They also know that silencers on revolvers work. (Odessa File)
The thinking, (This was back when the Tsar still sat.) was that with a gas tight seal, you got more muzzle velocity.
They kept building them until 1945, and they were only retired, finally, in 2003 as an issue weapon. They had a 2,000,000+ production run, so it is remotely possible that every silenced revolver you ever saw on TV was a Nagant. The design allowed for a functional suppressor.