Original Item: Only One Available. Japanese machine guns very rarely show up for sale, so we are especially proud to offer this fantastic BATF approved non-firing original example.

This is an excellent example of a very desirable early WWII Japanese Type 96 LMG. Designed to fire the same 6.5x50mm Arisaka cartridge as the Type 38 rifle, they are very similar in appearance to the British Bren gun in that they have a top mounted curved box magazine, a forward mounted folding bipod, and a quick change, finned barrel that featured a top mounted carrying handle. This was not by accident, as the Army's Kokura Arsenal had tested the Czech ZB vz. 26 machine gun, samples of which had been captured from the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China. This is the same gun that was the basis for the British Bren, and after borrowing certain elements the arsenal issued this new design in 1936, designated the Type 96 light machine gun. These were a well made machine gun that featured all machined parts with a hard wood buttstock and pistol grip. Interestingly, the design also includes the provision for a mounted bayonet.

This excellent example is marked on the receiver with the arsenal markings for Kokura Arsenal next to 九 六 式. Kyuu (九) is Japanese for number 9, Roku (六) is Japanese for 6, and shiki (式) is the word for type, so it reads 96 Type. Under this is is marked with serial number 61280 and date 昭 16.2. This would be read as Showa Era year 16, 2nd month, or February 1941. This GI WW2 bring back Type 96 has been correctly demilled to BATF specs, with the original receiver having been cut, more that 2 inches of new steel inserted then all welded into a non-functional non-gun.

The gun is partially matching serial numbers, with 61280 also appearing on the trigger group and the rear receiver. The barrel and bipod are not matching, and the barrel also has a date of 昭 15.5, for May of 1940. These barrels were easily changed, so this is normal for any gun used in service.

Very fine as deactivated with 95% of a blue/black finish overall. The butt stock and pistol grip are both original and good to very good with their nice original color with light pressure dents and gouges from actual field use. The carry grip is also in great shape, something we don't often see, as many are lost or damaged heavily. The included bayonet is a standard early war issued Type 30 for the Arisaka rifle, and has the markings for manufacture by National Denki under Kokura supervision. With a blued blade and hooked quillon, this is the 2nd pattern out of 7 National Denki produced during the war, when the Japanese manufacturing infrastructure was still strong.

We have included a modified MG13 magazine to complete the look of this display machine gun, which will be deactivated if sent to a location where it is prohibited. It does not lock into the receiver, and unfortunately the bayonet catch is missing.

This is a very rare and desirable machine gun as not many were brought back by returning GIs as it is a heavy bulky weapon. A very nice example of one the primary WWII Japanese light machine guns.

Specifications (Bayonet):
Blade Length: 15 3/4"
Blade Style: Single Edge Bayonet
Overall length: 20 1/4“
Crossguard: 3 3/4”
Scabbard Length: 16 1/2"

History of the Type 96 Light Machine Gun-

The Type 96 Light Machine Gun (九六式軽機関銃, Kyūroku-shiki Kei-kikanjū) was a light machine gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the interwar period and in World War II.

History and development-

Combat experience in the Manchurian Incident of 1931 and subsequent actions in Manchuria and northern China reaffirmed the Japanese army of the utility of machine guns to provide covering fire for advancing infantry. The earlier Type 11 Light Machine Gun was a lightweight machine gun, which could be easily transportable by an infantry squad into combat. However, the open hopper design of the Type 11 allowed dust and grit to enter into the gun, which was liable to jam in muddy or dirty conditions due to issues with poor dimensional tolerances. This gave the weapon a bad reputation with Japanese troops, and led to calls for its redesign. The Army’s Kokura Arsenal tested the Czech ZB vz. 26 machine gun, samples of which had been captured from the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China, and (after borrowing certain elements) issued a new design, designated the Type 96 light machine gun, in 1936. The gun was produced at Kokura, Nagoya Arsenal and Mukden with total production about 41,000. While the Japanese design was completely different internally it did resemble the Vz26 in its basic layout using the top feed magazine and a bipod mount. The type 97 tank gun however was a license built copy of the ZB design and used in the tanks of the Japanese army.

Design-

Type 96 Light Machine Gun was almost identical in construction to the Type 11 in that it was an air-cooled, gas-operated design based on the French Hotchkiss M1909 machine gun. As with the Type 11, it continued to use the same 6.5x50mm Arisaka cartridges as the Type 38 rifle infantry rifle,[5] although the more powerful 7.7x58mm Arisaka round had already been adopted and was starting to enter into service with front line combat units.

The major difference with the Type 11 was the top-mounted curved detachable box magazine holding 30 rounds, which somewhat increased reliability, and lessened the weight of the gun. The finned gun barrel could also be rapidly changed to avoid overheating. The Type 96 had a blade front sight and a leaf rear sight, with graduations from 200 to 1,500 meters, with windage adjustment. A 2.5X telescopic sight with a 10 degree field of view could be attached at the right side of the gun.

The Type 96 also had a folding bipod attached to the gas block, and could be fitted with the standard infantry bayonet, which could be attached to the gas block below the barrel. The gun was capable of automatic fire only, although it was possible to fire single shots by briefly pulling the trigger.

However, arms designer Kijiro Nambu did nothing to address the dimensional tolerance issue between the bolt and gun barrel, which led to frequent failures when fired cases became stuck in the chamber. In order to ensure reliable feeding (theoretically), Nambu resorted to oiling the cartridges via an oil pump in the magazine loader. In practice, this tended to worsen the problem instead, as the oiled cartridges tended to become coated with dust and sand. This feature and its inherent faults was dropped with the introduction of the Type 99 light machinegun.

Combat record-

The Type 96 came into active service in 1936 and was intended to replace the older Type 11; however the Type 11 had already been produced in large quantities, and both weapons remained in service until the end of the war. The Type 96 was regarded as rugged and reliable, but its 6.5 mm bullets lacked penetration against cover, and the design was supplemented by the more powerful Type 99 light machine gun with the larger 7.7 mm bullet in 1937. After World War II it was used by Indonesian forces during the Indonesian National Revolution against Dutch forces notably during the Attack on Jogjakarta 1949.