Nambu World: Type 14 Photo Gallery

           I now have over 25 Type 14s representing almost all of the major variations (there are an almost infinite number of minor variations). Here are pictures of the right sides, with links to pages with more photos of each. The pistols are presented in chronological order by date of production, earliest first. Type 14 production started in late 1926 at very low levels, but the earliest one I have is from 1928. There are a few I have parted with when I was able to upgrade to a better specimen. These are marked with an asterisk. The dates referred to are based on the system used to mark the pistols, the year and month of the Showa era (Emperor Hirohito's reign).

            The first maker of Type 14s was Chigusa Arsenal, which made only 7,800 pistols before ceasing Type 14 production. I have two Chigusa pistols, representing what I consider the two main variations. They differ mostly in terms of markings. The earliest one is this one dated Showa 3,2.

    For more photos of this 3,2 dated Chigusa Type 14, please click here: Nambu World: Showa 3,2 Chigusa Type 14 Photos

 

 

    This Type 14 is dated Showa 4.2 (February, 1929). It was made by Tokyo Arsenal. Many people would refer to it as a "Kokura" gun, but this is not correct. Kokura used the same arsenal mark later, which is the source of the confusion. Telling Tokyo guns from Kokura ones is a bit complicated, but I try to shed a little light on this in the description of this gun.

    For more photos of this 4.2 dated Tokyo Type 14, please click here: Showa 4.2 Tokyo Type 14

     Here is my second Tokyo Arsenal gun, a 5.2 date (February, 1930). I got it in a trade with a friend. It is so-so in terms of external condition, but holds a couple of surprises.

            For more photos of this 5.2 dated Tokyo Arsenal Type 14, please click here: Nambu World: Showa 5.2 Tokyo Type 14 Pistol

    My other Chigusa pistol is dated 7,3. The markings on it differ significantly from the 3,2 shown above.

            For more photos of this 7,3 dated Chigusa Type 14, please click here: Nambu World: Showa 7,3 Chigusa Type 14 Photos

    I received this 8.11 (November, 1933) dated Kokura Arsenal pistol from a friend as a gift. I knew it was rare at the time, but subsequently discovered it may be the rarest pistol I have.

            For more photos of this 8.11 dated Kokura pistol, please click here: Nambu World: Showa 8.11 Kokura Type 14 Pistol

This 11.1 (January, 1936) dated pistol has post-war British proof marks. It is the early small trigger guard type and was made in the Kokubunji factory of designer Kijiro Nambu's company under Nagoya Arsenal supervision.

*For more photos of this 11.1 dated Type 14, please click here: t14111pix.htm

 

    This Type 14 is the first one I got. It is a Nagoya Nambu, Kokubunji factory pistol dated Showa 12.3, or March, 1937. When I got it, it was in abysmal condition with a cut-off barrel and many handmade parts. I have since replaced all those homemade parts and the barrel with original parts, but it took a lot of hand fitting to make it all go together. I finally finished the rebuild in early December, 2003.

            For more photos of this 12.3 dated Type 14, please click here: t14123pix.htm

    This 12.7 date came to me as part of a multi-gun deal. It is a pretty nice piece, though the metal isn't quite as good as the 12.10 shown below. Kokubunji guns like this are the most common of the small trigger guard variation, but it is still hard to find them in nice condition.

        For more photos of this 12.7 dated Type 14, please click here: Nambu World: Showa 12.7 Kokubunji Type 14 Pistol 

    This 12.10 (October, 1937) dated pistol was part of a collection I bought. The metal on it is fantastic, but the grips were incorrect. I replaced the grips with a pair that are correct, but not as nearly good as the metal. It was made in the Kokubunji factory of Chuo Kogyo.

    For more photos of this 12.10 dated Type 14, please click here: Nambu World: Showa 12.10 Kokubunji Type 14

     I had a second Type 14 dated Showa 12.10 as well. It is not in as good condition, but the description of this one shows some interesting markings and illustrates some details on cocking knobs that most people aren't aware of.

