Wheelgun Wednesday: Suppressed Revolver? M1895 Nagant

Wheelgun Wednesday: Suppressed Revolver? M1895 Nagant Accepts the Challenge

Let’s take a step back in time. It’s 2020. We’re watching re-runs of the Tiger King, waiting for the price of toilet paper to normalize, tired of wearing masks, and I’m thinking of every dumb way to empty my wallet because I’m stir-crazy AF in a global lockdown. “I should suppress a revolver. That sounds difficult and insane.” So, the journey that I would do 10 out of 10 times again began. I bought an M1895 Nagant revolver chambered in 7.62x38mmR that was imported by Century Arms International (CAI), and started learning what it took to suppress a wheelgun.

M1895 Nagant @ TFB:

• Wheelgun Wednesday: Suppressed Revolver? Nagant M1895 Adventures
• Wheelgun Wednesday: M1895 Nagant Trigger Job with a Bullet?
• Wheelgun Wednesday: Tornado Technologies Nagant Barrel Threading
• Wheelgun Wednesday: M1895 Nagant Threaded by Tornado Technologies

Can a Revolver Be Suppressed?

I typically give 2 answers to that question when friends ask: no and yes, at separate times. The first - no - I offer to people who are not heavily educated on firearms and I don’t want to have to explain gas seals to them only to see their eyes glaze over in confusion. So, I flatly state no and move on. For the latter - all of you autistically, intelligent gun folks reading this - yes, you can suppress a revolver in certain situations and conditions.

You need a revolver where the cylinder can be butted up against the barrel to “seal off gases” from escaping (“gas seal”). Some people might think that revolvers already do that, but nearly all modern ones do not. Are they very close to the barrel? Within hundredths of an inch? Yes, but that’s not close enough to seal off gas. We need the revolver’s cylinder to be touching the barrel.

How to Suppress a Revolver?

“Very carefully” would normally be a pretty snarky answer, but it is spot-on when dealing with an M1895 Nagant. These revolvers have a thin barrel, and often less-than-superb barrel metal, plus you need to shave off a portion of the front sight to have adequate thread available to get a silencer attached.

For all these reasons, don’t “shadetree gunsmith” this one, boys. Just send it off to Tornado Technologies. They aren’t paying me to say that either. They’re the pros. They’ll do it right, and not muck it up. I outlined that journey in great detail in a previous Wheelgun Wednesday throughout COVID in 2021.

What Suppressor Should You Use?

Dealer’s choice, really. You could get a revolver to be goofy quiet if you used an obnoxiously long silencer and didn’t care about the aesthetic or the amount of bicep curls needed to hold the suppressor plus revolver combo at arm’s length.

For me, I liked the Dead Air Odessa-9 9mm silencer. With it being a 9mm silencer, that is very close in size to 7.62x38mmR (the large capitalized “R” denoting the cartridge is rimmed) so it suppresses really well. Additionally, the Odessa-9 has externally stackable baffles making it easy to “mad scientist” test in my backyard what sounds the best to me. Moreover, what I consider an acceptable level of noise suppression.

Departing Thoughts - Suppressing a Wheelgun

If you want to crawl down this rabbit hole like I did, I’ll definitely root you on. I have no regrets whatsoever. The M1895 Nagant is an uncommon firearm, but it is not wildly rare or collectible. So, it's not like you're hurting the value if you buy one and thread it. Nor will the purists in the gun community be that upset. Again, there are a bunch out there if you are hunting for them.

Pros

• You’ll have something truly rare. The revolver is mildly rare and uncommon to begin with and to have a threaded one is even more rare.
• It is an utter joy to shoot suppressed. My wife loved shooting it. My nephews and nieces loved it. It is simply quirky as heck and a ton of fun to shoot.
• Low recoil.
• Surplus ammo can be found for cheap at gun shows.

Cons

• This entire endeavor is expensive. Tax stamp + silencer + gun + barrel threading + ammo. There is cheaper suppressed fun out there if you’re on a budget.
• There are horror stories on the internet of gunsmiths wrecking revolvers attempting to thread an M1895. Choose the gunsmith who threads your barrel wisely.
• Use factory ammo. We mentioned that Nagant barrels don’t have stellar metallurgy. So, now is not the time to let your fidgety, trailer park, half-brother reload you some “hot loads.” If you blow up a gun, silencer, and your hand, that is an expensive range day.
• This whole endeavor is time consuming. From the day I had a “wild hair,” to me achieving my 1st suppressed shot, was over 1 year. You’re playing the long game to make this fantasy come true.

As always, let us know all of your thoughts about suppressing a wheelgun, if you want to take on a challenge like this, and anything else about Wheelgun Wednesday! We always appreciate your feedback.