Nambu World:
Teri’s WWII Japanese Handgun Website
This website has pictures and
information regarding Japanese handguns used in World War II. Here is a
representative sampling of my collection. Top
row: Type 26 revolver, Papa Nambu, Baby Nambu. Bottom row:
small and large trigger guard Type 14 pistols and a late wooden slab-grip Type
94. Nambu World aims to be your one-stop source on
Japanese handguns; if it isn’t here, there is probably a link to it. Nambu World is also gradually becoming a virtual museum of
pre-1945 Japanese military artifacts of all kinds, from firearms to medals and
flags. My dream is to establish the “
**To see Japanese
handguns and related material, please stay on this page and just scroll down.
**To see Japanese weapons other than handguns (everything from rifles and machine guns to edged weapons), please click here: Other Japanese Weapons
**To see other non-weapon Japanese militaria
(everything from medals and flags to documents), please click here: Other Japanese Militaria.
What’s New
Just added:
(April 27, 2012): After a hiatus of over two years, I am back at it. I have just added a page to the flare gun section on the early Kayaba double barrel, double exposed hammer flare gun.
(March 14, 2010): My job has kept me too busy to add anything for quite a while, but I just had to make time to get this acquisition posted: an untra-rare Type 10 flare gun with safety,
one of only five known to have survived from estimated production of about 150. See “Japanese Flare Guns” in the “Photo Galleries” section below.
(September 3, 2009): There is now a new page on the Type 97 sniper rifle (see above under “Other Japanese Weapons” and then click on “Arisaka and Other Japanese Rifles”.)
(August 8, 2009): I have just substantially updated and expanded the section on Type 94
accessories (see link below under Accessories). The section now includes
cowhide, leather and canvas original holsters as
well as a faked and a reproduction
canvas holster, an original and a reproduction manual, and other accessories
(magazines, cleaning rods, etc.).
(July 26, 2009): I have just added a section on the Type 2 Paratroop Rifle (see “Other Japanese Weapons” above and then go to “Arisaka Rifles” and scroll down). I have also started a section on Marksmanship
Related Items under “Other Japanese Militaria”. So far it only has a page on Student Marksmanship Badges and the bare bones of a still-under-construction” page on Army Marksmanship medals, but eventually
this will have a lot of material on marksmanship badges, records, certificates, awards, etc.
(May 18, 2009): I have added photos of an original 8mm Murata cartridge box to the sectionon the Type 22 rifle that used this ammo. I have also added a section on the Murata shotgun, a civilian arm which is often confused with the Murata rifles. Please see the section on Murata rifles under “Other Japanese Weapons” above.
(April 16, 2009): The latest addition is a page showing my display of Murata rifles at Canada’s largest gun show. Please see the “My Gun Show Displays” section below.
(February 28, 2009): I have added a huge new section that covers the early Japanese Murata rifles as well as their bayonets and ammunintion. Please see “Other Japanese Weapons” link above.
There will be lots more updates coming as soon as I can find the time. To find out what is in the pipeline, check here: comingsoon.htm
(to accommodate growth, some parts of this site now appear with nambuworld, nambuworld2, ursacki or stevebryant instead of tju in the URL)
Researching,
Valuing and Selling Your Japanese Handgun
If you are looking for how to research a Japanese handgun you have just inherited, purchased or been given, this is the place to start to find out such things as what model you have, where and when it was made, how much it is worth, how to sell it, etc. Please click here: Nambu World: Researching Your Japanese Handgun
About Me:
I
am a 50 year-old
university professor whose work relates to Japan. I have long had an interest
in
My Gun Show Displays
In April, 2009 I won an award for my display of Murata rifles at the AACCA’s Easter Gun Show. To see my display, please click here: Nambu World: Easter 2009 Murata Rifle Display
In April, 2007 I won Best in Show-Militaria at the AACCA’s Easter gun show. To see the display, please click here: Nambu World: 2007 Calgary AACCA Display.
