Type 4 rifle

Type 4 rifle
Type 4 Semi-automatic Rifle
TypeExperimental semi-automatic rifle
Place of originEmpire of Japan
Service history
Used byImperial Japanese Navy
Production history
Designed1944
ManufacturerYokosuka Naval Arsenal
Produced1945
No. builtParts for ~200, ~125 complete rifles[1]
Specifications
Mass4.097 kg (9 lb 1 oz)
Length1,073 mm (42.2 in)
Barrel length590 mm (23 in)

Cartridge7.7×58mm Arisaka
ActionGas-operated, rotating bolt
Muzzle velocity840 m/s (2,800 ft/s)
Feed system10-round internal box magazine loaded via two 5-round stripper clips
SightsIron

The Type 4 rifle, often referred to as the Type 5 rifle,[2] (Japanese: 四式自動小銃 Yon-shiki Jidōshōju) was a Japanese experimental semi-automatic rifle. It was based on the American M1 Garand with an integral 10-round magazine and chambered for the Japanese 7.7×58mm Arisaka cartridge. Where the Garand used an 8-round en-bloc clip, the Type 4's integral magazine was charged with two 5-round stripper clips and the rifle also used Japanese-style tangent sights.

The Type 4 rifle had been developed alongside several other experimental semi-automatic rifles. However, none of the rifles entered into service before the end of World War II, with only 250 being made, and many others were never assembled. There were several problems with jamming and feed systems, which also delayed its testing.

  1. ^ "Japanese Type 4 Garand". YouTube.
  2. ^ "Japanese Garand WWII Semi-Automatic Rifle". NRA Museum. Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2023.