One of my favorite Curio & Relic revolvers is the m1895 Nagant Revolver. First developed in 1894 by Belgian gun designers Leon and Emile Nagant, this revolver was adopted by the Imperial Russian army in 1895. It saw service in World War I, the Russian Civil War, and World War II before being replaced with the semi-automatic Tokarev TT33. The Nagant Revolver also saw service with the North Koreans and Chinese Communist Forces in the Korean War.
This revolver has some unique design features that I have never seen before in other revolvers. Upon cocking the hammer, the cylinder moves forward. This allows the 7.62x38r cartridge to create a gas tight seal with the barrel. The bullet of the 7.62x38r is seated below the case mouth to allow this to happen. Though technically a double action revolver, it is very difficult to turn the cylinder and move it forward by pulling the trigger. The double action trigger pull has been measured at over 20 pounds! When I shoot mine, I always shoot single action, and I am guessing that is how they were used in the field.
Despite the trigger pull, these are a blast to shoot and are very inexpensive to buy. I bought the one you see in the picture for under $100. If you like old war horses, pick up a Nagant Revolver. You’ll be glad you did.