In February, 2007 I won the People’s Choice Award for most
popular display at the Canadian Historical Arms Society gun show in
In August, 2006 I won Best of Show at the annual national convention and show of the Military Collectors Club of Canada. To see my display of Japanese militaria, please click here: MCC 2006 Display
In April, 2006 I won Best in Show at both the
In February & May, 2005 I won Best in Show at both the
The first public display of my collection
in 2004 won an award at the
I try to do one or two new shows every year, but the one I always try to display at is put on by the Alberta Arms and Cartridge Collectors’ Association on Easter weekend each year. For details about this show and other AACCA activities, please see: Calgary Gun Show
To see my first cartridge show display, please click here: 2006 Cartridge Show Display. To see my most recent cartridge show display, please click here: Nambu World: Cartridge Show 2007
To see the small display I worked up for one-day shows when I have minimal time for set-up, please click here: Nambu World: One Day Show Display Oct 2007
To see the display I created to accompany my lecture at Calgary’s military museum, please click here: Nambu World: Museum Lecture Display January 2008
About Japanese Handgun History:
Don’t know Nambu from bamboo? Who is this guy in the photo? Hopefully this very brief history will give you enough background to make sense of it all.
Click here: briefhistory.htm
As noted above, there are lots of sites with more history—see below for links to some, or better yet, consult one of the books listed below, especially the Derby & Brown and Honeycutt ones).
Photo Galleries:
Type 26 revolver photos: t26gallery.htm
Grandpa Nambu photos: grandpagallery.htm
Papa Nambu photos: Papa Gallery
Baby Nambu photos: babygallery.htm
Type 14 photos: t14gallery.htm
Type 94 photos: t94gallery.htm
Foreign Private Purchase Pistols: Foreign Handgun Photo Gallery
Japanese
Flare Guns: Nambu World: Japanese Flare Guns
Accessories (Including Holsters):
Collectors do not live by guns alone. They need accessories, too! For info on accessories, click on these hot links:
Type 26 Revolver: t26accessories.htm
Papa Nambu: papaaccessories.htm
Baby Nambu: babyaccessories.htm
Type 14: t14accessories.htm
Type 94: t94accessories.htm
Bring-Back Documents: bringbackdocs.htm
Japanese Handgun Markings:
A common question is: what do the markings on my Type 14 pistol mean? This section will answer this question for over 99% of Type 14s.
Please click here: Nambu World: A Brief Overview of Type 14 Markings
How Many Japanese Handguns Did They Make?
Production figures for Japanese handguns are amazingly low. By special arrangement with Mr. Dan Larkin, this site now presents the most detailed and up to date data available on Japanese handgun production based on reports of surviving speciments. For details, please click here: productionfigures.htm
Japanese Handgun Ammunition:
The single question that seems to come up most often is: where can I get 8mm Nambu ammunition? To find out where you can get it and other Japanese calibers and how to reload them, as well as to learn about these cartridges, click here: Ammunition & Reloading
WWII Japanese Handgun Manuals:
The Japanese published manuals for their handguns, but they are now much rarer than the guns themselves. So far I have obtained reprints of a Type 14 and Type 94 manuals, and an original Type 14 manual. I have translated the T14 manual and will be publishing it as soon as I get it polished up a bit. I also have an original Japanese manual on shooting techniques that I will post here.
To check out the Type 14 manual, click: t14manual.htm
To check out the Type 94 manual, click: t94manual.htm
Shooting techniques manual: (to come)
WWII Allied Manuals on Japanese Handguns:
Several manuals printed by the Allies to teach their forces about the Japanese had sections on Japanese handguns. I have four such original WWII manuals and have posted the extracts so you can see what the Allies knew about Japanese handguns during the War.
To view these and a WWII US Army poster on Japanese Infantry Weapons, please click here: Allied WWII Manual Extracts on Japanese Handguns
Books on
Japanese Handguns:
The new Derby & Brown book Japanese Military Cartridge Handguns, 1893-1945, updating the
For a review, info on how to get it, and an evaluation of the other books on the topic and where to get them, please click here: Books on Japanese Handguns
Periodicals Covering Japanese Handguns:
There is a newsletter devoted to collecting Japanese guns and militaria called BANZAI. I subscribe. Although the production is a little rough, the content is excellent and it seems a good way to network into the circles of those in the know (a valuable thing in itself). Their website reproduces several past articles of interest and has other neat stuff on Japanese guns. Check it out at:
Articles on Japanese Handguns:
I have now found quite a few articles in various publications such as American Rifleman, Guns & Ammo and Shooting Times regarding Japanese handguns. I am compiling a list of these with full bibliographic citations. If I have missed any, please let me know. Better yet, e-mail me (see below) for my postal address and send me a copy. I will gladly reimburse mailing and photocopy costs.
