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Type 4 rifle | |
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![]() Type 4 Semi-automatic Rifle | |
Type | Experimental semi-automatic rifle |
Place of origin | Empire of Japan |
Service history | |
Used by | Imperial Japanese Navy |
Production history | |
Designed | 1944 |
Manufacturer | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal |
Produced | 1945 |
No. built | Parts for ~200, ~125 complete rifles[1] |
Specifications | |
Mass | 4.097 kg (9 lb 1 oz) |
Length | 1,073 mm (42.2 in) |
Barrel length | 590 mm (23 in) |
Cartridge | 7.7×58mm Arisaka |
Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
Muzzle velocity | 840 m/s (2,800 ft/s) |
Feed system | 10-round internal box magazine loaded via two 5-round stripper clips |
Sights | Iron |
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.