The revolver of the Nagant system has long become a legend. There were many reasons for the popularity of this personal weapon. But the most, perhaps, the main thing is its reliability and effectiveness in close combat ...

Drum coup in military affairs

IN Soviet time the word "revolver" has become synonymous with the very concept of a revolver. The Soviet yard song of the 70s "Three Cowboys" says "Three true friends, three knives, three revolvers ..." Although in fact the workers of the American steppe cattle breeding still preferred European weapons larger-caliber Colts and Smith-Wessons from a domestic manufacturer. It was with these Colts that the Russian army encountered for the first time on the battlefield in the Crimean War of 1853-1856. And this acquaintance was accompanied by numerous victims. Revolvers were then capsular, which seriously reduced their rate of fire. But even in this version, the multi-shot "short-barreled" looked like a very impressive melee weapon against the background of single-shot pistols.

The memories of the officers of the British and French veterans of the Crimea are replete with scenes where they shoot their opponents almost in batches. Apparently, it could not do without the usual bragging. But still, rapid-fire revolvers did a lot of damage. It must also be borne in mind that with the then construction in close formations, it was not necessary to be a particularly accurate shooter in order to hit targets in a dense line.

However, Russian officers also had revolvers - the same colts produced under a patent at the Tula and Izhevsk imperial arms factories and in Helsingfors, Adams capsule revolvers and other systems. Only this new weapon gentlemen officers in most cases had to buy for their own money. With a very modest salary of the then lieutenant, this was far from affordable for everyone. So they led their "wonder-heroes" into the attack, raising a government saber over their heads. Surprisingly, but even after the lost Crimean War, the tsarist army, for the most part, remained muzzle-loaded pistols. In the 1860s, hairpin Lefoshe revolvers began to arrive in the Separate Corps of Gendarmes.

With the invention of a unitary cartridge with a metal sleeve, first a hairpin, and then a circular and center action, revolvers rose to a new level.

But soon the reforms of the progressive Minister of War Dmitry Milyutin began. In the Russian army, the revolver was first officially adopted in 1871. They became a 4.2-linear revolver of the Smith-Wesson system. Russia became the first country in the world to adopt centerfire revolvers. At the international exhibition in Vienna in 1873, this Russian model of the American revolver was awarded a gold medal. Produced "Smith-Wesson" for the Russian army in the United States. In 1872 and in 1880 the revolver was modernized. But soon this Smith-Wesson model became hopelessly outdated.

The progress of applied military chemistry is to blame for everything. The fact is that in 1884 smokeless powder appeared. As a matter of fact, in relation to the former, "smoky" gunpowder from a mixture of saltpeter, sulfur and coal, it was a fundamentally new propellant explosive. The smokeless powder obtained from nitrocellulose was much more powerful, which made it possible to reduce the caliber hand weapons while reducing its weight and dimensions. Shooting like a cannon, with a cloud of powder smoke, the 10.67 mm Smith & Wesson has become too bulky and archaic.

Nagant for the Emperor

In Russia, a competition was announced for a new army. The requirements were tough - for example, a shot at a distance of up to 50 steps was supposed to stop the horse. How many horses were killed on the test, history is silent. There were also such reasonable conditions as high bullet penetration, accuracy when firing, matching caliber and barrel cutting with the recently adopted 3-line Mosin rifle, low weight, simplicity, reliability and manufacturability. But there were also such requirements as the abandonment of self-cocking firing mechanisms and the simultaneous extraction of cartridge cases - the highest generals of the imperial army were very afraid of a large "ammunition consumption".

In the final “duel”, the “trunks” of two Belgian gunsmiths, Leon Nagant and Henry Pieper, met. The competition was won by Leon Nagant's revolver. Evil tongues said that not least thanks to long-standing connections in the Russian military ministry. But his model really met all the above requirements. Pieper's "Bayard" revolver was faster-firing. But precisely for this reason, and also because it had a device for automatically ejecting cartridge cases, the Bayard was rejected - as too complicated and unreliable. By the way, the prevention of the breakthrough of powder gases by feeding the muzzle of the sleeve into the barrel was borrowed by Nagan from Pieper's revolvers.

Also, the Nagant revolver already had a degraded version in advance - without self-cocking, developed even earlier at the request of the Belgian military department. The Russian weapons commission of General Chagin intended to accept a sample with just such a reduced rate of fire. And only thanks to the insistence of the officers participating in the tests, it was possible to achieve the adoption of at least two samples: the "officer" self-cocking revolver and the "soldier" version, where the trigger had to be cocked separately before each shot.

Revolver and revolution are almost synonymous

For the first time, the revolver was used in the Russian army in combat conditions during the suppression of the "Boxer Rebellion" in China in 1900. Further, the revolver participated in Russo-Japanese War. By the beginning of the 1905 revolution, police officers had not yet been fully re-equipped with revolvers and retained a significant number of obsolete Smith and Wessons. With the "Smiths" and with even more underpowered civilian "bulldogs" militants of various revolutionary parties began to fight the police. However, the latter much faster than the ranks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, switched to more modern automatic pistols and revolvers.

The most popular among the members of the fighting revolutionary squads were "Brownings". But the most experienced of them carried two barrels - a rapid-fire automatic pistol and a reliable revolver. In the event of failure of "automatic" revolver always rescued. So, Nikolai Komarov in his memoirs describes the scene of a shootout with a convoy in Yekaterinoslav in 1906, when a group of SR militants beat off the prisoners. Komarov's "carriage" of the parabellum "jumped off", and then he took out a spare revolver. Nagans were also used by combatants on the barricades of Krasnaya Presnya in the December battles of 1905.

It is characteristic that the old instructions suggested shooting from a revolver not with an outstretched arm, but with a half-bent one at the elbow.

During the First World War, the revolver remained the main personal weapon of Russian officers, although some bought automatic pistols for their kosht - Brownings, Mausers, Colts. A weapon of a similar type, the 8 mm Rasta-Gasser revolver, was also used in the Austro-Hungarian army.

The main characteristics of the Nagant revolver:
Weight, kg:
- 0.795 (without cartridges)
- 0.880 (equipped)
Length, mm: 220
Barrel length, mm: 114 (number of grooves - 4)
Cartridge: 7.62 × 38 mm Nagant
How it works: double action trigger
Rate of fire: 7 shots in 15-20 seconds
starting speed bullets, m/s: 272
Sighting range, m: 50
Maximum firing range, m: 100-150 m
Type of ammunition: drum for 7 rounds
Sight: rear sight with an aiming slot on the top of the frame, front sight on the front of the barrel.

In 1917, the Nagant revolver became a symbol of the revolution. "Revolver" and "revolution" - the words are, in general, the same root. In a revolver, a drum turns over, in a revolution - social relations. The revolver gained its “revolutionary” popularity not least due to the fact that by this time about a million revolvers of this system had been produced in Russia. In the context of the specifics and chaos of the civil war, such qualities of the revolver as simplicity, reliability, unpretentiousness in maintenance and repair, manufacturability in manufacturing, turned out to be in great demand.

Taking into account the fact that the ranks of the armed formations on all sides of the front were replenished by many people who often did not have any military training, nor general education and technical knowledge, a simple revolver was most welcome for them. He gained particular popularity in the 20s, both among the workers of the Cheka and the police, and among their opponents - numerous rebels and a criminal element. Nagant could be hidden for a long time in hiding places under the floor or in the eaves of the hut - and taking it out at the right time, immediately put it into action.

