Make: Chuo Kogyo Co. At Kokubunji Operating Under the Supervision of the Nagoya Arsenal.
Model: Nambu Type 14
Serial Number: 68589
Year of Manufacture: October, 1939
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 into a slightly raised base on the barrel. The rear sight is a square groove milled into a raised boss on the back of the frame.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are slab sided wood with 25 horizontal serrations each. The grips have even light handling wear with a few small losses in the serrations. There are a few other scattered minor marks and some tool marks around the magazine catch. There are no cracks. The serrations are well defined. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blue and Strawed
Finish Originality: Original to the parts. Most numbers match, the locking-block is non-matching.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is well defined. There is some scattered light erosion and infrequent minor pitting in the bore, mostly toward the muzzle-end. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 7/10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 94% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at some edges. There are a few scattered little nicks and light scuffs. There are infrequent spots of faint surface oxidation. There is some more notable erosion on the bolt grasping knob. The action shows light operational wear, including an arc of wear from the safety lever. The controls have handling wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good 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: Included is a single matching 8-round magazine.
Our Assessment: This is a Nambu Type 14 pistol made by the Chuo Kogyo Co. (branch of the Nagoya arsenal) in October, 1939. The Type 14 was built between 1925 and 1945 for the armed forces. This example was made during the 2nd Sino Japanese War and shortly after the outbreak of the WWII which would begin with Germany's and later the Soviet Union's invasions of Poland. Most of the serialized parts match, though the locking block is non-matching and the grips do not have any legible serial marking. The included magazine is matching, making it a nice find for the collector. The pistol has remarkably light wear given its age and what Japan went through after it was made.
By October, 1939, Japan had been at war in China for years and had even announced that they wanted to remain neutral with no intention of becoming involved in the war in Europe. It would be more than two years before Japan would attack across a number of Western colonies and holdings in the Pacific, including Pearl Harbor. The following three years would see the island nation totally defeated, with massive destruction across their nation and occupied regions. This is a very nice example of a wartime Type 14, a quality example for the Nambu collector. Please see our photos and good luck!
