Type 100 SMG
Nambu Rifle Manufacturing Company · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1942
Also known as: 100 Shiki Kikan-tanju, Type 100 (1940), Type 100/40, Hyaku-shiki Kikantanju
Overview
The Type 100 was the only submachine gun produced by Imperial Japan in any meaningful quantity, designed by Kijiro Nambu and adopted in 1942. It is a blowback-operated, open-bolt weapon chambered in the relatively underpowered 8x22mm Nambu pistol cartridge, fed from a 30-round side-mounted curving magazine. Distinctive features include a perforated barrel jacket and a bayonet lug - a uniquely Japanese touch on an SMG.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3800 g (134.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 890 mm (35.04") |
| Barrel Length | 228 mm (8.98") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 335 m/s (1099 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 370 J (273 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 120 m (131 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 450 rpm |
| 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: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Perforated Barrel Jacket, Bayonet Lug, Wooden Full Length Stock, Side Curving Magazine, Open Bolt Operation
Variants
- Type 100/40 — Early Production
- Type 100/40(N) Paratrooper — Folding Stock
- Type 100/44 (Simplified) — Simplified Late War
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Army · adopted 1942 · as Type 100
- Imperial Japanese Navy Special Naval Landing Forces · adopted 1942 · as Type 100
- Republic of China
- North Vietnam
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- Pacific War (1941-1945)
- Chinese Civil War (1945-1949)
- First Indochina War (1946-1954)
Production
Estimated total produced: 27,000 · Production years: 1942-1945
Estimates vary: approximately 10,000 Type 100/40, 6,000-7,500 paratrooper variant, and 8,000 Type 100/44, with total under 30,000 units.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Kijiro Nambu
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Produced in two main production patterns: the original 1942 Type 100/40 with adjustable rear sight, folding bipod, and bayonet lug; and the 1944 simplified Type 100/44 (Type 100 Late Pattern) with fixed sights, increased rate of fire to roughly 800 rpm, and a much-simplified manufacturing process. A folding-stock paratrooper variant was also produced for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Total production across all variants is estimated at fewer than 30,000 units.
Background
The Type 100 was the only mass-produced Japanese submachine gun of WWII, and it carried the only feature the Imperial Japanese Army wouldn't part with: a bayonet lug. While Allied troops fielded SMGs with stock-folding adapters and high-capacity drum magazines, Japanese designers insisted that even an automatic weapon firing at 450 rpm needed a fixed bayonet for the final charge.