When Japan invaded China the army wanted more military pistols. To satisfy the demand the army purchased all the stock of a commercially produced pistol designed in 1934. Few had been sold commercially because of the odd and clumsy appearance. The commercial buyers were more astute than the military who ended up with one of the worst pistols ever made. Its design was dangerous because part of the trigger mechanism protruded from the left side of the frame - when pushed against when the gun was loaded caused the gun to fire. Cartridges could be fired before being fully chambered. Poor manufacture and poor materials resulted in a weapon that was alarmingly unsafe. Despite all the failings the Japanese Forces used all they could get and over 70,000 were issued.
Marks and Stamps: (L side) Japanes characters (R side) Serial no 20.4Accession Number: 75 | Period of Use: 1934 - 1945 |
Type: Self loading/automatic pistol | War Zones: Second World War; China; Malaya; Korea |
Country of Origin: Japan | Type Date: 1937 |
Manufacturer: State arsenals | Serial Number: 69655 |
Manufacture Date: Unknown | Calibre/Ammunition: 8mm |
Weight: 790g | Length Overall: 180mm |
Cyclic Rate: Semi-auto | Length Barrel: 79mm |
Deactivation Certificate Number: DA 30030 |