Nambu
World: Type 14 Holster-JMCH V
Around 1939 the Japanese changed to
spring-loaded closures on their holsters. Most holsters had three springs
covered with very thin leather, but this one, which is dated 1942, has four.
Many sub-contractors made holsters at that time, and one or more used four
springs rather than three. The holster is otherwise standard in every respect,
with all brass fittings.
Here is the back showing the brass D-rings for
the shoulder strap and the belt loop.
This shot shows the holster open
This close-up shows that the central
pocket in the closure has two springs instead of the standard one. This is not
a manufacturing error, as the amount of leather is clearly greater than would
be needed for one central spring and there is plenty of room in there for both.
Such holsters, while definitely not the norm, are not strikingly rare, either.
It is not clear why four springs would be used, as three seemed quite adequate.
Perhaps it was a trial to see if four would work better? If so, the conclusion
must have been that there was no benefit, as the later rubberized canvas
holsters had the usual three springs.
These markings are found in the
usual place, in the centre of the broad flat area inside the clamshell flap.
The upper right character is Sho as
in Showa, the name of Emperor Hirohito’s reign. The two characters above one
another in the upper left (the top one looks like a minus sign) are a one and a
seven, a non-standard way of writing 17 (the standard way would be with a ten
and a seven). Together they indicate the holster was made in the seventeenth
year of the reign of Emperor Hirohito. Showa 17 translates into 1942 in the
Western calendar. Below that in the middle is the character tsuna, meaning rope. It is probably an
inspection mark. The character on the bottom seems to be the character Kyo, as in
Last updated: June 19, 2006. All contents are copyright Teri unless otherwise specified and may not
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