Rare Nambu Pistol Type 14 (Showa 19.5) June 1944 “First Series Kokubunji” s/n 19xxx Cal. 8mm Nambu

This is a very late product from the Kokubunji factory in Chuo Kogyo, with only 1,789 pieces produced.

- The date is Showa 19.5 (May 1944), and the factory closed in August 1944.

- The Nagoya Arsenal Toriimatsu factory was producing guns at the same time, and continued to produce when Kokubunji stopped. 

The “Kokubunji First Series” pistols were the only Type 14s with three symbols in front of the serial number.

- The first on the far left is the Nagoya Arsenal Mark; the Nagoya Arsenal supervised production at the Kokubunji factory.

- The second symbol, the Nam in “Nambu”, is the symbol of the Nambu Rifle Mfg. Company, which continued to be used by its successor company, Chuo Kogyo, which was the company that actually manufactured this weapon.

- The last mark, the one that looks like an upside-down “y” In a circle, is the Katakana symbol I, Pronounced “EE”. This symbol indicates the first series (i.e. the first series of 99,999 after making 99,999 without serial marks).

Close-up on the date, 19.5, or May1944.

- Note that the Sho character (abbreviation of Showa, the name of Emperor Hirohito's reign) is struck twice.

- Below the 5 is the To character, as in Tokyo.

- This is an inspection mark used by Chuo Kogyo,

The Toriimatsu factory also blued these parts.

- It also has the old grooved cocking knob, which was used by Kokubunji even after Toriimatsu switched to the simpler knurled type.

- The handles are of the 17-groove type used exclusively by the Kokubunji factory (until the end of the war, when surplus stocks of parts were recycled into last-chance weapons at Toriimatsu).