Japanese weapons

Discussions on the small arms used by the Axis forces.
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hellraiser
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Japanese weapons

#1

Post by hellraiser » 04 Jan 2005, 15:34

What guns, rifles and automatic weapons did the japanese use? Add pictures please

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7,92mm
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#2

Post by 7,92mm » 04 Jan 2005, 18:59



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tom!
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#3

Post by tom! » 04 Jan 2005, 23:34

Hi.

Have a look at my website (german only, sorry). I´m working on a complete description of all japanese weapons of WW II.

type Meiji 26 9 mm revolver:

Image


type Mauser C 96:

Image


type Taisho 4 7 mm Baby Nambu:

Image


type Taisho 4 8 mm Nambu Pistol:

Image


type Taisho 14 8 mm Nambu pistol:

Image


type 94 8 mm Nambu pistol:

Image


type 1 8 mm and 7,62 mm pistols Hamada:

Image


Sugiura type 8 mm pistol:

Image


.... and every gun that could be captured.



In addition to the link in the post above:

type 4 7,7mm automatic rifle:

Image
copy of the US M1 Garand


7,7 mm simple rifle:

Image




MP 28:
Image


type 100 smg:
Image

Some Beretta type 38 smg were bought in 1940 and 1943 too.




type Taisho 3 6,5 mm hmg:

Image


type Taisho 11 6,5 mm lmg:

Image


type 89 7,7 mm hmg:

searching for a pic...


type 92 7,7mm hmg:

Image


type 96 6,5 mm lmg:

Image


type 98 7,7 mm hmg:

Image


type 99 7,7 mm lmg:

Image


type 1 7,7 mm hmg:

Image


type 93 13,2 mm hmg:

Image

The pictures are from my website.

Yours

tom! :wink:

knieptang
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#4

Post by knieptang » 05 Jan 2005, 01:41

A book I can recommend is:

Die japanischen Infanteriewaffen des Zweiten Weltkrieges
Motorbuch Verlag , Stuttgart, 1979

The book is out of print, but can be found at ZVAB, prices range from 15,- to 25,- €-Euro

ZVAB: http://www.zvab.com/SESSz18529637211104 ... index.html

Regards Michael

P.S. @ Tom, erstklassige Seite, viele Informationen, Danke!

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SuperSlinger
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#5

Post by SuperSlinger » 05 Jan 2005, 02:10

http://members.shaw.ca/tju/jhg.htm A good website on Japanese handguns from a person who owns them.

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asiaticus
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Go here for starters

#6

Post by asiaticus » 06 Jan 2005, 11:48


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Tim Smith
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#7

Post by Tim Smith » 06 Jan 2005, 12:10

Excellent post, tom!

Does anyone have any information on the Type 4 automatic rifle? I never knew the Japanese copied the M1 Garand....

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tom!
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#8

Post by tom! » 07 Jan 2005, 00:57

Hi.
Tim Smith wrote:Excellent post, tom!

Does anyone have any information on the Type 4 automatic rifle? I never knew the Japanese copied the M1 Garand....
Many thanks.


The japanese naval infantry units, mainly the SNLF-units, learned a bloody lesson about the usefulness of automatic rifles.
In 1935 the japanese Army made some developments and testing on semiautomatic and automatic weapons. The results were good but the high command denied the need for such a weapon. Like most european armies they thoght that automatic rifles would only lead to a waste of ammo by the solider using auto fire instead of single fire.

The large success of the US M1 Garand used by the US Marines and US Army made the naval command think of introducing such a weapon (The japanese Navy was less traditional than the Army in those things...). Developing a new weapon was not possible due to the war situation. So in late 1944 the development branch of the Tateyama Artillery School was ordered to adapt the mechanism of the M1 Garand for the use of the standart 7.7 mm ammo. Some little changes had to be made but the standart ammo caused some trouble with the mechanism. So a special adapted Ammo was developed and produced. In early 1945 the weapon was introduced as type 4 (sometimes called type 5) automatic rifle. It was planned to equip all SNFL-Units with this weapon.

