Japanese Weapons, Samurai swords,pistols, rifles, machine guns

Type 14 (Nambu) Revolver

Length	23 cm
Weight	1 kg
Calibre	8 mm
Magazine	8 rounds
Muzzle Velocity	290 metres per second

The Type 14 can probably be considered the 'standard' Japanese sidearm, though in fact a great many pistols were in use. Its chief rival was the Type 94, a weapon generally regarded as being the worst of its class in service during the war. The Type 14 carried the Nambu title over from its predecessor, of 1909 vintage. The same 8 mm round was used by both models, and while the Type 14 was more reliable neither weapon was of much use in the field. As Japanese Officers preferred the Samurai style sword, even those flying in aircraft or cramped in tanks, it was probably of little import to the user.

Bullets as used with the Arisaka rifle. Brass cartridge case with a brass clip. It held 5 bullets of calibre 6.5 x 50 mm. Fairly good stopping power.

Type 38th Year Rifle

(Arisaka)& Bayonet

One of the Arisaka series rifles. They all bore the same general appearance whether chambered for the original 6.5 mm round or later 7.7 mm version

Length	127 cm
Weight	4.2 kg
Calibre	6.5 mm
Magazine	5 rounds
Muzzle Velocity	730 metres per second

The Arisaka was named after the Colonel who oversaw its adoption in 1897. The 38th Year designation referred to the uniquely Imperial Japanese practice of basing a calendar on the length of time a particular Emperor had ruled. When the original model was amended in 1905, the Emperor Meiji had been on the throne for thirty eight years.

The Arisaka was a reliable and popular weapon in the East, its low recoil 6.5 mm round being appreciated for its ease of handling. It was, however, also its greatest weakness. The 6.5 mm round was known to be less effective than the 7.62 mm or higher rounds used elsewhere, especially by Japan's foes. A revised model, the Type 99 was produced in 1939. It fired the 7.7 mm round used in the Japanese heavy machine gun. It supplemented the earlier version in service, but production was too limited to replace it. Its statistics were roughly similar to the Type 38 given above.

Both models came in a shortened carbine form, the Type 38 at around 87 cm in length and 3.3 kg in weight, while the Type 99 was 112 cm and 3.9 kg. Ammunition was carried in two pouches, each holding a half dozen five rounds clips for a total of sixty rounds for the average soldier.

Type 97 Hand Grenade

This was the standard grenade for the Japanese armed forces. Construction consisted of grooved iron casing. The top unscrewed to expose the firing mechanism and explosive charge.

The Type 99, light machine gun, the final entry in the series. It is identical in appearance to the Type 96, but fired the larger 7.7 mm round. Better photo

Length	105cm
Weight	9 kg
Calibre	6.5 mm
Magazine	30 round box
Muzzle Velocity	730 metres per second
Rate of Fire	550 rpm

The Type 96 was preceded in service by the Type 11 which was responsible for a great many of the problems in the Type 96.The Type 11 used the five round rifle clip as the basis for its feed system. Six clips were placed on a side mounted 'hopper' and fed into the chamber minus the metal strip. This approach was supposed the make the weapon easier to maintain by its attendant rifleman, but it caused no end of problems. Chief among these was the need to oil each round against the effects of dust and dirt from the exposed mechanism. In fact, the debris simply mixed with the oil to create an even worse gunge. This flaw was only eliminated by using an even less powerful 6.5 mm round, which negated the envisioned co-operation with the rifleman who used the standard munitions.

The Type 96 appeared in 1936. It abandoned the hopper for a straightforward thirty round box magazine and introduced a barrel change. However, it retained the low powered 6.5 mm round and the oiling mechanism, but this latter device was at least improved upon. It overtook but never replaced the Type 11 in service.

As with the Arisaka Bolt Action Rifles a revised version of the Type 96 appeared to fire the 7.7 mm round. The Type 99 needed no lubrication device and was statistically similar to the Type 96, though probably a little heavier. All these weapons could fit the standard infantry bayonet for 'close assault' use.

No enlargement available.

Type 92 and Type 99 Heavy machine gun. More photos

Length	120 cm
Weight	29 kg (gun) 27 kg (tripod)
Calibre	7.7 mm
Feed	30 round metal strip
Muzzle Velocity	730 metres per second
Rate of Fire	500 rpm

This image is actually the later Type 99. The two were mostly similar, except for the grip which was a pistol version on the Type 92. The cooling fins were also more pronounced around the barrel.

The Type 92 was a modified version of the Taisho 14, itself a version of the (French) Hotchkiss machine gun of World War One fame.

The Type 92 was re-barrelled to accommodate the heavier 7.7 mm round and added a flash hider. It retained the unusual feed system, which substituted the more common belt for a metal strip. Each strip held thirty rounds and was fed independently into the gun. This must have reduced the rate of sustained fire possible, but as the gun had no facility to change an overheated barrel perhaps it was no great disadvantage. The tripod mount had a hole at the base of each leg. This was to enable poles to be fitted to allow the whole mass to be picked up and carried by three or four men without need for disassembly.