Type 97 Tank Machine Gun
Kokura Arsenal · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1937
Also known as: Type 97 Heavy Tank Machine Gun, Model 97 (1937) 7.7mm MG
Overview
The Type 97 was the standard tank and armored-vehicle machine gun of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1937, a Japanese adaptation by Kijiro Nambu of the Czech ZB vz. 26/30 light machine gun. Gas-operated and air-cooled with a quick-change barrel and a top-mounted 20-round box magazine, the tank version carried a fixed 1.5x telescopic sight with a rubber eye pad to protect the gunner inside the cramped fighting compartment. It armed essentially all Japanese tanks and armored cars of the period and could be dismounted with a bipod, folding stock and pistol grip for use as an infantry light machine gun.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 11250 g (396.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1145 mm (45.08") |
| Folded Length | 1001 mm (39.41") |
| Barrel Length | 700 mm (27.56") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 724 m/s (2375 fps) |
| Effective Range | 540 m (591 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3420 m (3740 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 500 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
Calibers
- 7.7x58mm Arisaka · primary — also known as 7.7 Japanese, 7.7mm Type 99, 7.7x58mm rimless
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Features: Air Cooled, Quick Change Barrel, Top Mounted Box Magazine, Telescopic Sight 1 5x, Pistol Grip, Folding Shoulder Stock, Dismountable With Bipod
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Army · adopted 1937 · as Type 97
Conflicts
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- World War II (1941-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 16,000 · Production years: 1937-1945
Estimated 15,000-18,000 units produced across the war
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Kijiro Nambu
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Distinct from the Type 97 sniper rifle and the Type 97 aircraft MG. Sources disagree on barrel length (592 mm primary US wartime measurement vs 700 mm modern figure) and empty weight (~10.6-13.9 kg by configuration). The 700 mm barrel and 11.25 kg bare-gun figures are used here.
Background
The Type 97 could be pulled from the tank and fired as an infantry light machine gun with a bipod, folding stock and pistol grip; inside the tank it mounted a 1.5x telescopic sight with a rubber eye pad to shield the gunner's brow from recoil shock in the cramped compartment.