In the mid 90's I was living in Japan. My neighbor had served in WW2. He still had his uniform and a bunch of photos. He also had this gun. I asked him why he risked having it and he said it was in case the Chinese invaded. The guy was in his 70's and still bitter how the war ended. That dude still had the hard ass discipline of a combat vet.
Would have been a weird image for an invading chineese soldier seeing an old man dressed in Imperial Japanese Army clothes running towards him with an antique revolver. Good thing that hasn't happened yet.
G'Day, something to remember, the average Japanese male of 1900, was about the same size as Mae. They did not have big hands, and the pistol was designed for them.
Over 30 years ago, I bought a Type 26, with holster, for $110, with a bent grip-frame, which I repaired, but excellent finish, mechanicals & bore. Recently, thanks to the internet, I found out some of these, including mine, will chamber and fire 38 Smith & Wesson - specifically Remington 38 Smith & Wesson. So I've had the privilege to actually take it to a range and it's a most enjoyable shooter, with a smooth, easy action and light recoil. Plus it's robust construction and the wonderful way it opens up for repair & maintenance provide a forecast of how Japan would someday become masters of manufacturing cameras, electronics, VCRs, automobiles etc....
My father, who was in the 6th Marine Division in Okinawa during WW2, found this revolver on the body of a Japanese pilot shot down and crashed during battle. He, as others did, brought these souvenir weapons home after the war. I have a picture of my uncle, as a teenager, holding the revolver up with a line of jackrabbits he hunted with it. I own this revolver now and I have shot it a number of times in the past. It is remarkably smooth and tight for it's age but I have never tested it for accuracy, just for the fun of shooting it.
I recently read that, near the end of WWII, a Japanese command on one of the islands requested a shipment of Type 26s, as sand was jamming the Nambus! I'm not shooting thousands or even hundreds of rounds through my Type 26, but mine chambers Remington 38 S&W perfectly and makes a most enjoyable occasional range-toy. I've heard or read from a couple sources that today's typical 38 S&W ammo is under-loaded to work safely with all the ancient top-break 38 Iver-Johnson and Harrington & Richardson revolvers still out there, which are typically much less robust than a Type 26.
As I read this I am bidding on a Webley tanker, with any luck I will get it for a song. Should look good next to my Smith and Wesson Victory (both are in 38s&w).
@@conniechung6948 It depends. I saw a forum on the topic about ATF. The one I have I don’t need registration as it was an early production. But you can just call them.
I am working on a complete set of axis small arms from WW2, and the type 26 is the last gun I need from imperial Japan. I have found quite a few, but they are always in rough shape. Sadly, this video will probably drive the price up on the few remaining. But the historic knowledge being in the ecosystem makes it alright.
Last time I was this early it was the Meiji era! I've been waiting for this one. Thanks C&Rsenal team. It's 2:30pm here. No late night watching for me!
The shortness of the grip is not at all surprising. I own a type 38 and the length of pull is ridiculously short. We must remember that at the time this revolver was designed, the average Japanese soldier was only 5’2” tall and somewhere around 105lbs!
Recessed chambers in a revolver are a safety feature when you are using rimfire or balloon head cartridges. With those cartridges a ruptured case head can set off the adjacent cartridges, like a chain fire.
barleycorn i The Japanese have frequently been and interesting mix of new and old. For instance they pioneered aircraft carrier tactics that made the battleship obsolete as a primary combatant, but still build the Yamato.
barleycorn i probably anyone who has ever studied Japanese military history of post shogunate japan? they were at the cutting edge with a lot of concepts long before ANY of the western powers were. examples being: having a navy centered around a fleet of carriers rather than battleships and/or dreadnaughts, midget submarines, shallow depth torpedoes, combined arms jungle warfare, this fucking revolver, naval aviation tactics, etcetera, etcetera. stop thinking of the Japanese from the post WW2 American perspective and actually LOOK at what they accomplished before the USAAF bombed their country back to the preindustrial era.
The Meiji-era is a fascinating period of both state-induced and society-driven modernization with amazing fallout in all kinds of ways. Japan winning the Russo-Japanese war of '04-'05 and also serving as an equal to many large powers in the Boxer Rebellion came as a great surprise to the rest of the world. They spent most of the period between 1854 and 1945 being grossly underestimated.
+Matt Dickson well, as far I've understood the IJN initially conceived the aircraft carriers as support units for their (Super) battleships, not necessarily as the main strike unit of their forces. But at around the time of WW2 I though they did saw it as a main strike unit (but so did G-B and the USA), but Japan already had the carriers sitting around / on the slipways. The high quantity of IJN carriers may have been a result of the Washington treaty though, as the Japanese converted all post-Nagato BBs and BCs in carriers instead of scrapping them.
As a military historian, I studied a lot of Japanese history and I can tell you that what Othais describes here about Japan taking a few good ideas and combining them or making them better basically IS Japanese history. Cultural appropriation IS Japanese culture. They see someone doing something better than they do, so they start doing it that way, only even better. It started WAY back when they ripped off Chinese writing and engineering, and continued through the adoption of industry, the Sino-Japanese War, and WWII. After WWII, they started appropriating and improving (or at least taking to extremes) all KINDS of American things, like steel formulae, pop music, electronics, cars...even anime is based on Betty Boop cartoons, but way more refined.
@Salad SALAD Er, those examples aren't exactly good, since they aren't whole-cloth inventions but the first commercially viable versions of technologies which were first developed outside of Japan. That said, creating the first viable version of something is a pretty damn important milestone. So I don't take this as an insult. The ability to copy a thing and make it better is pretty useful.
@@Betrix5060 Invention credit surely goes to the person who figured out how to make something that work in a viable way, not just hastily assembles a concept into a barely functional form. This is why the Wright Brothers get the credit for the inventors of powered flight, even though others had "pioneered" the concept before them and had made things that were kinda flying machines but really not practical at all, they only preceded the Wright Brothers by defining "powered flight" in a way that's useless for everyone except as a novelty. Like flight without control over direction. That's why I think if any nation can be credited as the source of the Lithium ion battery it would be Japan, because they were the first to make one that people can use as a battery, not just a prototype that can only safely provide voltage in a lab. The whole significance of a Lithium battery is better practical performance.
@@Treblaine But you imply that those prior developments aren't requisite for that last step to commercial viability. You can't just jump from theory to viable product, there is a great deal of trial and error that goes into it. The Wright Brothers get credit for powered flight because the criteria for success is an aircraft that can safely take off and land under its own power, and the wright flyer was the first to meet that criteria.
@@Betrix5060 No, they can be the opposite of prerequisites, they were actually dead ends. Just as all the other "flying machines" weren't prerequisite, they were the wrong solution. And you CAN go from theory to viable product, there are far more wrong solutions than good solutions, its really no help at all that one engineer jumps the gun and announces publicly (via patent) with one wrong solution just because its the best they could come up with. You can't patent and idea, patents are for designs. Too often a very vague "design" is used to patent a mere idea.
Meiji came to full power after a battle where some of the opposition had pikes! And, as far as I know, every modern weapon was imported. Just 26 years his country starts manufacturing their own design of handgun!
Hmm, depends on your definition of "modern". They did make some of their own firearms, but in very limited quantities, supervised by the Shogunate, and they were...flintlocks? Wheellocks? Whatever tech they had in the 1600s when they banned swords and guns, it was those, but newer. All hand made of course, pretty decent quality I think (partially because of the limited quantity and I think the guys that made them were making them for the Shogun), so like, not really all that modern, or in numbers significant to matter. Both sides did have modern imported guns though, even though the Imperial slogan was "Up with the Emperor, out with the foreigners". Imperials partially won because they had more, actually. Politicians just lie, even when they ain't getting elected :P Not sure if pikes are quite the right term either, although Western observers may have called them that. Tends to make those of us familiar with European history might think 16ft things (not even all that common in Ancient Greece or Scotland), think yari of the time were closer to 8ft? The revolution was mostly bloodless, a lot of fighting was kinda after the fact, in a couple things.
regardless of whether or not this thing is truly reliable or not this is the sleekest looking top break I've ever seen. damn thing is a futuristic looking as a chiappa revolver. especially the hammer "spur".
Watching this for the first time today... because I only bought one a few hours ago... First, I will bet if the cylinders had original brass inserted, with some friction from the rim thickness, there wouldn't be such a roll back. I find that with nearly all USA made suicide specials.. and a few high end wheel guns of this early cartridge era..... As other people mentioned below, Mae's hands, my hands, yeah everyone in the world was OUR size 130 years ago... and, many civilian shooters, but especially military officers, were wearing gloves most of the time in the field.. and.. the lanyard ring would have... a lanyard on it... so that gives the 'pinkie finger' something to wrap around... nice to see many of your subscribers say intelligent informative things! Speaking of that... as a ... middle aged gentleman..cough cough... like I mention on several you tube channels I chime in on, back in the 70's I was taught how to shoot rifles and handguns by an elderly WW1 US Army officer. He instructed me- (and my WW2 vet father!) how to shoot 'properly'. And to keep the little/ pinkie finger, below the grip. Even did that on 45's if his enlisted man's hand was small. People shot one handed back then. "it's a hand gun, not a HANDS guns! Two hand grip was for sissies!" I think the now common 2 handed grip was only coming about in the 70's and early 80's. The space left behind or just under the trigger guard was to place the trigger finger when carrying, running, not immediately intending to fire it. To place the little finger on the grip, and middle finger high, when -as entering a room or brush, keeping the hand on your side elbow back. Now only seen in old movies... And from the Roman -or Japanese Empires... till lately, an officer's arms was to intimidate- or use on- his cowardly troopers- or if they were overrun and had to join in the hand to hand. So when they are coming at you with a bayonet, yeah, empty your double action into attackers 20 or 30 feet away, when that's empty, the closer ones get the sword.. if he is still alive to swing a sword. BTW I LOVE all you videos!
I'm a fairly new subscriber so this means I'm fortunate enough to get the alerts for new videos while still having all the prior videos in the series to go through. While the older videos are shorter, they still hold up very well. It's cool though seeing how you've added on to the videos over time.
my understanding is that the recessed rim or embedded head cylinder on a revolver is that it supports the rim and makes case failures less likely especially on rimfires. Back in the day, a very good idea and recommended feature but now just a luxury.
A great video about a gun with which I was totally unfamiliar! Speaking to Mae's accuracy comment: I think people nowadays have this video game-inspired idea that military guns should be half-MOA accurate at 100 yards or something. They forget that these firearms are being used by terrified, exhausted people. In that situation, the person firing the weapon will not be capable of that kind of accuracy. So long as it can hit a torso, it's good enough. The exception to this would be a sniper's rifle, but that's another story.
Even then period sniper's rifles were usually just rifles from the rack fitted with a scope. And those rifles were only about 5 MOA. We are spoiled by modern manufacturing
@@SgtKOnyx "We are spoiled by modern manufacturing" Not just this, we're spoiled by modern commercial accuracy standards. Military guns across the world except maybe the swiss are still like 3 moa. They don't NEED to be better and making them better costs money.
@@SPAZTICCYTOPLASM Actually, not really anymore. You're using the same CNC machine after all, it's just the tolerances are "looser". A part that might have been thrown in the reject pile in a commercial rifle doesn't in a military one, but that doesn't mean that the total is necessarily significantly worse. Since the majority of accuracy in a rifle is in the barrel, and the techniques and tools for making them have improved across the board, modern barrel manufacturing has made both military and civilian arms more accurate. Just think, if you can improve the accuracy for not very much unit cost and potentially get better contacts, or at a minimum have enough fewer reject parts to justify the cost, you're going to do it.
@@SgtKOnyx I don't think you understand military adoption. It's not using the "same CNC" it's spindle time, how much time does it take to make a free float barrel nut for an AR than a standard? The answer is slightly longer which costs a few more pennies which means when you're buying in big numbers it costs more for a gain that isn't useful. And with free float barrels comes free float hand guards which inherently need to be more rigid than a plastic hand guard which is supported at 2 ends. And no accuracy isn't just the barrel, the quality of barrel on most old war guns is pretty good, check out any sporterized war gun, that's been free floated, they're pretty close to 1 moa with good ammo. Speaking of barrels, pretty much all commercially sold barrels are made to a higher standard. barrels you buy are lapped, military barrels are not because why would you? It takes longer to make and lapping doesn't play well with chrome or other hard lining, which is more important than accuracy. Here's what i mean: www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2015/02/16/deadlier-rifles-and-ammo-may-be-on-the-way/ "2 MOI rifle, putting it on par with the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, which uses a free floating barrel" The spankin new m27 IAR is a 2MOA rifle with a free float barrel. That's pretty pathetic when you realize an M&P15 2 manages better: gunworld.com/guns/sw-ar15/ But the military uses shit ammo, but that's kind of the point, accuracy is the sum of it's parts. It's not just barrel quality, or even gun quality it's everything together. A standard mosin 91/30 without a bent barrel will shoot an easy 2 moa with some hornady match and a good shooting position taking your time. Which isn't what the military works with. Ever.
@@SPAZTICCYTOPLASM Nothing you said was surprising or new to me, though you do somewhat misunderstand what mean by "most of the accuracy is in the barrel". I mean that a bad barrel will never be accurate, even with good ammo and a good barrel can be accurate with poor ammo. Free floating "old war guns" is a great way to have an inaccurate version of an old war gun. Almost any wooden stocked rifle is deliberately bedded in the wood at specific points for various factors of barrel interactions with the stock, such as the No4 specifically having muzzle pressure for harmonic reasons. As for "CNC machine" I actually was just referring to firearm parts generally, though they may be any of a number of modern machines used and not necessarily the CNC mill that is generally thought of when the phrase is used. An additional about free-floating and not, it turns into the question of accuracy vs precision. This may surprise you, but shifting point of impact does not actually increase group size, provided the group has the same shift. And after all, MOA is a measure of precision, not accuracy.
Your discussion of this revolver and dumping all six rounds has inspired a suggestion. If you haven't already filmed the 1911 episode, perhaps it could include a rapid fire drill in addition to standard target firing. Love, love, love this show. Bye
Something people in the West forget,Japan was not building on 400 years of experience like other countries .They went from hermit to fully industriialized in under 30 years.The ingenuity involved in that jump is stunning.
Great channel. Really enjoy the great informational videos. I picked up a Type 26 7 or 8 years back from Guns America if I remember correctly. I think it was actually under $300. At the last minute, the seller said he found a full box of ammo for it and he just threw it in. When I received it, the mainspring was too weak to fire a cartridge. I could utilize the old spring for anything but a template. I bought a mainspring for a Webley Mk IV from Numrich which was way to stiff and large. I shaped it down to fit and then reheated it in my lead pot until it was strong enough to ignite primer but not too stiff to fire reliably. It looks great hanging on my wall next to the Type 14 and Type 94 and the original Shin Gunto.
I had a Type 26 that my dad brought back from Japan after "the war", and it still had the original polished blue finish, with the hammer and trigger in a mottled "peacock blue" that gave it a very deluxe appearance. I've heard of very heavy triggers on the 26, but mine was smooth and fairly light, very easy to shoot; I wonder if the heavy/rough action was confined to wartime rebuilds?
@@Galahad_Du_Lac I sold it to a Nisei who was buying Japanese art and artifacts to help his kids connect with their heritage. Privately owned firearms are not generally something I'd connect with Japanese culture, and he may have been stretching that part of the story a bit, but I wanted him to have it.
Outstanding...I mean it. I'm riveted... the insight, the beard. May I suggest a detailed review of the Nagant Revolver which beginning to really creep up in value,. The gas seal is way different and would love to here you both get into the specifics and mindset of this odd revolver.More please.
The reason for the recessed chambers is to cut down on shrapnel if a "balloon" head case ruptures. as someone who has experienced a "Balloon" head rupture in a .38 without recessed chambers, it is a huge benefit! as far as i can tell, no one has made these types of cases since the 50's or possibly earlier.
C&Rsenal if your going to do the nambu type 14 next then after that do the mosin nagant and then do the nagant in that order i think it will work better that way
Kinda resembles a Webley more so than the S&W. Thanks for this review. FYI, y'all will call me a liar, but my son found 8mm Nambu ammo that functions in my Type 14 without failure! My dad brought this pistol back from Saipan in '45. I've been shooting it since then after buying a new firing pin. In 2018, my sons bought me a few boxes as a fathers day present. Wish I'd kept the boxes so I could tell you who made it. Another factoid: my Nambu is running the original springs!
For me is an "advanced" revolver for the era, don't forget after WW1 during the twenties, the British ask for a da/da .38 caliber top break revolver and in the thirties just improve to the DAO with the Enfield No.2... The same idea Japanese's adopted several decades earlier.
One issue Galand may have been facing was names. Between the Galand de guerre (="war (male) lover" in oral. No pun intended.) and the tue-tue (lit "kill kill" ) which is at best Skaven nomenclature, and at worst ballerina accessory...
Hey Othias, regarding the 'embedded head cylinder': Ian talked about that in his Reichsrevolver shooting video as a safety feature. This way if you have a case rupture the gas is less likely to vent out the back of the cylinder. Here's how Ian explains it: ua-cam.com/video/RB074qA-3EA/v-deo.htmlm56s
For 1887, this thing is super forward thinking. Quick follow up shots on a decent trigger and fast reloading is something sorely lacking on so many Great War revolvers.
The ejection "star" doesn't kick the brass all the way clear of the cylinder. Especially considering that the ammo has a very small rim, this minimizes the chance for brass to get caught between the ejection mechanism and the cylinder. Do you think this may have been deliberate?
Midway made ammo for this in 1980's, boxer primed, occasionally see at shows. DAO (double action only) revolvers are made for point shooting not aimed shots, and this should be considered with this piece as well as Enfield DAOs, S&W DAOs, etc. Basically go center to mass at close range.
Hey, another C&Rsenal video. Love it. The 9mm cartridge being weak doesn’t surprise me. Most of the European pistol cartridges were like that too. The only thing I wrestle with is trying to understand how so many nations thought the .32 ACP was such a great cartridge.
I don't think they thought the 32 ACP or 380 ACP or similar ballistic cartridges were thought that highly of. Rather I think the firearms were very popular, highly thought of, and since most were simple blow back actions they were inexpensive to produce in large quantities with consistently high reliability. It was a byproduct of the firearms designs that the cartridges were popular
@@M.M.83-U on U.S. postal trains in the... 50s-60s, I think, one of the mail clerks was issued a sidearm to protect the mail. It was usually the senior clerk who carried it. The practice might have a longer history than that. I just know it from a period film about postal trains.
I love Japanese firearms. So the next one is the Type 14 Nambu? got one of those, shoots really accurately though the ammo is a pain to source (Reno, Nevada, yay!) Hope yours doesn't have the spring problem (though Wolff Springs makes a tune up kit for it).
Scott Ruggels No the type 14 came after WW1. However, the Papa Nambu may be covered. On a side note my Type 14's springs are a little too stiff. I don't think it was ever fired or taken out of the holster much.
I LOVE this series, and have never missed an episode... One note I would think makes sense though in regards to the grip size... In fairness, Mae has larger hands, than the average Japanese man... The average Japanese Soldier, was a stately 5' 3"... So the grip may seem small to North Americans, but most likely fine for the Japanese Soldiers... Keep up the Great Work... 😉😉😉
ALL top-breaks HAVE to be tipped sideways for positive extraction. Webleys (my favorite gun) can easily become junk by using the WWI British manual's 'point barrel toward jewels & hope for the best' cartoon routine.
I thought i would mention, the average Japanese male in 1900, was 5 foot 2 in, so the grip was probably long enough for the time What do you guys think
I have one of theses but it's been stripped down to almost nothing only the frame and cylinder is left does anyone know where to get parts or can i modify it with bodao parts
A little discontinuity between this revolver (Yes) and the Smith Russian (No); 1 attacker with this DA pistol as opposed to to the SA Smith with Multiple attackers. With the 1/2 second rule, this 9 mm, weaker than a 38 caliber, implies multiple shots or head/heart shots with a less than good grouping pistol for reliable stops. Can You get off 3-4 rounds in 1/2 second? Versus the proven man stopping 44 Russian cartridge which can provide Small groups. I think we have have a little to take issue with this video here.
In the mid 90's I was living in Japan. My neighbor had served in WW2. He still had his uniform and a bunch of photos. He also had this gun. I asked him why he risked having it and he said it was in case the Chinese invaded. The guy was in his 70's and still bitter how the war ended. That dude still had the hard ass discipline of a combat vet.
Would have been a weird image for an invading chineese soldier seeing an old man dressed in Imperial Japanese Army clothes running towards him with an antique revolver. Good thing that hasn't happened yet.
Of a Japanese combat vet*
@@G-Mastah-Fash I love how you said *yet* lulz
Communists rape & murder more than anyone in history. Better to fight to the last man, even if he's 90 with a black powder revolver.
based
G'Day, something to remember, the average Japanese male of 1900, was about the same size as Mae. They did not have big hands, and the pistol was designed for them.
I’m not even sure they were that big.
Yeah in ww2 they were roughly between 5’3”-5’7”. Earlier than that they’re more probable to be 4’8”-5’7”
Over 30 years ago, I bought a Type 26, with holster, for $110, with a bent grip-frame, which I repaired, but excellent finish, mechanicals & bore. Recently, thanks to the internet, I found out some of these, including mine, will chamber and fire 38 Smith & Wesson - specifically Remington 38 Smith & Wesson. So I've had the privilege to actually take it to a range and it's a most enjoyable shooter, with a smooth, easy action and light recoil. Plus it's robust construction and the wonderful way it opens up for repair & maintenance provide a forecast of how Japan would someday become masters of manufacturing cameras, electronics, VCRs, automobiles etc....
My father, who was in the 6th Marine Division in Okinawa during WW2, found this revolver on the body of a Japanese pilot shot down and crashed during battle. He, as others did, brought these souvenir weapons home after the war. I have a picture of my uncle, as a teenager, holding the revolver up with a line of jackrabbits he hunted with it. I own this revolver now and I have shot it a number of times in the past. It is remarkably smooth and tight for it's age but I have never tested it for accuracy, just for the fun of shooting it.
Odd gun for a pilot to have. Must have been his father's.
Did they make their own ammunition for it?
I recently read that, near the end of WWII, a Japanese command on one of the islands requested a shipment of Type 26s, as sand was jamming the Nambus!
I'm not shooting thousands or even hundreds of rounds through my Type 26, but mine chambers Remington 38 S&W perfectly and makes a most enjoyable occasional range-toy.
I've heard or read from a couple sources that today's typical 38 S&W ammo is under-loaded to work safely with all the ancient top-break 38 Iver-Johnson and Harrington & Richardson revolvers still out there, which are typically much less robust than a Type 26.
As I read this I am bidding on a Webley tanker, with any luck I will get it for a song. Should look good next to my Smith and Wesson Victory (both are in 38s&w).
@@Horus_the_Lupercal Did you get the Webley?
@@Horus_the_Lupercalid you get the Webley?
@@Horus_the_LupercalI have an Enfield tanker and a type 26, I love these two guns
DAO is the finest combat revolver system. Thank you for the recognition of that.
It’s objectively worse if you just train your troops to make use of double action.
Every other week i wonder what papa Othias is gonna bring, and every other week he surprises.
Japanese? I don't see a bayonet lug anywhere tho
That was good lol
just another conservative ever heard of the British Pritchard bayonet?
That's only because they're expected to have a samurai sword in the other hand.
burning moogus Missed opportunity.
Ik sad! =(
I have one of these that my grandfather brought back from his time at Henderson field during the war.
is registration required?
@@conniechung6948 It depends. I saw a forum on the topic about ATF. The one I have I don’t need registration as it was an early production. But you can just call them.
@@conniechung6948 war bringbacks are common. Look into that for info
"This is a good idea, says the Japanese, presumably " is one of my top 3 Othais quotes.
Thanks for the upload! I always found the Type 26 Revolver to be interesting.
A very detailed look into an underappreciated arm with depth and quality, well done you all. Keep it up Othias, Mae, and affiliated people!
This gun is so well thought out and compared to contemporary designs and it makes me wonder how their automatic pistols fell so short.
I am working on a complete set of axis small arms from WW2, and the type 26 is the last gun I need from imperial Japan. I have found quite a few, but they are always in rough shape.
Sadly, this video will probably drive the price up on the few remaining. But the historic knowledge being in the ecosystem makes it alright.
Last time I was this early it was the Meiji era! I've been waiting for this one. Thanks C&Rsenal team. It's 2:30pm here. No late night watching for me!
Othais, when you became a firearms buff, did you ever realize that you would also end up as a top notch history professor?
The shortness of the grip is not at all surprising. I own a type 38 and the length of pull is ridiculously short. We must remember that at the time this revolver was designed, the average Japanese soldier was only 5’2” tall and somewhere around 105lbs!
Recessed chambers in a revolver are a safety feature when you are using rimfire or balloon head cartridges. With those cartridges a ruptured case head can set off the adjacent cartridges, like a chain fire.
Who would have thought Japan of all places would get the closest to modern handgun doctrine in the before the first world war.
barleycorn i
The Japanese have frequently been and interesting mix of new and old. For instance they pioneered aircraft carrier tactics that made the battleship obsolete as a primary combatant, but still build the Yamato.
barleycorn i probably anyone who has ever studied Japanese military history of post shogunate japan? they were at the cutting edge with a lot of concepts long before ANY of the western powers were. examples being: having a navy centered around a fleet of carriers rather than battleships and/or dreadnaughts, midget submarines, shallow depth torpedoes, combined arms jungle warfare, this fucking revolver, naval aviation tactics, etcetera, etcetera. stop thinking of the Japanese from the post WW2 American perspective and actually LOOK at what they accomplished before the USAAF bombed their country back to the preindustrial era.
The Meiji-era is a fascinating period of both state-induced and society-driven modernization with amazing fallout in all kinds of ways. Japan winning the Russo-Japanese war of '04-'05 and also serving as an equal to many large powers in the Boxer Rebellion came as a great surprise to the rest of the world. They spent most of the period between 1854 and 1945 being grossly underestimated.
+Matt Dickson
well, as far I've understood the IJN initially conceived the aircraft carriers as support units for their (Super) battleships, not necessarily as the main strike unit of their forces. But at around the time of WW2 I though they did saw it as a main strike unit (but so did G-B and the USA), but Japan already had the carriers sitting around / on the slipways. The high quantity of IJN carriers may have been a result of the Washington treaty though, as the Japanese converted all post-Nagato BBs and BCs in carriers instead of scrapping them.
Tuning3434 that’s indeed true
As a military historian, I studied a lot of Japanese history and I can tell you that what Othais describes here about Japan taking a few good ideas and combining them or making them better basically IS Japanese history. Cultural appropriation IS Japanese culture. They see someone doing something better than they do, so they start doing it that way, only even better. It started WAY back when they ripped off Chinese writing and engineering, and continued through the adoption of industry, the Sino-Japanese War, and WWII. After WWII, they started appropriating and improving (or at least taking to extremes) all KINDS of American things, like steel formulae, pop music, electronics, cars...even anime is based on Betty Boop cartoons, but way more refined.
Bacteriophagebs finally someone gets it
@Salad SALAD Er, those examples aren't exactly good, since they aren't whole-cloth inventions but the first commercially viable versions of technologies which were first developed outside of Japan. That said, creating the first viable version of something is a pretty damn important milestone. So I don't take this as an insult. The ability to copy a thing and make it better is pretty useful.
@@Betrix5060 Invention credit surely goes to the person who figured out how to make something that work in a viable way, not just hastily assembles a concept into a barely functional form.
This is why the Wright Brothers get the credit for the inventors of powered flight, even though others had "pioneered" the concept before them and had made things that were kinda flying machines but really not practical at all, they only preceded the Wright Brothers by defining "powered flight" in a way that's useless for everyone except as a novelty. Like flight without control over direction.
That's why I think if any nation can be credited as the source of the Lithium ion battery it would be Japan, because they were the first to make one that people can use as a battery, not just a prototype that can only safely provide voltage in a lab. The whole significance of a Lithium battery is better practical performance.
@@Treblaine But you imply that those prior developments aren't requisite for that last step to commercial viability. You can't just jump from theory to viable product, there is a great deal of trial and error that goes into it. The Wright Brothers get credit for powered flight because the criteria for success is an aircraft that can safely take off and land under its own power, and the wright flyer was the first to meet that criteria.
@@Betrix5060 No, they can be the opposite of prerequisites, they were actually dead ends. Just as all the other "flying machines" weren't prerequisite, they were the wrong solution.
And you CAN go from theory to viable product, there are far more wrong solutions than good solutions, its really no help at all that one engineer jumps the gun and announces publicly (via patent) with one wrong solution just because its the best they could come up with.
You can't patent and idea, patents are for designs. Too often a very vague "design" is used to patent a mere idea.
Meiji came to full power after a battle where some of the opposition had pikes! And, as far as I know, every modern weapon was imported. Just 26 years his country starts manufacturing their own design of handgun!
Hmm, depends on your definition of "modern". They did make some of their own firearms, but in very limited quantities, supervised by the Shogunate, and they were...flintlocks? Wheellocks? Whatever tech they had in the 1600s when they banned swords and guns, it was those, but newer. All hand made of course, pretty decent quality I think (partially because of the limited quantity and I think the guys that made them were making them for the Shogun), so like, not really all that modern, or in numbers significant to matter.
Both sides did have modern imported guns though, even though the Imperial slogan was "Up with the Emperor, out with the foreigners". Imperials partially won because they had more, actually. Politicians just lie, even when they ain't getting elected :P
Not sure if pikes are quite the right term either, although Western observers may have called them that. Tends to make those of us familiar with European history might think 16ft things (not even all that common in Ancient Greece or Scotland), think yari of the time were closer to 8ft? The revolution was mostly bloodless, a lot of fighting was kinda after the fact, in a couple things.
I almost bought one of these a few years back, but was not quick enough. I had regrets before. I have more now.
Was in the middle of one of Mark’s videos when I got this notification, only thing that would make me leave one of his without finishing haha
I like it when Mei thanks men that died about 100 years ago for their thoughtful gun design.
regardless of whether or not this thing is truly reliable or not this is the sleekest looking top break I've ever seen. damn thing is a futuristic looking as a chiappa revolver. especially the hammer "spur".
Ah! Finally, the archetypal "Postman's Revolver." A work of art.
Watching this for the first time today... because I only bought one a few hours ago...
First, I will bet if the cylinders had original brass inserted, with some friction from the rim thickness, there wouldn't be such a roll back. I find that with nearly all USA made suicide specials.. and a few high end wheel guns of this early cartridge era.....
As other people mentioned below, Mae's hands, my hands, yeah everyone in the world was OUR size 130 years ago... and, many civilian shooters, but especially military officers, were wearing gloves most of the time in the field.. and.. the lanyard ring would have... a lanyard on it... so that gives the 'pinkie finger' something to wrap around... nice to see many of your subscribers say intelligent informative things!
Speaking of that... as a ... middle aged gentleman..cough cough... like I mention on several you tube channels I chime in on, back in the 70's I was taught how to shoot rifles and handguns by an elderly WW1 US Army officer. He instructed me- (and my WW2 vet father!) how to shoot 'properly'. And to keep the little/ pinkie finger, below the grip. Even did that on 45's if his enlisted man's hand was small. People shot one handed back then. "it's a hand gun, not a HANDS guns! Two hand grip was for sissies!" I think the now common 2 handed grip was only coming about in the 70's and early 80's. The space left behind or just under the trigger guard was to place the trigger finger when carrying, running, not immediately intending to fire it. To place the little finger on the grip, and middle finger high, when -as entering a room or brush, keeping the hand on your side elbow back. Now only seen in old movies...
And from the Roman -or Japanese Empires... till lately, an officer's arms was to intimidate- or use on- his cowardly troopers- or if they were overrun and had to join in the hand to hand. So when they are coming at you with a bayonet, yeah, empty your double action into attackers 20 or 30 feet away, when that's empty, the closer ones get the sword.. if he is still alive to swing a sword. BTW I LOVE all you videos!
I'm a fairly new subscriber so this means I'm fortunate enough to get the alerts for new videos while still having all the prior videos in the series to go through. While the older videos are shorter, they still hold up very well. It's cool though seeing how you've added on to the videos over time.
my understanding is that the recessed rim or embedded head cylinder on a revolver is that it supports the rim and makes case failures less likely especially on rimfires. Back in the day, a very good idea and recommended feature but now just a luxury.
For rimfire that makes sense, but these were brought back in the modern, centerfire era for... reasons
A great video about a gun with which I was totally unfamiliar! Speaking to Mae's accuracy comment: I think people nowadays have this video game-inspired idea that military guns should be half-MOA accurate at 100 yards or something. They forget that these firearms are being used by terrified, exhausted people. In that situation, the person firing the weapon will not be capable of that kind of accuracy. So long as it can hit a torso, it's good enough. The exception to this would be a sniper's rifle, but that's another story.
Even then period sniper's rifles were usually just rifles from the rack fitted with a scope. And those rifles were only about 5 MOA. We are spoiled by modern manufacturing
@@SgtKOnyx "We are spoiled by modern manufacturing"
Not just this, we're spoiled by modern commercial accuracy standards. Military guns across the world except maybe the swiss are still like 3 moa. They don't NEED to be better and making them better costs money.
@@SPAZTICCYTOPLASM Actually, not really anymore. You're using the same CNC machine after all, it's just the tolerances are "looser". A part that might have been thrown in the reject pile in a commercial rifle doesn't in a military one, but that doesn't mean that the total is necessarily significantly worse. Since the majority of accuracy in a rifle is in the barrel, and the techniques and tools for making them have improved across the board, modern barrel manufacturing has made both military and civilian arms more accurate. Just think, if you can improve the accuracy for not very much unit cost and potentially get better contacts, or at a minimum have enough fewer reject parts to justify the cost, you're going to do it.
@@SgtKOnyx I don't think you understand military adoption.
It's not using the "same CNC" it's spindle time, how much time does it take to make a free float barrel nut for an AR than a standard? The answer is slightly longer which costs a few more pennies which means when you're buying in big numbers it costs more for a gain that isn't useful. And with free float barrels comes free float hand guards which inherently need to be more rigid than a plastic hand guard which is supported at 2 ends.
And no accuracy isn't just the barrel, the quality of barrel on most old war guns is pretty good, check out any sporterized war gun, that's been free floated, they're pretty close to 1 moa with good ammo. Speaking of barrels, pretty much all commercially sold barrels are made to a higher standard. barrels you buy are lapped, military barrels are not because why would you? It takes longer to make and lapping doesn't play well with chrome or other hard lining, which is more important than accuracy.
Here's what i mean: www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2015/02/16/deadlier-rifles-and-ammo-may-be-on-the-way/
"2 MOI rifle, putting it on par with the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, which uses a free floating barrel"
The spankin new m27 IAR is a 2MOA rifle with a free float barrel. That's pretty pathetic when you realize an M&P15 2 manages better: gunworld.com/guns/sw-ar15/
But the military uses shit ammo, but that's kind of the point, accuracy is the sum of it's parts. It's not just barrel quality, or even gun quality it's everything together. A standard mosin 91/30 without a bent barrel will shoot an easy 2 moa with some hornady match and a good shooting position taking your time. Which isn't what the military works with. Ever.
