only Senior & Junior :cheers:

Ed Tinker was kind enough to provide me with one of his original 8mm Nambu cartridges [Thank You, Ed!]. :D I've attached a pic of it (on the right) compared to a 7.63mm x 25 cartridge headstamped '541 44' (Presumably a C96/M30 Mauser cartridge).

I found it interesting that the Nambu has the same three indentations spaced evenly around the neck to further help hold the bullet in place in the case. Was this typical of all WW II cartridges, or just the Axis powers???

There is also no headstamp on the Nambu round. Was there only one facility providing ammunition for the 8mm nambu, or is this an example of wartime expediency??? :confused:

Extractor groove is much thinner than I expected...Also interesting is that the rim is within .001" dia of the base...COTW states that it should be 'semi-rimmed', but they only list a .005" dia difference...

(BTW: I've found COTW to be quite lacking in detail) :mad:

Edit: I've bought Ed's last OEM 7mm Nambu cartridge...You would not believe how much these old cartridges are going for!!!... :eek:

not being marked seems to be a Nambu thing... You find the base unmarked - I think primarily, but could look in my Japanese book.

Its not bad - except the trigger guard is a PITA on mine to get started off. Once you've moved it the first 1/16th inch, it slides right off. I think something needs stoning.

The nice thing is that all the springs literally fall out of the thing - so I ordered a complete new set from Wolff. Not the apparent nightmare the Luger recoil spring is - which I also ordered a new one of those and will be installing it soon. I've seen 2 methods to replace that one - the one here, and another on youtube.

I've been exchanging emails with Hugh about doing some grip work on mine (Nambu) - it has a bad crack in the middle, and my jig was inadequate so I ended up making the situation worse. :grr:

Thought I'd add a link to an old COTW table of cartridge dimensions...Might be of some slight interest... :)

http://forum.lugerforum.com/picture....pictureid=2763

I am quite disappointed in Cartridges Of The World...I have two editions...Neither has much information that isn't available in my other contemporary pre-Internet books... :grr:

/rant

I have had some that I could not get the trigger assembly off, had to soak and then bang off with a mallet.

old, sticky oil, plus it might have just been tight?

I was hoping for something like this, the only thing I found was a tiny amount of rust in the grooves where they mate together. Cleaned that up, still tight.

Try brushing the grooves/surfaces with a brass wire brush and see if that helps...If not...

Rather than stone it, I would try some automotive rubbing compound ['coarse'] and/or polishing compound ['fine']...Since yours will come off without a hammer, use the polishing compound...Strip off all the pieces you can, clean the mating surfaces, slather on the compound, move the guard in & out...You'll see it get dirty as it removes metal...Try it for maybe 25 'slides' (you'll probably have to tap it back & forth), then clean it all off, and lube lightly [WD-40 is good here] and see if it slides with finger pressure...Repeat as needed...

Don't use lapping compound/valve grinding compound...They are way too coarse...(But good for removing large amounts of metal)...

...Just my $.02... :rolleyes:

I've been waiting for the Xmas shipping mess to untagle before ordering a set of reloading dies from RCBS...But last night I noticed an RCBS 8mm Nambu die set on ebay...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RCBS-8mm-Nam...-/141146069780

Here's the pic - Look at it closely...

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/RCBS-8mm-Namb...9StNbV/$_1.JPG

I helped run the 25 bids up to $150...And lost...Because I knew RCBS sells them new for ~$163...But I wasn't sure of the configuration...

https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/Mai...productId=2629

Here's the new RCBS die set...Notice the difference?...

https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/ima...lA/3DieSet.jpg

So even though it may take 60 - 90 days for these 'special order' dies, I'm happy I lost the bidding war for the ebay dies... :D

(I'm working on a 'conversion' writeup for the 8mm Nambu now)...

Goes to show - idiots on eBay will bid stuff up to past new value.

I, personally, prefer a 3 die reloading set to the common 2 die set for bottle neck brass. Also, I just like starting with new dies, so IF I find a problem, I have a recourse to follow. On Ebay, they are yours.

