Additional Gletcher NGT M1895 Revolver Air Pistol Photos

History behind the firearm that inspired the Gletcher NGT M1895 Air Pistol

The M1895 revolver was designed in Belgium by Nagant brothers (Emile and Leon) in the late 1880s - early 1890s, and was adopted by numerous countries, including Sweden and Poland, but the major user and manufacturer was undoubtfully Russia (and later Soviet Union).

The M1895 was used extensively used by the Russian Imperial Army and later by the Soviet Union after the Russian Revolution. In Russian service, it was known for its extreme sturdiness and ability to withstand abuse. As one former Imperial Russian officer stated, "if anything went wrong with the M1895, you could fix it with a hammer".

It was widely employed by the Bolshevik secret police, the Cheka, as well as its Soviet successor agencies, the OGPU and NKVD. In the police role, it was frequently seen with a cut-down barrel to aid in concealment by plainclothes agents. Despite the advent of the more modern Soviet TT pistol, the M1895 remained in production and use throughout World War II.

Later, some sporting revolvers, both in 7.62mm and in .22LR were developed on Nagant platform. Intertestingly enough, the M1895 revolvers still can be seen carried by some security personnel in Russia, especially by Railroad Security and by some armed guards. Usually, those revolvers are 2 to 4 times older than men who carry these guns.

The Nagant's sealed firing system meant that the Nagant revolver, unlike most other revolvers, could make effective use of a sound suppressor, and suppressors were sometimes fitted to it. This makes the Nagant a rare example of revolver suitable for mounting a silencer. Such a practice was known by NKVD and some Red Army special forces (recon and scouts) during WW2. Special silencer, called "Bramit device" was designed by Mitin brothers and could be mounted on the barrel.

Suppressed M1895 Nagant revolvers, modified in clandestine workshops, also turned up in the hands of Viet Cong guerrillas during the Vietnam War as assassination weapons. There is an example of a suppressed Nagant M1895 in the CIA Museum in Langley, Virginia, USA.

M1895 Nagant is a solid frame, seven shot revolver with non-removable cylinder. The loading and unloading was committed via the loading gate at the right side of the frame, one cartridge by one. Spent cases were ejected by the ejector rod, which, when not in use, was concealed within the cylinder axis and swung to the side on the ejector rod link to be used. Original guns were double action ones, but Tsarists government ordered that some of M1895 should be retrofitted with Single Action triggers and issued to enlisted men, and DA guns should be issued only to the Officers and Police. In Red (Soviet) army only Double Action Nagants were issued.

From technical point of view, Nagant revolvers were already almost outdated at the moment of its adoption in 1895, since newest revolvers like S&W Hand Ejectors or Colts with side-opened cylinders were much faster to reload. On the other hand, M1895 had some unusual and interesting features, one of which was gas sealed cylinder.