View source for Nambu pistol

{{Infobox weapon
| name               = Type 14 Nambu
| image              = Nambu pistol-IMG 6531-white.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = Nambu Pistol Model 14
| origin             = [[Empire of Japan]]
| type               = [[Semi-automatic pistol]]
<!-- Type selection -->| is_ranged          = yes
| is_UK              = <!-- Service history -->
| service            = 1904–1945
| used_by            = ''See [[#Users|users]]''
| wars               = [[Russo-Japanese War]] <br> [[World War I]] <br>[[Pacific War]] <br>[[Second Sino-Japanese War]] <br>[[Indonesian National Revolution]] <br>[[Chinese Civil War]] <br>[[Hukbalahap Rebellion]] <br>[[Korean War]] <br>[[First Indochina War]] <br>[[Vietnam War]] (limited)
<!-- Production history -->| designer           = [[Kijiro Nambu]]
| design_date        = 1902
| manufacturer       = 
| production_date    = 1906–1945
| number             = 10,300 (Type A, all variants) <br>approx. 400,000 (Type 14)
| variants           = Type A, Type B, Type 14
<!-- General specifications -->| weight             = 900 g (1.98 lb) unloaded<!--720 g-->
| length             = 230 mm (9.06 in)
| part_length        = 117 mm (4.61 inches)
| width              = 
| height             = 
| crew               = <!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
| cartridge          = [[8×22mm Nambu]]
| action             = Recoil-spring
| rate               = 
| velocity           = {{convert|290|m/s|ft/s}}
| range              = {{convert|50|m|yd}}
| max_range          = 
| feed               = 8-round [[box magazine]]
| sights             = 
}}

{{nihongo|The '''Nambu pistols'''|南部拳銃 {{lang|en|or}} 南部大型自動拳銃|Nanbu kenjū/Nanbu ōgata jidou-kenjuu}} are a Japanese series of [[semi-automatic pistols]] produced by the [[Koishikawa Arsenal]], later known as the [[Koishikawa Arsenal|Tokyo Artillery Arsenal]].<ref name="pow">Hogg, Ian, ''Pistols of the World 4th Edition'' (2004) p. 191.</ref> The series has three variants, the Type A, the Type B (also known as the Baby Nambu), and the Type 14 (十四年式拳銃, ''Jūyon nen shiki kenjū''). The Nambu pistols were designed to replace Japan's earlier [[service pistol]], the [[Type 26 revolver]].

The [[pistols]] were designed by [[Kijirō Nambu]] and saw extensive service in the [[Empire of Japan]] during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] and the [[Pacific War]]. The most common variant, the Type 14, was used mostly by [[Officer (armed forces)|officers]], who had to pay for their pistols themselves.

==History==
Prior to the design of the Nambu, the only pistol in Japanese service was the [[Type 26 revolver]], which served with distinction during the [[First Sino-Japanese War|First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895)]]. However, in the 1890s, [[semi-automatic pistol]] designs began to emerge. Among them was the [[Mauser C96]], which was influential in the production of the Nambu, as it uses the same [[Lock (firearm)|locking mechanism]] as the C96.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Barker|first=A. J.|title=Japanese Army Handbook|publisher=Ian Allan Publishing|year=1979|pages=39}}</ref> The Nambu was designed shortly after a Japanese commission reported on European military developments.

The first Nambu, the Type A, was completed in 1902. This version was never adopted, but some were sold to [[Qing dynasty|China]] and [[Siam]]. The Type B was adopted by the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] and [[Royal Thai Army]] during the 1920s and the later Type 14 was adopted in 1926 ([[Taishō]] 14) as the [[service pistol]] of the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] until its surrender in 1945.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ramsey|first=Syed|title=Tools of War: History of Weapons in Early Modern Times}}</ref> Nambu pistols were symbols of prestige, often carried in fanciful [[Handgun holster|holsters]], and were used more as a means of ornament and status rather than for fighting.<ref name=":1" /> Japan produced about 400,000 Nambu pistols over the course of the war and the United States made over a million [[M1911 pistol]]s.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Thompson|first=Leroy|title=The Colt 1911 Pistol|publisher=Osprey Publishing|year=2011|pages=41}}</ref> 

