We like to keep it light over here, and we love to share knowledge with our students, past, present, and future, so we’ve come up with this new series – Crappy Guns in History. We hope you enjoy. Now on to Part 1 – The Nambu.
The Nambu pistol is a recoil-operated, locked-breech, semi-automatic firearm developed by the Japanese Koishikawa Arsenal, later known as the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal. It was widely used by the Imperial Japanese military during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War. The most prevalent variant, the Type 14, was predominantly issued to officers, who were required to purchase their pistols at personal expense.
While the Nambu’s design is functional, its ergonomics leave much to be desired. Notably, the slanted grip, while a recognizable feature, creates practical issues. This design flaw diminishes the effectiveness of the magazine follower spring by increasing friction as cartridges press against the magazine’s inner walls, further weakening the spring over time. Compounding these issues, the pistol’s weak striker spring and deficiencies in the recoil spring assembly contribute to frequent misfires.
The Nambu is also highly sensitive to ammunition specifications. Cartridge dimensions must be precise, as soft-point or cast-lead bullets often fail to chamber correctly. Even when operational, the pistol uses the 8×22mm Nambu cartridge, which generates less than half the muzzle energy of a standard 9mm Luger round, limiting its overall effectiveness.
Interestingly, the Nambu’s distinct profile has found new life in popular culture. The Star Wars franchise, known for repurposing historical firearms as props, featured a modified Nambu in The Mandalorian. The character Cara Dune (portrayed by Gina Carano) can be seen wielding a Nambu pistol outfitted with a scope, reimagined as a blaster in the series.