@@SPAZTICCYTOPLASM Nothing you said was surprising or new to me, though you do somewhat misunderstand what mean by "most of the accuracy is in the barrel". I mean that a bad barrel will never be accurate, even with good ammo and a good barrel can be accurate with poor ammo.
Free floating "old war guns" is a great way to have an inaccurate version of an old war gun. Almost any wooden stocked rifle is deliberately bedded in the wood at specific points for various factors of barrel interactions with the stock, such as the No4 specifically having muzzle pressure for harmonic reasons.
As for "CNC machine" I actually was just referring to firearm parts generally, though they may be any of a number of modern machines used and not necessarily the CNC mill that is generally thought of when the phrase is used.
An additional about free-floating and not, it turns into the question of accuracy vs precision. This may surprise you, but shifting point of impact does not actually increase group size, provided the group has the same shift. And after all, MOA is a measure of precision, not accuracy.
Your discussion of this revolver and dumping all six rounds has inspired a suggestion. If you haven't already filmed the 1911 episode, perhaps it could include a rapid fire drill in addition to standard target firing. Love, love, love this show. Bye
Seconded.
Finally, the episode I was waiting so long for
Something people in the West forget,Japan was not building on 400 years of experience like other countries .They went from hermit to fully industriialized in under 30 years.The ingenuity involved in that jump is stunning.
Great channel. Really enjoy the great informational videos. I picked up a Type 26 7 or 8 years back from Guns America if I remember correctly. I think it was actually under $300. At the last minute, the seller said he found a full box of ammo for it and he just threw it in. When I received it, the mainspring was too weak to fire a cartridge. I could utilize the old spring for anything but a template. I bought a mainspring for a Webley Mk IV
from Numrich which was way to stiff and large. I shaped it down to fit and then reheated it in my lead pot until
it was strong enough to ignite primer but not too stiff to fire reliably. It looks great hanging on my wall next to the Type 14 and Type 94 and the original Shin Gunto.
I had a Type 26 that my dad brought back from Japan after "the war", and it still had the original polished blue finish, with the hammer and trigger in a mottled "peacock blue" that gave it a very deluxe appearance. I've heard of very heavy triggers on the 26, but mine was smooth and fairly light, very easy to shoot; I wonder if the heavy/rough action was confined to wartime rebuilds?
What happened to it?
@@Galahad_Du_Lac I sold it to a Nisei who was buying Japanese art and artifacts to help his kids connect with their heritage. Privately owned firearms are not generally something I'd connect with Japanese culture, and he may have been stretching that part of the story a bit, but I wanted him to have it.
Outstanding...I mean it. I'm riveted... the insight, the beard. May I suggest a detailed review of the Nagant Revolver which beginning to really creep up in value,. The gas seal is way different and would love to here you both get into the specifics and mindset of this odd revolver.More please.
A very fair and well balanced review !
31:27 Did Japanese men have Othias-sized hands?
33:55 But Othias mentioned earlier that use case was "point and dump", not "precisely aimed shots".
The reason for the recessed chambers is to cut down on shrapnel if a "balloon" head case ruptures. as someone who has experienced a "Balloon" head rupture in a .38 without recessed chambers, it is a huge benefit! as far as i can tell, no one has made these types of cases since the 50's or possibly earlier.
why are Japan's revolvers always so awesome
C&Rsenal if your going to do the nambu type 14 next then after that do the mosin nagant and then do the nagant in that order i think it will work better that way
Kinda resembles a Webley more so than the S&W. Thanks for this review.
FYI, y'all will call me a liar, but my son found 8mm Nambu ammo that functions in my Type 14 without failure!
My dad brought this pistol back from Saipan in '45. I've been shooting it since then after buying a new firing pin.
In 2018, my sons bought me a few boxes as a fathers day present.
Wish I'd kept the boxes so I could tell you who made it.
Another factoid: my Nambu is running the original springs!
My favorite Japanese import is Hitomi Tanaka.
LeaveMeAloneUA-cam Anri Okita for life! (Runner up Kaho Shibuya)
Oh my how lewd!
My favorite is Ai Sayama.
Not 69, but _nice._
I’m scared to look up these names.
When May loads the revolver at 19:48 it looks like a few of the primers are already dented when she loads it.
I'm surprised they didn't put anti-aircraft sights on it.
As always Mae and Othias a good show!
For me is an "advanced" revolver for the era, don't forget after WW1 during the twenties, the British ask for a da/da .38 caliber top break revolver and in the thirties just improve to the DAO with the Enfield No.2... The same idea Japanese's adopted several decades earlier.
What's up with the spent looking primers??? 19:54
So should Japan take the islands?
Knock Knock, it's Europe. they're not here to take over (yet), they just want to sell stuff, like clock, and guns, and JESUS!
How bout I do, anyway!
Yes!
Well done on the period Japanese music!!
17:35
It has nothing to do with this gun, but this image is the Emperor Taisho. The Emperor Meiji is here.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Meiji
you're right, they've been wrong in the past, now what to do with them
That guy looks a lot tougher.
One issue Galand may have been facing was names. Between the Galand de guerre (="war (male) lover" in oral. No pun intended.) and the tue-tue (lit "kill kill" ) which is at best Skaven nomenclature, and at worst ballerina accessory...
YES YES MANTHING! SKAVEN ARE SUPERIOR IN WRITE WRITE! *_distant sounds of autistic squeaking_*
What about Mae and her Sea Cowboys? I bet they shoot off of boats often enough.
I remember this quote, what episode was it from tho
@@lucidiabautista2085 I think it was the '92 Winchester or '94 Winchester episode.
Might be a kink of mine, but "not perfect, but it will rapidly put six angry beans in the attacking guy" makes me wanting it
C&Rsenal uploaded? AWWWWWW YEEAAAHHH
An 1800s Japanese soldier/officer was how big again?
Don't think grip size for intended users was a problem
Hey Othias, regarding the 'embedded head cylinder': Ian talked about that in his Reichsrevolver shooting video as a safety feature. This way if you have a case rupture the gas is less likely to vent out the back of the cylinder. Here's how Ian explains it: ua-cam.com/video/RB074qA-3EA/v-deo.htmlm56s
Wow, this is a little early, and a pleasant surprise 😂
That cylinder is a good replacement for a fidget spinner.
