Japanese lugers rumor

[Josh Beckett]

I heard a rumor that the japanese used lugers in there military. If they did could you post a picture of it.

[web105jk]

Japanese Luger

There was a pistol used by high ranking Japanese officers that had a very similar appearance to a German Luger called a Nambu pistol Otsu, sometimes known as a "baby Nambu". Here's a photo of one from the book "Rise and Fall of Imperial Japan 1894-1945.

[Bill Grist]

Nambu

They also had the Grandpappa Nambu, Papa Nambu and Baby Nambu these are collectors names for the various models.. There was also the Type 14 Nambu.. All had a Luger look a like appearance.. But were totaly different and of a totaly new design.. I have pictured a Type 14 Nambu....BILL

[Bill Grist]

2

[Jareth]

There are at least two lugers with added/fake Japanese (MUM with kanji on top) markings. These are infamous old fakes. No completely authentic, documented cases of Lugers being used by the Japanese that I'm aware of. They did use broomhandle mausers & other pistols such as Brownings, Colts etc. These were mostly early officer's privately purchased handguns.

[JasonS]

They did use broomhandle mausers & other pistols such as Brownings, Colts etc. These were mostly early officer's privately purchased handguns.

I know a local WWII veteran who has a Walther PPK that he recovered from a Japanese officer he killed. It had no Japanese markings, just standard German ones. He even kept his capture papers for it.

So I suppose that a few Luger may have found their way to the Orient, but they were not issued items for the Japanese.

[Josh Beckett]

So what would be the most valuable one?

[Bill Grist]

Baby

The small 7mm 'BABY' Nambu..BILL

[Josh Beckett]

what would be a good price on one? I know I have seen one for 500 dollars. But I didnt have enough money only 320 dollars

[Bill Grist]

Baby

If you saw one for 500$ you should have gotten the extra$ from your father as the Babys start at around 2000$ and on up... A original round of 7mm ammo is around 75$...BILL

[Josh Beckett]

Im Gonna KILL my father!!!!!!!! That wouldve been a good price

[Dean Brock]

Im Gonna KILL my father!!!!!!!! That wouldve been a good price

In light of that- maybe it's best you didn't get the Nambu

[Josh Beckett]

True but My dad did buy me an Arisaka for my birthday so that kinda makes me happy. Besides I would never kill anybody.

[Alan Smith]

The Japanese captured a good number of Parabellum semi-auto pistols (i.e. "Lugers") from the Dutch colonial forces in the Dutch East Indies. The German-made Parabellum was standard issue of the Dutch colonial forces in this area.

Not long ago I saw some film footage (really clear) on the History Channel of American soldiers standing around with captured Japanese swords, rifles, pistols and . . . a Dutch Parabellum. The Parabellum was easy to ID 100% positive as being Dutch because of the brass Dutch unit marking plate soldered onto the (right?) side of the pistol's frame.

Also, if you check out the book "Ordinance Went Up Fron" by Roy Dunlap you can read his first-hand account of finding various Parabellum pistols in a Japanese ordinance storage depot near Tokyo during his brief stint on occupation duty. Interestingly, Mr. Dunlap noted Parabellum with 6" length barrels (i.e. WWI German navy issue). My guess would be that these came into Japanese hands via the numerous former German colonies located out in the Pacific that the Japanese had occupied; many of these former German colonies had been coaling stations for the imperial German navy.

[Josh Beckett]

I wonder what a marine would do if he found one on a dead japanese