Recent Recap

Since the last recap we’ve covered some very interesting firearms ranging from the experimental T12 light machine gun from the 1930s to the massively over engineered Waffenfabrik Bern MP41/44 submachine gun. We’ve also covered a number of guns in the ‘In Action’ series including the Australian F88 and the Japanese Type 14 pistol. 

This week also saw a post on the life of Annie Oakley in honour of International Womans Day. There were also several more entries to the series looking at French service pistols. And some interesting charger loading systems for the Krag rifle. 

Thanks again for following, reading and supporting HF.  If you enjoy the content please consider supporting Historical Firearms through Patreon! You can also help spread the word about HF and the content I cover by sharing links with friends and sharing on social media, don’t forget you can also follow HF on facebook. As always if you have any questions, suggestions feel free to send me a message here.

Thanks guys, ~Matt

In Action: Nambu Type 14

Modèle 1935S

Annie Oakley

T12 Light Machine Gun

March HF Patreon Wallpaper - Modele 1935A

In Action: Australian F88

Parkhurst Clip-Loading Device

Robert W. Scott’s Krag Clip Loading System

Modèle 1950

Waffenfabrik Bern MP41/44

C&Rsenal Tackle the Lee-Enfield

In Action MP38/MP40

For more content check out the Historical Firearms facebook page which has some additional pictures and other content.

In Action: Nambu Type 14

Two Australian soldiers of the ‘A’ Company, 2/27th Australian Infantry Battalion examine what appears to be a Japanese Nambu Type 14 pistol, captured in New Guinea during the Battle of John's Knoll–Trevor's Ridge. 

The Battle of John's Knoll–Trevor's Ridge was a small engagement that saw the 2/27th take and hold a strategic ridgeline defeating a counterattack by a battalion of the Japanese 78th Infantry Regiment. The Australians suffered seven killed and 28 wounded, while Japanese losses totalled 200 killed.

A revision of Kijiro Nambu’s earlier Type A design the Type 14 was introduced in 1925, and adopted by the Japanese in 1927. Estimates differ but suggest between 200,000 and 400,000 Type 14s were made before end of the war. Chambering the 8×22mm Nambu round the pistol fed from an 8-round magazine and used a recoil operated, locked breech action. Also seen in the photograph is an Owen Submachine Gun and an SMLE. 

Sources:

Images: 1 2

Cutaway of the Day: Nambu Type 14

The Type 14 Nambu was introduced in 1925 as an improved version of the earlier Nambu Type A which had been adopted in 1915.  The improved Type 14, or as it was officially referred to; the '14 Nen Shiki Kenju', was introduced in 1925-6. Kijiro Nambu's earlier design was simplified internally and the grip-safety located at the front of the grip was removed in favour of a manual safety catch which could not be 'thumbed' safe but required the user's free hand.

Nambu's first semi-automatic pistol the Type A had replaced the aging Type 26 Revolver in 1915.  However, a number of problems had been identified with the design including its internal complexity. Therefore some simplification of the internal parts was made and the grip profile of the Type 14 was altered making it significantly thinner. However, the Type 14 still retained the problematic striker spring which often did not strike cartridges hard enough causing misfires.  Another fundamental issue with the Type 14 was the low pressure 8x22mm Nambu cartridge it was chambered which in comparison to it's contemporaries was grossly underwhelming in both power and weight of projectile.

Type 14 Nambu with the enlarged trigger guard, introduced post 1938

Initially intended as a personal weapon for NCOs the Type 14 soon entered mass production with some 200,000 being produced during World War Two.   A number of alterations were made during its production run including the introduction of a larger trigger guard, introduced in 1937 - after experience gained in Manchuria showed it was impractical for use with gloves.  An improved cocking knob was introduced in the early 1940s and a magazine retaining spring was also added in 1940.   The quality of the Type 14, as with all Japanese small arms, declined during the war as the US systematically destroyed Japan's manufacturing infrastructure from the air.  As such late war models have simplified cocking knobs, plain un-grooved grips, rough tool marks and unpolished finishes.  In 1937, the Type 14 and the earlier Nambus were augmented by the terrible Nambu Type 94 which proved to be a dangerous, poorly made and designed weapon. The Nambu Also served as inspiration for Ruger's .22 Standard pistol.

Images One - Three Source

Image Four Source