Alongside other Japanese weapons, such as ''[[guntō]]s'' and [[Arisaka]] rifles, many American servicemen took Nambu pistols home with them as [[War trophy|war trophies]]. Production of Nambu pistols ceased after the end of the war and Nambu pistols were replaced by M1911A1s provided by the US to the [[Japan Self-Defense Forces]] and police.<ref name="1911 replacement">{{cite web |title=Premiera karabinka typ 20 |date=17 May 2020 |url=https://milmag.pl/premiera-karabinka-typ-20/ |publisher=MilMag |access-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228192836/https://milmag.pl/premiera-karabinka-typ-20/ |archive-date=28 February 2022}}</ref> According to Walter, up to 1,000 Type 14s remained in use with the [[Japan Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] until the production of 8&nbsp;mm Nambu ammunition ceased in the 1960s. These pistols were then replaced with Japanese-made revolvers.{{sfnp|Walter|2023|p=77}}

==Design==
[[File:Nambu 8x22mm.jpg|thumb|[[8×22mm Nambu]] ammunition]]
The Nambu pistol is a [[Recoil operation|recoil operated]], locked breech, [[semi-automatic pistol]]. The Type A and 14 Nambus have magazine capacities of eight rounds, whereas the Type B has seven.<ref name="jsp" /> A common flaw in the series was that the gun's [[Safety (firearms)|safety catch]] and its [[magazine release]] did not enable the magazine to slide out of the gun once it was empty, forcing the operator to work against the weight of the [[recoil spring]] and [[leaf spring]], making reloading difficult.<ref>[http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=2793 Campbell, Bob: "Firing the Nambu Type 14, Japan's Service Pistol". Small Arms Review] (retrieved January 5, 2020)</ref> The magazine catch was removed from the Type 14. Another issue with the safety was that it is located just above the [[trigger guard]], meaning that it can not be activated with the same hand that is holding the pistol.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Henrotin|first=Gerard|title=The Nambu Type 14 pistol Explained|publisher=HL Publishing|year=2010|pages=8}}</ref>

The grip on the Nambu is slanted, which makes feeding the [[Magazine (firearms)|magazine]] a delicate procedure. The magazine spring is only about 60% effective, and the bullets moving against the walls of the magazine cause frictional loss, weakening the spring further. Furthermore, the size of the bullets has to be exact; [[Soft-point bullet|soft point]] and cast lead bullets fail to chamber properly.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Henrotin|first=Gerard|title=The Nambu Type 14 Pistol Explained|publisher=HL Publishing|year=2010|pages=9}}</ref>

The Nambu pistol uses the [[8×22mm Nambu]] cartridge, which made it substantially weaker than other handguns. The 8&nbsp;mm round's muzzle energy is less than half that of the [[9×19mm Parabellum]] (used in the [[Walther P38]]), and the [[7.62×25mm Tokarev]] (used in the [[TT-33]]).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Rottman|first=Gordon|title=The Big Book of Gun Trivia: Everything you want to know, don't want to know, and don't know you need to know|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|year=2013}}</ref> 

===Type A===
[[Image:Type A Model 1902 Grandpa Nambu.jpg|left|thumb|Original "Grandpa" Type A]]

The first type of Nambu that was produced was the Type A. Type A Nambus produced from 1903-1906 have differences from those produced after 1906, and, among collectors, the original Nambus are commonly referred to as "Grandpa" Nambus.<ref name="jsp">Skennerton, Ian, ''Japanese Service Pistols Handbook'' (2008) p. 8</ref> The "Grandpa" Type A was produced until around serial number 2,400.<ref name="jsp"/> Production of the Type A Nambu ceased as of 1923, as the Type 14 was both cheaper and more effective.<ref name="pow2">Hogg, Ian, ''Pistols of the World 4th Edition'' (2004) p. 232.</ref> The Nambu Type A somewhat resembles the [[Luger pistol]] in appearance, but this is superficial. The Type A had a provision that allowed for the installation of a [[Stock (firearms)|stock]], as seen on the [[Mauser C96]]. The stocks could be used as holsters as they were designed to fit a Type A inside of them. These were hand fitted, so interchangeability is limited. The stocks were serialized to the pistol.

