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47-410: Norway adopted the 7.5 mm Nagant revolver (named M/1893) as the standard Norwegian military sidearm in 1893. Commissions to test possible new service pistols were active from 1904 till 1911. In 1911, a commission recommended adoption of the semi-automatic .38 ACP caliber Colt Military Model 1902 pistol, after field trials with 25 such pistols, all purchased from Colt's London Agency. However, as

94-418: A German if it could be avoided (many pretended to speak no German , though it was then almost as prevalent as English is now) and refusing to sit beside a German on public transport . The latter was so annoying to the occupying German authorities that it became illegal to stand on a bus if seats were available. Nazi authorities (both German and Norwegian) attempted to pressure school teachers into supporting

141-476: A cut-out in the left stock. This change had been suggested in 1916, but did not materialize on the production pistols before 1918. The new version had the left side of the slide stamped "11.25 m/m AUT. PISTOL M/1914." , which was correct as the adoption of the gun was approved in 1914. Most of the pistols that had been marked "1912" were recalled to the factory to have the "new" slide stop installed. Production went on, and 22,311 pieces were made before 1940, including

188-528: A small sabotage unit and ended up building a full military force in time for the liberation. Company Linge was a special operations unit that specialised in coastal insertions and combat. There were repeated raids in Lofoten , Måløy , and other coastal areas. Norwegian spotters aided in the destruction of numerous German warships , such as the battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz . The Norwegian resistance also smuggled people in and out of Norway during

235-465: A sound suppressor , and suppressors were sometimes fitted to it. The disadvantage of this design is that Nagant revolvers were laborious and time-consuming to reload, with the need to manually eject each of the used cartridges, and reload one cartridge at a time through a loading gate. At the time the revolver was designed, this system was obsolete. In British service the Webley Revolver used

282-577: A top-break cylinder and star extractor to simultaneously eject all spent cartridges and in American service the Smith & Wesson Model 10 employed a similar system but with a swing-out cylinder. The Nagant with its side-loading gate, and ejector rod to remove spent cartridges individually in succession was for all its novelty, outdated as a military revolver in this regard. However, the Nagant design did have

329-839: The Norwegian Armed Forces until being replaced by the Glock P80 in 1985. As production start was slow, some Model 1911s were bought from Colt USA. Four hundred pistols were shipped to Norway for the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1915, 300 more pistols were shipped in 1917 for the Norwegian Army . Price was US$ 18.50 per piece. The first test production at Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk in Norway occurred in 1917 and 95 pistols were finished and wrongly stamped "COLT AUT. PISTOL M/1912" . These pistols were identical to

376-561: The Russian Empire . The Nagant M1895 was chambered for a proprietary cartridge, 7.62×38mmR , and features a gas-seal system, in which the cylinder moves forward when the gun is cocked, to close the gap between the cylinder and the barrel , providing a boost to the muzzle velocity of the bullet and allowing the weapon to be suppressed . Its design would inspire the Pieper M1893 carbine and Steyr 1893 revolver . The Nagant

423-691: The Storting managed to pass an emergency measure (known as the Elverum Authorization ) that gave full authority to the king and his cabinet until the Storting could convene again. This gave King Haakon VII and the cabinet constitutional authority to reject the German emissary's ultimatum to accept the German invasion. Although there were several German attempts to capture or kill the King and

470-693: The Tula Arsenal in Russia, and was soon producing 20,000 examples per year. It was produced in two versions: a double-action version for officers, and a cheaper single-action version for the lower ranks. Seven Nagant revolvers were used by communist revolutionaries to kill the Russian imperial family and their servants in July 1918. After the Russian Revolution, only the double-action version

517-672: The Winter War , in cooperation with Polish, French and British forces, launched several counterattacks with moderate success. Allied forces had several successes in Northern Norway, but were redirected for the futile defense of France . While Northern Norway ultimately fell, efforts there allowed the Norwegian government, including the Norwegian royal family , to escape and maintain the legitimate government in exile, as part of

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564-588: The 1880s, Luxembourg purchased a total of 190 Nagant revolvers, with the standard model chambered in 7.5mm, and the Gendarmerie receiving a black powder 9.4x22mm variant which could also affix a spike bayonet. Designated the M1893, and based on the Swedish M1887. Poland designed approximately 21,000 Nagant wz. 30 revolvers for police use from 1928-1939. Purchased 12,000 7.5mm Nagants from Belgium in

