Filling my ridiculous gun quota...
 

Although I've been squirreling away quite abit of money to buy a house next year, I've come across a few guns I couldn't say no to recently. Been working 3 jobs, I figure I've earned the odd indulgence.

First one was a Belgian Nagant M1878-86 in 9.4mm, marked to the Belgian Customs Service but would have been pressed into service with the army during WW1 to supplement the FN 1900 pistol which had just replaced it. I've been looking for a Belgian Nagant for a long time and they are HARD to find. First one I've ever seen for sale anywhere.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...agant-1878.jpg

Then a Spanish Jo.Lo.Ar. pistol in 9mm Largo, which was used in some numbers by irregular forces during the Spanish Civil War. Very unusual design, it's an unlocked breech blowback in a large calibre, the lever on the side (called a palanca) is for one handed cocking and it's actually the first pistol designed with a barrel that tips up for loading. It's pretty beat up, but rare enough that I'll live with it.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...ant/joloar.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...nt/joloar2.jpg

Finally a Japanese T-26 revolver in 9mm Japanese, which aren't that rare in the States but, like anything Japanese, extremely hard to find in Canada. So much so that I'm actually importing it from the States, partly to see if it's practical. Very neat gun, break open that locks up like an old S&W, double action only, shoots a round that is almost but not quite a .38 S&W. Obsolete in WW2, but still commonly issued to NCOs.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...Nagant/t26.jpg

Your interesting collection grows ever more interesting, Nyles!

How does that palanca work?

The Japanese revovler actually looks like it wouldn't explode when stared at a little harder than normal. That's pretty rare in Japanese pistols :D

Actually I've read some pretty good stuff about the quality of the Type 26 (introduced the 26th year of the Meiji Emperor which was 1893 for the rest of the world) revolver. It's load leaves alot to be desired, but they're pretty well made revolvers.

The breaktop design is basically the old Smith & Wesson breaktop feature. Which isn't surprising considering that the Imperial Japanese Navy used the S&W Russian revolver.

One neat feature is that the sideplate can be pivoted open and the lockparts can be removed for cleaning and lubrication without needing any tools. This same feature can be found on the Austro-Hungarian Rast & Gasser Model 98 revolver.

The revolver has no full cock feature and can't be thumb-cocked. This is similar to the British Enfield No. 2 Mk 1* , but the Enfield came along many decades after the Type 26 was introduced.

I've always thought that it would make a nice addition to my revolver collection. Congrats Nyles.

not all Japanese handguns are like the Shiki Kenju. Your redneck S&W elitism is showing ... ;)

Exactly. The T-94 was not a great design, but the other Japanese service pistols were hardly on that level. And, by the way, the safety on the T-94 securely locks the sear, and ANY single-action pistol is unsafe to carry with the safety off. Military weapons get tested pretty extensively before being put into service, and they are rarely, if ever, dangerous when used properly with the ammunition they were inteded for. It's only when civilians get ahold of them that the problems start.

Thanks for the kind words all. Checkman, you actually made a very good point about the Enfield, I remember having the same conversation with a Japanese pistol collector. They are two very similar designs in operation and performance, but by the time the Enfield was first issued the T-26 had stopped being a primary-issued pistol for decades.

The palanca pivots down so it's parallel with the grip, and then the fingers of the firing hand are used to pull back the slide and chamber a round. When the pistol is fired the slide moving back with automatically cause it to flip out of the way. It's not a great feature, but the reason I find the Jo.Lo.Ar. so fascinating is that it's a whole collection of bad ideas.

Does the Belgian Nagant have the same kind of crazy heavy trigger like the Russian m1895?

No, the Russian Nagant only has that because of the gas seal mechanism, and it's the only Nagant that has it.

I didn't know that. You learn something new every day...

Nagant revolvers are a very poorly understood series. Most people are familiar with the Russian 1895, and maybe the Swedish 1887, but they were actually really widely used. The original 9.4mm series was used by Belgium and the Luxembourg gendarmerie, the 7.5mm models by Sweden, Serbia, Norway and the Luxembourg army, a .44 series used by Brazil and Argentina, and the familar 7.62mm gas seal models used by Russia and Poland. There was even a swing-out cylinder gas seal version made in small numbers in 1910.

My neighbor has one of the Swedish Husqvarna 7.5 mm's that he is always looking for ammo for. Thing is older than him (he is at least 65) and it's still in pristine condition. I see Nagants all over the place (this shop near my scool had a display case full of them) but never really ask about them

Where do you find all these guns?

Lots of places, usually private sales with other collectors but also from a few specialist dealers. The Nagant and T-26 I got off gunbroker.com and the Jo.Lo.Ar. from Down East Trading, which operates in the US as JoeSalter.com.

Well, my Jo.Lo.Ar. arrived today and I am SHOCKED at home natural a pointer it is and how well it fits the hand. The bore is pretty pitted, but there's lots of rifling, so I may get some light 9mm Largo loads cooked up and actually try shooting the thing. The shop I bought it from even found an extra grip screw to replace the missing one at no cost - as always I'm very satisfied with Joe Salter, anyone looking for collectible guns should check them out. More pics to come.

Sweet. Tell us how it shoots when you get around to firing it

Jo Lo Ar photos.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SDC10267.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/SDC10266.jpg

Barrel tipped up for loading, palanca down for cocking.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/SDC10268.jpg

Slide fully to the rear via the palanca. Because it was designed for one-handed cocking there's no provision for a slide hold-open, even in the mag.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/SDC10269.jpg

Well, after the most drawn-out and problematic gun purchase I've ever done, I've finally received the US Krag M1898 that I bought while in Afghanistan. It's in very nice shape, and has the M1901 rear sight upgrade (as most do). I'm pretty excited to actually take it to the range if the weather ever improves.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10270.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10273.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10271.jpg