Nambu Type 94, 8mm Nambu

The Nambu 94 is often called “The world’s ugliest gun”, and “The worst military small arm of WWII”. The latter may be a bit unfair since it was actually well liked by the Japanese troops, but it’s not very ergonomic, it’s unusually difficult to field strip and the design is quite complicated. However, the most notable “feature” is the exposed trigger bar on the left side of the frame. You can fire the gun by pushing on the front end of the bar, which is a serious design flaw that makes it dangerous to handle. This is why the Type 94 is often called “The suicide gun”, and it’s more than likely the main reason for its infamy.

This Type 94 was made in 1944 by Chuo Kogyo (more commonly called Kokubunji), a privately owned arms manufacturer under the supervision of the Nagoya arsenal. Typically for the late war guns, it’s roughly machined and blued without any polish. It is in excellent original condition, the bore is bright and the action works perfectly. All numbers match, including the magazine and all internal parts.

There’s no doubt that the Type 94 is a less than stellar firearm, but it’s a very interesting and important piece of WWII history. No WWII gun collection is complete without one of these intriguing pistols!

C&R eligible