Nambu 8mm

[allen-ak]

Finally fooled around enogh to get the T14 Nambu operational.
Bought from GNG in the 80's.
Fired a full 50 rds with no hiccups. Cast Lymans .323 diam, reformed 30 Rem cases.

Put new recoil, hammer springs in the thing from Wolfe, cleaned well and lube with light teflon grease, wiped off.

Pleasant to shoot and groups nice at 50 feet. Points nicely and I can see the sights reasonbly well.

Even found all of the brass.....

[LuJon]

[ADfields]

From what I understand, other than low power springs were the major issue with them. I guess Japan had real trouble making a good spring back then. Way cool gun to find at all, I have looked for one for years for my WWII collection. Only spotted a couple that had owners who were very proud of them . . . as was evident in the price.

[kodiakrain]

I'll add to LJ's notion, it's almost Frustrating, to have no pics,

Great thread title, I'm right here, but hoping you have some pics of that rig, sounds like a blast to own that

Congrats, on making her "operational"

[ADfields]

Should look something like this;

[ADfields]

The other extremely hard to find Japanese gun, only ran into one of these and he wanted $25K for it.

Jap M1 copy in 7.7 with 10 round stripper fed box magazine and sight similar to a type 99.

[ADfields]

Close ups

[LuJon]

Neat little pistol!! Sure don't have to squint much to see the resemblance between that pistol and the Ruger MKII!!

[kodiakrain]

Nice Pics AD, that Nambu is pretty interesting to see,

I'm curious, what's the history behind a Jap M1 copy in 7.7 ?

just real interested in the Jap rifles, what happened to them, as my grandfather in law tells stories of trading around
while over there as occupying forces, he'd get 100 dropped in his lap, then he was converting them to .06 sporters
has interesting tales to tell of all that....
trying to find the earlier manuf ones, and the later ones, just went over the side into the harbor by the hundreds
as apparently they were dangerously poorly made in later war days.

Would love to find one of those earlier ones, now. Or one of those Nambu's maybe, pretty cool

But a Jap M1 copy ? sounds like a story there

[ADfields]

They copied it off captured M1s and there are said to been only about 125 completed and parts for another couple hundred by the time we dropped the bomb. They changed it around to work for them and in some ways made it better like 10 rounds. Google “Jap M1 copy” and you will get some reading but not a lot. I understand the junky last ditch type 99s are so bad because they had diverted almost all their talent and materials to the M1 copy at the end. I believe too little too late even if we hadn’t dropped the bomb . . . but I can image the increased price they would have extracted from us with these had we invaded the home island months later as was planed.

Type 99s were well designed rifles and 7.7 runs just south of 06 and right with 303 Enfield. I have had many 99s from fine to complete junk in both 6.5 and 7.7, currently have two in 6.6 and a handful in 7.7. The 99s are out there in number though the 6.5s are getting all locked up in collections. They are good shooters but you got to load for them like a wildcat these days, 7.7 brass is made from 30-06 and are the easiest to load for. If you want a 99 7.7 to play with I see them on Gunbroker for $250-300 all the time in good shape. I just love these old WWI and WWII guns, all of them for some reason.

[allen-ak]

used to be one on display at the
Anch Gun shows in the 70's

Aberdeen has one in the museum

[ADfields]

used to be one on display at the
Anch Gun shows in the 70's

Aberdeen has one in the museum

The Nambu or the type 5 M1 copy? I have seen a Nambu at shows lately for display.

[allen-ak]

T5 rifle used to be around Anchorage