Type 1 HMG
Imperial Japanese Army Arsenals · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1942
Also known as: Type 1 Heavy Machine Gun, Model 01 HMG, Type 1 Juki
Overview
The Type 1 HMG is a Japanese gas-operated, air-cooled heavy machine gun adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1942 and chambered in 7.7x58mm Arisaka. Essentially a lightened development of the Type 92, it scaled down the older gun's components and discarded the heavy barrel jacket in favor of a quick-change barrel and smaller cooling rings, cutting total system weight by nearly half. Like its predecessor it fed from rigid 30-round metal strips inserted from the left side and was fired from a tripod. Despite formal adoption, wartime material shortages and the continued acceptability of the Type 92 meant it never reached large-scale production.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 15240 g (537.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1077 mm (42.40") |
| Barrel Length | 589 mm (23.19") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Feed Strip |
| Muzzle Velocity | 770 m/s (2526 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3350 J (2471 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 1400 m (1531 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 4500 m (4921 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 450 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.7x58mm Arisaka · primary — also known as 7.7mm Japanese, 7.7x58mm Type 99, .303 Japanese
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Metal Feed Strip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Air Cooled, Quick Change Barrel, Tripod Mounted, Metal Feed Strip, No Barrel Jacket
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Army · adopted 1942
Conflicts
- World War II (1942-1945)
Production
Production years: 1942-1945
Adopted but never mass-produced; output limited by wartime material shortages and competing priorities
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Imperial Japanese Army (Kokura Army Arsenal)
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Restricted to the rimless 7.7x58mm cartridge, unlike the Type 92 which could also use the semi-rimmed round. Only one example, serial number 1, is known to survive. Should not be confused with the Type 1 (Type 98/Type 1) aircraft machine gun, a separate weapon.
Background
Intended as a lighter successor to the venerable Type 92 'Juki', the Type 1 trimmed almost half the weight of the original by removing the barrel jacket and adopting a field-removable barrel that could be swapped in about a minute. The Type 92 was deemed good enough, however, so the Type 1 never displaced it; today a single surviving gun, serial number 1, resides at the US Army Ordnance Training and Heritage Center.