The Nagant M1895 Revolver is a seven-shot, gas-seal revolver designed and produced by Belgian industrialist Leon Nagant for the Russian Empire. The Nagant M1895 was adopted as the standard issue sidearm for the Imperial Russian Army and police officers. It became a widely recognized pistol in Russia and continued to be used up until 1952.
Designed in 1886, the Nagant M1895 was chambered for a proprietary cartridge, 7.62x38mmR, and featured an unusual “gas-seal” system, in which the cylinder moved forward when the gun was cocked, to close the gap between the cylinder and the barrel, providing a boost to the muzzle velocity of the bullet and allowing the weapon to be suppressed (an unusual characteristic for a revolver). This way early Nagant users would avoid dealing with gasses of black powder.
