Type 3 Heavy Machine Gun
Koishikawa Arsenal · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1914
Also known as: Type 3 HMG, Taisho 3 Machine Gun, Sanju Shiki Kikanju
Overview
The Type 3 Heavy Machine Gun is a Japanese gas-operated, air-cooled machine gun adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1914. Developed by Kijiro Nambu as an adaptation of the French Hotchkiss design, it chambered the 6.5x50mm Arisaka cartridge and was fed by rigid 30-round Hotchkiss-style metal feed strips. Mounted on a heavy tripod and weighing roughly 55 kg with its mount, it featured a distinctive ribbed, finned barrel for cooling, rear spade grips, and an integrated oiler. It served as the primary heavy machine gun of the Imperial Japanese Army until the 7.7mm Type 92 began to supersede it in the 1930s, though the Type 3 remained in use through the end of World War II.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 55000 g (1940.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1198 mm (47.17") |
| Barrel Length | 737 mm (29.02") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Feed Strip |
| Muzzle Velocity | 740 m/s (2428 fps) |
| Effective Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 4000 m (4374 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 450 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 6.5x50mm Arisaka · primary — also known as 6.5x50mm SR, 6.5mm Japanese, 6.5x50mm Meiji 30
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Feed Strip
- Features: Air Cooled, Finned Barrel, Tripod Mounted, Hotchkiss Feed Strip, Integrated Oiler, Rear Spade Grips
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Army · adopted 1914 · as Type 3 (Taisho 3)
Conflicts
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1914-1932
Produced at Japanese government arsenals; replaced in front-line production by the 7.7mm Type 92 heavy machine gun in the 1930s.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Kijiro Nambu
Discontinued: 1932
Notes
The designation 'Type 3' refers to the third year of the reign of Emperor Taisho (1914). Its successor, the Type 92, retained the same basic Hotchkiss-derived mechanism but was chambered in 7.7x58mm.
Background
Adapted by Kijiro Nambu from the French Hotchkiss M1914, the Type 3 carried the Hotchkiss family's signature rigid metal feed strips and finned, air-cooled barrel into Japanese service, where its slow, deliberate rate of fire let it sustain long bursts without overheating.