Miroku Liberty Chief

Miroku Corporation · Pistol · Discontinued · 1962

Also known as: Liberty Chief

Overview

The Miroku Liberty Chief is a compact five-to-six-shot .38 Special double-action revolver produced by Japan's Miroku Corporation between 1962 and 1968. A short-barreled snub-nose design in the mold of the Smith & Wesson Chief's Special, it features an exposed hammer, a swing-out cylinder, fixed sights, and wood grips. It was one of the most common of the handful of handgun models Miroku built before the company shifted its focus to over/under shotguns and lever-action rifles for Browning and Winchester.

Specifications

Barrel Length	51 mm (2.01")
Action Type	Double Action Revolver
Firing Mechanism	Double Action
Trigger Type	Double Action
Magazine Capacity	6 rounds
Magazine Type	Internal
Muzzle Velocity	290 m/s (951 fps)
Muzzle Energy	341 J (252 ft·lbf)
Effective Range	25 m (27 yd)
Barrel Rifling	Right Hand
Frame Material	Steel
Barrel Material	Steel
Stock Material	Wood
Finish	Blued

Calibers

.38 Special · primary — also known as .38 Spl, .38 S&W Special, 9x29mmR

Features

Firing modes: Repeating
Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
Safety mechanisms: Rebounding Hammer
Features: Snub Nose Barrel, Exposed Hammer, Swing Out Cylinder, Fixed Sights, Wood Grips

Service history

Operators

Civilian Market

Production

Production years: 1962-1968

Produced in limited numbers; not widely distributed before Miroku ended handgun production

Origin

Country of origin: Japan

Discontinued: 1968

Notes

Miroku produced only a small number of handgun models during the 1960s; the Liberty Chief was the best known. Some examples were imported to the United States. Barrel length is commonly cited as 2 inches with a six-round cylinder.

Background

A .38-caliber Liberty Chief revolver made by Miroku turns up in United States federal case files from the 1960s, a reminder that these obscure Japanese snub-noses quietly found their way overseas during the brief window Miroku built handguns.