Nambu Type 14

History of Nambu Type 14

Like the standard rifles used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the 1920s, the IJA's pistols were obsolete at the time. Introduced in 1925, the Nambu 14-year-old pistol was an improved version of the 8mm southern "4-year-type" (or "04-type") semi-automatic pistol officially accepted by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1909. It appeared in 1915 (Taisho 4 years). Model Year 4 - Its design was not dissimilar to the famous German Luger, but was a completely different, internally unique pistol saw combat during WW1, but proved to be generally unreliable and cost-effective for Japanese industrial manufacturing high. The design is by well-known Japanese gunsmith and IJA Major Kirijo Nambu (hence the pistol's name "Nambu" and the named cartridge), and features a grip-type safety device on the front of the stock, and the overall build quality is generally acceptable Except for the weak mainspring structure.

The Nambu 4th Year Type survived mainly as a commercial enterprise until 1925 when modifications were made to the weapon to reduce manufacturing costs and persuade the IJA authorities to officially adopt the weapon as the official standard sidearm. This new weapon is called "Type 14".

Despite the changes, the Type 14 remains largely faithful to the original design - although this contains some inherent limitations and flaws. The Type 14 has a safety catch in place of the grip safety. However, this forces the operator to control the system with their free hand, which is a disadvantage in the heat of battle. The Type 14 retains the same semi-automatic firing action, with the barrel, bolt and receiver all rebounding while rotating the bolt and unlocking.

The bolt is then brought back into place by a pair of return springs, ready to fire the next round. This intricate arrangement brings extra maintenance in the field to an otherwise sturdy and worry-free pistol. The Type 14 also retained the original's weaker 8x22mm "Nambu" cartridge, which never proved adequate compared to contemporary designs such as the .45 ACP and 9mm Parabellum. The pistol is fed from a detachable 8-round box magazine set in the pistol grip.

Additionally, IJA officers had to purchase their own pistols, which severely limited the Type 14's range from the start. Those members who were able to find the pistol got a relatively light trigger and good overall balance, the latter due to the fact that all major components were concentrated at the rear of the weapon near the shooter.

The Type 14 officially entered service with the IJA in 1927, and the series became the most widely used pistol in service by the Japanese military between 1925 and 1945: the latter marked the last year of World War II and the official decline of the Japanese Empire.

Because IJA officers have "choice" over the pistol of their choice, some opt to buy the tried-and-true foreign pistol types with larger and more powerful cartridges rather than settle for the 8mm Nambu. Despite some excellent qualities in design, the Type 14 was still far inferior to the tried-and-true "manstoppers" of its day, such as the famous American Colt 0.45 pistol.

It turned out that the mainspring was inherently weak and deteriorated more over time, eventually leading to a misfire - a defect that originated in the 4th model in 1909.

During the Japanese campaign in Manchuria, cold weather forced Japanese officers to wear thick winter gloves. However, the trigger ring on the original Model 14 was too small for gloved hands, so in 1939 another revision was forced on the Model 14 design (called "Kiska"), which was naturally expanded for this operation the ring. The magazine retaining spring was also added at this time.

One of the Type 14's many shortcomings is its magazine design, which makes it difficult to remove the gun from the rack once it gets dirty or wet. This flaw resulted in the deaths of many Japanese officers in various jungle battles of World War II.

As many as 320,000 Nambu 14 pistols may have been manufactured. It was widely used by the Japanese military, making it a popular "trophy" for Allied personnel, just as the German Ruger was coveted in Europe.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes