Meet the type 94 Nambu, Japan’s service pistol from 1935 through 1945. It’s quite possibly the ugliest and most dangerous service sidearm of all time.
The sights are “comically bad,” the bottle-necked 8mm Nambu ammunition is about as powerful as a .380 ACP, and the magazine only holds 6 rounds. Aesthetically, the pistol is just plain ugly and almost looks like a prop from a terrible science fiction movie. Things only get worse on the range.
Granted, it’s not the worst weapon to shoot, but the fully exposed sear bar raises a few red flags. This feature allows the weapon to be easily discharged without pulling the trigger. If the sear bar was jarred loose, the pistol can be fired before the breech has been fully locked.
On top of everything, the disassembly of the Type 94 is notoriously awkward and overly complicated. To make matters worse, the construction quality of the 94 declined dramatically during the final years of WWII. The final run of pistols produced in 1945 were so crudely manufactured that they were considered a “last ditch” weapon at best.
Learn more about the Type 94 Nambu and see it on the range in the video below.