Nagant against the "Third Reich"

In the Red Army, only the "officer" version of the revolver was adopted - with self-cocking. Despite the entry into service in 1933 of the automatic, the 7.62-mm revolver of the Nagant system continued its service in the Red Army. As you know, before the war, shooting from personal weapons was given here great attention. In particular, the training of the Red Army soldiers of the special purpose company of the Kremlin commandant in the early 1930s included the following exercise in training in shooting at high physical activity- the fighter ran a circle of several hundred meters, then fired a shot from a revolver at a target, ran a circle again - and fired again ...

The Nagant revolver went through the entire Great Patriotic War, staying armed Soviet army until 1945.

Many experienced front-line officers preferred the revolver. He had a number of advantages - he did not give delays, he was always ready to fire, in the event of a cartridge misfire, it was easy to fire the next shot from him. But the most important advantage, according to the memoirs of front-line soldiers, is the high accuracy of shooting from a revolver. Attached, with a comfortable grip and a good center of gravity, the revolver always gave high accuracy. Unlike the TT, with its movable and shifting barrel when fired. Nagant was also not afraid to drop into trench mud or sand.

The revolver was especially convenient in fleeting hand-to-hand fights, when the enemy could appear from any side. The layout of the revolver made it possible to quickly control this weapon, it was convenient to conduct intuitive shooting from it, and point the revolver along the barrel.

Serious shortcomings of the revolver were slow reloading and significant hand force when firing with self-cocking.

Until recently, the revolver remained in service with the paramilitary security service, postal workers, banks, etc.

In the nineteenth century, many states began to rearm their armies. Since revolvers, as personal short-barreled firearms, were characterized by high reliability and simple design, they were considered by European craftsmen as the most promising examples.

In the Belgian city of Liege, the Arms Factory of Leon and Emile Nagant began its activities. In this family workshop, gunsmith brothers repaired Dutch-made revolvers. Later, the factory began to manufacture its own samples. It was here that the weapon was created, which later became known in history as the Nagan revolver pistol.

Because this model has been used in civil war in Russia, it became a symbol of the 1917 revolution. The article contains information about the history of the creation and design of the Nagant pistol.

Where did it all begin?

In 1877, the eldest of the brothers, Emil, patented a drawing for the design of a revolver, which later became the basis for legendary pistol"Revolver". The model under the designation "Revolver M1877" was adopted by the Dutch army. After a slight modernization, the armies of Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Argentina, Brazil and Luxembourg were armed with this six-shot revolver.

World fame

Basically, the revolver was used in the Belgian army. Thanks to the positive feedback from the Belgian soldiers, this version of the pistol, like the Nagan brothers factory itself, received world fame in the arms market.

Developments

In the variant of the pistol "Nagan", assembled in 1895, the brothers managed to combine the best qualities from all previous developments. As a result, the M1892 revolver was considered a classic. Until 1940, the Belgian police used this particular modification of the Nagant pistol. The cartridge for this weapon also contained smokeless powder, but the bullet caliber was increased to 9 mm. Ammunition was contained in a special movable drum. Its rotation was carried out in a horizontal plane. With the appearance of the following modifications, no significant changes were made to the design of the Nagant pistol of 1895.

What is a revolving drum?

This part in the Nagant pistol simultaneously performs the functions of a chamber and a magazine. Most models of revolvers are equipped with drums that are designed for seven rounds. The drum with its hollow axis in front of the revolver is inserted into the frame, on which it is fixed with a special ramrod tube. It is mounted on the barrel neck in front of the drum.

In revolvers, which provide for pushing the drum onto the barrel, a special return mechanism is used. The right side of the Nagant pistol (a photo of the weapon is presented in the article) has become a place for placing a locking device - a special spring-loaded door. In order to charge the weapon, it is enough for the shooter to open (fold to the side) the door. The Nagant pistol is discharged in the same way. The disassembly of the weapon begins precisely with the opening of the door and the removal of the drum. Ammunition is located in special nests. When the door is tilted, cartridges are inserted into them. To prevent the ammunition from falling out of the weapon, the door should be returned to the closed position. In addition, the door prevents the drum from turning counterclockwise.

USM device

Revolvers "Nagant" are equipped with trigger, designed for double action, trigger mechanisms. Pistols contain strikers, which are hinged on the triggers. The handle has become a place for the location of the two-bladed mainspring. Revolvers do not have safety locks. During the first tests of the weapon, the designers noticed leakage of powder gases in the place of the breech cut and the front end of the drum. It was possible to correct this shortcoming by using a trigger mechanism that pushed the drum forward each time before firing. Thus, during the cocking of the hammer, by actuating a specific locking mechanism, the drum is shifted forward. Further, due to the trigger, the drum is stopped, and its rotation is stopped.

Model for the Russian army

In 1879, the Naval Ministry of Tsarist Russia purchased a small batch of pistols of the Nagant system from a Belgian manufacturer. The technical characteristics and design features of these revolvers have been improved compared to the previous models of 1877. The new weapons purchased by Russia (a thousand units) were intended for firing 7.5 mm ammunition. The cartridges were equipped with jacketed bullets and used smokeless powder. For revolvers of the "Nagant" system, cartridges were specially created from brass sleeves. Gunsmiths noted that the use of such cartridges provides high ballistic performance. In addition, the fired bullet had a decent initial speed. Front sights and rear sights were used as sighting devices.

Belgian weapons in Tsarist Russia

Late nineteenth century in Russian empire became the period when the massive rearmament of the army was carried out. Modernization did not bypass personal firearms for soldiers and officers. A specially created commission, engaged in the selection of the most promising models from a large assortment of army revolvers, formulated the requirements for weapons. The best samples were considered on a competitive basis. Only the model that had the following qualities could become the winner:

  • Great stopping power.
  • High combat power. A bullet fired from a revolver was supposed to pierce five-inch pine boards.
  • Ease. The optimal weight should not exceed 0.92 kg.
  • Barrel rifling in their number, caliber and direction should have been identical to the rifling in Mosin's three-line rifles. This requirement is explained by the fact that in the event of a rifle breakdown, its barrel could later be used in the manufacture of a revolver.
  • Pistols should not be equipped with self-cocking devices, as, according to gunsmiths, this adversely affects accuracy.
  • The initial speed of the bullet is not less than 300 m / s.
  • Uncomplicated design.
  • High accuracy of combat.
  • Reliability and ease of use. The revolver must be immune to extreme conditions.
  • Alternate extraction of spent cartridges. As well as shooting by self-cocking, and simultaneous extraction, according to gunsmiths, entails a complication in the design of the revolver and excessive consumption of ammunition. Consequently, the production of pistols will be more labor intensive and will require large financial investments. The price of the finished product for the consumer will also increase.
  • The presence of sights designed for firing at a distance of at least 35 meters.
  • Using cartridges with smokeless powder and jacketed bullets in flanged brass cases.

Contest

The main competitor for the 1895 Nagant revolvers (M1892) was similar weapons from the Belgian gunsmith Henri Pieper - M1889 Bayar. Adhering to the conditions of the competition, Leon Nagan reduced the M1892 caliber from 9 mm to 7.62 mm. In addition, in the design of the revolver, he excluded the possibility of self-cocking firing. He also made two versions of the drums, designed for six and seven ammunition. The jury was given two samples of Nagant pistols. The characteristics of the Henri Pieper revolvers were inferior to the M1892: the Bayard revolver was heavier and had an unreliable design. As a result, he was rejected. And after minor design improvements, the Nagant pistol was adopted by the tsarist army of Russia.

