Hamada Type
Japan Firearms Manufacturing Company · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1941
Also known as: Hamada Type 1, Hamada Type Ichi, Hamada Type 2, Hamada Type Ni
Overview
The Hamada Type is a Japanese World War II semi-automatic pistol designed by civilian sporting-gunmaker Bunji Hamada, closely derived from the FN/Browning Model 1910. The original Type 1 is chambered in .32 ACP and noted for its excellent quality and finish; nearly all of it was shipped to China. The later Hamada Type 2, adopted in 1943, is rechambered for the Japanese 8mm Nambu service cartridge with a longer barrel and steeper grip angle.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 650 g (22.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 165 mm (6.50") |
| Barrel Length | 90 mm (3.54") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 9 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 300 m/s (984 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 210 J (155 ft·lbf) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as 7.65mm Browning, 7.65x17mm
- 8mm Nambu — also known as 8x22mm Nambu
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Browning 1910 Pattern, High Quality Finish
Variants
- Hamada Type 2 — Caliber 8mm Nambu
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Army · adopted 1943 · as Type 2 (8mm)
Conflicts
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 5,000 · Production years: 1941-1945
Type 1 about 4,500-5,000; Type 2 only around 50 assembled (plus unassembled parts). Only ~27 Type 1 and ~17 Type 2 documented in the U.S.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Bunji Hamada
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Type 1 (.32 ACP, 9-round magazine) was made 1941 to early 1944; Type 2 (8mm Nambu, 6-round magazine) was adopted June 1943 but barely produced, with only around 50 assembled at a Notobe textile factory before the war ended. Type 2 has distinctive semicircular cutouts at the rear of the slide to lighten it.
Background
Bunji Hamada was a civilian sporting-gunmaker pressed into military production in 1941; nearly all of his quality .32 Browning clones vanished into China, and his 8mm Nambu Type 2 was adopted in 1943 but barely built before the war ended. Hamada himself survived and reopened a hunting-rifle shop in Kamakura.