 

    *For more photos of this second 12.10 dated Type 14, please click here: Showa 12.10 Type 14 Photos (A)

 

    This pistol looks pretty good, though on close inspection it is not as good as it first appears. It is dated Showa 13.8 (August, 1938). .

    *To see more photos of the Showa 13.8 dated Type 14, please click here: Nambu World: Showa 13.8 Type 14 Photos

 

    This Type 14 was made in Showa 14.10 (October, 1939). It is a very poor specimen of a rare variation that is much better illustrated by the next gun below, the 14.11. However, I got this one cheap enough that I won't lose even if I just use it for parts. Once I have decided what to do with it, I will update this section with a progress report.

 

    For more photos of this 14.10 dated Type 14, please click here: Showa 14.10 Type 14 Photos

 

    This 14.11 date (November, 1939) is a very special Type 14. It is one of 5,750 made at the Kokubunji factory after the introduction of the large trigger guard in 14.9 (September, 1939) but before the introduction of the magazine retention spring on the front of the grip and the switch from 25- to 17-groove grips in 14.12 (December, 1939). Such guns are often called “transitional” variants. I imported it from the USA in March, 2005.

            For more photos of this 14.11-dated Type 14, please click here: Showa 14.11 Transitional Type 14

     This 15.6 date is one of the best Type 14s I have. I got it in the spring of 2007 as part of a multi-gun deal. Needless to say, this was the gem of the lot.

　

　

        For  more photos of this 15.6 dated Type 14, please click here: Nambu World: Showa 15.6 Kokubunji Type 14 Pistol

    This was the second one I found. It is a Nagoya Nambu, Kokubunji factory pistol dated Showa 15.11 (November, 1940). When I bought it, it was missing the grips and safety and a previous owner had prepared it for re-bluing by removing almost all the finish, but had not re-blued it. Eventually I found a safety and a set of grips that have the 17 grooves that were standard for Nagoya Nambu production beginning in January, 1940. Note that it has the large trigger guard sometimes referred to as the Manchurian, Kiska or winter model. In fact all guns made after this was introduced in late 1939 had the large guard regardless of when or where they were being sent. The magazine retention spring at the bottom front of the grip, which was introduced in December, 1939, is present but broken (compare to the photos below).

    For more photos of this 15.11 dated Type 14, please click here: t141511pix.htm

 

    The next one is very close to the one above. Produced in Showa 15.12 (December, 1940), it is in pretty nice condition overall. However, there are a few flaws. Take the "Nambu Quiz・and see how many you can spot!

    For more photos of this 15.12 dated Type 14, please click here: t141512pix.htm

     Another one of the pistols from that 2007 multi-gun deal was this 16.7 dated Kokubunji pistol. It is not as good as the 15.6 shown above, but is still better than any of this variation that I had owned or even seen before.

　

        Fore more photos of this 16.7 dated Type 14, please click here: Nambu World: Showa 16.7 Kokubunji Type 14 Pistol

    Nagoya Arsenal was the first manufacturer of Type 14s, then production shifted elsewhere. When they started back up at a different factory of Nagoya Arsenal in late 1941 (Showa 16.10), they put a Japanese katanaka symbol i in front of the serial number to indicate this was a new series. This symbol looks like an upside down y in a circle. The earliest Toriimatsu gun I have is this Showa 17.9 (September, 1942). It represents the first variant of Toriimatsu pistol in that it has rounded heads on the trigger hinge pin (later ones were machine flush with the trigger guard).

    For more photos of this 17.9 dated Type 14, please click here: Showa 17.9 Toriimatsu Type 14 Photos

     Here is another First Series Toriimatsu gun. This one was made in Showa 18.6, i.e. June, 1943.

For more photos of this 18.6 dated Type 14, please click here: t14186pix.htm

 

    I have a second 18.6 dated Toriimatsu First Series that I found out about at the 2005 Easter show in Calgary and later bought from a lady who had inherited it from her late husband. The metal is pretty good, but when I got it, it had a pair of white plastic replacement grips, the wrong type of magazine and needed a minor repair. I fitted an original pair of wooden grips and the proper mag and did the repair, so now it looks and functions OK.