A later version of the Type A Nambu, the Type A modified, also known as the "Papa" Nambu, was produced until around serial number 7,000.<ref name="jsp9">Skennerton, Ian, ''Japanese Service Pistols Handbook'' (2008) p. 9.</ref> The trigger guard of the "Grandpa" Nambu was enlarged in later models.<ref name="pow2"/> Some "Papa" Nambu had stock attachment slots, with four known.

===Type B===
{{Infobox weapon
|name=Type B Nambu
|image=
|caption=
|origin=Empire of Japan
|type=[[Semi-automatic pistol]]
|is_ranged=yes
|is_bladed=
|is_explosive=
|is_artillery=
|is_vehicle=
|service=
|used_by=[[Imperial Japanese Army]]
|wars=[[Second Sino-Japanese War]], <br> [[World War II]]
|designer=Kijiro Nambu
|design_date=1909<ref name="pow"/>
|manufacturer= Koishikawa Arsenal
|production_date=1909 to c1929<ref name="pow2"/>
|number= around 6,000<ref name="msa"/>
|weight=650 g (23 oz) Unloaded
|length=171 mm (6.75 in)
|part_length=83 mm (3.25 in)
|crew=
|cartridge=[[7×20mm Nambu]]
|caliber=
|action=[[Recoil operation#Short recoil operation|Short recoil]], locked breech
|rate=
|velocity=290 m/s (950 ft/s)
|range=
|max_range=
|feed=7-round detachable box [[Magazine (firearm)|magazine]]
|sights=Open notch rear<ref name="pow"/>
}}
Due to failings with the Type A Nambu, an improvement, the Type B, was devised.<ref name="msa">Hogg, Ian, ''Military Small Arms of the 20th Century 7th Edition'' (2000) p. 67.</ref> Both the pistol itself, and the round it fired, are smaller than the other Nambu pistols, leading to the name "Baby" Nambu.<ref name="phi245">Kinard, Jeff. ''Pistols: an illustrated history of their impact'', p. 245, ABC-CLIO, Inc. 2003.</ref> Type B Nambus were produced at the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal.<ref name="jsp11">Skennerton, Ian, ''Japanese Service Pistols Handbook'' (2008) p. 11.</ref> The first 450 models have the bottom part of the magazine made of wood, and only one diameter firing pin, but later Type Bs have the magazine made from aluminium, and incorporate a multiple diameter firing pin.<ref name="pow"/> The Type B Nambu was never adopted officially by any Japanese armed forces.<ref name="jsp12">Skennerton, Ian, ''Japanese Service Pistols Handbook'' (2008) p. 12.</ref> As was customary in the Imperial Japanese Army, officers paid for pistols with their own salaries, but the Type B Nambu was unable to achieve market success as it was twice the price of a comparable imported pistol, such as the [[FN M1900]].<ref name="pow2"/> A Type B Nambu sold for 180 yen,<ref name="jsp13">Skennerton, Ian, ''Japanese Service Pistols Handbook'' (2008) p. 13</ref> making it cost roughly the same as a [[captain]]'s entire monthly salary.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book|title=US Army Field Manual 30-480: Handbook on Japanese Military Forces|year=1944|pages=8}}</ref> After the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake]], [[Koishikawa Arsenal]] stopped producing new parts for Type B Nambus, but continued to assemble ones with existing parts until 1929.<ref name="pow"/>

===Type 14===
[[Image:Nambu2470.jpg|thumb|left|Type 14]]
[[File:Nambu Type 14, Series 1Pistol and Holster (TMFM).jpg|thumb|Nambu Type 14, Series 1, original pistol and holster, exhibited in the [[Texas Military Forces Museum]]]]