Nambu World: Teri’s WWII Japanese Handgun Website
 

Nice resource:http://members.shaw.ca/tju/jhg.htm

its nice to have some original 8mm and 7mm Nambu rounds :D

It is indeed; in fact, I just got an email from Teri herself in reply to my question about the 'carrier/display' case that my Type 14 is encased in... :)

Hey! *I'm* one of those idiots!!! :grr:

If I could have gotten it for under a C-note, it would have been worth it not to have to wait three months for a 'special order' new die set... :mad:

FWIW: I made up an 'expander die' to expand 38 Special cases to 8mm nambu diameter...Works great, but as sometimes happens with my 'good enough' work, the threads were a bit rough. I used the 'coarse' rubbing compound to lap the threads into the press. That also worked out fine. ;)

I had to do that with the one I restored, it seemed to be a combination of a tight fit, rust and gummed up grease that was just about solid.

I soaked it in Kroil over night, then I tapped it with a hammer and a nylon punch. Once it started moving, I tapped it back and forth, moving it a bit further every time. Once I had it off, I lapped it as Sheepherder described above. I used fine lapping compound from Wheelers (intended for scope rings), and finally got the trigger guard to move smoothly.

Took mine apart (again) last nite to install a new Wolff spring kit. Worked the trigger assy back and forth a kazillion times to where it comes out without too much effort and no prying.

The new recoil springs were 1/3 longer than the old ones - Goddess only knows when/if they were replaced last time. 1942 was a long time ago.

Grips are on their way to Hugh...

'My' Nambu Type 14 came in today. Typical war-weary handgun; some pits, scratches, and generally roughly machined surfaces. Two surprises - The spare magazine was in better shape than the numbers matching mag, and the bore is bright & shiny. Downside - Recoil springs even feel weak, only stick out maybe 3/8" from the bolt recesses; grips fit loose & chunk out of one.

I was glad to see that the three most common breakages were not present. The magazine tension [grip] spring had not been ground, filed, bent, or broken; the safety lever is intact; and the firing pin has the original tip, also intact.

It was bone dry, and although dirty, it was not rusty. The trigger guard came off with little effort, the rest came apart easily.

Trigger pull is 'hair trigger'. No two-stage here! I'd guess less than two pounds. New springs might tighten that up.

17 groove grips with the smooth tops. I like this style. The grip feels good with the exception of that magazine tension spring. Despite the spring, the mag pops out about 1/10" when the release button is pressed. Easier to strip if left grip is removed. Grips screws look like stove bolts, but they all look that way, so I guess they're original.

Interesting... :)

that sucker has been rode hard and put up wet..........
it really needs some TLC.............

What would you suggest??? :D

First clean it and OIL it!

Replace the springs - they're WAY easier to deal with than Luger springs.

It IS cleaned & oiled!!! I put in my order for springs from Wolff tonight.

It's curious that none of the articles has mentioned the strange rear sight aperture...Exactly the opposite of a Luger...And the rectangular opening on the bottom rear of the frame, under the lanyard loop...I can see the back of the locking block, but why??? :confused:

Ah! You had said it was as dry as a bone - so my brain became confused. Not hard to do these days. Glad she's oiled up - now ya just gotta wait on those new springs! :D

...And dirty...I cleaned it up and oiled it [3in1] before taking pics...

Also have to wait for dies...60 to 90 days... :(

Seems like "everyone's" ordering Nambu dies this week - maybe they'll start to stock them!

My Wolff spring kit came today...First pic...

I trial fitted the recoil springs, mag release spring, and the firing pin spring. But first I compared them to my old springs...Second pic...(New springs are above old ones)...

After racking the bolt 20+ times, i took the Wolff recoil springs out and inspected them...They had 'bent' just like the old springs... :(

I counted the coils...The new springs have 38 coils; the old ones had 42...The new springs measure .026" wire dia; the old ones are .028"...

This is the kit with the 'standard' weight recoil springs...

So the old ones are thicker wire and have more coils...

I'm disappointed... :mad:

In Wolff's defense - the material the springs are made of also is a factor. Whether or not its "enough" of a factor, I dunno! I should mic/count my old springs to see if they're the same as your old springs - Goddess only knows where either of them came from...

Yes indeed. There is also no way to know if I don't already have a Wolff 5% stronger spring set...And ordered a 'softer' set to replace them...

