Make: Toriimatsu Branch of Nagoya Arsenal, Japan

Model: Nambu Type 14 1st Series (after "Original Series")

Serial Number: 95686

Year of Manufacture: October, 1943

Caliber: 8mm Nambu

Action Type: Striker-Fired Semi-Auto Pistol fed by 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 two piece wood with 24 horizontal serrations on each panel. The inside of each panel is marked with the last four digits of the serial number. The grips show light handling wear with a few minor marks. There are no chips or cracks. The serrations are well defined. The grips rate in Very Good-Fine overall condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original. Most numbered parts are matching. The striker is non-matching.

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion in the bore, mostly along the lands. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8+ out of 10.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 87% of its metal finish. The finish is generally strong with the balance mostly in handling wear in the grip areas. There is some minor oxidation in the wear. There are some scattered small marks. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The firing pin is broken off the striker. Otherwise, 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: This pistol comes with a single serial-matching magazine.

Our Assessment: This is a Nambu Type 14 pistol made by the Toriimatsu branch of the Nagoya arsenal in October, 1943 (1st Series). The Type 14 was built between 1925 and 1945 for the armed forces, and almost all of the Japanese pistols and revolvers used unique cartridges. The 8mm Nambu is a bottleneck cartridge that pushes a 102 gr. bullet at a little over 900 fps. and has approximately the same power as a .380 ACP cartridge. This is a neat find for the collector of WWII or Japanese weapons. It was produced mid-war, just starting to show the rougher finish seen on Japanese guns of the period. When this pistol was produced, the Allies had won the Solomon Islands campaign, Admiral Yamomoto had been killed, and things were not looking good for Japan.

This pistol is in quite nice condition given its age and service. It retains the great majority of its original finish, matching parts besides the replacement striker (commonly broken) a strong bore and mechanics. It even comes with one matching magazine. Not that many Japanese pistols survived the war, and those that did were often in poor condition or have been refinished, so this will make a great addition to a collection. Please see our photos and good luck!