By that time the Army began to develope a different modell using the mechanism of the type 100 smg in a type 99 rifle. It didn´t realy worked and so the Army also decided to introduce the Navy automatic rifle with some changes. The Army planned to equip some elite regiments in the chinese mainland.

The first produced weapons had serious problems due to the too quick development and were only used for training. After little adaptions a small production series was started. The type 30 bayonett could be used and the maximum range was 1500 m.

Like most of the effective japanese weapons they came to late and so could not change the tide of war.....

Data:

lenght: 1076 mm
weight: 4079 g
magazine capacity: 10 shots 7.7 mm ammo

Thats all I have. Further infos welcome.


Yours

tom! :wink:

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SuperSlinger
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#9

Post by SuperSlinger » 07 Jan 2005, 01:22

On a side note, does any one know why the type 100 smg wasn't used more widely? After fighting in the jungle, would the Japanese learned from the Americans that SMG's were useful in jungle warfare?

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tom!
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#10

Post by tom! » 07 Jan 2005, 01:49

Hi.

The type 100 smg was a weapon for special forces like parachute attack companies which were dropped directly over the target as commando troops. These units needed weapons which colud be used by the solider while hanging on the parachute and directly after landing. All other parachute units had to gather the weapons from separate landing containers.

And the opinion of the Army about auto weapons had also an influence on the equipment of the parachute units. So in 1942 the Army developed standart rifles which could be transported by the solider in two parts. Auto weapons for the standard soldier was a no-no.

Another piont was the weakness of the 8 mm Nambu ammunition used by the type 100 smg. This had a negative influence on range and accuracy.

Third problem was the lack of the necessary raw materials. In 1942 a large-scale production was far out of reach.

Mainly point 1 and 3 prevented the massive use of the type 100 smg.

The US forces mainly used semi auto and auto rifles not smg. The auto mode was useful in the jungle, the higher range was useful outside the jungle. In my opinion a auto rifle is first choice for a war in southeast asia.

Yours

tom! :wink:

king_nothing
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#11

Post by king_nothing » 07 Jan 2005, 15:47

Only recorded use of the Type 100 from the Allies was from the Dutch when Japanese paratroops used them when taking the oilfields in Java.

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Tim Smith
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#12

Post by Tim Smith » 11 Jan 2005, 18:23

The Japanese produced 2,000 Type 100 SMG's for their paratroopers - this could be folded at the base of the stock. Rate of fire was only 450 rpm.

As well as in the Java campaign against the Dutch in 1942, Japanese paratroopers used them on Leyte and Okinawa.

An improved and simplified version, without folding stock and with 800 rpm, was developed in 1944. About 8,000 were produced, but all were retained for the defence of the Japanese home islands, and thus were never used in combat.

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rick vb
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#13

Post by rick vb » 12 Jan 2005, 00:17

Did'nt the Japanese also make a copy of the American .50 cal.?

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SuperSlinger
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#14

Post by SuperSlinger » 12 Jan 2005, 01:41

tom! wrote:Hi.


The US forces mainly used semi auto and auto rifles not smg. The auto mode was useful in the jungle, the higher range was useful outside the jungle. In my opinion a auto rifle is first choice for a war in southeast asia.
You sure about the no SMG's thing? I know that even early war marine "D" series sqauds had a SMG for every sqaud, used by a corparal I belive.

Tony Williams
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#15

Post by Tony Williams » 12 Jan 2005, 09:18

rick vb wrote:Did'nt the Japanese also make a copy of the American .50 cal.?
Sort of. The Army Air Force used the Ho-103: a shorter, lighter and faster-firing version chambered for the less powerful 12.7x81SR (Vickers) round. The Navy Air Force later copied the .50 very closely (they called it the 13mm Type 3) except it was chambered for the slightly larger 13.2x99 Hotchkiss cartridge which they already had in service in their AA MGs.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion
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