One year later and this topical reference is almost unrecognizable.
Great show!
For 1887, this thing is super forward thinking. Quick follow up shots on a decent trigger and fast reloading is something sorely lacking on so many Great War revolvers.
Every day I hope for a War were declared complication video.
Dee Oh Dee I prefer a ponderously heavy tome festooned with lightbox illustrations.
I have one of these models an im looking to sell it how much can a i get for it?
Nice
Great episode
Thank you for analyzing this particular pistol. I agree that a lot of post war analysis of Japan's firearms are unfairly judged out of context.
The ejection "star" doesn't kick the brass all the way clear of the cylinder. Especially considering that the ammo has a very small rim, this minimizes the chance for brass to get caught between the ejection mechanism and the cylinder. Do you think this may have been deliberate?
Midway made ammo for this in 1980's, boxer primed, occasionally see at shows. DAO (double action only) revolvers are made for point shooting not aimed shots, and this should be considered with this piece as well as Enfield DAOs, S&W DAOs, etc. Basically go center to mass at close range.
Is there any more info about Abadie, other than his gate loading system? I seem to be drawing a blank trying to find info on the guy.
Not a lot. There is an author in Portugal who squeaked out a book but that's about it.
Looks like one of those WWII Enfield revolvers.
Hey, another C&Rsenal video. Love it. The 9mm cartridge being weak doesn’t surprise me. Most of the European pistol cartridges were like that too. The only thing I wrestle with is trying to understand how so many nations thought the .32 ACP was such a great cartridge.
they were used black powder and 32 acp is roughly as powerful as many black powder rounds and also pistols don't really matter
Well, I could see the .32acp being used in lieu of .31 caliber black powder or ever .36 in some cases. Yeah, forgot about pistols not mattering.
Could you imagine if there was a Spanish clone of a Reichsrevolver?
Ouch! my brain!
I don't think they thought the 32 ACP or 380 ACP or similar ballistic cartridges were thought that highly of. Rather I think the firearms were very popular, highly thought of, and since most were simple blow back actions they were inexpensive to produce in large quantities with consistently high reliability. It was a byproduct of the firearms designs that the cartridges were popular
19:17 Noice camera viewpoint pan, Bruno. Very noice :)
I can't take credit for that one, it was Othais' idea. He always lets me know what kind of shots he wants.
Thank you Othais. Thank you for giving a detailed and pleasant look at this pistol. Most videos on this classic are very much hateful.
You could put some tape on the part above the grip, to stop the bite.
I'm going to make a tradition of rewatching this video, and commenting that I think it looks like a postman's revolver.
Postman's?
@@M.M.83-U on U.S. postal trains in the... 50s-60s, I think, one of the mail clerks was issued a sidearm to protect the mail. It was usually the senior clerk who carried it. The practice might have a longer history than that. I just know it from a period film about postal trains.
I love Japanese firearms. So the next one is the Type 14 Nambu? got one of those, shoots really accurately though the ammo is a pain to source (Reno, Nevada, yay!) Hope yours doesn't have the spring problem (though Wolff Springs makes a tune up kit for it).
Scott Ruggels No the type 14 came after WW1. However, the Papa Nambu may be covered. On a side note my Type 14's springs are a little too stiff. I don't think it was ever fired or taken out of the holster much.
I LOVE this series, and have never missed an episode... One note I would think makes sense though in regards to the grip size... In fairness, Mae has larger hands, than the average Japanese man... The average Japanese Soldier, was a stately 5' 3"... So the grip may seem small to North Americans, but most likely fine for the Japanese Soldiers... Keep up the Great Work... 😉😉😉
My FFL has one of these in the 52xxx range on the shelf. Guess I need to forward him the video.
sman7290 m.imgur.com/a/iodh5. with beat to shit holster. m.imgur.com/a/sJIDU
ALL top-breaks HAVE to be tipped sideways for positive extraction. Webleys (my favorite gun) can easily become junk by using the WWI British manual's 'point barrel toward jewels & hope for the best' cartoon routine.
9mm in 1893? Wow.
I'm sure .38 would fit in that description as well, I'm sure there were .38's before 1893?
Why were the primers dented when mae loaded it?
I’ve seen all of your videos now. MAKE MORE FASTER. PLEASE
I still just love your humor
I mean, in its intended role, I don't think there's anything wrong with it.
Love your videos guys. Are you planning to do a video on the Mosin Nagant M1891?
Wasn't there a version in 8mm nambu
I thought i would mention, the average Japanese male in 1900, was 5 foot 2 in, so the grip was probably long enough for the time
What do you guys think
Can you give me contact information for someone who sells every decision for the type 26 please?
I have one of theses but it's been stripped down to almost nothing only the frame and cylinder is left does anyone know where to get parts or can i modify it with bodao parts
Damn man, I’m more interested in where you got AMMO for this lol
The Galand de Guerre looks very reminiscent of the Tranter
would this be classed as an antique?
That is a neat looking gun.
I'm on finals and the stress is killing me. So here I am to alleviate! That stress, I think.
HERE WE GO AGAIN, GONNA BE STAYING UP LATE!!
Othais! Will you help me finish my english paper? It's due in 2 & 1/2 hours!
Colt 1878 is my personal fav...close second is the swiss model 1882
DAO revolver works well enough in your non sword wielding hand.😏
I thought we were going to see a gun explode in Mae's hand. I'm glad we didn't.
A little discontinuity between this revolver (Yes) and the Smith Russian (No); 1 attacker with this DA pistol as opposed to to the SA Smith with Multiple attackers. With the 1/2 second rule, this 9 mm, weaker than a 38 caliber, implies multiple shots or head/heart shots with a less than good grouping pistol for reliable stops. Can You get off 3-4 rounds in 1/2 second? Versus the proven man stopping 44 Russian cartridge which can provide Small groups. I think we have have a little to take issue with this video here.