1895 Nagant revolver

[drillsgt]

Can anyone tell me the date that Romania adopted for its military use the 1895 Nagant revolver? I have looked elsewhere , but cannot find a firm date.Was it used 1941 to 1944, or only 1944 and after. Thanks !! Garry Owen!

[Florin]

QUOTE

Can anyone tell me the date that Romania adopted for its military use the 1895 Nagant revolver? I have looked elsewhere , but cannot find a firm date.Was it used 1941 to 1944, or only 1944 and after. Thanks !! Garry Owen!

I don't know if this revolver is the same thing with the "Nagan" mentioned by my grandfather and many other Romanian veterans from the Eastern Front.

If it is the same thing, it was not issued to the Romanian army, but it was sometimes used as captured enemy material. The "Nagan" was a good thing, my grandfather said. I found this revolver mentioned also in books about the German soldiers, who also used it as captured equipment.

[drillsgt]

Florin, the 1895 Nagant is indeed the "Nagan" that your Grandfather mentioned. The "Nagan" was developed by the Nagant brothers of Belgium. The Nagant was adopted by the Czarist Armies and was issued as a double action revolver to officers and as a single action revolver for enlisted men. The Nagan is an unusual revolver in that it seals off all the gas that usually escapes from the gap between the cylinder and barrel when it is fired. Because of this ability, the Nagan is one of the only revolvers that can have a viable silencer fitted. I have one that was made at Tula arsenal in 1930 and a matching Cossack "shaska" that was also made in 1930. Under the Soviets there were to be no enlisted type Nagants made(no single action Nagants) however mine must have slipped through as it is single action only.A very interesting pistol with a very interesting history. Reportedly, the Nagan was used to shoot "Rasputin" and also used to kill Czar Nicholas and his family. Sorry got carried away!Garry Owen!!!

[C-2]

The only Romanian soldiers to use the Nagant ,were from the Tudor Vladimirescu div.

[Von Maybach]

QUOTE

the Nagan was used to shoot \"Rasputin\" and also used to kill Czar Nicholas and his family.

I think the Czar and his family were killed with a Mauser C96 pistol... I red this on the net...

[drillsgt]

My understanding is that there are several variations of what was used to shoot the Czar and his family. Three pistols are mentioned The "Nagan", the C96( probably a "Bolo"Mauser), and even a model 1911 colt .45. Pathologists have pretty much roled out the Colt 1911 because of the destructive power of its cartridge. Since the entrance wounds were about .30 in diameter and both the "Nagan" and the Mauser are .30 in diameter.7.63mm for the Mauser and 7.62mm for the "Nagan"Given the fact that there were several shooters and the "Broomhandle" and the "Nagan " are probably the two most common and popular weapons in Russian at that time, it is highly likely that both were used. I have also read thar "Rasputin was shot with a different weapon as well. I'm not sure that we will ever know the real story in either incident. Garry Owen!!!

[drillsgt]

C-2, The Tudor Vladimescu Division uesd 1895 Nagant revolvers during what time period? 1914-1918, 1940-1944, or 1944-1945? The Homepage for this site shows among the small arms used by the Romanin Army, a model 1895 Nagant. Since this is a WW2 site, I assume( dangerous practice) that the Nagant was used in WW2. It is important to know if it was used during the Axis period , or during the Allied period.I have looked every where to no avail. Garry Owen!!!

[dragos]

"Tudor Vladimirescu" Division was formed by the Soviets on 2 October 1943, with Romanian prisoners, mostly captured in the battle of Stalingrad. It operated as part of the Red Army until 20 March 1945.

[drillsgt]

Dragos, thanks a great deal for your information. Am I correct in assuming that the only instances of any large scale usage of the 1895 Nagant by the Romanian Army would have been with the Russians, and not while fighting as a part of the Axis forces? Garry Owen!

[C-2]

A vet that used the Nagant,complained in was dificult to fire(single action) and inacurate.
Sorry I didn't mention about the T.Vlad.div...

[drillsgt]

C-2, I agree, my "Nagan" has a very heavy trigger pull and mine is single action only. The front sight is a little too high causing the revolver to shoot low. It may be different for other people, but while not an unpleasant weapon to shoot, it is not very accurate. Garry Owen!

[Dr_V]

From what a veteran friend of mine told me, on the Eastern front some Romanian soldiers did used captured Nagant revolvers. When weapons were captured from killed enemy soldiers, often the handguns were kept by the soldiers (and not shown to the officers). As they were used in combat, the officers prefeared to close their eyes on that.

He told me that the Nagant was very inaccurate, but also very powerfull, it never broke down and required little maintenance. It was usefull only in close combat (a few feet away) and had the advantage of disabling the opponent regardless of where the bullet hit him.

But only some soldiers liked using it, as some considered that in close combat a handgun only gets in the way, prefearing a long knife or a sharpened digging tool.

[drillsgt]

One of the major criticisms leveled at the 1895 Nagant is that it is overly complex. The mechanics used to rotate the cylinder also move it forward to serve as a gas check. However as Dr. V said it was a very rugged, reliable combat weapon. Garry Owen!

[C-2]

I asked a vet,that used the Nagant in combat.
He said it needed almost no maintence,and could fire at very low temp.
Comparing to the Rom army Beretta,it was more reliable but very dific.to fire quick rounds.Not the gun to fire in a built up erea....

[drillsgt]

C-2, I have both a Romanian m1934 Beretta and an 1895 Nagant and the Beretta is much more accurate and not as reliable as the less accurate Nagant.I like them both, but my favorite is the Walther P-38. Garry Owen!