Nambu Type 14 Pistol

[sheepherder]

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...

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'...

[Zorba]

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.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by zormpas

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...

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...

[Zorba]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

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

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...

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...

[sheepherder]

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...

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

[sheepherder]

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.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by zormpas

As my mags are with G.T. right now, I can't confirm this at this time.

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

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

[sheepherder]

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!

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...

[Olle]

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).

[rhuff]

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!!

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Olle

The last T14 I bought had a broken firing pin, so I retipped it myself.

Olle, some time ago [years] I recall someone retipping the broken Nambu firing pin with a SHCS drilled/tapped/threaded into the end of the firing pin and then turned to shape. It also had two flats so it could be replaced easily. I kind of stuck that away in my chamberpot of a memory, for a 'rainy day'.

Haven't had to try it, but I thought it was an interesting idea...I can't recall where I read it...

I'm not really into silver-soldering or brazing...I've done/do both, it's just not my thing...

[sheepherder]

I was able to resist those MOP grips, but I did get a spare barrel+extension for a caliber change [probably 7.65 Parabellum]...I won't bother with a full-profile pic, as it looks like any other Type 14 barrel...With one small exception...

If you look at the first pic, you'll see 'receiver' rear ends with the locking block 'ears'...689 is my T14; 203 is a used pull...Look at the red circles...The 689 'receiver' is relieved to let the locking block rotate up to clear the 'receiver' recess...The 203/spare isn't...

The spare won't let the locking block move up into battery...It won't even go into the 'receiver'...The red lines show the locking block in full retracted position; the spare is stopped by the rounded edge shown in the red circle...

Now, removing this metal to let the locking block retract is easily done...But...Looking close [see the second pic], I noticed an awful lot of *filework* in this area...Not just the edge of the 'receiver', but the inside edges of the locking block 'ears'...Crude, coarse filework...Hasty...Unskilled...

It's present on both of my 'receivers'...And is really mind boggling to think that this is part of the Nambu assembly line...Some slave labor peasant girl, squatting down on her clogs, 16 or 18 hours a day, filing the sharp edges of just each 'receiver' ear...I don't see any other obvious filing anywhere else...

The sides of the locking block that rotates are cut with a radius-ended end mill, and presumably filing/chamfering the edges of the 'ears' is the easiest way to make them clear the radiused cut...Without any complicated milling...A peasant girl with a file being cheaper than a milling operation...

I would be interested to see other T14 'receiver ear' pics...Does yours show crude filing???

Lugers have just as much intricate cavities/sliding parts, and they don't show file marks this crude...

There are many different engineers involved in a manufacturing process...This would be comical if it was Khyber Arms...But this is an Imperial Arsenal...In 1943...Not even yet the height of the war...

[Zorba]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

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

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

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.