611-546: The 1880s. Chambered in 7.5mm, the Swedish M1887 notably does not have the same gas-sealing feature of the Belgian or Russian Nagants. Norwegian resistance movement [REDACTED] Nazi Germany The Norwegian resistance ( Norwegian : Motstandsbevegelsen ) to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms: The Norwegian government of Prime Minister Johan Nygaardsvold , with

658-411: The 1917 test-run). During the German occupation of Norway (1940–1945), manufacture of the pistol, given the designation Pistole 657(n) , was continued under German control. The Waffenamt acceptance mark (WaA84) was added in 1945 and only those 920 pistols produced that year were ever Waffenamt-marked. It is not likely that any of these Waffenamt-marked pistols ever saw any action during World War II as

705-768: The Allies. While on station in London , the government contributed to Norwegian forces with the Allied effort and ordered the Norwegian Merchant Fleet to assist in troop transportation. To expedite this ships operated under the Nortraship organisation, which at that time was the world's largest shipping company. It created apprehension among the Nazi leadership that Allied forces might try to recapture Norway with

752-490: The Colt M1911 except for a minor detail on the hammer checkering. 100 pistols were ordered, but 5 were rejected during production. The serial range was from 1 to 95. Number 2 was stolen from Norwegian Armed Forces Museum in 1978. Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk was ready to start mass production in 1918. One significant change was now made. The slide-stop was extended down and back to make it easier to operate. This change required

799-611: The Norwegian border. To avoid suspicion, they were camouflaged as police training camps . By 1944, some 7,000–8,000 men had been secretly trained in Sweden. During the Liberation of Finnmark from 1944 to 1945, 1,442 police troops from Sweden would be flown in to assist the Soviets and Free Norwegian Forces . In addition to forces brought in from abroad, local troops were also recruited. Intelligence gathering within occupied Norway

846-523: The Norwegian government, they managed to evade these attempts and travelled through Norway's remote interior until leaving the country for London on the British heavy cruiser HMS  Devonshire on 7 June. Finland Iceland Norway Reserving the constitutional legitimacy of the Norwegian government also undermined Vidkun Quisling 's attempts at claiming the Norwegian government for himself. After Quisling had proclaimed his assumption of

893-618: The US had just adopted the Colt .45ACP M1911 pistol it was decided to conduct further tests. A pistol of the new M1911 design was received in Norway in January 1913. Following extensive tests through early 1914, it was finally decided, in August 1914, to adopt the Colt M1911 pistol in Norway. These pistols were to replace the Nagant revolvers (7,5mm M/1893) as the standard military sidearm in Norway. While

940-427: The advantage of requiring less machining than more modern formats. The Nagant M1895 has a heavy trigger pull (about 12 lbs for single and 20 lbs for double). 7.62mm Nagant is also known as 7.62×38mmR (Rimmed) or "Cartridge, Type R". The projectile is seated below the mouth of the cartridge, with the cartridge crimp sitting just above the bullet. When fired, the crimp expands into the forcing cone, completing

987-572: The country's defence capabilities, a longstanding policy of disarmament following World War I had left the Norwegian military underfunded and undertrained by the late 1930s. As a result, forces in Southern Norway were largely unprepared for the German invasion , and the invading German army met little initial resistance. There was also spirited defence seen at other locations, including Midtskogen , Hegra and Narvik but these were largely

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1034-462: The cylinder or frame. Proper fitting ammunition can be reloaded from .32-20 Winchester brass by using the Lee Nagant die set or .30" carbine dies and 9mm Luger shell-holders in the reloading press. This allows the reloaders to work up a load that fits their needs and is specific for the Nagant. While this eliminates the bulged/split/stuck cases experienced when using .32 S&W and .32 H&R,

1081-400: The exception of foreign minister Halvdan Koht and minister of defence Birger Ljungberg , was largely caught by surprise when it became apparent in the early hours of 9 April 1940 that Nazi Germany had launched an invasion of Norway. Although some of the country's gold reserve had already been removed from Oslo, there were few contingency plans for such an invasion. The Norwegian government

1128-480: The first one, serial# 29615, was delivered March 29, 1945 and the last one, serial# 30534, was delivered on 5 May 1945 just before liberation of Norway. In total, approximately 8200 pistols were made during German occupation (serials 22312-30534). All of them were delivered to AOK Norwegen (Army) except 700 that were delivered to Maza Norwegen (Navy). Occupation production: No pistols were produced in 1943 and 1944. In those years, production of Krag–Jørgensen rifles

1175-465: The gas seal and ostensibly increasing muzzle velocity by approximately 75 ft/s. Aftermarket cylinders for .32-caliber can be installed, allowing the Nagant to safely fire .32 H&R Magnum or .32 ACP . Shooting any ammunition other than the 7.62×38mmR cartridge with the original cylinder can cause bodily injury from bullet shrapnel or escaping gas, and the excessive pressures produced by some .32 ammunition could also cause catastrophic failure of