Specifications M1892

The revolver, designed in 1892, did not begin production until 1895. The model has the following parameters:

  • The revolver is equipped with an automatic cocking drum, designed for 7 rounds of ammunition.
  • The weapon has an initial speed of 272 m/s.
  • The revolver is intended for firing at a distance of up to 700 meters.
  • The battle force is 210 J.
  • Caliber 7.62 x 32 mm
  • Rate of fire - the drum (seven rounds) is released within 20 seconds.
  • The weapon with an empty drum weighs 0.75 kg. With ammunition - 0.83 kg.
  • The dimensions of the revolver are 234 x 114 mm.
  • The revolver provides aimed shooting at a distance of up to 50 meters.

The article presents a photo of the Nagan M1892 pistol.

What is common in the Nagant models?

In all versions of the pistols of the Nagant brothers, the following characteristic design features can be distinguished:

  • Each modification of the revolver is equipped with a double-action trigger mechanism. This allows the shooter to use the weapon by pre-cocking the hammer, as well as self-cocking. The exception was pre-revolutionary models, in which self-cocking mechanisms were blocked in order to reduce the consumption of cartridges.
  • The basis of revolvers is a monolithic one-piece frame.
  • The opening of the drum is made due to the door folded to the side. However, in the 1910 revolver, this door did not open to the side, but back.
  • Blind landing of the revolving barrel in the frame.
  • All models use a ramrod. Before firing, it is hidden in the axis of the drum. During the operation of the weapon, the ramrod is used as an extractor: it pushes out the spent cartridges.
  • The frames are equipped with flat covers that cover the mechanism of the revolver.
  • In all models of revolvers of the Nagant system, drums are used as a chamber and magazine.

"Gletcher" 2012: injury.

Over the decades that the M1892 was in service, it acquired a very great popularity. This model of Belgian craftsmen is of interest to many lovers of rare weapons, which was taken into account by modern arms manufacturers. Since gas models designed for self-defense are in great demand today, the Nagant air pistol Gletcher NGT Black was created on the basis of the combat M1892. On Russian market weapons, this option entered in 2012. The black pistol "Nagant" is one of the most popular gas models today. Manufacturers have tried to give traumatic weapons an external resemblance to a combat counterpart. According to consumer reviews, the weight and size parameters of the Nagan pneumatic pistol do not differ from the M1892.

Description of the gas model

For the gas Nagant, the manufacturer used silumin. Wanting to give the weapon the effect of blued steel, the developers chose a black material. In some parties Pneumatic guns"Nagant" have a silver coating. For the cheeks under the handle, the craftsmen use plastic, which is a successful imitation of wood. Traumatic gun "Nagant" is equipped with a reservoir with CO 2, which is a source of energy. Due to the trigger mechanism, firing from a gas sample is possible in two ways:

  • after a pre-cocked trigger, which the shooter performs manually;
  • self-cocking.

Operating principle

Unlike the combat counterpart, the gas "Nagant" does not provide for the sliding of the drum along the barrel during firing. The drum in the "Gletcher" does not rotate, but remains in a stationary position. Due to this, gas leakage is completely excluded and sealing is increased. As in the real Nagant, in the traumatic version, it is also possible to remove the drum from the frame. The body of the Glacier is equipped with a manual safety, which is used when blocking the hammer and trigger. Fires the weapon with copper-plated steel shot (BB). Before the start of operation, the bullet is mounted in a false cartridge - a special device made of two rubber inserts designed to prevent gas leakage.

NGT products fire original ammunition that will not fit other similar models. In order to load the revolver, the shooter must insert cartridges one at a time into the drum, while rotating it clockwise. If the bullet is inserted correctly, a characteristic click should be heard. The drums in the Glaciers are not folding. The inside of the pistol grip is used for a gas cartridge. Outside, it is closed with plastic lining.

Characteristics

The traumatic revolver "Nagant" has the following characteristics:

  • The weight of the weapon is 700 g.
  • The pistol is designed to fire bullets of 4.5 mm caliber.
  • The strength of the battle - 3 J.
  • The fired bullet is capable of developing a maximum initial speed of up to 120 m / s. However, judging by the numerous reviews of the owners, after 60 shots the initial speed drops to 90 m / s.
  • CO 2 gas is used as a filler for the cylinder.
  • The revolver is used for shooting at distances up to 230 meters.

According to the reviews of the owners of these traumatic Nagans, one canister is enough to fire 100-105 shots. In this parameter, other pneumatic pistols are inferior to the Glacier. In addition, for the descent of the self-cocking in the traumatic "Nagant", unlike its combat counterpart, less effort is required - only 3 kg, which increases the accuracy of shooting and comfort in operation.

Army modifications

Based on the revolver of the Nagant system, the following special combat options have been developed for military personnel:

  1. "Soldier". The design of the revolver uses a non-self-cocking trigger mechanism.
  2. "Officer". In this "Nagan" a trigger mechanism is provided.
  3. "Commander". This model is a compact version of the revolver: the barrel length is reduced to 85 mm, the handle is shortened. Designed in 1927. Serial production in small batches was carried out specifically for the OGPU and the NKVD (25 thousand units). Terminated in 1932. Designed for concealed carry.
  4. Revolver "Nagant" using the BraMit silent-flame shooting device. This fixture, acting as a silencer, was developed by the Mitin brothers in 1929. The disadvantage of pistols equipped with such devices was that when firing, the silencer took away some of the energy, as a result of which the bolt could not go through the entire cycle, which led to distortions of the cartridges. When firing from a revolver with a silencer, these shortcomings were not observed. Silent firing attachments have been designed to be ideal for revolver barrels. They do not need to be redesigned and adapted. Special brackets were used to fix BraMit devices. Revolvers equipped with these devices were used by reconnaissance and sabotage units of the Red Army.

5. "Nagant" WZ.30.- Polish-made revolver, manufactured in 1895. Mass production carried out during 1930-1939. in the city of Radom. About 20 thousand units were manufactured.

Models for civil use

For lovers of firearms, the following options for revolvers of the Nagant system are presented:

  1. MMG. The revolver is a collectible and stage model souvenir. It can also be used as a museum piece. Outwardly, the revolvers do not differ from combat ones, however, on the drums of the MMG revolvers there are inscriptions: “uch.” This means that the gun can be used for training purposes.
  2. Carbine KR-22 "Falcon". This Nagant revolver is a special conversion model. The length of the barrel is 50 cm. The design has an integral wooden butt and a wooden forearm. The revolver weighs 2 kg. Serial production started in 2010.
  3. "Thunder". The revolver is a conversion model. Used for sports and training purposes. The pistol is designed to fire 4 mm Flaubert cartridges.
  4. "Nagan-S" VPO-503. This signal pattern is also called "Bluff". Signal pistol "Nagant" was developed in 2006. Produced at the Vyatka-Polyansky plant "Molot". There is also storage of combat revolvers in special warehouses and their further alteration. Due to the peculiar design (the presence of a bored barrel and a plug in the breech), the Nagan-S signal pistol should be converted into military weapon impossible. Externally, the signal model is identical to its combat counterpart. Starting pistols "Nagant" are disassembled and serviced in the same way as real ones. The frames of revolvers are characterized by the presence of factory numbers and control terminals. The workers of the Izhevsk Arms Plant began to produce pistols of the Nagant system. The following design changes have been made to the device:
  • changed the shape of the plug in the breech breech;
  • reduced the diameter of the bore of the trunks;
  • removed serial numbers and control terminals from the frames and drums of revolvers;
  • stopped milling the frames of the breech breech;
  • the chambers in the drums do not contain pressed bushings for the Zhevelo cartridge. A special thread is used for installation;

  • The revolver is equipped with a wipe and a double-sided screwdriver.

