Fabrique d'armes Émile et Léon Nagant

Defunct1931 (1931)FateAcquiredHeadquarters, WorldwideProductsfirearms, automobilesParentImpériaFootnotes / references
Major contributors to the design of the Mosin–Nagant service rifle by Russia and then by the USSR

The Fabrique d'armes Émile et Léon Nagant, later known as L. Nagant & Cie, Liège, was a Belgian firm established in Liège in 1859 as a manufacturer of firearms and later automobiles.

History

The company was originally founded by brothers Émile (1830–1902) and Léon (1833–1900) as an industrial repair business, which included repairing damaged firearms.^{[citation needed]} In 1867, the Nagant brothers entered the firearms market when their company received a license to produce 5,000 Remington Rolling Block rifles for the Papal Zouaves; they later adapted the rolling-block design to produce double-barreled shotguns under the name "Remington-Nagant".^[1] The company is best known for Émile's contribution to the design of the Mosin–Nagant Russian service rifle, adopted in 1891.^[2] This introduction to the Tsar's military administration led to the adoption, in 1895, of the Nagant M1895 revolver (designed by Léon) as their standard-issue sidearm.^[3] The following year, Émile's progressive blindness led to his retirement from the firm which was renamed to "L. Nagant & Cie, Liège", with Léon being joined by his sons Charles and Maurice.^{[citation needed]}

Car manufacture

Later, the firm moved to the manufacture of automobiles; Nagant began with building cars under licence of the French firm Gobron-Brillies and later Rochet-Schneider.^[4] Nagant cars were made from 1900 to 1928. Overhead-valve engines appeared after World War I, at which point the company was making around 200 cars per year.^[5] The firm was purchased by Impéria in 1931.^[6]

References