CODE – 04-062-937

NAME – Type 97 Heavy Tank Machine Gun

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Japan

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1937

CALIBER – 7.7x58mm (7.7 Arisaka)

OVERALL LENGTH – 99.8 cm (39.5 in) without stock, 118.1 cm (46.5 in) with stock

BARREL LENGTH – 71.1 cm (28 in)

RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 4 Grooves, Right-hand twist

LOAD – Spitzer-shaped full jacketed ball

BULLET DIAMETER – 7.87 mm (0.310 in)

BULLET WEIGHT – 11.92 g (184 grains)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 724 m/s (2375 fps)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 3125 j (2305 ft/lb)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 11.14 kg (24 lb 9 oz)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 11.99 kg (26 lb 7 oz) loaded with 20 rds 7.7 ball

WEIGHT (LOADED with OPTICAL SIGHT) – 15.96 kg (35 lb 3 oz) with Type 91 optical sight, loaded with 20 rds 7.7 ball

TYPE OF MOUNT – Tank

SIGHTS – Open, iron, adjustable, Front sight – Blade, Rear sight – Drum adjustable with aperture, Graduated from 200 to 1,500 meters in 100 meter increments (219 to 1640 yards in 109 yards increments)

OPTICAL SIGHT – Type 91

OPTICAL SIGHT WEIGHT – 3.97 kg (8 lb 12 oz) with mounting hardware

OPTICAL SIGHT MAGNIFICATION – 1.5 Power

OPTICAL SIGHT FIELD OF VIEW – 30 degrees – 52.5 m @ 100 m (157.5 ft @100 yds)

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 549 m (600 yards)

OPERATION – Gas

TYPE OF FIRE – Full automatic

RATE OF FIRE – 120 rpm

CYCLIC ROF – 500 rpm

FEED DEVICE – 20 round detachable box magazine, double column, double feed

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 0.31 kg (11 oz)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 0.85 kg (1 lb 14 oz) loaded with 20 rds 7.7 ball

BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – Forty 20-rd magazines (800 rounds)

LOAD WEIGHT – 34 kg (74 lb 15 oz)

MANUFACTURER – Nagoya Army Arsenal, Niijura Factory, Tokyo

STATUS – Obsolete

SERVICE – Imperial Japanese Army

     This is a close copy of the Czech ZB 26, with the mountings and furniture changed as well as the caliber. The close confines of an armored vehicle dictated the use of a small magazine than the usual 30-rounder, so the Type 97 feeds from a 20-round magazine.