The Nambu was a Japanese pistol that saw service in both World Wars. There are two versions of the Nambu: The Type 4 (or Type A), and the Type B (or Type 14).
History
The Nambu was first designed in 1902 by Japanese General Kijiro Nambu. The Nambu pistol has a similar aesthetic design to the German Luger, but the two pistols were not based on each other.
The Nambu wasn't officially adopted by the Japanese army, as officers were expected to purchase their own sidearms. However, the Nambu was the most popular pistol purchased by the Japanese officers. Some Japanese officers did purchase other Western sidearms, however.
The Type 14 Nambu was first produced in 1925, and production ended in 1945, at the end of the Second World War. Production records for Japanese firearms were almost all destroyed before the war ended, so the Nambu is a very rare weapon.
The gun is widely considered to be an inferior weapon to other handguns used in World War II, mostly due to its 8mm round and generally smaller size. The trigger guard in particular was seen as way too small, and would be extended in later models to allow use by personnel wearing gloves.
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