Type 26 Photos (Arsenal Rework)

On November 2, 2003 I finally got to pick up the Type 26 revolver I had purchased on September 12, 2003 (Canada’s registration system moves at a glacial pace). It is a double-action only, break-open type revolver that fires an obsolete 9mm rimmed round. By the 1930s most of these guns had seen decades of service so they were arsenal reworked by the Japanese, and this is one of the reworked guns. Here are some photos.

This shows the left side.

Here is a close-up of the markings on the right side of the frame above and just forward of the grips. The top symbol is the marking of Tokyo arsenal. It is supposed to represent four cannon balls stacked together and viewed from the top. The characters below that are read from left to right. The one that looks like an equal sign means “two”, then the one that looks like a plus sign means “ten”. The middle one means “six”, the second one from the right means “year” and the last one means “type” or “model”. Below that is the serial number. This one was made about two-thirds of the way through the production run, so probably some time in the teens or early twenties (1910s or 1920s).

There are also several markings on the butt plate around where the lanyard loop attaches.

Here is one side of the lanyard loop.

Here are the markings on the other side.

The action breaks open using a so-called Smith & Wesson style latch. Here it is from the side partially raised. The hammer is at the lower right.

Here is the latch from the top (the round horizontal bar-like thing in the middle of the photo). Above it the rear sight can be seen. The very bottom shows the hammer.

When you raise the latch, break open the action and lower the barrel, the extractor (the thing sticking up out of the cylinder) raises to eject the empties.

Once it has opened all the way, the extractor snaps back down and you are ready to reload.

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While the Type 26 is not considered one of the world’s great guns, it was not that bad in comparison with many of its contemporaries like the French M1892 “Lebel” revolver or the Russian M1895 Nagant gas seal revolver. One of its good features was that you could easily open up the side plate to clean or repair the lockwork. To do this you pull down and forward on the back of the trigger guard, which then swings downward.

Right below the screw where the action breaks open there is a little mark where you can then pry open the side with your thumbnail. This is similar to the French M1892 “Lebel” revolver.

This shot shows the lockwork inside in more detail.

This shot shows the size of the Type 26 (top) compared to a Webley & Scott No. 2, Mark 1 revolver, which fired a .38 S&W round somewhat similar to, but not interchangeable with, the 9mm Japanese revolver cartridge. The Type 26 was long since obsolete by WWII and was a second-line weapon for the Japanese forces, but the British introduced this Webley & Scott during that conflict!

Here it is snuggled into its holster.

To see Type 26 accessories, please click here: t26accessories.htm

Click here to go back to the Type 26 Photo Gallery: t26gallery.htm

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Last updated: July 8 , 2005. All contents are copyright Teri unless otherwise specified and may not be used elsewhere in any form without prior permission.