Nambu Pistol

Type 14 Nambu
Nambu Pistol Model 14 (1925)
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	Empire of Japan
Service history
In service	1906–1945
Used by	See Users
Wars	World War I World War II Second Sino-Japanese War Chinese Civil War Korean War First Indochina War Vietnam War (Limited Only)
Production history
Designer	Kijiro Nambu
Designed	1902
Produced	1906–1945
Number built	10,300 (Type A, all variants) approx. 400,000 (Type 14)
Variants	Type A, Type B, Type 14
Specifications
Weight	900 g (1.98 lb) unloaded
Length	230 mm (9.06 in)
Barrel length	117 mm (4.61 inches)
Width	720 g
Cartridge	8×22mm Nambu
Caliber	8 mm
Action	recoil-spring
Muzzle velocity	290 m/s (950 ft/s)
Effective firing range	50 m
Feed system	8-round box magazine

The Nambu pistols (南部拳銃 or 南部大型自動拳銃, Nanbu kenjuu or Nanbu ōgata jidou-kenjuu^?) were a series of semi-automatic pistols produced by the Japanese company Koishikawa Arsenal later known as the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal. The series had five variants, the Type A Model 1902 (also called the Grandpa Nambu), the Type A Model 1902 Modified (also known as the Papa Nambu), the Type B (also known as the Baby Nambu), the Type 14 (南部十四年式自動拳銃) and the Type 94. The pistols were designed by Kijiro Nambu and saw extensive service during the Russo-Japanese War, Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. The Type A was made in very small numbers. Type A Modified and Type B Nambus were never formally adopted by any branch of the armed forces of Imperial Japan but were sold to officers through officer stores. The Type 14 was adopted as an official sidearm. As World War II progressed, and particularly in the final year of the war, in order to speed production, Type 14s began to be more hastily manufactured with a subsequent decline in quality.

The origin of the Nambu pistol series goes back to a design by Lieutenant General Kijiro Nambu. General Nambu claimed the design originated with experimentation during the "30 year Automatic Pistol Plan" of 1897 in Japan. It is probable that the pistol series was influenced by the Mauser C96, after a Japanese commission toured Europe and reported recent developments. The first Nambu type known as the Type A was completed in 1902. The Type A underwent trials with the Imperial Japanese Army but was never formally adopted. Many Original Type As were sold commercially to China and Siam. Coinciding with British customs, Japanese army officers were expected to purchase their own side arms. The Nambu Type A Modified pistol was adopted by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1909 and the Thai Army in the 1920s.