The Unofficial P64 Resource Forum

Commercial 7.62x38r ("7.62 Nagant") ammunition runs at least 40-50 cents a round and at an anemic 600fps is uninteresting. I wanted a load for my M1895 Nagant revolver that is not only inexspenive to assemble but also accurate and with a little more power. There are a variety of ways load for the Nagant; I have had great success with the following method. I'm interested to hear what others are doing too.

Lee 7.62 Nagant dies
Remington and Starline 32-20 cases, untrimmed and reformed in the Lee Nagant dies
Winchester or Federal small pistol primers
3.5 grains of Hodgdon Trail Boss powder
Meister bullet cast lead RNFP 115gr .312 diameter (part number RB-32-20)
OAL 1.500"
At this length the bullet is seated pretty deep and I put a slight crimp on the case mouth to follow the bullet ogive (I do not crimp hard 'into' the bullet).

I get in the neighborhood of 900fps with this load, fantastic accuracy, and it shoots point of aim out to 25 yards. My costs hover around 14 cents per round to assemble these.

The 32-20 cases are not long enough to provide the gas seal. I took about 3 thousanths off the face of the recoil plate that moves the cylinder forward, sufficient to clear with the slightly thicker 32-20 case rims.

Trail Boss burns quite cleanly and I do not have much problem cleaning up after shooting, nor does the cylinder gap foul up during shooting. I have run 150 rounds in a single range session without problem.

I thinned the hammer spring to improve the trigger pull, and I found I no longer had sufficient hammer impact force to reliably ignite CCI small pistol primers. I switched to Winchester primers and I have had 100 percent success. Federal primers work very well too. If you don't monkey with the hammer spring you probably won't have this primer problem, and you will have either very strong hands or a very sore trigger finger!

With my 1895 regular Nagant I can use the Starline 32-20 and end up with rather nice accuracy. I also have the 32 ACP cylinder which works nicely, and then I also load S&W 32 longs that will chamber, fire and expand a little, I have also tried 23 H&R Mags and they work as well.

I reload the 32-20, 32 ACP and 32 Longs. However, with the Nagant Target model, Starline brass is too thick but Remington works. I took the Nagant apart and discovered that a previous owner had thinned the mainspring so that I was not getting consistent primer ignition (I use Winchester SP). By rolling up a wide rubber band and placing it just below the "V" in the spring, now have nice consistent ignition. A lot easier than replacing the spring!! Daven

Wow if you don't get reliable ignition with Winchester small pistol primers then there must have been quite a bit taken off that spring! I took about 30% off the hammer side and 10% off the trigger side of the main spring and I only just barely have issues with CCI primers. Winchester primers aren't considered too much more sensitive than CCI but I have 100% success with them. You may want to try Federal primers without the rubber band - Federal are really sensitive primers. Remington primers fall somewhere between Fed and Win as far as sensitivity goes. The Wolf primers are reportedly even harder than CCI but I have no experience with them.

I have seen Nagant mainsprings on eBay for something like $22 shipped. I am probably going to pick up a spare since I took a little too much off!

Do you have a favorite load based on the 32-20 case you're willing to share? I'm always on the lookout for interesting loads!

I will have to look at the weekend. Uncle Sam does not let me access almost all weapon-related websites but this one slips through. Since I work 160 miles from home, I come down on a Monday and back on a Thursday or Friday depending upon the week. So all of my info and equipment is at my home where the 2nd Amendment is recognized. The PR of MD does not impress me one bit, even though I have commuted for close to 20 years. Daven

PS, yes the spring was significantly thinned, Apex Gun Parts also used to sell springs for the Nagant and I have a couple, but rubber bands are easier to install!!!