Model 11 (1922) Light Machine Gun

[spitfire-01]

Hi All,

Picked this little item the other day, fully operational and complete.
Marked up 11.7 for 1922 september manufacture. Most unusual with the offset butt stock and sights. Magazine fed with 5 round clips on reduced charge of 2 grams (as against 2.15 grams for standard rifle)
Can malfunction on standard charge.
I hope you like it.

Russell

[J7W22007]

Not little at all, to me.

That' s a very very very kool "toy"!!!!

I really like it, congrats.

Thank you for sharing !

Best regards,
Taka

[Walter Schmidt]

Is it different from the standard? It could be a training gun.

[Alan Smith]

Russell,

Nice Type 11; thanks for the photos. If you get a chance to take more photos be sure to do so outdoors in natural light; they will come out much better and show more details of the gun. I would enjoy seeing any further photos you care to post.

Here is a Type 11 that just recently came "out of the woodwork" here in the U.S. It was acquired in 1945 from a pile of captured/surrendered Japanese small arms and equipment in or near Manila, P.I. What to me is interesting is the leather pad or mit that has been attached to the barrel to keep from burning the gunner's hand when moving the gun around between firing positions. The pad was on the gun when acquired in 1945 so it is something put on the gun by the Japanese.

Any ideas whether the barrel "pad" was a standard Japanese military issue item for the Type 11, or is somthing made up in the field by the soldiers? I can sure understand that the gunner would get tired of his hand being burned by a hot barrel and would want to install the pad.

Thanks!

Alan

[Alan Smith]

Barrel pad #2

[Alan Smith]

Barrel pad #3

[Papa Nambu]

I'm envious, I've long wanted a Type 11.

The leather pad looks like a smart field made addition. Looks like the stitching is done by hand and there are 2 different styles of chain. The gunner probably put that together with his own burned hands after discovering the problem.

Photo from my collection

[Papa Nambu]

Is it different from the standard? It could be a training gun.

No, that's just the way the Type 11 is. It was intended to use the standard rifle ammo and clips, but had problems with reliable operation using standard ammo. Rather than redesign the gun they issued special lower charged ammo for it that functioned better. Regular ammo could still be used in a pinch, but the chance for stoppages would increase.

[Ryukyutunnelrat]

Wow, both are great MG's. I wonder if the pad could have been used to place it on his shoulder while walking making it much more comfortable to carry? Thanks sharing

[Alan Smith]

Good observation on the leather pad: it seems like it would be helpful both to protect the gunner's hand from a hot barrel and/or gas tube, as well as to pad the shoulder when carrying the gun,

Here is the arsenal marking and date on the "out of woodwork" Type 11. Would the "5.8" date = the year 1930 and the month of August? I'm thinking that when read from left to right, the first number is the year (add + 25 to get Western year equivalent) with the second number being the month?

[Papa Nambu]

Would the "5.8" date = the year 1930 and the month of August?

This is correct

[Striking 9th]

Looks like a Naval canteen chain being used to hold on that leather pad. Very nice!!

[Alan Smith]

Here is the SN on the 5.8 dated Type 11 found here in the U.S.

It would be interesting to know the SN of the 11.7 dated Type 11 (located in NZ) which started this thread.

[spitfire-01]

Type 11

Hi,
Some additional photos of the sewrial numbers etc. of my LMG in New Zealand
Cheers
Russell

[spitfire-01]

Type 11

1