Curious Relics #130: Down to the Details – Nagant M1895 Revolver Part III

By Sam.S • Published April 15, 2026

Welcome, if you are a newcomer to this fun bi-weekly segment of AllOutdoor.com! The last couple of articles have been dedicated to the Nagant M1895 revolver. Part I covered the full history of this odd Belgian-designed Russian wheel gun, and Part II tackled variations, manufacturers, and dating. Today we are getting into specifications, aftermarket parts, the .32 ACP conversion cylinder, and threading these things for a suppressor. Lots of ground to cover so let’s dive right in!

Curious Relics Coverage on AllOutdoor:

Welcome to our recurring series of “Curious Relics.” Here, we want to share all of our experiences, knowledge, misadventures, and passion for older firearms that one might categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that is at least 50 years old according to the ATF. Hopefully along the way you can garner a greater appreciation for older firearms like we do, and simultaneously you can teach us things as well through sharing your own expertise and thoughts in the Comments. Understanding the firearms of old, their importance, and their development which lead to many of the arms we now cherish today is incredibly fascinating and we hope you enjoy what we have to share, too!

Specifications: Nagant M1895 Revolver

The Nagant M1895 is a solid-frame, seven-shot revolver chambered for the proprietary 7.62x38mmR cartridge. The gas-seal system is what makes this gun mechanically unique compared to any other production revolver. As the hammer is cocked, a cam system driven by the trigger moves the cylinder forward so that the mouth of the cartridge seats inside the forcing cone at the rear of the barrel. The bullet is seated entirely within the cartridge case, and when fired the brass expands and seals that junction completely. The result is that no propellant gas escapes the cylinder gap because there effectively is no cylinder gap at the moment of firing. This is also what makes the double-action trigger pull so punishing, since you are not only cocking the hammer and rotating the cylinder but also physically driving it forward against a spring. Official specs list a double-action pull at around 20 pounds. From what I have experienced and read, that number can be optimistic depending on the individual gun, especially wartime and refurbished examples. Single-action pull runs around 12 pounds. Neither is what anyone would call pleasant, but the single-action is at least manageable.

Years Produced: 1895 to 1945, with some post-war assembly from remaining parts
Number Manufactured: Approximately 2.6 million
Caliber: 7.62x38mmR (also known as 7.62mm Nagant or Cartridge Type R)
Capacity: 7 rounds
Action: Double-action/single-action (officer model), single-action only (soldier model)
Barrel Length: 4.5 inches
Overall Length: 9.4 inches
Weight: 1 pound 12 ounces unloaded
Trigger Pull: Approximately 12 lbs single-action, 20+ lbs double-action
Sights: Fixed front blade, rear notch
Finish: Blued
Grips: Checkered walnut on original examples, Bakelite on most refurbished guns
Safety: None

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories: Nagant M1895 Revolver

Parts availability for the Nagant is decent enough, given how many millions of these exist, though it is not exactly a deep market. The gun is simple enough that most people are not shopping for a lot of internal parts anyway. For what is out there, here are the spots I would check.

Numrich is the usual first stop, and they do carry some Nagant parts, though I will be honest and say their selection on this particular gun is pretty sparse. Worth a look but do not expect a full menu. Century Arms has a surprisingly good selection, which makes sense given that they imported a substantial number of these when the surplus wave hit in the late 2000s. They likely sat on a pile of spare parts as a result, and it shows. eBay is always worth checking for small parts, holsters, lanyards, and the cleaning rod that these originally came with. Original leather holsters do turn up occasionally and are worth picking up if you find one in decent shape. The more common postwar rubberized canvas holsters are easier to find and cheaper. BuyMilSurp.com has come up in my research as another option with a decent selection of small parts. I have not personally ordered from them, so I cannot vouch for the experience, but they are worth knowing about if the other sources come up empty.

