Ugliest gun on the face of the earth???

I have a Type14, I agree it is a better weapon then the Type94. But the Type 26 revolver is better then either. Why they ever dropped it beats me.

As far as "ugly go's I'd say any of the Webleys are contenders."
 
I may be one of the few people who's ever shot one of these things. Years ago a friend had a fair assortment of Japanese automatics, and one day we took some out in the desert to shoot. He had a motly assortment of ammo: this was so long ago he actually had some Midway 8mm Japanese also some made from 41 Colt cases, and even some made from 38 Specials. The Pattern 14s found new and innovative ways to jam with most of that stuff; I thought little of their reliability. The Type 94s just went 'Bang' every time we pulled the trigger. I was impressed.

Incidentally, my memory is that you have to press really hard on the sear bar to make the thing fire.
 
The pistol has a lot of shortcomings - underpowered cartridge, difficult reloading, and a grip more suited to small-handed people (imagine that). But it isn't the abomination that has been dutifully repeated by gun scribes with little critical analysis since the 1950's.


Buck

You don't think that attitude stems from the gun being foreign and not looking like a 1911, do you? ;)
 
Type 94

I have one that allegedly hitched a ride home in a sea bag in late '45. No documented provenance. Found some ammo (Midway) but have never fired it. I think the transfer bar is urban legend! Yes, if you push hard, it will trip! But you have to make a conscious effort to do so. And, with the safety engaged, don't think it's possible. Probably won't pass the California drop test, but, I think only a serious candidate for the Darwin award would carry it in condition 1!! Just an interesting piece of memorabilia that isn't made any more and will only go up in price!
 
The S&W 327 IL snubbie with the very short, sleeved barrel.....or the Chiappa Rhino. Too close to call, for me. Regards 18DAI.
 
I'll admit that it's not an attractive handgun but having owned (and shot) a couple of them I don't think it's as bad as some of the stories about it claim. Mine were reliable, easy to shoot and fairly accurate using Midway ammo and handloads made up from reformed cases. I liked the ugly little guns, the safety could be operated with the shooting hand unlike the older type 14 and the sear bar takes a pretty good push to make it disengage. Not as bad as it looks I guess!
 
Scorpio's P38 in Dirty Harry was a contender.

The Cobray M-12 right is right up there.

I thought about Nagant revolvers with their quirky steampunk sort of look, but couldn't *really* call them ugly in a Glock sort of way.

And, fwiw, the Dardick is sort of out there --
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mags/qf/c/MechanixIllustrated/8-1957/this_gun/med_this_gun_0.jpg

But those Nambus are just like a bad spider, not very pretty to look at with a sneaky bite when you least expect it.
 
Scorpio's P38 in Dirty Harry was a contender.

The Cobray M-12 right is right up there.

I thought about Nagant revolvers with their quirky steampunk sort of look, but couldn't *really* call them ugly in a Glock sort of way.

And, fwiw, the Dardick is sort of out there --
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mags/qf/c/MechanixIllustrated/8-1957/this_gun/med_this_gun_0.jpg

But those Nambus are just like a bad spider, not very pretty to look at with a sneaky bite when you least expect it.

The name always sounded like something you get from unprotected sex.
 
I don't think the external sear was a problem from the Imperial Japanese viewpoint. They most likely carried them without a cartridge in the chamber. No modern CCW thinking there.
 
Here's a T14 from 1931. Not quite as ugly as the OP but still showing definite German influence.
nambu.jpg
 
Remember that pressure on the exposed sear will cause that puppy to fire. You probably know this, but I'd hate to leave it unsaid and something bad happen.

So will a Luger. That why the police model has a bar added to block the sear.
 
You haven't seen ugly until you've encountered this one. I picked it up at a gun show today, mostly because I've wanted to write an article about it for some time. Not that I'll ever shoot it; it's probably just as dangerous to the shooter as to anything or anyone in front of it.

It's a Type 94 Nambu, made in September, 1941 by the Nambu Rifle Mfg. Co. in Japan, under Nagoya Arsenal supervision. About 71,000 were made before and during WWII from 1935 to 1945.

Surprisingly, the Japanese were going to supplant and then replace their adequate Type 14 Nambus with this monstrosity. It was designed to be cheaper to manufacture than the Type 14, but wound up costing more. Sounds a lot like our government in recent years, doesn't it?

At any rate, feast your eyes on this baby...uuuggglllyyy! Now go rinse your eyes.

John


JAPTYPE94small.jpg

Hey John
I see your in 85020, I'm at 85027. We have a lot of the same interests, I love your articles in the Blue Press. We should meet sometime.
popgun
 
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