model (also manufactured for the Russian military in Germany by Ludwig Loewe and at Russia’s Tula armory). The S&W topbreak models were used until the early 1890s, by which time it was determined (throughout Europe and with Russia following suit) that sidearms should be of a smaller caliber. The current S&W models were chambered in .44 Russian. It was also determined that a military revolver should be a double action, single action design, actually in keeping with British revolvers which had used double action, single action firing systems since the 1870s. Even the U.S. turned away from the legendary .45 Colt Peacemaker models and began fielding .38 caliber Colt double action revolvers by the late 1880s and into the early 20th century.

Nagant’s story
Leon and Emile Nagant’s proposal to the Russian military was an innovative double action, single action 7-shot revolver chambered in 7.62x38mm (.30 caliber) utilizing their improved gas-seal design. Manufactured at their armory in Liege, Fabrique d’Armes et Leon Nagant, Leon and Emile’s gas seal employed a clever mechanical repositioning of the cylinder, which moved forward and against the forcing cone when the hammer was cocked, thereby completely sealing the cylinder gap. The nose of their 7.62mm cartridge case (the bullet was literally recessed inside the shell case) projected 1.5mm beyond the front of the cylinder chamber, which was far enough back from the forcing cone so as not to impede rotation before the cylinder moved forward into the firing position. This put the nose of the cartridge case into the forcing cone thus making a nearly perfect gas seal. The details of the Nagant’s operation were far more complex than that simple description, and involved the trigger design, cylinder, the pawl and the slot in which it traveled, a vertically-moving wedge block that forced a locking piece against the base of the cartridge to be fired, thereby preventing any rearward movement of the cartridge or the cylinder until after the gun was discharged. Last, there was a spring (compressed when the cylinder moved forward) that pushed the cylinder back to its rest position after the hammer fell and the trigger was released. This freed the cylinder to rotate to the next chamber. The gas seal allowed as much of the gunpowder charge as possible to be channeled behind the 7.62mm bullet giving it a higher velocity.


The Russian Army adopted the Nagant revolver as its standard sidearm in 1895, officially naming it the Revolver Sistemy Nagana obrazets 1895 goda (Nagant system revolver Model 1895). The Nagant was so well received that the patent rights were purchased so the revolvers could be manufactured at Russia’s Tula, Sestroryetsk and Izhevsk arsenals. This proved to be a better outcome for Fabrique d’Armes et Leon Nagant which only manufactured 20,000 Nagant revolvers for the Russian military between 1895 and 1898, after which the Russians built another 180,000 between 1898 and 1902. By the beginning of WWI, production had reached 436,210 Model 1895 revolvers and they remained in use a remarkable half a century, including throughout WWII.

In its time, when horse soldiers were still leading the attacks, the Nagant was regarded as one of the best cavalry handguns in the word. It was both ahead of its time and at the same time, antiquated by its old style loading system compared to the topbreak S&W models already in use by the Russian military, and the swing out cylinder design developed by Colt in 1889. The other factor was having been introduced only a few years before the first practical semiautomatic pistols would come into use. Nevertheless, the Nagant Model 1895 stayed in service and remains one of those classic 19th century handguns that have withstood the test of time. As a CO2 model the Gletcher Nagant version brings all of the guns exceptional features to bear. Gletcher even has a variation of the gas seal concept using the floating forcing cone and corresponding recesses at the front of each cylinder chamber. This is common on most CO2 revolvers but really works with the Nagant design. When the cylinder rotates the floating forcing cone is pushed back by the cylinder and when the gun is cocked it moves forward again into the recess in the face of the chamber, thus creating its own de facto gas seal.


The Gletcher Nagant is probably one of the most historically well thought out air pistols in recent years. A better finish or weathered finish on the black models (the plated models, however, look impressive), real wood grips and some original factory markings on the frame would make these airguns as close to perfect as possible.
In part 2 we will examine the firing mechanism, fit and finish, and field stripping.
Great to see a series on this pistol. Just to note however that I did recently get a rifled, nickel version and it does have the safety on it. After checking Gletchers website, it seems that they are manufacturing the pellet versions with a safety lock and the bb versions without. Very curious.
On point though, I find mine to be very accurate in single action but shoots an inch low in double action. Can’t figure out if it’s me or maybe the hammer strike is a bit harder on the valve in single action. I really should take the time to chrony double versus single to see if there is a difference in velocity. I don’t have this issue shooting my other revolvers in double action but this pistol is still new to me and I’m still leaning the nuances of it.
I’ll check out velocity single and double action in the shooting portion of this series. As for the manual safety, that is most unfortunate as I see no reason for it on a revolver, especially the Nagant. Something we will just have to accept as a change in the gun. Interestingly, Webley actually made a MK IV .38 revolver that had a crossbolt safety to block the hammer. It was an odd bird.
I am now confused. Both the review by Dennis and the comments here seem to show a safety on the pellet revolvers, but not the BB revolver. BUT the pictures at Pyramid Air show just exactly the opposite.
https://www.pyramydair.com/search-results-ext?Ntt=nagant&sid=1375A617A415&N=0&Ntk=primary&q=nagant&cx=002970863286801882398:jlcminxfwdw&cof=FORID:11;NB:1&saSearch
The BB Nagants have the safety shown in the pictures, and the pellet Nagants do not have the safety shown in the pictures at Pyramid Air.
Well you are not the only one who is confused. I believe we are in the middle of a model change by Gletcher and newer inventory has the safety. Eventually both BB and pellet models will come with the manual safety. If you have one without it, enjoy the original design. I addressed this later in the three part series on the Nagant but as they say, “It is what it is” and the manual safety is probably here to stay on the Nagant.
I just picked up a blue pellet version , and it has the safety. My earlier nickel version does not. The blue one is screaming for removal of white markings and a weathered battle finish. These revolvers are very accurate, and due to the gas seal system are pretty hard hitting . With the just over 4 inch barrel they throw 7 gr pellets faster than most 6 inch barrel revolvers. With alloy pellets the Nagant should hit around 425 fps plus. It is a compact , easy to carry revolver and a plus is that it fits most S&W K frame holsters
As to accuracy , from my nickel revolver 25 feet
Da and sa action 7 gr Meisterkugeln, Weaver stance
I have never seen one, but the gas seal design of the Nagant would make it about the only revolver truly suited for a suppressor.