arisaka type 38 carbine disassembly forgotten weapons

It is estimated that between 4,500 and 5,000 pistols were manufactured before production ended in February 1944. All production records were destroyed during World War II by bombing raids on Japan. The majority of Hamada pistols were sent with the Imperial Japanese Army to China with a few units transferred to the South Pacific. The Hamada pistol does not carry the tradition naming of Type 1 ( 一式, Isshiki) for Japanese calendar year 2601 similar as the Type 94 Nambu pistol or Type 26 revolver despite being officially adopted. Around five prototypes for the Hamada pistol were tested by the Chief of the Ordnance Bureau before approval for adoption was made in 1941. The pistol was designed as a copy of the Browning Model 1910 and chambered for the 7.65mm Browning, as small caliber American and European pistols were popular among Japanese officers.

Initially, the Hamada Type I was designed as an inexpensive and more reliable alternative to the standard issue Nambu pistol, which had a bad reputation among the Japanese military. Unable to continue production of hunting guns, Bunji Hamada founded The Japanese Gun Manufacturing Company ( 日本銃器株式会社, Nippon Juki Kabushiki Gaisha) and began production of the Hamada type pistol. Importation of foreign sidearms ceased in Japan in 1941, increasing the need for domestic production, and fully nationalizing all raw materials available for gun manufacturing. Production of the Hamada type ended in February 1944. Production records were destroyed during World War II with few known Hamada Type pistols in existence today.

Production occurred at the Japanese Firearms Manufacturing Company, with only minor changes made as the war progressed.Įight production design periods occurred during the production of the pistol with all changes being made during late 1942 and early 1943. Developed by Bunji Hamada, the pistol took its basic design from the Model 1910 Browning. The Hamada Type 1 or Hamada Type Automatic handgun ( 浜田式, Hamada shiki) was a semi-automatic pistol developed starting in 1941 for use by the Empire of Japan during World War II. 9–round detachable box magazine (Type I) Ħ-round detachable box magazine (Type II)

Arisaka type 38 carbine disassembly forgotten weapons