Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice service used example of a rare Contract-made M1883 Nagant revolver, made by Simson & Co. of Suhl Germany for export to Brazil and Argentina. This revolver was a slight modification of the M1878 revolver designed and produced by Fabrique d'armes Émile et Léon Nagant (Emile and Léon Nagant Arms Factory), located in Liège, Belgium. While the Nagant name is most famous for the contributions that Emile made to the design of the Russian Mosin-Nagant rifle, the company had been in business since 1859 and produced a number of other arms.

The M1878 was one of these designs, and was very well regarded. While the company was not able to get any major European contracts, like Mauser and other European companies, they were able to get some export contracts to supply recently independent South American countries. In this case, Nagant was able to interest Brazil and Argentina, however the company did not have enough capacity to produce the numbers desired, so they licensed out manufacturing to the "Suhl Consortium" in Germany, of which Simson & Co. was a member. The original 3000 revolvers ordered were single action only, however the later revolvers produced by both Nagant and the Suhl Consortium were double action.

This is one of the later double action types, and it is in good service used condition, showing an overall worn peppered patina on the exterior metal. It definitely looks to have seen long service, which has worn the exterior and made many of the markings hard to read. We can still however see the maker information on the left side over the serial number:

SIMSON & CO.
SUHL
7402

The serial number 7402 is also present on the left side of the barrel, on the swivel for the ejector, and on the rear of the cylinder, so we believe this to be an "ALL MATCHING" example, with no parts swapped out. Normally there would be proof marks on the exterior of the revolver, but these have worn away, so we cannot tell if this a Brazilian or Argentinian contract example.

As mentioned previously, overall condition shows that the revolver saw long service, with the original blued metal finish completely worn away. It now has a peppered patina overall with wear on the edges and other contact points. The wooden grip panels show wear and the left side is just a bit loose. However, the revolver still does function relatively well in double action, though the cylinder lockup is a bit loose. It functions somewhat in single action, however the hammer disconnect does not work correctly, so the trigger jumps forward. The lanyard loop on the butt is also missing, though the fitting is still there.

The loading gate is still present on the right side of the revolver, and the ejector properly pulls out of the cylinder arbor pin and swivels to the right to push out the spent cartridges. The arbor pin also can be removed so that the cylinder can be removed and cleaned. We checked the bore, and unlike the exterior, it is is actually in very good condition, with a mostly bright finish and clear lands and grooves. It looks like this revolver saw extensive time in service, but not much actual use.

A very nice service worn example of a late 19th Century South American contract revolver, one of many produced in Europe for the "New World" market. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1883
Caliber: 11mm / .44 Belgian Nagant
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 5 3/4 inches
Overall Length: 10 inches
Action: Double Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.