WWII Japanese Hamada Type Ichi Shiki 7.65mm .32 ACP Semi-Automatic Pistol
SOLD FOR: $13467
LSB#: 210609MW10
Make: Nippon Juki Kabushiki Kaisha (“Japan Gun Co., Ltd.”)
Model: Hamada Shiki, Hamada Type (also referred to as Ichi Shiki, or One Type)
Serial Number: The serial number appears to be 2842, the “4” on both the slide and frame appears to be stamped over a “3”.
Year of Manufacture: 1943 (Showa 18)
Caliber: .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning)
Action Type: Striker-Fired Blowback Operated Semi-Automatic Pistol
Markings: The right of the slide and the backstrap each have a Tokyo factory symbol followed by the serial number “2842”. On both the slide and the frame, the “4” of the serial number appears to be stamped over a “3”. The chamber of the barrel is marked with a Tokyo factory symbol. The right of the frame has a Showa symbol followed by “18”. The magazine floorplate has a Tokyo factory symbol followed by “7.65m/m”.
Barrel Length: 3 1/2”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated, ramped blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered wood with smooth borders. The grips have light handling wear with some scattered nicks, scuffs, scratches and tool marks at the grip screw escutcheons. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 80% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is some scattered finish wear on the slide and handling wear in the grip areas of the frame. There is some minor oxidation, mostly in the grip areas of the frame. There are some scattered minor nicks and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw head is tool marked with a strong slot. The markings are clear except for the over-stamped serial markings. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The original design incorporates a magazine safety. The magazine safety was either deactivated or is not functioning properly. Otherwise, the action functions correctly. This pistol was not designed with a slide stop. The Hamada Type pistol was originally designed with no retention for the striker spring/guide, typically making it awkward to assemble and requiring that the parts be retained manually during disassembly. The inside of the slide has a wire-spring detent which holds the striker spring guide in place, making assembly and disassembly much easier. Due to the various iterative improvements/alterations to this pistol, it is not clear if this is a factory feature or was installed later. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 9-round magazine.
Our Assessment: As with most of the belligerents in WWII, Japan placed restrictions and controls on large parts of their industry and economy to support their war effort. So it was with Bunji Hamada and the Hamada Gun Shop. In 1941, Hamada was no longer able to procure raw materials for sporting gun production, so he established the Japan Gun Co., Ltd. to produce a military pistol of his own design. The company produced a .32 ACP Hamada Type pistol and later, in 1943, began producing a Type 2 pistol chambered for the 8mm Nambu cartridge. This is an example of the .32 ACP Hamada Type pistol, made in 1943. Approximately 4,500-5,000 of these pistols were produced, but they are quite rare in the United States, with approximately 30 known examples. The pistols had some variations throughout their production, and this one has a nice mix of features. It retains the attractive crown at the front of the slide which was later simplified, its serial marking is stamped directly into the slide with no recess as seen on earlier examples, and was made after the original slide legend was discontinued. It also has a couple of intriguing features which appear to be unique. The slide and frame serial markings have the same digit double-stamped. Also, the slide has a detent spring for the striker spring/guide assembly, greatly improving disassembly and reassembly. This detent may be one of the iterative changes to the Hamada design, but with so few specimens available for inspection, this cannot be confirmed. In any case, this Hamada is an extraordinary opportunity for collectors of Japanese and WWII-era sidearms and will take a prized place in even advanced collections. Please see our photos and good luck!