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Pricing for Type 14 Nambu?

emsfireemsfire Member Posts: 203 ✭✭✭
edited August 2018 in Ask the Experts
Went to the gun show yesterday (Saturday) and spoke with one of the vendors concerning a Type 14 Nambu. It seems to be in good mechanical order, isn?t pitted or rusted but the finish is....worn? Oh, the wood grips seem to be loosely fitted as they easily come off. Anyways, the dealer wanted $400, OTD cash. He was a local business owner but didn?t gaurentee the firearm nor did he allow returns. I was hesitant so decided not to deal, he put it to the side incase I came back today. Any thoughts? Am I being to hesitant on this? Should I go on back and get it??

Comments

  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Few and far between, in my neck of the woods. The ones that I have seen locally. Have been priced substantially higher.

    Have to ask though? What is your interest in acquiring one? If you are interested, as a collector of military handguns? Jump on it. Even for resale, or to use for trading. The price doesn't seem out of line.
  • mrmike08075mrmike08075 Member Posts: 10,998 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Beware of:

    Check the magazine closely - the magazine spring and magazine base...

    Check the screw heads on the gun - have they been removed recently - show signs of removal or having been touched up with a black sharpie or bluing pen

    Finish worn in the "gone to grey - no straw finish remaining" or a more overall scrubbed and washed appearance

    How does the bore look???

    If you can arrange for the grips to be removed look at the obverse sides and see if they seem to match up to the frame as far as finish and wear go

    The price seems to be incredibly good if it's a parts matching functional gun with original Mag and grips

    Late production or early might answer some of your questions

    I have and love all 3 variants of the nambu - if you can find ammo marked HDS or Walts on the base jump on it asap

    Mike
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 50,947 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think you were probably right to be hesitant. I paid $900 for an fine example with near 100% finish with holster and cleaning kit, all matching numbers right here on GunBroker.
  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mrmike08075
    Beware of:

    Check the magazine closely - the magazine spring and magazine base...

    Check the screw heads on the gun - have they been removed recently - show signs of removal or having been touched up with a black sharpie or bluing pen

    Finish worn in the "gone to grey - no straw finish remaining" or a more overall scrubbed and washed appearance

    How does the bore look???

    If you can arrange for the grips to be removed look at the obverse sides and see if they seem to match up to the frame as far as finish and wear go

    The price seems to be incredibly good if it's a parts matching functional gun with original Mag and grips

    Late production or early might answer some of your questions

    I have and love all 3 variants of the nambu - if you can find ammo marked HDS or Walts on the base jump on it asap

    Mike




    The original Japanese military 8 mm ammo, I had with my Nambu's years ago. Didn't have head stamps. Very unusual to me. As up to that time, all military production from various countries, were head stamped.

    I believe this ammo your referring to, is post war commercial production. Rather than original Japanese military?
  • emsfireemsfire Member Posts: 203 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mrmike08075
    Beware of:

    Check the magazine closely - the magazine spring and magazine base...

    Check the screw heads on the gun - have they been removed recently - show signs of removal or having been touched up with a black sharpie or bluing pen

    Finish worn in the "gone to grey - no straw finish remaining" or a more overall scrubbed and washed appearance

    How does the bore look???

    If you can arrange for the grips to be removed look at the obverse sides and see if they seem to match up to the frame as far as finish and wear go

    The price seems to be incredibly good if it's a parts matching functional gun with original Mag and grips

    Late production or early might answer some of your questions

    I have and love all 3 variants of the nambu - if you can find ammo marked HDS or Walts on the base jump on it asap

    Mike


    1942 production, it?s a definite ?gone to gray? finish so no scrub/wash marks. Magazine tension sprin is intact. Grips have no numbers on them. Mag is matching the handgun. Bore is actually pretty good, isn?t specifically bright but there?s no pitting or rust. This one has the enlarged trigger guard for gloved use. I ended up purchasing it. I figured if I can?t sell it whole I could definitely break it down and sell the parts for more.
  • GrasshopperGrasshopper Member Posts: 16,704 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    About right for a grey gun. Grips can be a problem as that setup is not the best for them, and had several the same way.
    I was a one time collector of them and Arisakas and there still is a good following for them.
  • mrmike08075mrmike08075 Member Posts: 10,998 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sounds like an honest shooter grade piece - not a high level collectors piece but not a dishonest beater

    I would jump on it and actually shoot it lightly and feel okay to do a take-down beyond basic field strip to see how the internals look

    The original 8mm nambu is rare as hens teeth now - rufe that's a insightful observation about the lack of markings

    Pre nambu family production (and the nco issue too break revolver with the proprietary rimmed cartridge) the practice was for imperial officers to buy their own sidearm and they were all foreign made and included commercial models (though S&W seemed to be highly favored)

    These guns and ammo were all imports and clearly marked making identification of maker and caliber fairly easy

    When the bottle necked nambu ammo was designed and produced it was so dimensionaly dissimilar to other ammo and was not commercially sold or distributed abroad that there was no need to stamp it with any identification nomenclature - a bit unusual for the empire - except I will note that I recall the 6.5 semi rimless crew served belt fed / or vehicular mounted domestic machine gun ammo also was not marked

    HDS or Walt's marked nambu ammo I can guarantee was made right and designed to be used in nambu family pistols or smg variants (to cycle right and not cause any damage pressure wise)

    My boss / mentor / friend / the gunshop owner had been making it because the military surplus stuff had dried up and become super high priced collectors prized items - and the reproduced stuff coming from OWS back in the day would never feed right or cycle right - though I did eventually convince dangerous Dave to use the load data we had developed towards the end before Val F. Took over from the original scrounger

    The HDS and Walt's marked stuff was purposely loaded for dedicated use and safe function in nambus of all types - not just a blind attempt based on CTOW data but with feedback from actual testing through pistols and sub guns and through dissection and examination of original pee war examples

    Walt or his son or myself loaded that ammo and I shot quite a bit - still have some stashed away

    Thanks guys - I do not mean to thread jack your post but felt my input would be welcomed and treasured by a few good folks

    If needed I will accept follow up questions and promise to try to respond

    Great stuff guys

    Mike
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