Make: Tokyo Artillery Arsenal (Also referred to as the Koishikawa Arsenal because it was located in the Koishikawa district of Tokyo)

Model: Type 26

Serial Number: 30277

Year of Manufacture: 1895-1923

Caliber: 9mm Japanese (NOT 9mm Luger)

Action Type: Double Action Only Revolver with Spur-less Hammer and Six Shot Cylinder

Barrel Length: 4 3/4″

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a half-round blade pinned into a slotted base atop the barrel. The rear sight is a “U” groove at the back of the top strap.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered wood with smooth borders. The left panel is not original to the gun and has improper fit. We have not removed the right panel to inspect it for a serial marking. The grips have moderate handling wear and some discoloration from age and oil. There are a scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches with a few more notable dings. The checkering is generally well defined. Overall, the grips are in Good-Very Good condition as, at least partially, not original to the gun.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Refinished, likely Arsenal Refurbished. Most numbered parts are matching, the cylinder and ejector do not match the frame or each other.

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with well defined rifling. There is some scattered light erosion in the bore with infrequent minor pitting. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 7 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 65% of its current metal finish. The mainspring has broken and been repaired by wrapping with wire. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is handling wear in the grip areas and there is finish wear on the barrel consistent with holster-use. There are some light nicks and small scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Good-plus condition as refinished and repaired.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This revolver comes in a leather clamshell holster. The holster has provision for 18 cartridges in an ammo pouch and a cleaning rod, three rounds of ammunition and a cleaning rod are present.

Our Assessment: The first service revolver used by the Japanese was the Smith & Wesson in .44 Russian. They started designing their own revolver in 1890 and the Type 26 was finished in 1893 and adopted by the military in 1894. It was a double action only revolver with a six-shot cylinder firing a 9mm Japanese cartridge similar to the .38 S&W. The Type 26 revolvers stopped production in 1923 but were still used as secondary weapons even after the Type 14 Nambu was introduced in 1926. Because of their use in the Russo-Japanese War and in WWI, many of the early Type 26 revolvers were arsenal refurbished, with the original bright blue finish replaced by a dull blue and the checkered grips replaced by those with horizontal serrations. This is an example from Standard Production and appears to have been through an arsenal refurbishment. The wire-wrapped repair to the mainspring was likely done outside of an arsenal, possibly even a field-expedient repair. This revolver should make a nice addition to any collection of Japanese martial arms, especially with the included holster. Please see our photos and good luck!