JAPANESE LUGER

Jim Keenan · 05-06-2003, 08:03 PM

Hi, Flawless,

Your Japanese pistol is the later 14th Year Type (1925). Contrary to some published information, the solid knurled retracting knob is late (1944/45), while the two groove type is the earlier.

The gun in the picture shown by Mr. Lawman is a Type Nambu, usually called the "Papa Nambu". It is sometimes called the 1904 Type but was never formally adopted by the Japanese armed forces, so the correct term is just "Nambu Type" (large). The Nambu Type (small) is what collectors call the "Baby Nambu", a scaled down copy firing a 7mm bottle necked cartridge.

None of the Japanese pistols are actually Lugers and are nothing like them except in very general appearance. The Luger was never made in Japan, although the Japanese imported some at various times. Japanese soldiers also captured Dutch Lugers from the Dutch and KNIL forces in the NEI and used them, but none were official issue.

Jim

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05-06-2003, 08:03 PM	#17
Jim Keenan User Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 184 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Hi, Flawless, Your Japanese pistol is the later 14th Year Type (1925). Contrary to some published information, the solid knurled retracting knob is late (1944/45), while the two groove type is the earlier. The gun in the picture shown by Mr. Lawman is a Type Nambu, usually called the "Papa Nambu". It is sometimes called the 1904 Type but was never formally adopted by the Japanese armed forces, so the correct term is just "Nambu Type" (large). The Nambu Type (small) is what collectors call the "Baby Nambu", a scaled down copy firing a 7mm bottle necked cartridge. None of the Japanese pistols are actually Lugers and are nothing like them except in very general appearance. The Luger was never made in Japan, although the Japanese imported some at various times. Japanese soldiers also captured Dutch Lugers from the Dutch and KNIL forces in the NEI and used them, but none were official issue. Jim