Hino-Komuro M1908
Komuro Juhou Seisakusho · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1908
Also known as: Hino-Komuro pistol, Hino Komuro 1908
Overview
The Hino-Komuro M1908 was a Japanese semi-automatic pistol notable for its rare blow-forward operating system, in which the barrel is driven forward on firing while the breech and a fixed firing pin remain stationary. Designed by inventor and aviation pioneer Hino Kumazo and patented with Yujiro Komuro, it was produced in small numbers in .25 ACP, .32 ACP, and 8mm Nambu chamberings, the last of which was dropped as too powerful for the mechanism. Only around 1,200 were built, making surviving examples highly collectible.
Specifications
| Action Type | Blow Forward |
| Firing Mechanism | Fixed Firing Pin |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Automatic, 7.65x17mm Browning SR, 7.65mm Browning
- .25 ACP — also known as 6.35x16mm Browning, 6.35mm Browning, .25 Auto
- 8x22mm Nambu — also known as 8mm Nambu, 8mm Japanese, 8x22mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Features: Blow Forward Action, Fixed Firing Pin, Detachable Box Magazine
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,200 · Production years: 1908-1912
Small commercial production; exact figures uncertain due to lost records
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Kumazo Hino
Discontinued: 1912
Notes
The blow-forward design is one of very few production pistols to use this mechanism. Most production records were lost when Hino's Tokyo home was firebombed during World War II. In 1992 a cache of 17 unused .32 ACP examples was reportedly discovered in a warehouse after decades of storage.
Background
Designer Kumazo Hino was also an aviation pioneer, credited with making one of Japan's first powered flights; his rare blow-forward pistol pushes its barrel away from the shooter on firing rather than cycling a slide toward them.