The Inagaki pistol (稲垣式自動拳銃 Inagaki-shiki Jidō Kenjū) is a Japanese pistol produced in small numbers during World War II.
History[]
The Inagaki pistol was designed and manufactured by Iwakichi Inagaki, a former employee of the Koishikawa Arsenal in Tokyo who had been involved in the manufacture of artillery who retired from said arsenal in 1924. After his retirement, Inagaki opened his own workshop where he manufactured various sporting rifles and similar firearms.
Designing of the Inagaki pistol began in about 1937 when World War II was intensifying in Japan. Inagaki received a contract for the production of these pistols in 1941 after submitting it to trials, though it appears that he sold a few pistols to Japanese aircrews a year or so before.
Approximately 500 pistols were produced, all sold to the Imperial Japanese Army. Production of the pistols stopped in 1943 as production focus shifted to a version of the same pistol chambered for 8×22mm Nambu. According to reports from Shinkichi Itō, an employee of the Army's No. 1 Technical Research Institute, the 8mm Inagaki pistols were of rather dubious quality and failed to work efficiently; no further development of the Inagaki pistols took place after that. It is reported that only three 8mm Inagakis were produced.
Only twelve Inagakis are known to exist today, most of which belong in museums.[1]
Design Details[]
The Inagaki is a simple blowback pistol with a very peculiar appearance. The weapon's safety lever is located on the left side of the weapon, although it is slightly odd in that the fire mode the weapon is in is determined by the marking not covered by the lever. When the weapon is in safe, the slide cannot be pulled back fully.
The slide is held in place only by the trigger guard, which makes disassembly of the weapon extremely simple; rotate the trigger guard and simply pull the slide and barrel off the weapon.[1]
References[]
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