North China Type 19 handgun explained

North China type 19 pistol
Origin:Japan/China
Type:Semi-automatic pistol
Is Ranged:yes
Service:1944–1945
Used By:Japan
Collaborationist Chinese Army[1]
Wars:Second Sino-Japanese War,
World War II
Manufacturer:North China Engineering Co Ltd, Shenyang
Production Date:1944–1945[2]
Number:c. 100[3]
Weight:1106 g (2 lb 7oz) unloaded
Length:235 mm (9.25 in)
Part Length:118 mm (4.65 in)
Height:158 mm (6.22 in)
Cartridge:8×22mm Nambu
Caliber:8 mm
Action:Short recoil, locked breech
Feed:8–round magazine
Sights:Blade, V-notch

The North China Type 19 (北支一九式拳銃) is a military sidearm produced during World War II by the Empire of Japan and China. Produced in China during the final stages of World War II, the North China Type 19 was most likely made in an effort to supply troops based in Manchuria when supply lines from Japan became disrupted by Allied submarines and bombing. Officially approved by the chief of the ordnance bureau, the Type 19 is very scarce with only eleven surviving examples known. The pistol appears to be a redesign of the Type 14 Nambu pistol but all pertinent ordinance records were lost during World War II.[4]

Design

The Type 19 pistol is an adaptation of the Type 14 intended to simplify manufacture and improve the original design. The safety lever was relocated to the left side of the receiver behind the top of the grip panel for easier access. A takedown lever was added on the right side of the receiver forward of the trigger guard to simplify the disassembly process.[5]

References

Notes and References

  1. Book: Jowett, Philip S.. Rays of the Rising Sun: Armed Forces of Japan's Asian Allies 1931-45: Volume 1: China and Manchukuo. 2004. Helion & Company Limited. 9781906033781. 75.
  2. Derby, Harry L. Japanese Military Cartridge Handguns 1893–1945 (2003), p. 260
  3. Derby, Harry L. Japanese Military Cartridge Handguns 1893–1945 (2003), p. 263
  4. Derby, Harry L. Japanese Military Cartridge Handguns 1893–1945 (2003), p. 258
  5. Brown, James D. Collector's Guide to Imperial Japanese Handguns 1893-1945 (2007), p. 53