The Type 4 (四式自動小銃 Yon-shiki Jidō Shōjū) was a Japanese prototype self-loading rifle that was produced by Yokosuka Navy Arsenal.
History[]
The Type 4 was developed in 1944 to meet the urgent Japanese demand for a self-loading rifle late in World War II. It was based on captured American M1 Garand rifles that were studied at Yokosuka Navy Arsenal and modified with some new features. 20 Type 4 prototypes were made before an improved model, known in English sources as the Type 5, was introduced in early 1945 to iron out issues with the initial batch of Type 4 prototypes.
The rifle was ready for production by late 1945 but never came into issue before the war ended. The Yokosuka Navy Arsenal was captured by Allied occupation forces, who seized about 125 Type 5s.
Design[]
The Type 4 rifle was a gas-operated self-loading rifle copied from the M1 Garand and utilizing much the same operating mechanism. The rifle did not, however, feed from 5-round en-bloc clips, but an improved 10-round fixed box magazine loaded by two 5-round Arisaka clips. The rear sight was changed to an adjustable tangent and the barrel was shortened. Fitting for the Japanese Type 30 bayonet were also standard.
The initial prototype Type 4s were found to be unreliable owing to poor durability of the components and faults with the gas piston. The improved Type 5 used a strengthened return spring and gas piston and was less liable to break.
References[]
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