5. MP-313. In 2008, serial production of revolvers at the Molot plant was discontinued.

6. R-2. The revolver of the Nagant system is an improved model of Bluff and MP-313. The pistol is produced at a machine-building plant in Izhevsk. The design of this sports model is characterized by:

  • The presence of a special pin, which is used as a plug. It is inserted into the revolving barrel on the right side through the frame. The place where the pin was inserted was carefully welded and polished by the workers of the plant. Thanks to this, the starting model looks very authentic. In addition, the developers decided to keep the rifling in the barrel.
  • The drilled drums are equipped with standard inserts for Zhevelo cartridges.

Conclusion

To the revolvers of the "Nagant" system in Russia, as in other CIS countries, the attitude is ambiguous. Since this weapon was mainly used by employees of repressive authorities until the 1950s, its name evokes negative associations for some users.

This is a revolver of the Nagant system of the 1895 model. It was developed by Belgian gunsmiths - brothers Emil and Leon Nagant, and was produced in Russia at the Tula Arms Plant. Yes, and many other places. I will not dwell on his history in detail (for those who are interested, go ahead to Wikipedia, although there are more interesting descriptions of this story on the Internet), but I will simply tell you about what is inside him.


So, the Nagant is a rather late release (this particular one is from the forties of the last century). Caliber 7.62 mm. Double action trigger mechanism. Ammunition: drum for seven rounds. Muzzle velocity: 270 m/s. Sighting range - 50 m. Rate of fire: seven shots in 15-20 seconds


Before starting disassembly, make sure that our revolver is not loaded. To do this, open the door on the right side of the revolver and, turning the drum, inspect all its cells - chambers. By the way, unlike most other revolvers, you can load and unload the revolver only through this door. One cartridge! This is the main drawback of its design. Why did the Russian military once turn a blind eye to him, read in the link I once provided.


We turn the ramrod around its axis and push it forward.


We take the extended ramrod to the right and release the axis of the drum. Now it can simply be pulled forward.


The drum is not supported by anything else. It can be squeezed out of the frame to the side.


By and large, the disassembly of the revolver is completed. But this is only the so-called "incomplete disassembly". Let's go further.


To do this, we already need a tool. Especially for such cases, a regular screwdriver with a large wooden handle was included with the revolver (I don’t know where and how it was supposed to be worn). But we will not disturb the historical instrument once again and will use the modern one. We unscrew the upper (!) Screw on the right cover of the revolver.


The screw itself is on the right, and it holds the left cover of the frame. When you unscrew it, the cover can be removed and you can see the firing mechanism of the revolver. Here he is, in front of you.


Now you need to remove the V-shaped mainspring. This is not easy to do - it is tight, and if you stupidly pry it with a screwdriver, you can get it on your forehead!


The removed spring allows you to pull the trigger. On this copy of the revolver, the trigger itself is a separate design. In addition to the drummer, a connecting rod with a spring is attached to it (we will not remove it - there is a very small screw there). This is exactly the part that distinguished the self-cocking "officer's" revolver from the non-self-cocking "soldier's". Yes, in the tsarist army, there were two modifications of the revolver in service, which differed only in the design of the trigger. From the officer it was possible to shoot simply by pressing the trigger over and over again until the drum was empty, and on the soldier before each shot it was necessary to cock the trigger with the thumb. It was once believed that this allows you to save cartridges - they say, cocking the trigger, the soldier will once again think about whether it is worth shooting at all ...


We continue to disassemble the trigger mechanism. We extract the dog - it is simply removed from the trigger. The dog is the most important part of the revolver. And very typical. She turns the drum with each shot, substituting another cartridge under the drummer. And she also shifts the drum forward, “pushing” it onto the barrel. This ingenious solution avoids the breakthrough of powder gases into the gap between the barrel and the drum. Unlike revolvers of other designs, when fired, this gap simply does not exist here!


It's time to unscrew the second screw from the right cover. He holds the trigger guard. In principle, it does not interfere with us, I just want to show that it is also removable.


We take the bracket to the sides. Removing the trigger is still more convenient.


They removed the trigger - it just sits on the axle.


We pull down the slider (by the way, in the "soldier's" revolver it is also a little different) and release the breech. During the shot, the bottom of the sleeve rests against him and he, together with the dog, moves the entire drum forward.


Now almost everything! I did not pull out the spring-loaded sleeve from the drum and did not remove the handle lining. They are wooden here and already quite dilapidated, and the screws holding them are tightened wholeheartedly. I was afraid to hurt. Also, I did not unscrew the barrel. It is impossible to do this on this particular instance of the revolver. Everyone who is at least in general terms familiar with the "Law on weapons ...", they will understand why. To the rest I'll just say - it's not right!


Here, the picture is especially for the champions of law and order - I am a law-abiding citizen.


And in the end, just in case, I will give a diagram of the very, that neither is, complete disassembly. It is also called an "explosion diagram" because the object on it seemed to explode!

Nagan model 1892. The history of the model and the perfection of weapons

In 1859, the brothers Emile and Henri-Leon founded in Liege (Belgium) the firm "Fabrique d'Arm E. and L." for the production of personal weapons, which, thanks to successful designs, were successful in the police and the army.

In 1878, a successful revolver model was developed for 7.5 and 9 mm caliber cartridges. She became the prototype for arr. 1887

In 1893-1895. Leon Nagant improved this model by using the sequential removal of shells in it, developed by the master gunsmith Abadi, the author of his own revolver. But Abadi became famous in the arms world thanks to the drum door. The Abadi door (located on the right in the figure) turned off the trigger when opened and allowed the trigger to be used to turn the drum during loading.

A distinctive feature of the new model was a drum running onto the breech, providing complete obturation of powder gases.

To this day, fierce disputes have not subsided over whether the production costs for the implementation of a complex drum design are justified by an increase in ballistic characteristics.

When in Russia the question arose of replacing the obsolete 4.2-linear (10.66 mm) Smith-Wesson revolver, which had cartridges filled with black powder, in 1893-1895. an arms contest was held. The Revolver of the "Nagant" system arr. 1895. Here are the advantages noted by the commission in its protocol:

    reliability in action: for 1004 shots, the revolver made one delay due to a poor-quality cartridge, which was eliminated by pressing the trigger again;

    well-aimed and sufficient strength fight;

    small weight and dimensions. It was smaller, more convenient, simpler than other similar systems.

During operation, another great advantage was revealed - tolerance to dust, dirt, as well as the ability to repair weapons with improvised means.

Disadvantages of the revolver noted by the commission:

    unnecessary complication of the mechanism caused by pushing the drum onto the barrel, which does not pay off with a slight improvement in the ballistic properties of the weapon and gives the prerequisites for a delay - the drum sticks to the barrel. It was the drum advance that made it possible to use only this revolver as a silent weapon from the entire large family of revolvers;

    heavy descent, inconvenient for marksmanship;

    a small number of cartridges in the drum, since it was possible to arrange a drum for 8 or 9 cartridges;

    slow and inconvenient extraction of cartridge cases and loading of the revolver.

The last drawback was eliminated by Nagant in arr. 1910. It was based on arr. 1895 The new revolver had a drum tilting to the right with the simultaneous removal of all spent cartridges using an extractor located on the axis of the drum. In this case, the drum was supported by the lower part of the tilted door, which also served as a drum lock in the firing position. Double-action trigger mechanism, seven-shot drum; cartridge, caliber and barrel length remained the same.