Ammunition is its own conversation. The 7.62x38mmR is a proprietary cartridge that you are not finding at your local shop. Fiocchi and Privi Partizan both produce commercial loadings, and they are available online, though priced higher than you would expect for a .30 caliber revolver round. The commercial stuff also runs noticeably slower than genuine military surplus loads. Surplus ammo does still turn up on occasion and if you find it at a fair price it is worth grabbing. Reloading is an option using .32-20 Winchester brass with the Lee Nagant die set, which is probably the most practical long-term solution for anyone planning to shoot these regularly. This is a particular adventure I plan on having and reporting on at some point somewhere (either here or TFB), but time is a fickle mistress.

The .32 ACP Conversion Cylinder: Nagant M1895 Revolver

This is something a lot of Nagant owners eventually look into, and I have firsthand experience with it, so I can give you an honest take. Aftermarket cylinders are available that allow the Nagant to fire .32 ACP instead of the proprietary 7.62x38mmR. The appeal is obvious since .32 ACP is infinitely more available and cheaper. I found mine on eBay, which seems to be the primary marketplace for these.

Note: Early on in their importation, 32 S&W cylinders were made, but I have heard mixed reviews on them, and they aren’t easy to get ahold of, which may tell the tale.

Here is the disclaimer you need to hear before you order one: There is a very real chance it will not fit your gun without work. I bought one for myself and one for former AllOutdoor Editor Adam S., and neither cylinder fit either of our guns out of the box. I ended up taking them to a gunsmith to have a few surfaces fit before they would function. This is not a drop-in part. The reason it is trickier than a typical cylinder swap is that the Nagant cylinder does not just rotate; it also moves forward and rearward as part of the gas-seal mechanism. Getting that timing and fit right takes some hands-on attention. It is doable, but go in knowing it may cost you a gunsmith visit on top of the purchase price.

Once fitted, I have not had any problems shooting .32 ACP through mine, and I have not heard of others having issues either. That said, this is buy-at-your-own-risk territory, and I want to be upfront about that. I will have more to say about how it actually shoots in Part IV. One thing worth noting is that swapping to the .32 ACP cylinder eliminates the gas-seal function entirely since that cartridge does not interact with the forcing cone the way the 7.62x38mmR does. More on why that matters in the next section.

Threading and Suppressing the Nagant M1895 Revolver

With suppressors becoming increasingly popular and the tax stamp currently sitting at zero dollars, threading a Nagant for a can has become something a lot of owners are looking into. The gas-seal design makes this one of the very few revolvers in existence that can be meaningfully suppressed, and the results are genuinely impressive.

Adam S. and I both had our barrels threaded through Tornado Technologies. They did excellent work, and I have no complaints about the quality. I will note that last I heard, they had relocated, and I was not sure whether they had fully resumed operations, so check their current status before reaching out. If they are up and running, I would not hesitate to recommend them.

Shooting the Nagant suppressed with the original 7.62x38mmR military-spec ammunition is something else. Because the gas-seal system eliminates the cylinder gap entirely, there is nowhere for gas to escape except down the barrel and into the suppressor. The result is about as quiet as a suppressed .22 LR. That is not an exaggeration. It is a remarkably quiet setup, and the gas seal is the reason why most revolvers cannot be effectively suppressed in the first place.

The .32 ACP conversion cylinder changes that picture significantly. Without the gas-seal cartridge doing its job, you have a standard revolver cylinder gap, and gas bleeds out there freely just like any other wheel gun. The suppressor still reduces the muzzle report, but you lose the bulk of the benefit. It is noticeably louder than the original cartridge suppressed. I would call it hearing safe personally, though my hearing has seen better days. It is not a full, unsuppressed gunshot sound, but it has enough pop that you should think twice before skipping ear protection. Your results may vary, but I would rather be honest about it than oversell it.

End of Part III: Nagant M1895 Revolver

Well, folks, that covers the specs, parts, and the fun stuff you can do with this old wheel gun. Next time, we are finally heading to the range with both the standard 7.62x38mmR and the .32 ACP conversion cylinder, so stay tuned for that. Till then, keep an eye out, and I hope to see you back here soon!

In closing, I hope our Curious Relics segment informed as well as entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We did not just realize how guns were supposed to look and function. It was a long and tedious process that has shaped the world we live in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm out there that you feel does not get much notoriety? What should our next Curious Relics topic cover? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

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