The Type 14 Nambu gets its name from the year it was produced - the 14th year of the [[Taishō]] era, or 1926. It was designed to help lower the manufacturing cost of the Nambus, and like the Type A, fires the 8×22mm Nambu.<ref name="msa2">Hogg, Ian, ''Military Small Arms of the 20th Century 7th Edition'' (2000) p. 66</ref> From 1927, it was a standard issue sidearm for [[Officer (armed forces)|officers]]<ref name="msa2"/> and was being sold for 78 yen by 1939.<ref>{{cite web|title=兵器臨時定価、予価、表送付の件 Military catalogue of the Japanese military|url=https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/listPhoto?LANG=default&BID=F2006083120452299318&ID=M2006083120453599356&REFCODE=C01004699100|date=August 1939|website=National Archives of Japan}}</ref> It is believed that around 400,000 Type 14 Nambus were produced,<ref name="phi245"/> but the exact number is unknown, as Japanese soldiers considered their weapons property of [[Hirohito|the emperor]], and many chose to destroy their pistols or throw them into the ocean to avoid them falling into enemy hands.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Eger|first=Chris|title=JAPANESE NAMBU TYPE 14 PISTOL: STILL SEEN IN THE MOST CURIOUS PLACES|url=https://www.guns.com/news/2019/12/11/japanese-nambu-type-14-pistol-still-seen-in-the-most-curious-places|website=Guns.com}}</ref> 

Later production models have a larger trigger guard, following complaints by soldiers stationed in [[Manchukuo]] that it was difficult to fire the trigger while wearing gloves. Some of these models also have a [[Knurling|knurled]] steel cocking knob instead of the standard "slotted" cocking knob.<ref name="phi245"/> After 1940, an auxiliary magazine spring was added to assist in reloading.<ref name="jsp22">Skennerton, Ian, ''Japanese Service Pistols Handbook'' (2008) p. 22.</ref> A redesigned cocking knob was implemented in 1944 to simplify production.<ref name="phi245"/> The Type 14 also lacks the grip safety used on the previous models.<ref name="phi245"/>

Pre-1937 Type 14s are well made, with a noticeable decline in quality after the war's beginning, to meet wartime production demands.<ref name="phi246">Kinard, Jeff. ''Pistols: an illustrated history of their impact'', p. 246, ABC-CLIO, Inc. 2003.</ref> However, later Type 14s remained mostly functional despite the decreased quality.<ref name="phi246"/> The holsters for the pistols also had to be changed to accommodate wartime. A lack of available [[raw material]]s resulted in a move from holsters made of leather to rubberized canvas.<ref name="jsp30">Skennerton, Ian, ''Japanese Service Pistols Handbook'' (2008) p. 30.</ref>

==Users==
<!--READ FIRST: This section is for cited entries only. Please do not add entries into this list without a citation from a reliable source. All entries without a citation will be removed. Thank you.-->

* {{flag|Empire of Japan}}<ref name="bbg"/>
** {{flag|Japan}}: Formerly used by the [[Japan Coast Guard]] when it was created as the Maritime Safety Agency; the Nambu was dropped when ammunition production ceased in the 1960s.{{sfnp|Walter|2023|p=77}}
* {{flag|Indonesia}}<ref name="bbg">McNab, Chris, ''The Great Book of Guns'' (2004) p. 124</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Control of local conflict : a design study on arms control and limited war in the developing areas|volume=3|last1=Bloomfield|first1= Lincoln P.|last2=Leiss|first2=Amelia Catherine<!--|last3=Legere|first3= Laurence J.|last4= Barringer|first4= Richard E.|last5=Fisher|first5= R. Lucas|last6= Hoagland|first6= John H.|last7=Fraser|first7= Janet|last8=Ramers|first8=Robert K-->|publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for International Studies|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA324492.pdf#page=96|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804022404/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA324492.pdf#page=96|url-status=live|archive-date=August 4, 2020|date=30 June 1967|hdl=2027/uiug.30112064404368|page=91}}</ref>
* {{flag|North Korea}}<ref>{{cite book|title=History of the Gun in 500 Photographs|publisher=Time-Life Books|year=2016|isbn=978-1618933652|page=162}}</ref>
* {{flag|Philippines|1936}}<ref name="bbg"/>
*{{flag|Republic of China (1912-1949)|name=Republic of China}}: Used by warlord [[Zhang Zuolin]]'s army and the [[National Revolutionary Army]].<ref>Chinese Warlord Armies 1911-30 by Philip Jowett, page 21.</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Philip Jowett|title=The Chinese Army 1937–49: World War II and Civil War|publisher=Osprey Publishing|year=2005|isbn=978-1841769042|page=47}}</ref>
* {{flag|Thailand}}<ref name="bbg"/>
* {{flag|Vietnam}}: Used by [[Viet Minh]] soldiers in the [[First Indochina War]] and later used by the [[Viet Cong]] during the [[Vietnam War]].<ref name="bbg"/> Most retrofitted to fire [[7.62×25mm Tokarev]] ammo by using barrels taken from [[7.65×21mm Parabellum]] Lugers.{{sfnp|Walter|2023|p=73}}

