One of the true classic pistols used during the World War II period was, quite strangely, one of the most enigmatic. Even today, the Japanese Type 14 Nambu pistol is largely unknown in America despite having been made in large numbers and being used widely in the Pacific theatre of WWII. Perhaps it was because it was made by a people whose written language is a mystery to most English speaking people. Or perhaps it was because it used a cartridge not commonly encountered today. Many servicemen who fought in the Pacific brought them home as war trophies, but lacking proper ammo for them, never brought them to American ranges to shoot and for others to see. In spite of its being lesser known, the Nambu was a very interesting design. One of its novel features has been borrowed and incorporated into some firearms made today.
The history of the Type 14 goes back to 1902, when a young Japanese man, Kijiro Nambu, designed his first pistol. This was the Type A, Model 1902, or “Grandpa Nambu” as it is called by today’s collectors. Approximately 2,400 of this model were manufactured. It had a shape somewhat resembling the Luger, but its internals were quite different. It used a cam-operated falling-block locking mechanism and fired a bottlenecked cartridge known as the 8mm Nambu. It had a small trigger guard. The bases of the 8-round magazines were made of horn or wood. The bolt reciprocated within a tubular receiver after being unlocked from that recoiling receiver, and empty cases were ejected vertically from the top. It utilized a spring-loaded striker rather than an internal hammer. It accepted a shoulder stock that also doubled as a holster, similar to the Mauser concept. The later Type A Model 1902 Modified (“Papa Nambu”) was similar, but had a swiveling lanyard ring, a grip safety, a tangent rear sight and an aluminum magazine base. There were about 10,300 of this type made. These were issued in 1904. There was also a “Baby Nambu” which was a scaled-down version firing a small 7mm cartridge. About 6,500 of these were made.
The Type 14 was designed in 1925, and was so called because that was the 14th year of the reign of Emperor Taisho, the father of Hirohito. He began his rule in 1911. This pistol was also designed by then General Kijiro Nambu. It was an easier-to-manufacture version of the Type A. The Type 14 Nambu was accepted by the Imperial Japanese Army as the standard sidearm in 1925, and served throughout World War II. The grip safety was eliminated, and a fixed v-notch rear sight was utilized. A 4.7” barrel was used, and the pistol utilized twin recoil springs. The serrated wood grips were either mahogany or walnut. Earlier examples are more nicely finished than late war pieces. A unique leaf spring was imbedded in the front of the grip strap. This bore on the front of the magazine to prevent it from dropping free when the mag release was pressed. The thought was that this would prevent magazine loss in the field. The manual safety was on the left side of the receiver and had to be rotated 180 degrees to the rear to engage. An enlarged trigger guard was used on later production versions, beginning in 1939. The gun could then be more easily shot while wearing cold-weather gloves, a necessity in the winters of the Chinese and Manchurian theatres. A magazine safety was also added. There were some minor changes in the locking block and in the length of the firing pin, which became shorter. Late production used a checkered bolt-grasping surface, rather than grooved. The month and year of manufacture for Type 14s are easy to peg. Two numbers will be found on the right of the receiver, preceded by an ideogram and separated by a period. On the pistol illustrated the numbered stamping is “19.3”. The first number is code for the year of manufacture. Simply add 19 to 1925 (first year of the Showa era of Hirohito), and in this case, you will get 1944. The second number is the month of manufacture, and the “3” indicates March. Hence, this pistol was made in March 1944. Many civilian factories and government arsenals in Japan produced the pistol. The ideograms that designate the place of manufacture are hard to decipher, and require a detailed and lengthy chart. After consulting such a chart, I determined that the pistol illustrated was made at the Nagoya Arsenal Torimatsu factory. Type 14 manufacture continued until the end of the war in 1945, with an estimated 200,000 of all varieties being made. Unfortunately, most specific production records were lost during the war.
The Type 14 Nambu was standard issue for Japanese non-commissioned officers. Officers had to purchase their own pistols and could choose from anything available. Most chose the Nambu to ensure a readily available supply of ammunition. Each Nambu was issued with a leather or stiff rubberized fabric holster such as the one illustrated.
Nambus were not known for reliability, and firing pin breakage among the earlier Type 14s with the longer pin was common. Accordingly, there was space for a spare firing pin as well as a cleaning rod/tool in each holster made. Also, weak magazine springs could cause problems. The manual safety was awkward and required two hands to engage. The 8mm cartridge was under-powered compared to the .45 ACP, the 7.62mm Tokarev and the 9mm Luger. Still, in tests by the U.S. Army following WWII, the Nambu bested the 1911, the P.38 and the Tokarev pistols in accuracy. Its trigger is actually quite good compared to most service pistols. It points naturally, having the same grip angle as the famed Luger. There is considerable evidence that Bill Ruger borrowed the principle of a reciprocating bolt within a tubular receiver to use on his first design, the Ruger Standard .22 pistol.
While never an entirely successful pistol, the Type 14 Nambu was the best the Japanese had during World War II. Large numbers were brought back to the United States by returning GIs. It was an original design that reflected the considerable talent of General Nambu. He is often regarded as “the Japanese John Browning,” having designed other firearms used by Japan during the war. This pistol’s central feature, the bolt within a tubular receiver, lives on today in all Ruger .22 semiauto pistols. The Nambu is regarded as a definite classic, and a “must have” for any WWII firearms collection. Values in recent years have escalated dramatically as more about this unique handgun becomes known through books and articles.
(c) 2011 JLM
John
Nambu!
Threaded Mode
