Make: Chuo Kogyo Co. At Kokubunji Operating Under the Supervision of the Nagoya Arsenal.

Model: Nambu Type 14, Original Series

Serial Number: 23062

Year of Manufacture: October, 1936

Caliber: 8mm Nambu

Action Type: Striker-Fired Semi-Auto Pistol with Removable Magazine

Barrel Length: 4 1/2"

Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to a boss at the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a notch integral to the top-rear of the frame.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are slab sided wood with 25 horizontal serrations each. The interior of each grip has a small Japanese character stamped, the original hand-written serial markings are no longer legible. The grips have even handling wear with scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. There is a more notable mark at the top edge of the left panel. There is some stubborn residue in the well defined serrations. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue and Strawed, numbers match.

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is well defined. There is infrequent minor erosion in the bore, mostly at the muzzle-end, and a little stubborn fouling. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8/10.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 87% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. There are some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. Most of the balance is muting in the strawed parts. There is a line of wear across the bottom-front of the trigger guard. There are some scattered spots of minor oxidation. The action shows light operational wear, including an arc of wear from the safety lever. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good-plus condition.

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 standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: A single serial-matched magazine is included.

Our Assessment: This is a Nambu Type 14 pistol made by the Chuo Kogyo Co., a branch of the Nagoya arsenal, in October 1936. The Type 14 was built between 1925 and 1945 for the Japanese armed forces. This example was made a few years after the occupation of Manchuria following the Mukden Incident, but less than a year before the outbreak of the 2nd Sino Japanese War set off by the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. This example is in quite nice condition given its age, retaining the great majority of its metal finish, a nice bore, and strong mechanics. Apart from the grips, all of the serialized parts match and the grips' serial marking is no longer legible, making it difficult to determine if they are original to the gun or not. The pistol was made before some updates were made to the design, lacking the magazine retaining spring and enlarged trigger guard which would be added later in production. This is a nice example of a "pre-war" Type 14, though it may have seen use after the outbreak of the conflicts Japan would instigate for the next nine years. Please see our photos and good luck!