Revolvers of two modifications were adopted for service in the Russian army:

    soldier with a single-action trigger;

    officer with double action trigger * .

Revolvers were first produced in Belgium, but since 1898 production began at the Tula Arms Plant. Revolver caliber 7.62 mm allowed to unify factory equipment for the production of both revolvers and Mosin rifles of 7.62 mm caliber.

The first and only modernization was carried out in 1930, which mainly concerned manufacturability and reduction in the cost of mass production. Outwardly, the new revolvers were distinguished by a slightly modified front sight and rear sight.

The release continued until 1945. In 1994, its production was resumed at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant as a service weapon.

In addition to the main model, there were also produced:

    a small number of revolvers with an elongated barrel and stock;

    a small batch of shortened revolvers for the officers of the Red Army. These revolvers differed from the main sample not only in the reduced size of some parts, but also in a slightly modified disassembly sequence. The shortened revolver had a length of 200 mm, a barrel length of 87 mm, a height of 120 mm;

    training model caliber 5.6 mm for a standard rimfire cartridge;

    re-barreled sports revolvers under the "native" cartridge of 7.62 mm caliber.

In addition to the Russian army, these revolvers were in service with a number of other states.

Main characteristics

The appearance of a soldier-style revolver was due to the ingrained opinion that rapid-fire weapons in the hands of "lower ranks" lead to unjustified consumption of ammunition. From the officer's revolver, the soldier was distinguished by an additional detail that prevented self-cocking fire.

Revolver Abadi

Revolvers "Nagant" of Russian production arr. 1895 (above) and arr. 1910

Revolver "Nagan", released in the USSR after the modernization of 1930

A shortened revolver "Nagan", manufactured for the command staff of the Red Army

Design of parts and mechanisms

The revolver consists of the following parts and mechanisms: a barrel, a frame with a handle, a drum with an axle, a double-acting trigger, a mechanism for feeding cartridges and fixing the drum, a mechanism for removing spent cartridges, sights, a fuse.

The device of the revolver "Nagant" (soldier's sample): 1 - barrel; 2 - frame; 3 - ramrod tube; 4 - ramrod; 5 - trigger guard; 6 - drum; 7 - movable tube; 8 - tube spring; 9 - drum axis; 10 - breech; 11 - slider; 12 - trigger; 13 - trigger; 14 - connecting rod; 15 - dog; 16 - mainspring; 17 - striker

Trunk

The barrel inside has a channel with four rifling and a widening in the breech for the muzzle of the sleeve.

Outside, the barrel has a threaded stub for connecting to the frame and a limiter belt for a ramrod tube (the belt has a cutout for the end of the tube tide and a line for installing a ramrod tube).


Trunk

Frame with handle

The frame consists of four walls and is integral with the handle.

The front wall has a threaded channel for the barrel, a smooth channel for the drum axle and a cutout for the drum axle head.

The top wall has a groove for easy aiming.

The bottom wall has a recess for the passage of the belt of the drum, a semicircular cutout for the trigger guard, a threaded hole for the trigger guard screw, the axis of the trigger.

On the rear wall there is an aiming slot, a rear sight, a chute for facilitating insertion of cartridges into the drum, a rack of the drum door with a hole for a screw, a chute for a door spring with a hole for a screw, a drum shield that holds cartridges, a hole for the thin end of the drum axis, a window and a nest for the head of the breech, slot for the nose of the dog, slots for the slider, the axis of the breech.

The handle has an axis for the trigger, an axis for the tail of the trigger guard, a hole for the connecting screw with a side cover, a hole for the nipple of the mainspring.

Frame with a screwed-in barrel: 1 - barrel; 2 - groove; 3 - recess for the belt of the drum; 4 - notch for the front end of the trigger guard; 5 - threaded hole for the trigger guard screw; 6 - axis of the trigger; 7 - axis of the trigger; 8 - sighting slot; 9 - shield; 10 - slot for the nose of the dog; 11 - vertical groove; 12 - hole for connecting screw; 13 - threaded socket; 14 - a smooth hole for the nipple of the mainspring; 15 - back of the head; 16 - ring; 17 - trigger guard axis

Side cover The frame has two sockets for the axes of the trigger and the trigger, a recess for moving the pawl and a tube for the connecting screw.

The frame with the barrel, side cover and trigger guard make up the body of the revolver.

Side cover: 1 - socket for the trigger axis; 2 - socket for the end of the trigger axis; 3 - recess; 4 - tube with a channel for the connecting screw; 5 - wooden cheek

trigger guard has a semicircular cutout with a recess for a mounting screw and a tail with a hole for the axle.


Trigger guard: 1 - semicircular cutout; 2 - tail; 3 - hole

Drum with axle

The drum has a central channel for placing a movable tube with a spring and the end of the axis of the drum, a circular groove and a groove in the channel for the nipple of the drum tube, recesses to lighten the drum, a belt with recesses for the trigger nipple and notches for the door tooth, a notch with rims on the front wall , surrounding chambers, a ratchet wheel with cutouts for the nose of the dog.

Drum axis has a head for fixing it and a channel for a ramrod.

Drum: 1 - ratchet wheel; 2 - central channel; 3 - chamber; 4 - notch (top)
Drum axis: 1 - head; 2 - thin end; 3 - thick end

trigger mechanism

It consists of a trigger with a striker, a connecting rod with a spring, a trigger and a mainspring.

trigger consists of a notched knitting needle, a striker swinging on a hairpin, a toe with a combat platoon, a ledge and a combat ledge for contact with the mainspring, and a recess for the connecting rod with a spring.

connecting rod has a spout for contact with the trigger sear and a protrusion with a hole and limiting bevels for placement in the groove of the trigger.

Trigger has a cranked protrusion for raising and lowering the slider, a sear for cocking the trigger and self-cocking, a recess for the mainspring pen, a hole for the pawl, a tail for pressing when firing, a nipple for fixing the drum, a ledge for retracting the drum after a shot and a hole for axis.

Action spring lamellar, two-fingered, held in the frame with the help of a nipple. The top feather has a protrusion for pulling the trigger back with the help of the trigger ledge after the shot and a platform for contact with the trigger lug. The chainstay provides a forward trigger position and pawl retention.

Trigger with connecting rod: 1 - spoke; 2 - striker; 3 - tail; 4 - combat ledge; 5 - toe with a combat platoon; 6 - connecting rod; 7 - ledge (above)
Mainspring: 1 - ledge; 2 - top feather; 3 - platform; 4 - lower feather (in the middle)
Trigger: 1 - cranked ledge; 2 - nipple; 3 - tail; 4 - hole for the axis of the pawl; 5 - whispered; 6 - ledge (below)

Mechanisms for feeding cartridges, fixing the drum and locking

The mechanism includes the following parts: trigger, pawl, slider, breech, movable tube with a spring and a door with a spring.

Dog has a spout for contact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel and an axle, half cut, for placement in the trigger hole and contact with the lower feather of the mainspring.

crawler has a cutout at the top for the passage of the striker, and at the bottom - a recess for the cranked protrusion of the trigger.

Treasury. Its configuration consists of: a head with a channel for the passage of the striker, a bevel for tilting forward under the action of the slider, a protrusion for returning the slider to its original position and a hole for the axle.

movable tube has a ledge for resting its spring and a nipple for fixing in the opening of the drum.

Door. Its configuration consists of ears with holes for mounting on the frame stand, a nipple for fixing the drum when it is loaded, a tooth for limiting the rotation of the drum to the left when the door is closed.