1222-410: The gas seal that made the Nagant famous will still not fully function as the .32-20 is not long enough to protrude past the cylinder like the original Nagant ammunition. The Luxembourgish, Swedish, and Norwegian Nagants used a different cartridge, the 7.5 mm Nagant. This ammunition is dimensionally similar but not interchangeable with the 7.5mm 1882 Ordnance (aka Swiss 7.5mm revolver). They lack

1269-964: The gas-seal lock of the Belgian and Russian models. The black powder cartridge used in Nagant's original gas-sealed revolver design. Year of introduction: 1878. Bullet Diameter: 9.25 – 9.30mm (.364 - .374”). Round-nosed lead bullet with paper patch. Bullet Weight : 11.95-12.3 grams Case diameters, Neck : 9.90 – 10.20mm (.389 - .401” inch) Head : 10.75 – 10.90mm (.423 - .429” inch) Rim : 12.00 – 12.35mm (.472 - .486” inch) Berdan primer Cartridge overall length 33.30 – 34.50mm (1.311 – 1.358 inches) Cartridge weight 11.95 – 12.30gm (184.41 - 189.81 grains) Nagant M1878 Belgian Officer's Revolver [9.4mm Nagant] - Single Action / Double Action trigger. 6-shot cylinder. Nagant M1883 Belgian Infantry Revolver [9.4mm Nagant] - Simplified Single Action Only trigger version. 6-shot cylinder. Nagant M1886 Belgian Officer's Revolver [9.4mm Nagant] - Simplified Double Action Only trigger version. 6-shot cylinder. In

1316-497: The government, several individuals on the Supreme Court took the initiative to establish an Administrative Council ( Administrasjonsrådet ) in an effort to stop him. This became a controversial initiative, in that the legitimate Norwegian government refused to give the council any legal backing, and the German authorities ended up disbanding it. Although some politicians across the political spectrum had advocated strengthening

1363-434: The hammer is cocked, first turns the cylinder and then moves it forward, closing the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. The cartridge, also unique, plays an important part in sealing the gun to prevent the escape of propellant gases. The bullet is deeply seated, entirely within the cartridge case, and the case is slightly reduced in diameter at its mouth. The barrel features a short conical section at its rear; this accepts

1410-531: The intention of denying German naval units access to the North Atlantic , tying up several hundred thousand troops that otherwise might have been deployed to other fronts. Although Norway did not have any major battles beyond those of the Norwegian Campaign , a number of military operations served to subvert the Nazi authorities and contribute to the larger war effort. Milorg started out as

1457-406: The most rare are the "Matpakke-Colt" (lunch box Colt) that were made out of parts smuggled out during World War II by workers and used by resistance forces . These have usually no serial markings or acceptance marks and the finish is usually not completed. Nagant M1895 The Nagant M1895 is a seven-shot, gas-seal revolver designed and produced by Belgian industrialist Léon Nagant for

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1504-465: The mouth of the cartridge, completing the gas seal. By sealing the gap, the velocity of the bullet is increased by 15 to 45 m/s (50 to 150 ft/s.) This feature also eliminates the possibility of injury from gases escaping through the gap, which can injure a finger if the user holds the gun with a finger positioned beside the gap. The Nagant's sealed firing system meant that the Nagant revolver, unlike most other revolvers, could make effective use of

1551-534: The original pistol was known as the 1911 Colt, the designer and copyright owner was John Browning who had licensed manufacturing in the US to Colt. Norway attempted to get licensing through Colt, but discovered European production was through Fabrique Nationale. So in September 1914, Norway signed a contract with Fabrique Nationale of Belgium for manufacture. The pistol would be produced at Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk in Norway. The Kongsberg Colt remained in service with

1598-416: The paper clip was a symbol of solidarity and unity ("we are bound together"), implying resistance. The wearing of paper clips, the popular H7 monogram and similar symbols (red garments, Bobble hats ) was outlawed and could lead to arrest and punishment. Of lesser military importance was the distribution of illegal newspapers (often with news items culled from Allied news broadcasts; possession of radios

1645-621: The parts before the assembled pistols were returned to the US. Some fakes have appeared. 1945 models produced after the end of World War II have been marked with fake Waffenamt marks. They are easily discovered, as serial numbers are higher than the last pistol made for the Germans (serial# 30534). Any pistol with year 1940/41/42 with WaA84 or any other Waffenamt markings are fakes and have been marked post-World War II. There are some models with 1945 stamping finished, completed and delivered in 1947 and 1948 (original Kongsberg documentation) Some of

