Grandpa Nambu
Koishikawa Arsenal · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1903
Also known as: Nambu Type A, Nambu Model 1902, Original Nambu, Pistol Type A 1902
Overview
The Grandpa Nambu (Nambu Type A, Model 1902) was Kijiro Nambu's first commercial semi-automatic pistol design and the original member of the Nambu pistol family. A locked-breech, short-recoil semi-automatic chambered in 8x22mm Nambu, it featured a slot machined into the rear of the grip frame to accept a detachable wooden shoulder stock similar to the Mauser C96. Production ran approximately from 1903 to 1906 at the Tokyo Artillery (Koishikawa) Arsenal.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 900 g (31.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 230 mm (9.06") |
| Barrel Length | 117 mm (4.61") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 290 m/s (951 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 280 J (207 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 8x22mm Nambu · primary — also known as 8mm Nambu, 8mm Japanese, 8x22mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Grip Safety
- Features: Shoulder Stock Attachment Slot, Tangent Rear Sight, Wood Magazine Baseplate, Locked Breech, Concentric Recoil Spring
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Army Officers · as Nambu Type A
- Royal Thai Army
- Republic of China
Conflicts
- Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 2,400 · Production years: 1903-1906
Approximately 2,400 examples produced at the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal (Koishikawa) before being superseded by the redesigned 'Papa' Nambu in 1906.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Kijiro Nambu
Discontinued: 1906
Notes
Distinguished from the later 'Papa' Nambu by a smaller trigger guard, wooden magazine baseplate, the shoulder-stock slot, and a tangent rear sight graduated 1 to 5 (in hundreds of meters). Production terminated at approximately serial number 2,400. Although never formally adopted by the Japanese Army, the design was sold to officers, China, and Siam.
Background
The Grandpa Nambu was sold complete with an exotic detachable wooden shoulder stock that converted the pistol into a short carbine, a feature copied from the Mauser C96 - but the Japanese Army never bought a single one. The earliest examples sold abroad to Siam and China before any made it into Japanese service holsters.