Dog: 1 - spout; 2 - axis (top)
Slider: 1 - cutout for the passage of the striker; 2 - notch for the cranked protrusion of the trigger (right)

Movable tube and its spring: 1 - nipple; 2 - ledge (above)
Breech: 1 - head; 2 - ledge (right)

Door and its spring: 1 - nipple; 2 - ears; 3 - tooth

Spent cartridge case removal mechanism

The mechanism consists of a ramrod tube and a ramrod with a spring.

Cleaning tube has a tide with a channel for moving the ramrod, a protrusion to hold the drum axis, a cutout in the tide for the ramrod spring tooth, a hole for the ramrod spring screw.

Ramrod has a knurled head and stem with longitudinal and transverse grooves for the spring tooth.

The ramrod spring is lamellar and has a tooth for fixing the ramrod when entering the ramrod groove.

Shompolny tube: 1 - protrusion; 2 - high tide (above)
The ramrod and its spring: 1 - head; 2 - transverse groove; 3 - stem; 4 - longitudinal groove

Sights

They consist of a front sight and a slot (pillar) on the back wall of the frame.

The front sight is movable and has paws with which it slides into the groove of the front sight base on the trunk.

Revolver front sight Soviet-made. On the left - options for the front sights of revolvers produced at the Liege factory of Nagant (a) and at the Tula factory before 1917 (b)

Fuse

The upper feather of the mainspring acts as a fuse against accidental shots, which, with its protrusion, presses on the ledge of the trigger and takes it to the rear position, removing the striker from the primer-cartridge.

Work of parts and mechanisms

Initial position

The lowered trigger with the front protruding part rests against the slider and does not allow the striker, hidden in the channel of the breech head, to move towards the primer of the cartridge.

The mainspring, being in the smallest preload, with its feathers keeps the trigger and the tail of the trigger in the forward position, and the pawl is tilted forward.

The nose of the pawl protrudes from behind the rear wall of the frame and is adjacent to the beveled surface of the tooth of the ratchet wheel of the drum.

The cranked protrusion of the trigger lies on the cape of the trigger, its nipple is recessed inside the frame, and the ledge is retracted to the rearmost position.

The slider is located below the head of the breech and the front plane rests against the beveled protrusion of the breech.

The head of the breech is retracted to the rear position.

The drum is in the rear position and is fixed by the tooth of the door, the ledge of the trigger, the nose of the pawl, and the spring of the drum tube.

Between the front edge of the drum and the rear edge of the barrel, a gap was formed for the free passage of the barrels of the cartridges during the rotation of the drum.

The ramrod is fixed in the axis of the drum.

The trigger is cocked

To cock the trigger, press its spoke, turn it down to failure and release it. The trigger, turning on the axis, compresses the mainspring with its lugs, resting its toe against the cranked ledge of the trigger, turns it with its tail back and, sliding along the sear, jumps into the sear cutout with a platoon and stops. The trigger is cocked.

The trigger, turning under the pressure of the toe of the trigger, feeds up the pawl and the slider.

The dog, resting its spout against the edge of the tooth of the ratchet wheel of the drum, turns it 1/7 of the circle and sets the next cartridge against the barrel bore.

The slider, resting its upper part against the bevel of the breech head, turns it on the axis head first.

The breech, pressing the head on the head of the cartridge, forces the cartridge to enter the muzzle into the broadening of the bore.

The trigger nipple enters the notch of the drum belt and fixes it from turning.

The revolver is ready to fire.

The position of the parts of an unloaded revolver

The position of the parts of the revolver before the shot

Shot

To fire a shot, you must press the trigger.

When the trigger is pressed, it turns on the axis, its cranked protrusion rises and releases the cocking of the trigger from the sear cutout.

The trigger, under the influence of the mainspring, sharply turns on the axis and strikes with a striker on the cartridge igniter primer. After hitting the trigger, under the action of the mainspring on its ledge, it bounces back and leads the striker into the channel of the breech head, not allowing it to protrude from the breech.

Powder gases put pressure on the walls of the sleeve, causing it to expand and fit snugly against the walls of the drum and the annular broadening of the barrel. Complete obturation of powder gases is carried out.

Scheme of operation of the USM when fired

The action of the parts of the revolver when fired

After the shot

After cessation of pressing the trigger, under the influence of the lower feather of the mainspring, it turns on the axis, lowers the pawl and the slider down, removes its nipple from the groove of the drum belt.

The dog, sliding its nose along the tooth of the ratchet wheel, jumps over the next tooth.

The slider, going down, presses on the protrusion of the breech, turns it, forcing its head to move back.

At the same time, the slider with its rear plane rests against the front protrusion of the trigger and takes it back even more along with the striker, protecting it from an accidental shot.

The drum, under the action of the spring of the movable tube and the ledge of the trigger, which presses on the belt of the drum, moves to the rear position.

self-cocking shot

In this case, all parts, except the trigger and hammer, work the same way as when firing with a pre-cocked trigger manually. Therefore, we will consider the interaction of only these details.

In order to fire a self-cocking shot, you only need to pull the trigger.

When the trigger is pressed, turning around the axis, it lifts up the cranked protrusion, which presses on the lower end of the connecting rod, trying to pull it forward and up.

The connecting rod, resting its shoulders against the front ledge of the trigger, rotates it around its axis, compresses the mainspring and cocks the trigger.

Further pulling the trigger causes the rounded end of the protrusion to jump off the end of the connecting rod and release the trigger. The trigger strikes the primer, and a shot is fired.

After releasing the pressure, the trigger under the influence of the lower feather of the mainspring takes its original position.

The cranked protrusion of the trigger, going down, presses on the front plane of the connecting rod and, pulling the connecting rod back, compresses its spring. When the crankshaft passes the end of the connecting rod, the connecting rod, under the action of its spring, moves to the forward position and its lower end again becomes above the rounded part of the cranked protrusion of the trigger.

Revolver disassembly and assembly

Partial disassembly and assembly

1. Push the cleaning rod forward to the full by turning it by the head.

2. Remove the drum axle by sliding the ramrod tube to the line.

3. Remove the drum from the frame by opening the door.

Assembly is carried out in the reverse order.

Incomplete disassembly of the revolver: a - removal of the ramrod; b - extraction of the drum axis; c - drum removal

Complete disassembly and assembly

1. Produce incomplete disassembly revolver.

2. Remove the movable tube of the drum with the spring by turning it until the mark matches the groove.

3. Unscrew the connecting screw of the handle.

4. Separate the cover from the frame by tapping on it.

5. Put the trigger on the combat platoon.

6. Screw the connecting screw into the threaded socket of the handle.

7. Separate the trigger from the frame by pressing the trigger.

8. Take out the dog.

9. Remove the trigger from the axle.

10. Separate the slider from the frame.

11. Separate the breech from the frame by pressing on its lower end.

12. Release the mainspring by holding the trigger guard with your left hand after unscrewing the screw.

13. Separate the trigger guard.

14. Pull the connecting screw out of the handle.

15. Separate the door and its spring by unscrewing the screws.

16. Separate the cleaning rod.

Assembly is carried out in reverse order.

Complete disassembly of the revolver: a - removal of the movable tube with a spring; b - unscrewing the connecting screw; c - compartment of the side cover; g - screwing in the connecting screw; e - removing the trigger from the axle; e - extracting the dog; g - removal of the trigger; h - separation of the slider; and - removal of the breech; k - release of the mainspring; l - removal of the trigger guard; m - unscrewing the door screw; n - ramrod compartment.

