I just picked up a double barrel shotgun with a bayonet lug, I have heard these were used by prison canp gaurds, its rough but different, any info would be appreciated
brshhawg
Hello brshhawg :
Seem to remember a couple of articles in Banzai, around the 1980s or early '90s , not much else exists as these were commercial arms. Nothing in the major books.
Vicasoto
Seem to remember a couple of articles in Banzai, around the 1980s or early '90s , not much else exists as these were commercial arms. Nothing in the major books.
Vicasoto
If your example is a Japanese-produced example, here is a partial excerpt from a 1963-dated article in "Gun" magazine, a Japanese language publication.
"During 1943, the tide of war began to turn significantly in favor of the Allies. By then, the Japanese armed forces, especially the Navy who had become almost completely dependent on the Army arsenal system for the majority of its small caliber shoulder arms, found themselves in desperate need of weapons with which to arm their troops.
One slightly unorthodox idea the Naval War Department instituted as a temporary expedient to the arms shortage was to modify hunting weapons for use by the Naval Landing Forces. The Game Commissioner from the Forest and Field Ministry and the Sheriffs of the Police Ministry, in cooperation with the Imperial Japanese Hunting Friends Association, solicited the purchase of hunting weapons from the nation's hunters. A price of 30 yen was offered for each weapon, resulting in the collection of over 20,000 small arms, mostly shotguns.
Approximately 10,000 of these purchased weapons were shipped directly to the Akabane Factory of the Heirinkan Firearms KK for modification into weapons suitable for combat use in the jungles of the South Pacific. The modifications consisted largely of fitting a lug type device onto the front of the barrel that permitted the mounting of a Japanese Type 30 bayonet. Of the total 10,000 shotguns shipped to the company, only about 2,000 - 3,000 were so modified. With the progressively mounting pressure on the company to produce ever-increasing numbers of Type 99 Naval Special rifles, the remaining unmodified weapons were held in storage until early March 1945, when they were returned to the Navy. The official reason cited for their return was "uncertain prospects for reconditioning." Whether any significant quantities of the 2,000 - 3,000 modified weapons ever reached troops in the field is unknown."
Please do post some photos as time allows. Below is a photo of the example in my collection.
C/
"During 1943, the tide of war began to turn significantly in favor of the Allies. By then, the Japanese armed forces, especially the Navy who had become almost completely dependent on the Army arsenal system for the majority of its small caliber shoulder arms, found themselves in desperate need of weapons with which to arm their troops.
One slightly unorthodox idea the Naval War Department instituted as a temporary expedient to the arms shortage was to modify hunting weapons for use by the Naval Landing Forces. The Game Commissioner from the Forest and Field Ministry and the Sheriffs of the Police Ministry, in cooperation with the Imperial Japanese Hunting Friends Association, solicited the purchase of hunting weapons from the nation's hunters. A price of 30 yen was offered for each weapon, resulting in the collection of over 20,000 small arms, mostly shotguns.
Approximately 10,000 of these purchased weapons were shipped directly to the Akabane Factory of the Heirinkan Firearms KK for modification into weapons suitable for combat use in the jungles of the South Pacific. The modifications consisted largely of fitting a lug type device onto the front of the barrel that permitted the mounting of a Japanese Type 30 bayonet. Of the total 10,000 shotguns shipped to the company, only about 2,000 - 3,000 were so modified. With the progressively mounting pressure on the company to produce ever-increasing numbers of Type 99 Naval Special rifles, the remaining unmodified weapons were held in storage until early March 1945, when they were returned to the Navy. The official reason cited for their return was "uncertain prospects for reconditioning." Whether any significant quantities of the 2,000 - 3,000 modified weapons ever reached troops in the field is unknown."
Please do post some photos as time allows. Below is a photo of the example in my collection.
C/
Attachments
LB,
Yes, the sideplate is marked "T. Uchiyama - Tokyo" and the buttplate is marked (in Japanese) "Tokyo - Kawaguchiya." The Kawaguchiya - Hayashi Company was probably the largest gun shop in Tokyo.
C/
Yes, the sideplate is marked "T. Uchiyama - Tokyo" and the buttplate is marked (in Japanese) "Tokyo - Kawaguchiya." The Kawaguchiya - Hayashi Company was probably the largest gun shop in Tokyo.
C/
LB,
Mine is a 12 gauge, but is undated. Nothing but a few inspection stamps underneath the woodline. The quality is excellent and very much consistent with that of Western or European-made examples.
C/
Mine is a 12 gauge, but is undated. Nothing but a few inspection stamps underneath the woodline. The quality is excellent and very much consistent with that of Western or European-made examples.
C/
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