==Legacy==

[[File:Ruger MK IV.jpg|thumb|A Mark IV model of the [[Ruger Standard]] pistol]]
In 1949, [[William B. Ruger]] took design elements of the Nambu in his own design, which became the [[Ruger Standard]]. This was the first weapon designed by [[Sturm, Ruger & Co.]] The Ruger Standard would become the most successful [[.22LR]] pistol ever produced,<ref name="gb">Quinn, Boge. [http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger_50th.htm "Ruger 50th Anniversary .22"] Gunblast Web site. Accessed January 8, 2009.</ref><ref name="dm">Metcalf, Dick. [http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/l/aast50rugersa.htm "50 years of Ruger Auto Pistols"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023109/http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/l/aast50rugersa.htm |date=2016-03-04 }} About.com Web site. Accessed January 13, 2009.</ref> and as of 2016, Ruger's company produced more firearms than any other American company, and was worth over $600 million.<ref>{{cite web|last=Duprey|first=Rich|title=Can You Guess the Biggest Gunmaker in the U.S.?|url=https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/03/04/can-you-guess-the-biggest-gunmaker-in-the-us.aspx|access-date=12 July 2018|website=Fool.com|date=4 March 2017 }}</ref>

Because of their rarity and historical significance, Nambu pistols became sought after by gun collectors, with models selling anywhere from $800<ref>{{Cite web|title=Japanese Nambu Type 14 8mm Semi-Automatic Pistol|url=https://vogtauction.com/auctions/firearms-ammo-online-auction/item/japanese-nambu-type-14-8mm-semi-automatic-pistol|website=Vogt Auction}}</ref> to $1,500.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nagoya Type 14 Pistol 8 mm Nambu|url=https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/59/3536/nagoya-type-14-pistol-8-mm-nambu|website=Rock Island Auction}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book|last=Hogg|first=Ian|author2=Weeks, John|title=Military Small Arms of the 20th Century|edition=7th|publisher=[[Krause Publications]]|year=2000|isbn=0-87341-824-7}}
* {{Cite book|last=Hogg|first=Ian|author2=Walter, John|title=Pistols of the World|edition=4th|publisher=Krause Publications|year=2004|isbn=0-87349-460-1}}
* {{Cite book|last=Kinard|first=Jeff|title=Pistols: an illustrated history of their impact|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2003|isbn=1-85109-470-9}}
* {{Cite book|last=McNab|first=Chris|title=The Great Book of Guns|publisher=Thunder Bay Press|year=2004|isbn=1-59223-304-X}}
* {{Cite book|last=Skennerton|first=Ian|title=Japanese Service Pistols|publisher=Arms and Military Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-949749-88-8}}
* {{Cite book|last=Walter|first=John|title=Nambu Pistols:Japanese military handguns 1900–45|publisher=Osprey Publishing|location=, New York, NY |year=2023|isbn=9781472855428}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Nambu Pistol}}
*[http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg114-e.htm Modern Firearms page]

{{Japanese WWII infantry weapons}}
[[Category:8×22mm Nambu semi-automatic pistols]]
[[Category:Semi-automatic pistols of Japan]]
[[Category:World War I Japanese infantry weapons]]
[[Category:World War II infantry weapons of Japan]]
[[Category:Semi-automatic pistols 1901–1909]]
[[Category:Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1906]]