NAMBU & DEUTSCHE WERKE 22 rifle -opinions

[blinky]

Gerard, were you able to pick up the Type-14?

Eric

[Gerard/Relic Hunter]

Eric,
no, I am still negotiating with the guy, but he is a very slow responder. Will let you know and post it if I get it.

Gerard

Gerard, were you able to pick up the Type-14?

Eric

[Gerard/Relic Hunter]

I got the gun today to look at. Here are some more photos, including the souvenir certificate. The firing pin and the firing pin retainer, both have a small character on them, I think, but are not numbered. It has 3 inspection characters at the left rear, instead of the normal 2 (known as B & C). Does anyone know what the 3rd character is for? It is high and in between the other 2. This is a Tokyo arsenal pistol from what I have read? Grips are numbered to it and inspected.
The paper is for Task Force "A", Sixth Marine div. It is signed by G.B.Bell, whom I am assuming is Lt. Col George Bell, 1st Marine Battalion, Yokosuka, Japan. Cert is not dated.
Any info appreciated.

Thanks,

Gerard

[Gerard/Relic Hunter]

http://www.nps.gov/archive/wapa/inde...3-00/sec1a.htm

[blinky]

Excellent gun Gerard! The paperwork proves Klink and Allan's comments about the 1st Marine Division!
The third mark on the left side of the frame is a bit of a mystery to me. I'd been told that it is an inspectors mark from when these early Type 14s had their firing pins modified but I don't recall seeing this in print any where. I'm sure some of the gun people here though will be able to tell you for sure.

Thanks for the update!

Eric

[Gerard/Relic Hunter]

Thanks Eric, though I am not sure it clears up the grip question, as this guy was in the 1st Marine Battalion. (I think) Kind of neat the soldier who brought it back was an officer (2nd Lt. Joseph Andrejco)

[blinky]

ahhh......I was too anxious to see the gun I skimmed the writting! Maybe he won it in a poker game. In some ways it adds to the piece, I guess we can only speculate.

[Alan Smith]

Yes - it would be interesting to see if the First and Sixth Marine Divisions were both posted in the same area(s) at some point. As Blinky says, it may very well be that the bring-back officer obtained the Type 14 via trade, gift purchase, etc. from a fellow Marine who was in the First Division.

Also, I don't know if Marines were transfered between Divisions, but you do frequently see GI's who were transfered into different units for coming back home to the States, post-war. In other words, if a "high point" vet was ready to come home (but his unit was not), he would be transfered to a unit that was headed home ASAP. Thus, you see bring-back (i.e. "Capture Papers") that were issued to such vets just before they shipped back to the States, resulting in the bring-back papers not evidencing the unit that the soldier actually spent the bulk of his service time with (and, likewise, not being the unit he was in when he originally acquired the souvenir item).

Thus, it may be that this Officer transfered from the First to the Sixth at some point, possibly for purposes of returning to the U.S. post-war in a more expedited manner.