Can Anyone Identify This Gun?
- Thread starter KenRocks
- Start date
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magnumcarry
Member
"With all that rust is it an XD?"............. Man Glocker, that pretty funny, good stuff. 
Update
So sat down today and spent an hour or so stripping it...finally got the thing apart, which is more than I really expected to be able to do to be honest. Here is it now:
As per earlier suggestion in this thread, I've decided I'm gonna give electrolysis a whirl...as a chemist I've only ever actually plated things, so I'm curious how de-plating it will go. Snagged this little piece out of the inside:
and I'm gonna see how it works on there before I try it on anything more expensive/complex. Tonight I go shopping for lantern batteries and the like (lacking a variable output DC transformer) and we'll see how it goes.
Further updates as events warrant.
(and thanks again for all the help, guys...I love this place )
So sat down today and spent an hour or so stripping it...finally got the thing apart, which is more than I really expected to be able to do to be honest. Here is it now:
As per earlier suggestion in this thread, I've decided I'm gonna give electrolysis a whirl...as a chemist I've only ever actually plated things, so I'm curious how de-plating it will go. Snagged this little piece out of the inside:
and I'm gonna see how it works on there before I try it on anything more expensive/complex. Tonight I go shopping for lantern batteries and the like (lacking a variable output DC transformer) and we'll see how it goes.
Further updates as events warrant.
(and thanks again for all the help, guys...I love this place
)Glocker
Member
KenRocks............ I was having a bit of fun with you on the XD and rust, I wish you all the luck in the world if you are going to bring that weapon back to life. I wish I had a neat project like that, I think it would be the coolest thing ever is to take a weapon like that and refinish it. Keep us informed on this and on how it's going, Please. Once again, Good luck
Alright...phase I is complete, so I figured I'd post up my progress so far, for those interested
I set up the apparatus using an old trashcan and a 10A car battery charger with some cheap alligator clips I found laying around in a closet. The cathode is a $4 stainless steel sifter (of the flour sifting variety).
I decided to live dangerously and run it at 10A instead of 2A...I figured hydrogen brittling would likely not be a problem on a gun that I dont quite intend to fire, and it can always be baked out if I change my mind in the future and decide to tempt fate with my fingers.
The process leaves the rust brittle and easy to wipe away, while the underlying metal turns a dark black color. Using fine grit sandpaper, I went over each part until the blackness was removed, leaving shiny steel underneath. Pitting was noted along the barrel and grip, and unfortunately cannot be removed...it is, however, much less severe than one might have thought previously.
After I was done doing my first run over the gun, I put it all together to see if the action would cycle. It does, even though the springs are still rusty (electrolysis leaves them too brittle to function, and theyll simply snap under strain...didnt bother running them). Note that the safety lever appears to be snapped off.
The other side.
Note that the serial number has been recovered. It is 70079.
And...that's all for now folks. I want to take it completely apart but I dont quite know how to do any more than field strip it...there are some pockets of rust in the inside that I cant reach, but Ill figure it out eventually. Pulling the trigger doesnt do anything, and it appears to be jammed up...the trigger assembly appears to work well, but whatever it is supposed to connect with in the body of the pistol doesnt seem to be working correctly. A problem for another day...now I just need a new mag and some grips that dont look like they were harvested from fence planks.
I set up the apparatus using an old trashcan and a 10A car battery charger with some cheap alligator clips I found laying around in a closet. The cathode is a $4 stainless steel sifter (of the flour sifting variety).
I decided to live dangerously and run it at 10A instead of 2A...I figured hydrogen brittling would likely not be a problem on a gun that I dont quite intend to fire, and it can always be baked out if I change my mind in the future and decide to tempt fate with my fingers.
The process leaves the rust brittle and easy to wipe away, while the underlying metal turns a dark black color. Using fine grit sandpaper, I went over each part until the blackness was removed, leaving shiny steel underneath. Pitting was noted along the barrel and grip, and unfortunately cannot be removed...it is, however, much less severe than one might have thought previously.
After I was done doing my first run over the gun, I put it all together to see if the action would cycle. It does, even though the springs are still rusty (electrolysis leaves them too brittle to function, and theyll simply snap under strain...didnt bother running them). Note that the safety lever appears to be snapped off.
The other side.
Note that the serial number has been recovered. It is 70079.
And...that's all for now folks. I want to take it completely apart but I dont quite know how to do any more than field strip it...there are some pockets of rust in the inside that I cant reach, but Ill figure it out eventually. Pulling the trigger doesnt do anything, and it appears to be jammed up...the trigger assembly appears to work well, but whatever it is supposed to connect with in the body of the pistol doesnt seem to be working correctly. A problem for another day...now I just need a new mag and some grips that dont look like they were harvested from fence planks.
S.P.E.C.T.R.E.
Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2006
- Messages
- 244
Best thread in a long time. Keep us updated!!!
crowbardog
Member
She looks like a shooter!SDC
Member
If I'm reading your pictures right, this pistol was built in April of 1945 (signified by the "20.4" mark on the right side of the frame), by the Nagoya Arsenal (signified by the 3 small overlaping circles on the right side of the upper receiver, before the serial number). You may be able to get more info on it at http://members.shaw.ca/tju/jhg.htm
osteodoc08
Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2005
- Messages
- 1,261
That is sweet. Sounds like you figured out what I was trying to say with the electrolysis rust removal earlier. Kudos to you and thanks for keeping us updated.
+100000 on the best thread in a long while.
+100000 on the best thread in a long while.
SDC
Member
Numrich has extra parts if you need them, including a safety lever; http://www.e-gunparts.com/product.asp?chrProductSKU=23180
BillinNH
Member
KenRocks, I am enormously impressed with what you have accomplished so far, considering what you had to start with. Keep at it, I'm getting a big vicarious thrill from it!
How long did you run the electrolysis and what ratio water/ soda did you use?
I'm surprised at the plainness of the grips. Most Type 14s I've seen or seen pics of had at least one horizontal groove.
Thanks, SDC for confirming the 1945 date (fourth month of the 20th year of Hirohito's reign, right?) Knew it had to be a late one. But this gun is only a month or so from the end of the entire T14 production run. What a find.
KenRocks have you taken the mag apart yet? Have you found a source of springs?
Can't wait for the next installment!
Bill
How long did you run the electrolysis and what ratio water/ soda did you use?
I'm surprised at the plainness of the grips. Most Type 14s I've seen or seen pics of had at least one horizontal groove.
Thanks, SDC for confirming the 1945 date (fourth month of the 20th year of Hirohito's reign, right?) Knew it had to be a late one. But this gun is only a month or so from the end of the entire T14 production run. What a find.
KenRocks have you taken the mag apart yet? Have you found a source of springs?
Can't wait for the next installment!
Bill
The time each piece spent in the vat varied...I started off with the knife I was talking about previously to make sure the whole thing would work. From there I just kept pulling the piece out every 15 minutes or so, after which I'd run it under the faucet to wash off the gunk and see what the metal looked like. When everything turned solid black, I'd call it done and start sanding. Took about an hour for each section...maybe 45 minutes. Then you just sand til your hands give out
Ratio of soda to water is essentially irrelevant, so long as there is some soda in the water...everytime I changed the solution, I'd just sorta shake the box over it til a few spoonfulls worth made it in. And yeah...the grips are very disappointing. Theyre very thin and very light...feel quite a bit like balsa or something similar. One of them broke a bit when I removed it...I'm definitely gonna order some new ones...thanks for the link, SDC...I'm gonna need some new springs and things in the near future.
Havent taken the mag apart yet...decided not to even attempt restoring it, since the spring would likely be too brittle to ever use. Plus the side walls of the mag are thin steel, and I figure there wont be much left when I remove the rust...easier to just buy an new one. Plus alot of inside crannies to try and get at that I dont feel like messing with
Still quite a few spots that I need to get rust off of, and I figure hitting it with a buffing wheel might even give it some shine off...might get at it some more tonight. I'm just amused as hell at what one night's work yielded
Ratio of soda to water is essentially irrelevant, so long as there is some soda in the water...everytime I changed the solution, I'd just sorta shake the box over it til a few spoonfulls worth made it in. And yeah...the grips are very disappointing. Theyre very thin and very light...feel quite a bit like balsa or something similar. One of them broke a bit when I removed it...I'm definitely gonna order some new ones...thanks for the link, SDC...I'm gonna need some new springs and things in the near future.
Havent taken the mag apart yet...decided not to even attempt restoring it, since the spring would likely be too brittle to ever use. Plus the side walls of the mag are thin steel, and I figure there wont be much left when I remove the rust...easier to just buy an new one. Plus alot of inside crannies to try and get at that I dont feel like messing with
Still quite a few spots that I need to get rust off of, and I figure hitting it with a buffing wheel might even give it some shine off...might get at it some more tonight. I'm just amused as hell at what one night's work yielded
TimboKhan
Member
Coolest thread I have read in awhile. Keep us updated as progress is made!
joab
Member
Try soaking the springs and sensitive parts in Ballistol
Numrich also has the schematic
http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=2260zTYPE 14
Numrich also has the schematic
http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=2260zTYPE 14
Glockorama
Member
Wow, I can't believe that is even the same gun. Based on the first set of pics, I would have bet the gun was a goner. Nice work!
CajunBass
Member
Deleted. Meant to make another thread.
Anna's Dad
Member
Wow...just wow. I would have probably just scrapped the thing. I'm stunned by how well it cleaned up!
koja48
member
In a word: "A-mazing!" Well done & a great thread!
Impressive! I'm wondering if the grips could be something somebody made later, and aren't the originals. BTW got any pictures of the knife, just out of curiousity. Maybe it was Japanese? Given that the Nambu was probably somebodies war souvenier, it would make sense.
I'm going to have to remember this method for cleaning car parts in the future.
I'm going to have to remember this method for cleaning car parts in the future.
tydephan
Member
Great work. Thanks for the updates and pictures.
Tagged for future updates.
Tagged for future updates.
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