You can also see that one coil of one of my recoil springs has been clipped off...

I plan on ordering the '2 extra power recoil springs' when I place my next spring order...

Did you buy it??? :D

I am very skeptical of these Wolff 'standard' weight recoil springs...So I thought up a test...

I stripped the Nambu down and stripped the bolt of all but body & recoil springs...Old & new...

I attached my spring tension gauge to a loop of wire around the bolt knob...Clamped the pistol in my vise...And checked initial weight to get bolt moving, and weight when fully retracted (or just before)...

Here's what I got...

Old springs - 4# initial, 19# fully retracted
New springs - 6# initial, 19# fully retracted

Here's why I'm skeptical - 73year old springs have the same draw weight as brand new springs??? I don't buy it...

I don't want to test-load up a number of cartridges with 3.5gr of powder while using an underpowered recoil spring...In fact, I noticed that when dry cocking, the new springs would not always force the bolt closed...The bolt stopped about a quarter inch from closed... :mad:

I'm going to order the Wolff 'Recoil Spring Pak (Stock No. 16960) contains 2 extra power recoil springs' and check those the same way to see if they are actually 'extra power'... :rolleyes:

Let us know what you find.

I've noticed the same thing about the springs (Both my new Wolff and the old ones that came with the gun) not closing the bolt completely - but AS I RECALL - it was without a mag in the gun. I seem to remember it being a different story with magazine inserted. As my mags are with G.T. right now, I can't confirm this at this time.

... ??? ...A full mag??? The magazine holds the bolt open on the last shot... :confused:

A WAG would be that the new springs are binding from twisting in the recesses they ride in. Like you, I've given everything a light coat of oil, so it isn't the friction of dry surfaces. They're not oversize for the spring recesses in the bolt.

Pic attached. This is just from drawing the bolt back and 'riding' it forward...You could say that the Luger does the same thing (not go completely forward) but that's apples & orangutans...

What's Gerry doin' to your mags??? :)

Did you get the 5% extra power magazine springs???

Just got a new/repro firing pin from Don Schlickman in today's mail...Don doesn't have a web site but he can send you his price list...

New pin looks right, fits & works great! :thumbup:

I've read posts/articles over the years about the Type 14 firing pin breaking...(Don also repairs original firing pins)...Mine is still intact so I'll store it away where it's safe... :D

The last T14 I bought had a broken firing pin, so I retipped it myself. It was fairly straightforward, I faced it, drilled it and silver soldered a slightly oversized tip in the hole, then I turned it to the correct diameter and trimmed to the correct length. It's an easy procedure, the only thing you need to watch is the depth of the hole. You don't want to go all the way through, you only need to drill deep enough to hold the tip straight while you're soldering (maybe 1/2-3/4 of the way trough).

You guys do great work!! One has to be inventive if we are to keep shooting these old warhorses. I wish that I had the machining skills of you folks, I don't, but I do appreciate it, and the end product!!

He's installing the new (5% extra power) magazine springs and doing a general check out for me. He's also re-springing a new Luger mag I acquired at the same time. He had to drill out one of the rivets on one of the Nambu mags.

Yea, mine does exactly that - but I'll have to wait until I get the mags back to figure out the rest of it - as you point out, what I originally said doesn't quite make sense now...

Just got in an eBay magazine, the May 1981 issue of Guns & Ammo with an article by Howard E. French on 'Shooting the 8mm Nambu'...I thought I'd add it to my Nambu cartridge thread, since I was anticipating a comparison of bullets/powder/loads, but it has only one bullet, one powder, and one load... :grr:

But it does have a couple interesting points about the magazine and that makes it a worthwhile read... :thumbup:

That last article [above] had a couple of interesting points in it; specifically about the magazine having it's own 'hold open' so that rounds could be loaded more easily. I tried depressing my mag button down to the bottom of its travel, and one of my magazines does have this feature [pic attached]. The magazine friction spring [on the frontstrap] is supposed to release the follower when it's inserted in the pistol, but mine only half-released. I didn't have any rounds in it, maybe it needs a full load to function correctly.

My matching magazine does not appear to have the 'hold open' feature, but it's pretty gummed up with old grease & crud...

Cool idea, though. :)