[jmace57]

Gun 1 - I have never seen one of these (ugly) pistols until today. It is in pretty rough shape - found it today while helping a guy clean out an attic. He remembered seeing it as a kid. Can you tell me anything about it, and how much it might be worth. Lots of pitting.

Gun 2 - A Nambu - with belt and holster. Also has a second magazine. No rust, no pitting, sharp numbers. Really nice.

 

[nmckenzie]

The first one's a Type 94 (introduced in 1934 I believe), and the second one's a Type 14 (1925) with the later style triggerguard. Both are 8mm. As to value, I'm sure there are folks here who can help you with that.

 

[soundguy]

around here.. the jap 14, 94 and 26 all tend to go 350 - 600$ depending on condition and if any goodies with them.

average pieces in the 400-450 range.

 

[Lanrezac]

The Type 14 is a late production type, although not "last ditch". It has the late-style enlarged trigger guard, and the knurled cocking piece instead of the grooved one. Despite that, it looks like it is in good shape. (The spring on the front of the grip may be a late feature too. Its purpose is to keep the magazine from falling out when the mag release is pushed, so it won't get lost.)

The photos make the Type 94 look rusty, but at least its grips are in good shape, which is often not the case.

The holster is for the Type 14, and it looks earlier than the gun, since it appears to be all leather, and not the later rubberized canvas type. Having the strap is a good thing, since they were often cut off or lost. Type 94s had a holster with a soft flap, not the clamshell type this one has.

I don't know a thing about prices any more. I hope the above is useful.

 

[Fatstrat]

Be careful w/the Type 94. It is an inherently unsafe pistol. Just pressure on the side of the slide can cause the loaded gun to discharge.
http://omegacrossroads.com/GunCabinet/Nambu/nambu.htm

 

[jmace57]

Thanks guys for your comments. Yes, the type 94 is in pretty crummy shape, and the type 14 is really in good condition.

 

[Fatstrat]

Another thing. The two pistols are obviously bringbacks from WW-2. Was the owner of the attic a vet? If so there may be documents that authorized the vet to bring the guns home. These would document where/when the guns were acquired. Which would add to the value. Especially if it can be demonstrated that the guns were acquired in a particular battle.
Sometimes in the case of easily hidden pistols, soldiers didn't bother to get "bringback papers". Sometimes the owner may have been a sailor aboard a ship that participated in a battle in which he never set foot on dry land. But traded for, or possibly stole the guns from grunts who did. (Wounded soldiers brought to hospital ships often awoke from surgery to find that all their belongings had disappeared). Or the guns might have been acquired in occupied Japan after the war. Where piles of weapons (Rifles/pistols/swords/bayonets) were placed in piles for soldiers to pick souvenirs from. Finally, many times paperwork was issued, but then discarded after arrival home when it was no longer needed. But at any rate, it is worthwhile to see if any documentation exists. It will add significantly to the collector values.

 

[jmace57]

Thanks Fatstrat - I asked my friend if his father had been in the Pacific during WW2 - he laughed and said "my Dad was in the Coast Guard and never left the Gulf of Mexico". So, no provenance here at all.

 

[soundguy]

Be careful w/the Type 94. It is an inherently unsafe pistol. Just pressure on the side of the slide can cause the loaded gun to discharge.
http://omegacrossroads.com/GunCabinet/Nambu/nambu.htm

is that due to internal slide wear? ( cvan't hotlink right now on work internet ).. though I have saved the link for later reading.


reminds me of the dryse pistol.. if you break the top slide open ( breaks at the back above the grip ) and it is loaded, the firing pin is released and it will fire!

 

[nmckenzie]

is that due to internal slide wear?

It's a design flaw. The pistol can be fired by pressing the exposed trigger bar on the left side.

 

[soundguy]

must be trippingthe sear then?

 

[Lanrezac]

must be trippingthe sear then?

Yep. The trigger does not push the trigger bar backward or pull it forward, it pushes it outward. The bar is pivoted so that the back end then moves inward and trips the sear. You can fire the gun just by pushing the bar inward directly. With no mechanical advantage, it is difficult but possible.

The Nambu pistols are prime examples of the fact that pistols were not very important military weapons, so armies felt free to choose a native design, no matter how unsuitable it was. The Italian Glisenti / Brixia pistols and the Hungarian Frommer Stop are others. Even the Webley .455 Automatic, although a fine gun, was not a suitable military weapon, being too hard to make and too sensitive to dirt. (The Webley .455 revolver, on the other hand, was first rate.)

The Nambu Type 14 does have a nicely angled grip, surprisingly good sights, and (fairly often) a pleasantly light trigger pull. All that, combined with light recoil, makes it quite pleasant to shoot. But as a military weapon, it is oversized and too complicated for its power. The cartridge was also pretty useless for submachine guns, so the Japaneses barely had any of those either, even though a weapon that could have been made from sheet steel stampings should have been a godsend for them.

 

[RJay]

With the safety engaged the pistol was safe. One of the old myths was that, it was designed that way. A Japanese officer, when surrendering, would approach an American Marine or GI with the weapon held by the slide, then when close, press the trigger bar to kill the american. Even as a kid that sounded stupid, later on I realised it was not only stupid but ludicrous.

 

[Fatstrat]

Yep. The trigger does not push the trigger bar backward or pull it forward, it pushes it outward. The bar is pivoted so that the back end then moves inward and trips the sear. You can fire the gun just by pushing the bar inward directly. With no mechanical advantage, it is difficult but possible.

The Nambu pistols are prime examples of the fact that pistols were not very important military weapons, so armies felt free to choose a native design, no matter how unsuitable it was. The Italian Glisenti / Brixia pistols and the Hungarian Frommer Stop are others. Even the Webley .455 Automatic, although a fine gun, was not a suitable military weapon, being too hard to make and too sensitive to dirt. (The Webley .455 revolver, on the other hand, was first rate.)

The Nambu Type 14 does have a nicely angled grip, surprisingly good sights, and (fairly often) a pleasantly light trigger pull. All that, combined with light recoil, makes it quite pleasant to shoot. But as a military weapon, it is oversized and too complicated for its power. The cartridge was also pretty useless for submachine guns, so the Japaneses barely had any of those either, even though a weapon that could have been made from sheet steel stampings should have been a godsend for them.

They weren't important to the Japanese to the extent that they were not issued. Note that Japanese pistol do not have a MUM signifying Emperor ownership. The GFovt. did make the pistols, but officers had to purchase them. Many opted for foreign made guns. The commander of Japanese forces on Iwo Jima reportedly carried a 1911 Colt.

 

[Lanrezac]

They weren't important to the Japanese to the extent that they were not issued. Note that Japanese pistol do not have a MUM signifying Emperor ownership. The GFovt. did make the pistols, but officers had to purchase them. Many opted for foreign made guns. The commander of Japanese forces on Iwo Jima reportedly carried a 1911 Colt.

The Japanese commander on Iwo Jima was a smart man...unfortunately for us.