1692-411: The regime and its propaganda. Wages were withheld, and on 20 March 1942, 1100 male teachers were arrested, of which 642 were sent to Arctic Norway doing forced labour. Towards the end of the war, the resistance became more open, with rudimentary military organizations set up in the forests around the larger cities. A number of Nazi collaborators and officials were killed, and those collaborating with

1739-508: The result of improvised missions by isolated military units and irregular volunteers. The battles slowed the German advance by several days, allowing the Norwegian government to evade capture and conduct critical constitutional business. The British and French began landing on Norwegian soil within a week of the German invasion. Several Norwegian military units that had mobilised as a precautionary measure in Northern Norway during

1786-457: The struggle is already underway." Anticipating German efforts to capture the government, the entire Norwegian parliament (the Storting ), the royal family , and cabinet hastily evacuated Oslo by train and car to Hamar and then on to Elverum , where an extraordinary session of parliament was called. In large part because of the presence of mind of the parliament's president C. J. Hambro ,

1833-560: The war, through Sweden or by fishing boats to Shetland , nicknamed the " Shetland bus ". A number of saboteurs, most notably Max Manus and Gunnar Sønsteby , destroyed ships and supplies. Perhaps its most famous achievements were a series of operations to destroy Norsk Hydro 's heavy water plant and stockpile of heavy water at Vemork , crippling the German nuclear programme . The Germans attempted to stifle Resistance activities and executed several innocent Norwegian men, women, and children in retaliation after any Resistance act. Probably

1880-470: The worst act of reprisal was the assault on the fishing village of Telavåg in the spring of 1942. To assist with the sabotage campaign, the United States sent OSS forces, including future CIA director William Colby , into Norway to support resistance. In the mid-1980s, it was revealed that Sweden aided the Norwegian resistance movement with training and equipment in a series of camps along

1927-650: Was designed by Léon Nagant, whose brother Émile had also taken part in designing the Mosin–Nagant rifle. The Nagant M1895 was adopted as the standard issue sidearm for the Imperial Russian Army and police officers, where it replaced earlier Smith & Wesson models such as the Model 3 . Production began in Liège , Belgium; however Russia purchased the manufacturing rights in 1898, and moved production to

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1974-446: Was illegal). The purpose of this was twofold: it counteracted Nazi propaganda , and it maintained nationalistic, anti-German feelings in the population at large. It has been suggested that combating the illegal press expended German resources out of proportion to the illegal media's actual effects. Finally, there was the attempt at maintaining an "ice front" against the German soldiers. This involved, among other things, never speaking to

2021-620: Was made. Nagant revolvers were used by the NKVD and Red Army units until the end of World War II, with a total of 2,000,000 produced. The Nagant began to be replaced by the Tokarev semi-automatic pistol in 1933, and was formally replaced by the Makarov in 1952, though Nagant revolvers continued to see limited use in the Korean War and Vietnam War . The M1895 has a mechanism which, as

2068-468: Was prioritized. A further 2,319 pistols were assembled from existing parts after the war until production was halted at serial number 32854 in 1948. Twenty additional pistols were assembled from foreign-produced parts in 1987 as collector's pieces for the US market. A US dealer supplied commercial frames, slides and barrels as well as other parts that were assembled at Kongsberg. Previous markings were removed and Kongsberg markings and serials were engraved on

2115-452: Was the communist Osvald Group led by Asbjørn Sunde . During the war years, the resistance movement in occupied Norway had 1433 members killed, of whom 255 were women. The first mass outbreak of civil disobedience occurred in the autumn of 1940, when students of Oslo University began to wear paper clips on their lapels to demonstrate their resistance to the German occupiers and their Norwegian collaborators. A seemingly innocuous item,

2162-554: Was unprepared and unwilling to capitulate to the ultimatum timed to coincide with the arrival of German troops and delivered by Curt Bräuer , the German representative in Oslo. The German demand that Norway accept the "protection of the Reich" was rebuffed by Koht and the Norwegian government before dawn had broken on the morning of invasion. " Vi gir oss ikke frivillig, kampen er allerede i gang ", replied Koht. "We will not submit voluntarily;

2209-489: Was very much needed for the Allied forces, and several organizations were established for this, the largest and most efficient of which was called XU . Established by Arvid Storsveen , its members were students from the University of Oslo . One interesting fact was that two of its four leaders were young women, among them Anne-Sofie Østvedt . One of the leading sabotage organisations in Norway during most of World War II

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