Click here to go to the list: somearticles.htm
Videos Covering Japanese Handguns:
So
far I have only found one. It is a documentary called “Japanese Guns of WWII”. I
saw it on the History Channel International while in Dallas-Fort Worth in
August, 2003. It took two months to arrive, but it was worth waiting. It is
rather padded with general WWII footage and has a few errors (e.g. it gives the
Type 14’s mag capacity as seven rounds). It also
covers only the basics (e.g. the only handguns covered are the Type 14 and Type
94 pistols), but is still enjoyable. It shows close-up footage of many Japanese
guns being fired, both archival WWII material and fresh footage of a guy from
the
please click here: video.htm
Bulletin Boards:
Want to find others “suffering” from Nambu-mania? Try one of these bulletin boards:
Gunboards Public Message Forums - Firearms Of The Rising Sun
Castle-Thunder.com Japanese Militaria :: Index
The Japanese & East Asian Firearms Forum
Parts for Japanese Handguns:
Old guns get tired and need help. Where can you get it? Click here: parts.htm
It seems there are a lot of counterfeit Type 14 grips about being passed off as original. Here is a little study of what I have seen: t14grips.htm
Japanese Handguns and Canada’s Gun Laws
If
you are not Canadian you may be wondering why I keep talking about guns I have
bought but don’t yet have in my possession. Click here to find out about the
complications of handgun ownership in
Here is an article on what Canada's firearms registry reveals about the number
of Japanese guns in Canada: Nambu
World: Japanese Military Firearms in Canada.
Buying Japanese Handguns:
How can you tell if the gun you are looking at has been refinished or faked in some way? This section has tips—some general to buying any old gun, and some specific to these ones. Click here: buying.htm
My Experiences Shooting Japanese Handguns:
For reports on what it’s like to shoot these things, please click here: shooting.htm
Be
sure your gun is in safe condition
before shooting it!
Disassembling Japanese Handguns:
Many of these guns have been damaged by people trying to get them apart without knowing how. Others have never tried to do so for fear of damaging them. However, instructions with step-by-step photos are readily available in standard reference books. You probably already have these books or know someone who does. Please click here to find out: disassembling.htm
Photos and Information on Japanese Handguns:
For a selection of links to other sites with photos and information on Japanese handguns, please click here: photoinfolinks.htm
Japanese Handguns in the
Movies & Trivia
Did you know James Bond uses a Japanese handgun in one of his movies? What model is it, where does he get it, and what does he do with it? For the answers to these and other trivia questions, please click here: movies.htm
Identification of Japanese Handgun Variants:
As soon as I get a chance I will post here a summary of the dates when different variations were introduced (e.g. large trigger guard, mag retention spring, different grip styles, etc.). There was often overlap but I will just put the basic dates here.
Vocabulary for Japanese Handguns:
This section will have a brief Japanese-English glossary of gun-related terms with the kanji (characters), pronunciation and English translation (to come)
Teri’s Travels:
I have posted here some accounts of my travels that are directly related to Japanese military history and militaria.
To read about my February, 2006 tour of the battlefields and
caves of
To read about Japanese military museums, please click here: Nambu World: Military Museums in Japan
My Wish List:
To find out what things I am looking to add to my collection, please click here: wishlist.htm
E-mail me:
(PLEASE NOTE: I CAN NO LONGER ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT VALUES/PRICES. Please don’t ask. There is a section at the top of the page on “Researching Your Japanese Handgun” and also lots of detailed photos with explanations in the gallery section if you are looking to identify where and when your gun was made)
Counter:
(to come)
The contents of this website are copyright Teri, 2003, 2004, 2005,
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 unless otherwise indicated, and may not be
reproduced without her prior written consent.
Created May 25, 2003. Last
updated July 30, 2012.