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I have some WWII guns that have been in the family for a number of years. They are Japanese weapons - a semi-auto pistol and 3 rifles.

Any idea where I can find manufacturer and value info on these guns? They're in decent shape, especially the pistol.

Bill

Pistol: Google Japanese Nambu and see what pictures match what you have.

Rifles: Google japanese arisaka rifle and see if you get a match.

Once you "hone" in on what you have, post photos, and we can help better.

Good Luck

BMT

look for the chrysanthemum on the top of the receiver of the rifles. if it has the mark, the user was killed in the line of duty, probably. if the mark, a sort of sunburst looing mark, with curved arches surrounding the top of the outgoing rays, was peened or filed off, the man surrendered.

it was considered a dishonor to have one's emperor's weapon turned over to the enemy intact. many of them in the aleutian campaign simply filed off the flower, and sucked a bullet out of the barrel.

-tom

The rifles all have a mum on top of the receiver.

The pistol is a Japanese T.14 Nambu semi-auto. Trying to figure out when it was made. I'll post some pics of it when I get home while it's still light.

Most Japanese rifles after the surrender had the mums ground off. The mum was a sign of the Emperor of Japan, and by removing it, any link to the Emp was removed. McArthur went along with this with take-homes after the war.

Value of Japanese rifles is not high. Short of a Carcano, they're the least valuable I can think of. However, the ones with the mum are a bit more valuable. P.O. Ackley did most of his work on Japanese rifles I guess because they were cheap and strong. The "Last Ditch" weapons have some small collector value; they've got a nailed-on buttplate and are pretty sorry weapons.

The pistol probably has the most valuable. The Type 94 (I think it is) has the least value of Japanese pistols, the Baby Nambu has the greates. The Nambus look kinda like a Luger, the Tyep 94s look like a metal water pistol.

Bill N-
Campfire member "riceone" posts here occasionally, and could answer your questions promptly and accurately. Because he doesn't show up regularly, you might post on his usual lair of "Firearms of the Rising Sun" at gunboards.com. That forum tends to be pretty active, and you should have answers quickly.
--Bob

The Arisakas with the nailed on butt plates were very late war production.The late production quality was generally pretty shoddy.
Overall quality of prewar and early WWII production was actually pretty good,up until early 1943 at least.
If you can find a copy of "Military Rifles Of Japan" by Fred L. Honeycutt Jr. and F.Patt Anthony,you'll get a ton of pictures and descriptive info.It's become fairly pricey,but your library may be able to get a copy for you to view.
Some Arisakas,especially the paratroop takedowns, are now selling for $3000.00 + .
I don't know much about the pistols except that George Nonte's guide to Cartridge Conversions has instructions for making 8mm Nambu ammo from .41 Long Colt cases.

The is the Japanese T.14 Nambu semi-auto. It has 2 magazines and some ammo. Seems to be in fine working condition but I don't recall ever seeing it fired.

The Arisaka admittedly was not as "svelte" as Mausers and Springfields but they were strong, well made, plenty accurate, and filled the needs of the Japanese military well. Just ask the Chinese, the Brits in Malaysia, our guys on Bataan and Wake Island. Granted, those were instances of poor strategic/logistical planning, but the Arisaka was tool they used to force their way in.

The pistol you have pictured, Kokura 9.9 ser no. 28277 was made in September, 1934. Note the small trigger guard, this was replaced with a larger trigger guard on or about September 1939. Larger trigger gurard was for a gloved hand. (information taken from Military Pistols of Japan by Honneycutt) A matching pistol like this in good condition is worth + or - $400. With holster, straps and extra magazine, maybe twice that amount.

Its interesting that in the above mentioned book is listed a pistol maded in 9.9 and bears serial number 28378. These two pistols were made near the same time.

Value of Japanese rifles and pistols have increased greately the last few years. Rifles with all the bells and whistles, in very nice condition, matching with mum can bring $7 - $800. There is no hard and fast rule about the mums. I have rifles that appear to havenever seen combat that have the mum intact. The idea that only battlefield pickups have the mum is not valid. Most of the rifles I own have the mum. A rifle of like condition will bring at least $100 more if it has the mum. They call us "flower collectors."




riceone

riceone - never forget a battlefield rifle may have never seen action. Capturing unused enemy equipment isn't unheard of.

What is true of Mum's is the Japanese were very dilligent about removing them after the war before releasing stocks of weopons for sale.

(quote)"riceone - never forget a battlefield rifle may have never seen action. Capturing unused enemy equipment isn't unheard of.

What is true of Mum's is the Japanese were very dilligent about removing them after the war before releasing stocks of weopons for sale."

There were no Japanese rifles released for Sale. The rifles that are in this country were brought back by returning GI"S There is no concrete evidence of who gave the order or how it was carried out in grinding of mums. It is presumed that the mums that were battered, filed or hacked were done by soldiers just before dieing in caves or such. I have read that soldiers carried rifle aboard ships with mums and when they received them back they were ground. (that had to have been done by Americans) About 1.3 million rifles were brought home by returning soldiers and about that many were carried out dumped in the ocean. None were warehoused liked was done in Europe.

I have a series 35 t99 that was made at Hiroshima Arsenal just a few days before the bomb was dropped (according to recorded serial numbers) and it is in like new condition with the mum intact. I also have a good friend that was on the detail to dismantle Horishima Arsenal and was able to bring a new 38 Carbine home and he told me the mum was ground as he went out the door. I also have a T97 sniper made in the late 30's (best estimate) that appears to never have been issued. Have a T38 experimental sniper supposedly made in the late 20's when Japan was trying to come up with a sniper, that looks unused and has the mum.

I have rifles that appear to have never seen combat that have the mum intact. The idea that only battlefield pickups have the mum is not valid. Most of the rifles I own have the mum" From observation and talking with other collectors is appears about a third to one half of the rifles in this country still have mums. They are not that difficult to find just more expensive. riceone

Prices of Japanese militari is coming into its own. Below are pictures of two Japanese Series 4 rifles. They both look alike, they both are series 4 but one is worth about twice what the other is. There were about 90K series 4 made at Nagoya and about 10K made at Izawa under contract to Nagoya making them harder to find and therefore worth more. Nagoya worth about $500, Izawa about $1000.

Nagoyo S4


Izawa S4