Smith of the Rising SUN

[papabyrd]

A few weeks ago my best friend`s dad died and being son #2 to him he left me some guns & sword
that he got fighting in WW2.I had seen this gun before but did not know that he had taken it from A japnese Officer. It is a Smith & wesson
Prefected 38 s&w revolver. He would not talk about the war so i did not know the history of this gun untill after he had died. He took the sword, flag and the Smith all off the same officer. He was in the Philippines when MacArthur Came back for round 2 and took the Philippines back. So the Jap may have taken it off a G.I. or philippine officer when they took the philippines in round 1. who knows how he got it but he did have it.The gun has A 3" barrel, Blue with hard rubber grips with the S&W logo.The blueing is pretty good on the left side but real thin on the right Ser # 47540. Smith only made 59500 so i would think it was made about 1919 or 1920.

 

[papabyrd]

A few weeks ago my best friend`s dad died and being son #2 to him he left me some guns & sword
that he got fighting in WW2.I had seen this gun before but did not know that he had taken it from A japnese Officer. It is a Smith & wesson
Prefected 38 s&w revolver. He would not talk about the war so i did not know the history of this gun untill after he had died. He took the sword, flag and the Smith all off the same officer. He was in the Philippines when MacArthur Came back for round 2 and took the Philippines back. So the Jap may have taken it off a G.I. or philippine officer when they took the philippines in round 1. who knows how he got it but he did have it.The gun has A 3" barrel, Blue with hard rubber grips with the S&W logo.The blueing is pretty good on the left side but real thin on the right Ser # 47540. Smith only made 59500 so i would think it was made about 1919 or 1920.

 

[opoefc]

Neat story. S&W exported many revolvers to Japan from the 1870s onward, so the gun may well have been shipped to Japan. Letter it and find out. Nazi Field Marshal Herman Goering also carried a S&W M&P revolver, so the Axis Powers did not frown on their military personnel acquiring a better sidearm! During the Korean War I recall many enemy officers had Colt 1911 .45 autos but never saw one with a S&W.

 

[carguychris]

FWIW I once read that the Japanese army did not officially issue sidearms to their officers. If an officer wanted to carry one, he had to buy it with his own funds. The 8mm Nambu Type 14 is often cited as the "official" pistol of the Imperial Japanese, but IIRC this is only because the Army made them available for purchase at their official stores. An officer could carry anything he wanted as long as he was willing to pay for it and provide his own ammo.

It's possible that this officer just liked S&W top-breaks better than Nambus.

Given the Nambu's reputation for malfunctioning when dirty, plus its feeble cartridge, I can sympathize.

(Although I'll admit that the .38S&W is no powerhouse either!)

 

[Jellybean]

Congratulations, I don't know which I find more interesting, the gun or the sword.

 

[pace40]

Sorry for your and your best friend's loss. This is a very special remembrance from a very special man.

 

[papabyrd]

Thank you pace40. He was a special man and will Greatly MISSED

 

[OFT]

The Japanese type 26 revolver used a round very similar to the 38 S&W except that the Japanese round had a thinner rim. It would be easy for the former owner to use the type 26 issued ammunition in the S&W and not worry about imported ammo.

 

[papabyrd]

Also I am sure there were lots of 38/200 rounds that the Japanese took off the British.

 

[hhb]

Colt 1903 model .32ACP's were also popular with Japanese officers.