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Description
Two semi-antique pistols I recently purchased through a local FFL after ordering them from a surplus importer. Both originally Russian in design.

TOP: Nagant M1895 "gas seal" revolver. This particular one was made in 1918, and has almost no wear on it, and was likely never issued. A seven-shot 7.62 mm (.30") double-action revolver with a one-cartridge-at-a-time loading gate (think old fashioned Colt revolver). Uses a unique round, the 7.62x38R (rimmed) cartridge, a long, skinny thing with the bullet fully telescoped inside the brass. When the revolver is cocked, the first half of the cycle rotates the cylinder and cocks the gun, and the second cams the entire cylinder forward to seal with the barrel. This, combined with the overly-long ammunition seals the barrel on firing, keeping muzzle blast from going out in the typical revolver gap between cylinder and barrel. A mechanically complex way to get the most out of early early smokeless gunpowder without using a higher powered (and more dangerous) load. The thing below the barrel is a manually-operated ejector rod, which unscrews and tilts to the side to push out fired brass.

BOTTOM: TTC "Cugir Tokarov". A licensed Romanian Warsaw Pact version of the Tokarev TT-30/33 in 7.62x25. It fires what is essentially the old "broomhandle" Mauser C96's (think Han Solo's gun) cartridge souped up for higher oomph. This particular one was built in 1953 and had a trigger-blocking manual safety machined into it once imported. As the Photoshoppery hints, it might be more recently famous in the form of the Chinese "Type 54" version that haunts Sword Art Online's Shino "Sinon" Asada in her arc of the series. Surprisingly, though, a fairly small pistol IRL thanks to its magazine holding just a single "stack" of cartridges, making the grip thin and comfy to my long, thin fingers. Mechanically, very similar to the famous Colt M1911 .45-caliber pistol, although it visually resembles the much older FN Model 1903, also designed by firearms savant John M. Browning.

Description
Two semi-antique pistols I recently purchased through a local FFL after ordering them from a surplus importer. Both originally Russian in design.

TOP: Nagant M1895 "gas seal" revolver. This particular one was made in 1918, and has almost no wear on it, and was likely never issued. A seven-shot 7.62 mm (.30") double-action revolver with a one-cartridge-at-a-time loading gate (think old fashioned Colt revolver). Uses a unique round, the 7.62x38R (rimmed) cartridge, a long, skinny thing with the bullet fully telescoped inside the brass. When the revolver is cocked, the first half of the cycle rotates the cylinder and cocks the gun, and the second cams the entire cylinder forward to seal with the barrel. This, combined with the overly-long ammunition seals the barrel on firing, keeping muzzle blast from going out in the typical revolver gap between cylinder and barrel. A mechanically complex way to get the most out of early early smokeless gunpowder without using a higher powered (and more dangerous) load. The thing below the barrel is a manually-operated ejector rod, which unscrews and tilts to the side to push out fired brass.

BOTTOM: TTC "Cugir Tokarov". A licensed Romanian Warsaw Pact version of the Tokarev TT-30/33 in 7.62x25. It fires what is essentially the old "broomhandle" Mauser C96's (think Han Solo's gun) cartridge souped up for higher oomph. This particular one was built in 1953 and had a trigger-blocking manual safety machined into it once imported. As the Photoshoppery hints, it might be more recently famous in the form of the Chinese "Type 54" version that haunts Sword Art Online's Shino "Sinon" Asada in her arc of the series. Surprisingly, though, a fairly small pistol IRL thanks to its magazine holding just a single "stack" of cartridges, making the grip thin and comfy to my long, thin fingers. Mechanically, very similar to the famous Colt M1911 .45-caliber pistol, although it visually resembles the much older FN Model 1903, also designed by firearms savant John M. Browning.