From the comments on the article about the German silent revolver PDSR 3, it turned out that people remember only one of the Nagant brothers, Leon. Emil was forgotten, although it was thanks to his work that the well-known M1895 revolver appeared. Let's try to correct this injustice, and at the same time we will try to trace the entire path of development of the Nagan brothers' revolvers, from the first models to the latest most massive and successful.

From the repair of industrial equipment to the first revolver

In 1859, the eldest of the Emil brothers suggested that the youngest, Leon, organize an enterprise whose specialization would be the repair and production of industrial equipment. Despite the very good progress of the young company of the Nagan brothers, the specialty gradually changed, and after a short time, a greater amount of work was associated with the repair of revolvers, rifles and guns from other manufacturers.

Of course, that only one repair could not satisfy the young designers. Seeing the imperfection of the designs of those samples that fell into their hands, the brothers began to develop their own weapons, concentrating their attention on rifles. It was then that the company of the Nagant brothers got its name "Fabrique d" Armes Emile et Leon Nagant. "Despite the fact that the rifles of the Nagant brothers were in many ways simpler and cheaper to manufacture, the designers could not offer anything fundamentally new on the market. To win their place Among the weapons companies with famous names, it was necessary to come up with something that would be superior in its characteristics to other models.The designers even enlisted the support of Samuel Remington: having visited their production, he highly appreciated both the enterprise itself and the developments of the designers, concluding with them contract for the production of their rifles and carbines in Europe.The Nagant brothers, with the permission of the American designer, somewhat modernized the bolt of his weapon, and the rifle with the Remington-Nagant bolt was adopted by the Luxembourg army.

The first recognized Nagant M1878 revolver

This small victory of the designers gave them the opportunity to declare themselves as full-fledged gunsmiths, and soon they developed a primitive, but outrageously cheap double-barreled pistol for the Belgian gendarmerie. So, the brothers completely switched from long-barreled weapons, and since at that time the main short-barreled weapon was a revolver, the designers took up the development of revolvers more seriously.

In 1877, the Belgian army raised the question of replacing the not-so-successful Chamelot-Delvin revolver, and just at the same time, Emile Nagan patented his revolver with a double-action trigger mechanism and a ramrod ejector, which was fixed on the weapon frame and retracted into the axis of the drum after performing its functions.

After a number of improvements, this revolver was submitted to the competition for the Belgian army, and from the first days of testing it left competitors behind. The whole frame of the weapon made it possible to use more powerful ammunition without harm to the revolver itself, and individual structural elements were simply more convenient and reliable. The price of the weapon also played a key role: despite the fact that the trigger design was not the simplest, the revolver itself required a large number high quality metal, the Nagant brothers offered to supply it at a lower cost than competitors.

As you might guess, the M1878 revolver was adopted by the Belgian army. This weapon became personal for warrant officers, senior sergeants, and later the same revolver became the main weapon of the Belgian mounted gendarmerie.

The revolver was offered under a cartridge developed by the Nagant brothers. The cartridge consisted of a metal sleeve, in which a lead shellless bullet with a caliber of 9.4 mm and a mass of 12 grams was placed. The initial speed of a bullet fired from a revolver reached 200 meters per second. The revolver itself was a fairly heavy weapon. The mass of the revolver was 1.1 kilograms. The total length of the weapon was 270 mm with a barrel length of 140 mm. The revolver was fed from a drum with 6 chambers.

This revolver, designed by Emil Nagant, became Starting point in the further development of weapons of this class among the brothers. All subsequent models, one way or another, were based on this first successful revolver. The well-known sideways “door” for extracting spent cartridges and equipping the revolver drum with new cartridges appeared in this version of the weapon.

Degradation of the M1878 revolver: Nagant M1883 revolver

Weapons do not always follow the path of development, sometimes this is the path of degradation. In the M1878 revolver model, the trigger mechanism was double action. Despite the relatively low cost offered by the Nagan brothers, the highest military officials felt that the weapon was too good to arm them all without exception. The designers were asked to abandon the double-action trigger mechanism and develop a cheaper revolver with a single-action trigger. So there was a revolver under the designation M1883.

The gunsmith brothers greatly simplified the trigger mechanism of the weapon, making it a single action. Outwardly, the revolver could only be distinguished by the drum, the surface of which became smooth without fullers. In general, the characteristics of the weapon have not changed, if we forget that now before each shot it was necessary to cock the trigger manually, but the cost of the weapon has changed, although not significantly.

Despite the fact that the trigger mechanism lost some elements due to the heavier drum of the revolver, the mass of the weapon remained unchanged and was equal to 1.1 kilograms. The length of the revolver was still the same 27 centimeters with a fourteen-centimeter barrel. The cartridge was used all the same 9.4x22.

M1884 Luxemburg revolver - an old revolver with a new cartridge

Another modification of the M1878 revolver was the M1884 Luxemburg revolver. The army of this small state was armed with rifles with Remington bolts, improved and produced by the Nagant brothers. Apparently, satisfaction from cooperation and final product played in favor of the fact that when the question arose of replacing revolvers in their army, Luxembourg military officials again turned to the Belgians.

The main problem was that the military, under no pretext, wanted to switch to the cartridge offered by the brothers, because the new revolvers were developed for a different ammunition - the Swedish 7.5x23. True, the designers managed to “push through” their ammunition, but more on that below.

For Luxembourg, Emil developed three models of weapons at once: with the designation Officer, Safety, Gendarme.

The first was a military revolver, with the designation Officer, and in fact it was still the same M1878, but chambered for a new cartridge.

It is worth immediately giving the characteristics of the ammunition used, so that it is clear why Luxembourg resisted the Nagan ammunition so much. As is clear from the designation of the cartridge, the length of the sleeve is 23 mm with a bullet diameter of 7.5 mm. The bullet itself was already in a copper sheath and had a mass of 7 grams. The initial speed when fired from the M1884 Luxemburg revolver was 350 meters per second. If we compare with what the Nagan brothers offered, then there is nothing to compare, the advantages of the Swedish cartridge are obvious. But back to the revolver.

The Nagant M1884 Luxemburg Officer revolver had the same mass of 1.1 kilograms, the same barrel length of 140 millimeters with a total length of 270 millimeters. That is, the designers simply reduced the drum chambers and replaced the barrel of the revolver.

More interesting was the model with the designation Safety. It's no secret that the perfect balance in weapons, between maximum safety and constant instant readiness for use, immediately after extraction, is achieved precisely in revolvers. However, even this was not enough in Luxembourg. For weapons that were used to protect civilian facilities and prisons, a special modification M1884 revolver, in the design of which a non-automatic fuse was provided against an accidental shot. No doubt, with a firearm it is better to play it safe once again, but the safety of a revolver is already too much.

Structurally, the fuse was a lever that blocked the drum of the weapon, thereby it became impossible to pull the trigger, as well as manually cock the trigger. The switch was fixed with the help of an additional part attached to the frame of the weapon. The characteristics of the revolver remained the same as those of the Officer weapon variant, only the weight increased by 70 grams.

As mentioned above, the designers managed to persuade the Luxembourgers to use their cartridge in one of the variants of the M1884 revolver. This revolver was the Nagant М1884 Luxemburg Gendarme, which, as the name of the weapon implies, was intended for law enforcement agencies.

