September 15, 16, & 17, 2026 Firearms & Militaria
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
Lot #1190:
(C) OUTSTANDING, VERY SCARCE, ONE OF 17 JAPANESE TYPE 2 HAMADA SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL, PUBLISHED IN "JAPANESE MILITARY CARTRIDGE HANDGUNS" BY DERBY & BROWN.
A refinement of the Type I Hamada, the Type II's largest change was the change from .32 ACP to 8mm Nambu, but the grip angle and overall profile were also adjusted. The pistols were approved by the Ordnance Bureau in June of 1943, and production was slated to begin in an idle textile plant in Notobe, from where they were to be delivered to Toriimatsu while "in the white". Approximately 1,500 of the guns were completed, and 4,000 incomplete guns were in production, but only 500 were processed by Toriimatsu. Of the 17 known pistols, all are in-the-white, indicating that they never reached Toriimatsu; it is possible that the completed guns were sent to mainland China, as there are known photos of Mantetsu Railway guards with what appears to be these pistols, but nobody is truly sure. See "Japanese Military Cartridge Handguns 1893-1945" by Derby and Brown, Chapter 9, for an in-depth discussion of these guns, including listing this gun on pg. 247: it is the third lowest number known, with only 2 and 6 lower. This example, serial number 10, is in the white, with a correctly blued magazine latch leaf spring. Matching "10" serial numbers observed on lightening cut out on top of slide, right side of frame, and back of magazine. Left side of slide marked with Notobe cruciform stamp and "Ni Shiki" for "Type 2". The extractor is in-the-white, instead of blued, but appears to have been in place for some time and is possibly original. CONDITION: Overall very good to excellent, especially in light of its extreme rarity. The pistol presents attractively, retaining a pleasing original appearance with the expected character of an unfinished, in-the-white example. The metal shows evidence of careful preservation, with some past oxidation having been thoughtfully cleaned, leaving an even, honest surface with light mottling and polish marks, most noticeable at the right side of the muzzle. The stocks remain very good, showing typical handling marks and some wear at the screw heads, with a visible strike across the center of the right panel. Mechanically fine, with a bore that retains strong visible rifling and light frosting throughout. This, and the preceding Type I, represent a very rare opportunity in the landscape of Japanese handgun collecting.