CODE – 01-062-902

NAME – Nambu Type 1902

NAME (NATIVE) – Nambu Kenju, Shiki Riku (Nambu Pistol, Army Model)

COMMON NAMES – Grandpa Nambu

TYPE – Semiautomatic pistol

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Japan

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1902

CALIBER – 8×22 mm (8mm Japanese, 8mm Nambu)

OVERALL LENGTH – 22.9 cm (9.06 in)

LENGTH WITH SMALL STOCK – 54.6 cm (21.50 in)

LENGTH WITH LARGE STOCK – 54.3 cm (21.38 in)

BARREL LENGTH – 12.1 cm (4.76 in)

STOCK LENGTH – 26.9 cm (10.59 in) Small Stock – Collapsed, 34.7 cm (13.66 in) Small Stock – Extended

STOCK LENGTH – 27 cm (10.63 in) Large Stock – Collapsed, 35 cm (13.78 in) Large Stock – Extended

RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 6 groove, Right hand twist, 1 turn in 29 cm (11.5 in)

BULLET DIAMETER – 8.13 mm (0.320 in)

BULLET WEIGHT – 7 g (107 gr)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 290 m/s (950 fps)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 291 j (214 ft/lb)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 0.92 kg (2 lb)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 01.10 kg (2 lb 6.8 oz)

WEIGHT (LOADED WITH STOCK) – 1.85 kg (4 lb 1.3 oz) with 8 rounds, Loaded spare magazine (16 rounds total),  and Small stock

WEIGHT (LOADED WITH STOCK) – 1.88 kg (4 lb 2.3 oz) with 8 rounds, Loaded spare magazine (16 rounds total),  and Large stock

STOCK WEIGHT – SMALL – 0.57 kg (1 lb 4 oz)

STOCK WEIGHT – LARGE – 0.60 Kg (1 lb 5 oz)

SIGHTS – Open Iron, adjustable for range, Front sight – blade, Rear sight, tangent notch, adjustable from 50 to 500 m (55 to 547 yards) in 50 meter (55 yard) increments

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 23 m (25 yards)

OPERATION – Short-recoil

TYPE OF FIRE – Semiautomatic, Single action

RATE OF FIRE – 32 rpm

FEED DEVICE – 8 round detachable box magazine, Single column, Single feed

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 0.09 kg (3 oz)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 0.18 kg (6.4 oz)

BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – Two – 8 round magazines (16 rounds)

LOAD WEIGHT – 0.36 kg (12.7 oz)

MANUFACTURER – Kayoba Manufacturing co. Ltd. Tokyo Kosho, Japan

STATUS – Obsolete

SERVICE – Commercial sales to Japanese military officers, no official military adoption

     This was the first semiautomatic Japanese pistol to reach any success on the market. It was designed my Colonel (later General) Kijiro Nambu. The design of the weapon began in 1897 and took features from a number of European designs, particularly the Mauser C96. The final design was demonstrated in 1902. Commonly called the “Grandpa” Nambu among collectors, the first production weapons had a relatively small trigger guard, tangent-style rear sight, and were slotted to accept a shoulder stock that could also act as a holster. The inside of the stock has a slot for a spare magazine as well as a cleaning rod. There were both a small and, later, large version of the stocks made, both of which were about the same overall length when extended and attached to the pistol. For more convenient carrying, the front part of the stocks would collapse to shorten the overall length when they were used as a holster. Stocks were serial numbered to their respective weapon and few will interchange with one another. There may have been approximately 1,900 small stocks made with a much smaller number of large stocks produced.

     The Type 1902 Nambu has its recoil spring running along the left side of the weapon, contained in a horizontal, cylindrical bulge. A notable feature of the design is the grip safety on the upper front strap of the pistol grip. The distinctive bulge of the safety just underneath the trigger guard can be easily recognized in photographs of the weapon. The Nambu was reasonably well-built as it was primarily intended for the commercial market. Though purchased by individual officers of the Japanese military, the Nambu Type 1904 was never officially adopted by the Imperial Japanese Military. Notably, most of the magazines were made with a wooden base with a few aluminum-based magazines having been produced later in the production run of the weapon.