Baby Nambu
Notes:
The standard Nambu 14th Year had disappointing sales because
the officers for whom it was designed felt it was too heavy and bulky.
Koishikawa Arsenal’s response was to reduce the size of the 14th
Year by one-fourth, producing the Small Nambu (more commonly known as the Baby
Nambu). Despite the new handy size,
Japanese officers preferred Western designs, and until World War 2, they were
not often used. Eventually,
however, about 6000 were made and issued.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Baby Nambu |
7mm Nambu |
0.65 kg |
7 |
$114 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Baby Nambu |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
6 |
Hamada shiki/Hake shiki
Notes: The
Hamada shiki (Hamada type) pistol began as a Japanese copy of the Browning
M-1910, but Hamada began tinkering with the design and made a number of
alterations, simplifying field stripping, altering the barrel attachment, and
improving the striker. The grip
angle was also changed and the barrel shortened.
Production began in 1941 and continued until 1944, with about 5000 being
built before production stopped. It
was a relatively rare design, but one that was well-regarded by troops, and is
now difficult to find.
The Hake shiki
was designed by Bunji Hamada after requests for a handgun that would use
standard Japanese Army ammunition, but be easier and cheaper to produce than the
Type 94 (and some say, also out of a desire for a better weapon than the Type
94). To this end, Hamada chambered
a version of the Hamada shiki for 8mm Nambu and lengthened the barrel a little
bit. Unfortunately, Hamada
succeeded on nearly all counts, but the weapon actually proved to be more
difficult to manufacture than the Type 94, and the Hake shiki, (also known as
the Type 2 pistol) was only made in very small numbers, with about 1500 being
completed and distributed, plus parts for another 4000 that that were
surrendered to the Allied authorities after the end of World War 2.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Hamada shiki |
.32 ACP |
0.68 kg |
9 |
$178 |
Hake shiki |
8mm Nambu |
0.79 kg |
6 |
$223 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Hamada shiki |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
8 |
Hake shiki |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
7 |
Nambu Model 1904
Notes:
The Model 1904 was never officially adopted by the Japanese Army, though
many Japanese Army officers did use it.
The Japanese Navy adopted it as a sidearm in 1909.
Initial models were slotted for a stock, but this was stopped in 1912,
and most of the pistols already in service had the slots removed.
The Model 1904 has a severe defect in operation: when the last round in
the magazine is fired, the bolt does not stay open.
This means that the empty magazine is difficult to remove quickly, and
the user may not realize in the heat of battle that his magazine is empty.
In addition, the striker spring is so weak that holsters designed for the
Model 1904 has a special compartment for spare springs.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Nambu Model 1904 |
8mm Nambu |
0.88 kg |
8 |
$232 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Nambu Model 1904 |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
10 |
Nambu 14th Year
Notes:
This is an improved version of an earlier pistol, the Model 1904.
The “14th Year” nomenclature referred to the 14th
year of Emperor Hirohito’s reign.
The object was to reduce the cost of the standard service pistol.
The grip safety was replaced with a manual safety.
A problem with this weapon is the magazine; it tends to get caught in the
pistol and be very difficult to remove, especially when the user’s hands are not
dry. The 14th Year also
tends to jam when not well-maintained, something that led to the death of many a
Japanese officer. The 14th
Year was often known to WW2 Allied soldiers as the Kiska, since the first place
it was seen in combat was on Kiska Island in the Aleutians.
Of course, the 14th Year is now a collector’s weapon and not
in any service use.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Nambu 14th Year |
8mm Nambu |
0.9 kg |
8 |
$233 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Nambu 14th Year |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
10 |
New Nambu M-57A
Notes: This
weapon was designed for service with the Japanese armed forces in the late
1980s. However, the Japanese
Self-Defense Forces rejected the pistol, primarily due to reliability issues and
the ready availability of better imported weapons, and until 1999 it did not see
widespread service in the Japanese military.
There was some police use, and some sales were made to weapon collectors
overseas, but it was difficult to find until late 1998.
It is based on the M-1911A1 action, but does not have a grip safety and
is scaled down to the smaller caliber used.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
M-57A |
9mm Parabellum |
0.89 kg |
8 |
$245 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
M-57A |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
11 |
New Nambu M-57B
Notes: Despite
the nomenclature, this is not simply a smaller version of the M-57A, but is
instead a small pistol for backup or concealed carry use, and is based on the
Browning action. The M-57B was
never produced in large numbers.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
M-57B |
.32 ACP |
0.6 kg |
8 |
$120 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
M-57B |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
4 |
Nil |
8 |
Type 94
Notes:
Since Nambu had seen a lot of resistance to his other designs, and
because Japanese officers seemed to like Western pistols better than Japanese
weapons, Nambu designed a pistol along Western lines, the Type 94.
The Army approved them and they were put onto production in 1935, with
over 70,000 being produced before the end of the Second World War.
Pre-World War 2 Type 94s were well-built and performed quite well;
however, production standards dropped precipitously during World War 2, and by
1944, the Type 94s that were being made could be properly regarded as some of
the worst small arms of the war.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Type 94 |
8mm
Nambu |
0.77 kg |
6 |
$223 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Type 94 |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
7 |