[N8Gunnr]

I bought this Nambu Type 14 Pistol Yesterday and am seeking information on the Gun and a translation of the Japanese characters inside the holster Flap. Thanks for any help with this !

 

[seinen]

First, very nice T-14. I can only help you with the former owner's family name. It's "Yamada." The first two kanji characters on the right-hand side are his first name, which may be read many different ways. I'm sure Takehito will be able to assist.

C/

 

[type-14]

I'll follow chip's lead here and wait for Takehito to do the translations, but I have number of questions about your 2,9 date. What is the inspection mark in the "B" position (left side of frame)? Can you provide additional photo's of the holster (front/back) and any inspection marks found inside of the holster as well. Oh yes, congrats on a very nice find and to have a number holster to go with it is just super.

 

[TGE]

Thanks for posting the pictures of your new acquistion. Early Nagoya pistols are really great guns.

The mag looks correct. Does it match the pistol?

 

[N8Gunnr]

Thanks, You Guys, for the input on this.
I shall try and get more pictures shortly ( Time Time Time Busy Busy Busy )

Would be Great to hear from Takehito on the translation.

Posted here are 3 quotes from the other Board(FalFiles) regarding the translation (persons) name...

'm working on it. I took Japanese in college 20 years ago.

Written Japanese is sometimes difficult to piece together.

The first character is "mountain".
The second character is "rice field".

So that would read as "mountain rice field" right? No. "Mountain rice field" is written differently.

The first two characters are put together to form "Yamada", a family name.

The next character I can find no exact match, but is similar to "manor", as in a country home. I've looked in three dictionaries and two good online ones. No exact match. I think someone was in a hurry when they wrote it and deviated a bit from the norm. Makes it hard to figure out if it's not exact.

The last character is used for the words: "even, flat, or peace". Depending on if the downstroke flicks to the left at the bottom, it could mean "question mark".

So, does it translate to "Yamada peaceful country house"? Sounds like an odd thing to put on a holster.

If you don't mind, I'll post a cropped and rotated picture of the label on a forum for Japanese translation and see if they can figure out the last two characters.

Yamada Shohei,It is a guy's name. Sounds like something from 60 to 90 years ago. About as common as "John Anderson" here. I would guess was the guy the pistol was issued to.

Nice Nambu Type 14. I like it. The small trigger guard, straw-color trigger and nice finish all point to this being an earlier model. The date marking is 2,9 and that means Showa 2, 9th month. September 1927.

The kanji characters are a name, possibly the user of this firearm. The name reads - Yamada Shohei

Yamada is the family name. Shohei is the first name.

 

[Edokko]

Thanks, You Guys, for the input on this.
I shall try and get more pictures shortly ( Time Time Time Busy Busy Busy )

Would be Great to hear from Takehito on the translation.

Posted here are 3 quotes from the other Board(FalFiles) regarding the translation (persons) name...

Your guys at the other forum have it right. The name is indeed Yamada Shohei (山田庄平).
But boy, that's a nice rig you have !

 

[seinen]

Your guys at the other forum have it right. The name is indeed Yamada Shohei (山田庄平).
But boy, that's a nice rig you have !

I'll say....and a 2-date to boot.

C/

 

[Fushigi Ojisan]

What are the chances of it belonging to this guy?

http://www.hrr.mlit.go.jp/yuzawa/uonuma/report/juku2004/part3/photo/photo04.htm

Also found this, if the pistol belonged to this guy then its quite historical

http://books.google.com/books?id=xt...&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result

 

[arisakadogs]

Super nice rig! Are there any inner flap markings in the holster besides the tag? I'd sure like to see some more photos of the holster details.
Again - Nice!

 

[N8Gunnr]

Super nice rig! Are there any inner flap markings in the holster besides the tag? I'd sure like to see some more photos of the holster details.
Again - Nice!

No other markings at all on the holster that I can see. email me and I can send you the 13 or 14 pictures that I have of the gun, or go here:

http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=249179

where I think I have all 13 pictures posted.

 

[TGE]

No other markings at all on the holster that I can see. .....

Thanks for the link to the photos. The holster is a later version (Type III) which has the striker pouch and the square brass strap rings. The maker and date marks for theses are usually centered on the inside of the clamshell cover. Probably right under the paper label. The holster looks like Nagoya manufactured though. The straps are usually date/maker marked too. So check the backside of the straps near the buckle end. That is where the straps are usually marked. That way you may be able to date the holster.

Regarding the pistol, the proof mark in the "B" location looks like "TO" (亰) designating the arsensal which reworked the pistol sometime after 1931. Reworking was done to modify/improve the firing pin design and to add a magazine safety feature.

I would be curious to know the proof marks on the magazine and whether it matches the pistol.

Thanks again for the photos. Early Nagoya T14s are really nice to collect.

 

[arisakadogs]

TGE, was great to visit with you last weekend at the Phoenix show! I'm gonna see if I can make the next Reno show??

N8, I looked at your photos & TGE is right on the money. The holster was probably changed at some point after original issue. I once had a holster that had 3-4 of these paper tags on top of each other & were numbered to different pistols. Still, with yours bearing the pistols S/N it most certainly was with the pistol when "liberated"
These early Nagoyas are very desirable pistols.

I was looking at your holster photos again & you can see the outline and even the remains of a previous tag.

 

[Rampage19]

Nate,

I concur with the previous comments about your 2,9 Chigusa and holster. From our conversation and the images you provided to me, all its features/markings, save one, are normal for its period of production (A=MON over TA; 26 groove grips; 2.5mm arsenal mark). The anomaly is that this gun has arrows on the left side. Chigusa added arrows between the fire and safe marks to standard production in 3,2. I only have report of a very small number of earlier Chigusa guns with arrows (three 2,2 and one other 2,9). There are no reports of missing arrows after 3,2.

 

[TGE]

Nate,

I concur with the previous comments about your 2,9 Chigusa and holster. From our conversation and the images you provided to me, all its features/markings, save one, are normal for its period of production (A=MON over TA; 26 groove grips; 2.5mm arsenal mark). The anomaly is that this gun has arrows on the left side. Chigusa added arrows between the fire and safe marks to standard production in 3,2. I only have report of a very small number of earlier Chigusa guns with arrows (three 2,2 and one other 2,9). There are no reports of missing arrows after 3,2.

Any truth to the theory that these arrows were sometimes added to the pistol during the recall when the pin/safety mods were done?

 

[TGE]

TGE, was great to visit with you last weekend at the Phoenix show! I'm gonna see if I can make the next Reno show??

Good to see you too, and the other Japanese collector fanatics. Hope you can make Reno.

 

[Rampage19]

Any truth to the theory that these arrows were sometimes added to the pistol during the recall when the pin/safety mods were done?

Russ (please see my email a few minutes ago),

I don't think know for sure. Certainly, it is possible and, maybe, even probable. However, with only five reports of arrows present in pre-3,2 guns out of 67 reports, it obviously didn't happen very often, as very few of those guns didn't go through the recall.