 

 

    For more photos of this second 18.6 dated Type 14, please click here: Showa 18.6 Type 14 Photos (A)

 

My 18.9 dated (September, 1943) pistol is another one from that Toriimatsu First Series. There's very little bluing left on it, but mechanically it is excellent and all matching including the magazine.


            *For more photos of this 18.9 dated Type 14, please click here: t14189pix.htm

 

    This next pistol, dated Showa 18.12 (December, 1943) is a kind of transitional variation: it has the markings of the Second Series but the same cocking knob and sight as the First Series.

                For more photos of this 18.12 dated Toriimatsu Type 14, please click here: Nambu World: Showa 18.12 Toriimatsu Type 14

 

    This one was the first really nice Type 14s I found. It is a Nagoya Army Arsenal, Toriimatsu Factory dated 19.1, or January, 1944. It has the transitional finely knurled cocking knob, which was only produced for about a month in January-February, 1944 (19.1 & 19.2; some 19.3 dated guns have it as they used up old parts that had migrated to the bottom of the parts bin).

    For more photos of this 19.1 dated Type 14, please click here: t14191pix.htm

 

    Here is a 19.5 dated Toriimatsu second series. It needed a striker, striker spring and striker spring guide (all small internal parts), but was otherwise in great shape and all matching except the magazine. For some reason the mag didn't fit right, so I replaced it.

    For more photos of this 19.5 dated Toriimatsu Type 14, please click here: t14195pix.htm

 

    I bought this 19.6 dated Kokubunji factory First Series gun in the USA from a friend of the vet who brought it back. It is in outstanding condition, though it shows some of the decline in finish characteristic of late war guns.

 

                        For more photos of this 19.6 dated Kokubunji First Series Type 14, please click here: t14196pix

 

       This is a nice, clean-looking 19.9 (September, 1944) dated pistol I got as part of a multi-gun deal. It is a Second Series gun from the Toriimatsu factory of Nagoya Arsenal.

            For more photos of this 19.9 dated Toriimatsu Second Series Type 14, please click here: Showa 19.9 Toriimatsu Second Series Type 14

 

    In May, 2007 I did another multi-gun deal and ended up with a second nice 19.9 dated Toriimatsu Second Series Type 14.

            *For more photos of this second 19.9 dated Toriimatsu Second Series Type 14, please click here: Nambu World: Showa 19.9 Toriimatsu Type 14 (2)

 

    Starting in Showa 19.11 (November, 1944) the Toriimatsu factory stopped putting grooves on the grips in order to speed up production. This 19.11 dated pistol was one of the first 500 or so to be made with these so-called "slab" grips.

For more photos of this 19.11 dated Type 14, please click here: t141911pix.htm

 

    This gun also has the slab (ungrooved) grips characteristic of late Toriimatsu factory production. It was made in Showa 20.5 (May, 1945), just a few months before the war ended. I don't think it was ever fired or disassembled after it left the factory. I bought it from the son of the vet who brought it back.

 

    For more photos of this 20.5 dated Type 14, please click here: t14205pix

 

    The last in the series chronologically are my two Nagoya Army Arsenal-Toriimatsu Factory pistols dated 20.7, or July, 1945. They are so-called "last- ditch" variants with mostly non-serialized parts from various factories, produced in the closing days of the war. By coincidence I have the lowest and highest in-sequence numbers from July, 1945. Here is the earlier one, which I acquired as part of a collection in March, 2005. It originally had no grips and the nice ones on it were fitted by the previous owner just before I got it.

            For more photos of this 20.7 dated Type 14, please click here: Showa 20.7 Last Ditch Type 14 (Early)

 

 

       The high-number 20.7 is one I bought much earlier from an ad in a Canadian firearms paper. Note the grips. They are the 17-groove type used only by the Kokubunji factory (see the 15.12 dated pistol above). This is probably the most common grip style found on last-ditch pistols.

                For more photos of this later 20.7 dated Type 14, please click here: t14207pix.htm

 

 

Last updated: May 25, 2008. All contents are copyright Teri unless otherwise specified and may not be used elsewhere in any form without prior permission.

　

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