Japanese Type 14

[RON in PA]

I am the new owner of a Type 14 pistol. This specimen was made in 1934 at the Tokyo arsenal, note the small trigger guard and straw blued trigger and safety. Except for some freckling that is visable in the photos the pistol is in very good shape. Came with a rubberized canvas holster that is post 1941. Don't know anything about the history of the pistol except that the dealer got it from the brother-in-law of a WW2 vet.

Obtained a box of 8mm Nambu ammo and replaced the recoil and striker springs. Only put 15 rounds through it , but at 7 yards it will put your eye out all day long. Definately a reloading only situation as shooting factory ammo will send you to the poor house real quick at a dollar a pop. Yeech!

The gun is very pleasent to shoot with light recoil, light trigger and good pointing. The major problem is the bolt hold-open, there is none except for the magazine follower and when you get the magazine out the bolt slams forward. Getting the magazine out requires the strengh of a gorilla, not a good design, in fact one that probably got more then a few Japanese troops killed.

Note in the last picture there is a wooden tag that came with the holster, does anyone read Japanese?

 

[RON in PA]

another photo

 

[RON in PA]

Last one

 

[Hkmp5sd]

Nice acquisition...I want one!

Note in the last picture there is a wooden tag that came with the holster, does anyone read Japanese?

"Made in Japan"


(Sorry, couldn't resist)

 

[Wildalaska]

It is the name of the owner, Minazu.

 

[RON in PA]

Thanks Wild

 

[Gewehr98]

Type 14

That's a "Papa" Nambu, right?

(Have a hard time keeping the two types separate)

 

[SDC]

Nice find, Ron. You may be able to find more info on your pistol at this site (http://members.shaw.ca/tju/jhg.htm); Teri collects WW2 Japanese handguns and ammo, and can probably give you leads on accessories and translation, etc.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I got to shoot a magazine through this gun tonight. Good trigger, very mild recoil, and quite accurate. Crummy sights. It was definitely neat to play with this piece of history.

 

[Jim K]

The Type 14 is not really a Nambu. Although Nambu had a hand in its design, it was really an arsenal team effort, and is a much simplified version of the Nambu.

You have pretty well found out its strengths and weaknesses. The main weakness is the continual breaking of firing pins when dry fired. It is one of the few center fire pistols that simply should not be dry fired. (To release firing pin spring tension, pull the bolt back a bit to just the point of disconnect, then pull the trigger. Do not dry fire with the bolt all the way forward.) This situation was known to the Japanese and a spare firing pin was included in the holster. Be careful in field stripping not to lose the locking block; firing the gun without it is a definite no-no.

The safety is poor, and requires a 180 degree swing. The little button on the left side is the sear lever pin. All in all, I can only conclude that while the weapon is serviceable, the Japanese never really intended it as a serious war weapon.

The gawdawful triangluar sight design has cropped up again, on some wondernine or other, I forget which one. It was no good when the Japanese did it and it is not a bit better done by the Croats, or Hungarians, or Austrians or whoever.

Jim

 

[natedog]

The Styer 9mm pistols have the triangular sights but by most accounts I've heard they aren't gawdawful.

 

[Wildalaska]

Alwyas liked that Japanese Pistol that would go off when the external sear bar was pressed...Type 54 was it...cant remmeber, fried brain

WildwakarimasenAlaska

 

[RON in PA]

Wild: The pistol with the external sear is the type 34, one of the wierdest looking firearms ever made.

SDC: thanks for the link, but was aware of Teri's page and a most excelllent one may I add.

Jim: Thanks for the hint about decocking, I've been using a brass rod to absorb the fireing pin shock.

When we were shooting the pistol Dave and I concluded that the Japanese probably thought the shortcomings of the type 14 were acceptable as its main purpose, from their 1930s point-of-view, was to shoot Chinese in the back of the head. Remember the "Rape of Nanking".