Home distinctive feature of this revolver became a longer barrel, which had to be increased due to another interesting requirement from the side of the customer. The fact is that the Luxembourg gendarmerie asked to make it possible to install a bayonet on a revolver. What was the use of a thin bayonet with a length of only 10 centimeters remains only a mystery, but it caused quite well-known problems. The fastening of the bayonet interfered with the convenient use of the ramrod-ejector of spent cartridges, for this reason the barrel of the weapon was lengthened. In addition to the longer barrel, the revolver was recognizable by its smooth barrel surface.

The lengthening of the barrel by a seemingly meager value of 20 millimeters significantly affected the accuracy of the weapon, but other parameters of the revolver also changed. So, its mass began to equal 1140 grams without a bayonet. The barrel length was 160 millimeters. The total length, respectively, increased by the same 20 millimeters and began to equal 290 millimeters. As mentioned earlier, the revolver was fed with 9.4x22 cartridges.

Revolver M1878 / 1886: a weapon updated by Leon Nagant

In the process of working on revolvers for Luxembourg, Emil Nagant began to have vision problems. The long work with documents and drawings in low light and the age of the designer also affected. While the eldest of the brothers improved his health, the younger did not sit idly by and developed a new double-action trigger mechanism, which was not only cheaper to manufacture, but also more advanced. The mere fact that as many as 4 springs were used in the old trigger mechanism of the Nagant brothers says that there was still room for development.

It was this development that Leon proposed. In his USM, instead of four, only one spring was used, and separate different elements old design become one piece. Undoubtedly, complex parts were more expensive to manufacture, but their smaller number more than compensated for this, making the overall result cheaper. In addition, the reliability of the weapon was greatly increased, which now withstood the most barbaric treatment.

In addition to a more advanced and cheaper revolver trigger mechanism, Leon thoroughly worked on the frame of the revolver, removing excess metal where the loads during the shot were minimal, which led to a lighter weapon.

Finally, thanks to Leon, the 9.4x22 cartridge was upgraded, which began to be equipped with smokeless powder, and received a bullet in a copper sheath, which had a positive effect on the general characteristics of the revolver. An interesting point is that initially Leon planned to develop weapons chambered for 7.5x23, but after weighing the losses from ammunition sales and problems with the promotion of weapons in the army and law enforcement agencies, where 9.4x22 ammunition was used, it was decided to upgrade their own ammunition. As it turned out later, the development of a new revolver chambered for 7.5x23 was not in vain.

The new weapon was proposed to the Belgian army, which gladly accepted a new cheaper double-action revolver, moreover, more reliable and lighter. By the way, all three weapons that were in service with the army served until the end of the First World War and were replaced only because of the ammunition used.

The new revolver had a mass of 940 grams. Its length was the same 270 millimeters with a barrel length of 140 millimeters.

It may seem that Emil interfered with his younger brother with his authority, but in fact this is not at all the case. All previous developments of designers were joint work, it is customary to award authorship to the one in whose name this or that patent was registered. The differences between the brothers arose a little later, and although the disagreements concerned the arms company, they had nothing to do with firearms.

A series of M1878 / 1886 revolvers with a shorter barrel for various ammunition

As mentioned earlier, Leon Nagan initially developed a new revolver chambered for 7.5x23, but abandoned this ammunition in favor of modernizing his own cartridge. However, the work was not wasted. A year later, Sweden announced a competition for a new revolver for its army chambered for precisely 7.5x23, the only requirement that Leon's practical ready-made revolver did not fit was the length of the weapon. The solution to the problem turned out to be the simplest: the barrel was shortened from 140 to 114 millimeters. Accordingly, the total length began to equal 244 millimeters, and not 235, as it is written in many reference books: apart from the barrel, nothing has changed in the weapon, and the frame has remained the same. The mass of the new revolver was 770 grams, he received the designation Nagant M1887 Swedish. The competition for a new short-barreled weapon for the army, as you might guess, he won.

The same revolver can be designated Nagant M1891 Serbian, under this name the weapon was adopted in Serbia. The same weapon has another name - Nagant M1893 Norwegian, under this name it was adopted in Norway and was absolutely no different from the Swedish version of the revolver.

On the basis of the M1878 / 1886 revolver, options were made for other ammunition, namely 11.2x20 and 11.2x22 for Brazil and Argentina, respectively. These revolvers already had a barrel of 140 millimeters and a length of 270, while the mass was 980 grams. These revolvers are designated Nagant M1893 Brazilian and Nagant M1893 Argentinian.

So why did they forget Emil Nagant, but remember his brother? Nagant M1895

Despite the fact that Emil Nagant moved away from managing the company and devoted more time to restoring his poor health, his blindness only progressed. Perhaps not accustomed to sitting idle, or perhaps wanting to leave a significant mark on him before he became completely blind, the designer began work on his last revolver.

One of the main disadvantages of revolvers is the breakthrough of powder gases between the barrel and the drum of the weapon at the time of the shot. Such irrational use of a powder charge could not be overlooked by gunsmiths and many tried to minimize it.

In 1892, Emil Nagant registers several patents, among which one can find a variant of the firing mechanism that causes the drum of a revolver to “roll” onto the barrel of a weapon and a cartridge with a deep-seated bullet inside. It was these developments that became the basis for the new revolver, which received the designation M1892, but was not mass-produced.

The weapon did not go into the series due to the fact that this particular revolver was presented at the competition for a new short-barreled weapon for Russian army. All the efforts of the designers were aimed at winning this time, after losing the competition for a new rifle. In the process of improving the revolver, both Emil and Leon went to a variety of tricks, because everyone knows the phrase that the barrel of the Nagan M1895 revolver can be made from rejected Mosin rifle barrels. The original cartridge of the weapon, the barrel was changed, and all this was deservedly rewarded with victory.

The race for a contract from the Russian army finally undermined Emil's health, and after winning the competition, he retired in 1896. It is this event that can be considered the one that erased his name in history. Since 1896, the arms company has been renamed from "Fabrique d" Armes Emile et Leon Nagant "to" Fabrique d "Armes Leon Nagant". Why there was a change in the name of the company is difficult to say with certainty. Perhaps the reason was that Leon Nagant saw the future in the development of the automotive industry, while Emil remained faithful to firearms. After the model of the M1895 revolver, the arms company of Leon Nagant was already unable to please anything fundamentally new, concentrating on the development of cars, and not new weapons. Leon Nagant died in 1900 at the age of 67. Emil, with his failing health and already virtually complete blindness, could not replace his brother even as the head of the company.

There was a sequel, but it didn't last long.

So in 1900, Emil's children, Charles and Maurice, became the leaders of the Nagant company. True, it is necessary to make a reservation that the children were no longer children, but accomplished men who had previously taken an active part in the affairs of the company.

Just like their uncle Leon, they saw the future of the company in the automotive industry, but they did not abandon the arms business, however, for them it was in the background.

Of all the developments of the children of Emil Nagant, there is only one model of a revolver that deserves attention, namely the Nagant M1910. At its core, it was an M1895 revolver, but with one significant difference - its drum leaned to the right side for reloading, which significantly accelerated this process. Unfortunately, such an update of weapons was a little late, as revolvers were seriously pushed aside by self-loading pistols.

The mass of the revolver developed by the children of Emil Nagant was 795 grams. The length of the weapon was 240 mm with a barrel length of 110 mm. The revolver was fed from a drum with seven chambers of 7.62x38 cartridges.

In 1914, the production of weapons and ammunition in the Nagant company was discontinued. First World War and the general low demand for cars after it did not allow companies to develop in the car market. In 1930, the company, founded by Emil and Leon Nagan, closed.

Based on articles by Sergei Monetchikov and the guns.ru forum