The Japanese 8mm Nambu Type 14 semiautomatic pistol was designed by General Kijirō Nambu as a replacement for the Type 26 service revolver. The pistol was adopted into the Imperial Japanese Army in 1925 (M 1925) and widely used by her officers during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War.
Nambu pistols were seen as symbols of prestige, often carried in richly crafted holsters by their owners. Many Allied servicemen took Nambu pistols home with them as war trophies.
Design
The Type 14 semiautomatic pistol is a further development of the Type B (Model 1909) by K. Nambu. The gun gets a rigid sight and the safety handle is no longer used. Due to operational experience in Manchuria, the trigger guard was enlarged in 1939 so that the pistol could also be operated while wearing winter gloves.
Total production of the Type 14 is estimated to approximately 280,000 copies.
Specifications
The Nambu Type 14 pistol (M 1925) displayed on the pictures of this article has the following specifications:
- Manufacturer
Nagoya Arsenal, Torimatsu Factory, Japan - Year of manufacture
1945 - Propulsion
Direct gas pressure, short barrel recoil, rigid locking using support lever lock - Caliber
8 mm, 6 grooves, right-hand twist - Barrel length
116 mm - Initial Velocity (Vo)
320 m/s - Firing pin
Biased - Safety
Swing lever - Ammunition feed
From below from bar magazine - Magazine capacity
8 cartridges - Standard ammunition
8x21mm Nambu - Weapon length
229mm - Weapon width
33mm - Weapon height
150mm - Dimensions
920 g (without magazine)
