7.62 NAGANT
I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT 32 S&W LONG AMMO CAN BE FIRED IN THE RUSSIAN 7.62 NAGANT REVOLVER AND THAT IT FUNCTIONS "FLAWLESSLY." CAN ANYONE OUT THERE VERIFY THIS IS CORRECT AND THAT IT IS SAFE TO SUBSTITUTE THIS AMMO FOR THE 7.62 NAGANT CARTRIDGE?
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You need to purchase a new .32 caliber cylinder and these are available from Century Arms for around $50. The .32 S&W will fit into the Nagant cylinder but it is a loose fit and the rim of the case is practically unsupported. I own a very nice Nagant manufactured in 1913 and I feel that these pistols, while interesting in their own right, are really not even worth firing. In many cases the cost of the replacement .32 cylinder is equal to the cost of the pistol and since the shooting qualities of the Nagant pistols are so poor to begin with, it is usually not worth the trouble to invest money in anything which would allow it to be shot more than occasionally.
Mark T. Christian0 -
quote:Originally posted by mark christian
...since the shooting qualities of the Nagant pistols are so poor to begin with, it is usually not worth the trouble to invest money in anything which would allow it to be shot more than occasionally.
I have to disagree (strongly) with Mark on that! I have one of the more recent, arsenal refinished, Nagants--it was imported by Century Arms (I think it was them--believe it had their label in the box). It came with the 32 acp cylinder. I paid about $125 for everything a few years back; they're higher in price now--atleast from what I've seen for sale.
As for shooting it: It feels wonderful to me, the grip/balance is perfect. The trigger pull is quite heavy, but accuracy, when firing single action, is excellent.
I really like shooting the true gas seal round--it's a "neat" function and the gas seal made with the cartridge case means the gun stays clean-- you get no powder residue at the front of the cylinder. Fiocchi still produces the gas seal round--someone sells them in the auction here for $31/box plus shipping. I (foolishly) passed up a deal to buy a full case of the Fiocchi, at what would have been $22/box including the shipping, a year or so ago, but I can shoot with the 32acp cylinder a whole lot cheaper.
As for your original question, "notdownorout": My understanding is that the 32 S&W Long is NOT a safe substitute. This web site has some really great info. and they discuss the ammo and your question specifically (it's a long page and takes time to load--especially if you're connected at 56K):
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/4064/PersCollection/M1895page.html0 -
I bought one of these awhile back from a dealer named "Big Jim" who posts a lot on gunboards.com and who does a lot of shows, mainly focusing on Mosin Nagants and some Mausers, but pretty much all military anyhow. Smart, nice guy. He GAVE away 20 rounds of .32 S&W long when he sold me the gun and said it was perfectly safe. Results? Very accurate, slightly bulged case necks.
If you reload, .32-20 brass works great. Make sure to use starline; even then one or two might be a little sticky when rotating the cylinder. I use a 95gr bullet, either cast or jacketed, about 3.5gr of Bullseye. Jacketed bullets seem to work better for me and at 25 yards hold about a 6" group benchrested. Not too bad considering my gun has a frosty bore.
"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf0 -
I have two of these and I have fire 32 S&W long and 32 S&W without any problems. I have loaded 32 S&W brass with 71 gr fmj 32 ACP bullets as an alturnative to a 32 acp cylinder. What works best for me is to take 32 H&R Magnum brass and run it thru a 32-20 sizing die and load it with a 110 gr fmj M1 carbine. It puts a short step on the neck of the case so it will hold a .308" dia. bullet. I seat the bullet where it is right to the end of the cylinder. I found that the rim on 32-20 brass was too thick for my 2 pistols. 0 -
I found a page on these guns too, I think I found the link on the Sociedad Largo homepage, but I could be mistaken. Interesting thing was that on the site board were postings from folks having problems when they bought the .32 S&W cylinder and tried to get it to work. Timing a revolver isn't hard but it isn't simple either, and getting the new cylinder timed can throw the original cylinder out of time.
Caveat Emptor regarding the practice of firing cartridges in a chamber (cylinder)designed and built for a cartridge with different specs. Bulged cases are a harbinger of potentially more serious problems.
If you like the Russian Nagant, check out the Swedish Nagant. Not a gas seal, but an interesting old military revolver, and very well made.
redcedars0
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