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Work order — Nagant M1895 Revolver

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: medium.

Shop difficulty: Tier 2 of 3

Sideplate lockwork with a two-leaf mainspring relaxed by the trigger guard, but the gas-seal system adds a cylinder-advance cam that must work after reassembly; published accounts call the take-down easy once understood. No parts list found, so moderate at low confidence. Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~40 min, rebuild ~65 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• Fitted hollow-ground screwdrivers — Sideplate, grip and trigger guard screws (old, often tight)

Watch for:

• The cylinder and sideplate have to come off to reach the mainspring; the lockwork is reached only through the sideplate. (disassembly; The Firearm Blog)
• The design is unusual enough that it is only easy once you understand it. (both; Firearms News)

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
2. Open the loading gate on the right side of the frame.
3. Swing the ejector rod out from under the barrel and align it with a chamber.
4. Push the ejector rod rearward through each chamber in turn to eject the cartridge or case, rotating the cylinder between each.
5. Repeat for all seven chambers.
6. Rotate the cylinder through a full revolution and look into every chamber to confirm each is empty.
   Warning: Seven chambers, verified individually.
7. Confirm the bore is clear, return the ejector rod, close the loading gate, and remove all live ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure.
2. Open the loading gate.
3. Swing the ejector rod assembly out and withdraw the cylinder axis pin forward out of the frame.
4. Roll the cylinder out through the loading gate opening on the right side of the frame.
5. Clean the chambers, bore, cylinder face, forcing cone, and the barrel throat where the case mouth enters.
6. Stop here. The sideplate and lockwork are gunsmith territory and the springs are old.
   Warning: The gas-seal cam mechanism that moves the cylinder forward is part of the lockwork. Leave it alone.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

No manufacturer statement of materials or finish is recorded. Identify each part's material before choosing prep and cure.

4. Reassemble

Reassembly

1. Roll the cylinder back into the frame through the loading gate opening.
2. Align the cylinder and slide the cylinder axis pin back in from the front until fully seated.
   Tip: Rotate the cylinder slightly rather than forcing the pin.
3. Return the ejector rod to its stowed position under the barrel and close the loading gate.
4. Perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Notes: The official military manuals give no torque value. They say: "надеть дверцу ушками на стойку рамки; завинтить винт дверцы и винт ее пружины;" [translation by this project: "fit the side plate's lugs onto the frame post; screw in the side-plate screw and the screw of its spring;"] (Наставление по стрелковому делу (НСД-38). Револьвер обр. 1895 г. и пистолет обр. 1930 г. (1941 printing), p. 44 (PDF p. 48), ст. 47 (order of assembly)) "завинтить винт спусковой скобы;" [translation by this project: "screw in the trigger-guard screw;"] (Наставление по стрелковому делу (НСД-38). Револьвер обр. 1895 г. и пистолет обр. 1930 г. (1941 printing), p. 44 (PDF p. 48))

Fit or check on rebuild

• Timing / carry-up: every chamber locks before the hammer falls, single and double action; cylinder gap and end shake — Standard revolver check after lockwork has been out; worn hand or cylinder stop gives the "does not lock up" fault under Common issues.
• Cylinder moves forward onto the barrel cone on cocking and retracts on release (gas seal) — The Nagant’s defining mechanism; a cylinder that does not advance is this page’s main fault.

6. Function check

• Verify all seven chambers are empty before each check.
• Cock the hammer slowly and confirm the cylinder both indexes and moves FORWARD to seal against the barrel.
• With the hammer at full cock, confirm the cylinder is locked and seated forward.
• Press the trigger and confirm a clean hammer fall and that the cylinder returns rearward.
• Cycle the action in double action through all seven chambers.
• Confirm the loading gate latches and the ejector rod stows securely.
• If the cylinder does not move forward on cocking, the gas-seal mechanism is not working — see a gunsmith.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. 7.62mm Nagant Revolver Model 1895 Manual — Russian Imperial Army / USSR Ministry of Defence primary
2. Small Arms Identification and Operation Guide — Eurasian Communist Countries — U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency secondary
3. Наставление по стрелковому делу (НСД-38). Револьвер обр. 1895 г. и пистолет обр. 1930 г. (1941 printing) — Народный комиссариат обороны СССР (Воениздат НКО), 1941 — scan hosted on archive.org primary
   https://archive.org/details/nastavleniepostrelkovomudelunsd3830
4. Wheelgun Wednesday: M1895 Nagant Trigger Job with a Bullet? — The Firearm Blog secondary
   https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/06/02/wheelgun-wednesday-nagant-trigger-job/
5. More Than an Oddity: The Revolver Sistemy Nagana obr. 1895g — Firearms News secondary
   https://www.firearmsnews.com/editorial/more-than-an-oddity-the-revolver-sistemy-nagana-obr-1895g/78562

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.