May 8-10, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/8/2024
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 Burearu 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 Mantsu 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, particularly when considering the scarcity. The pistol appears to have gotten some oxidation at some point, and has been cleaned (which may explain the lack of bluing on the extractor) with some mossing and polish marks throughout, heaviest spot on the right side of the muzzle. Stocks are very good with some handling mars and abraded heads, right scale has a strike across the center. Mechanically fine, bore has strong visible rifling and mild frosting throughout. This, and the preceding Type I, represent a very rare opportunity in the landscape of Japanese handgun collecting.