My 92 year old dad Bryce, who fought as an Australian commando against the Japanese on Bougainville Island in 1944-45, praises the Nambu LMG highly. It was equivalent to a Bren LMG, but much lighter. He used a captured Nambu in combat against the Japanese.
That's pretty metal dude. My grandfather fought as a Marine throughout the Pacific war, he used captured Japanese weapons on Tarawa and Saipan and praised the hell out of their bolt action rifles and their LMGs. Said they saved his ass more than once when he ran out of ammo and had to grab the nearest dead guys gun.
@@abk4202020 Why would somebody lie about something a relative did, and why would you think they were lying? I'll have you know I am 96 years old and carried around two Type-99's on my back throughout the war - especially in Luzon. Oh man, Luzon. You see, I carried two because it's helpful to have a spare barrel and what better way to carry a spare barrel than in a spare gun!? Heh heh heh, anyway, I was also on the Enola Gay when they dropped the bomb and parachuted into the ocean not far from the wreck of the Indianapolis. I had to use my Type 99's to fight off militarist sharks and let me tell you I don't think any other weapon system would've cut it! That's the power of the Type 99! You should show some respect son!
Japanese LMG's and HMG's really had superior optics to anyone else, which is funny because they pretty much had the shortest engagement distances of any faction in most of the war. I can really see how those optics might really help in a defensive role over the iron sights.
@@ClassicCase That's more or less what I was thinking. These weapons were designed with the lessons of the Manchurian campaign in mind. There's very little dense jungle in Manchuria.
I used to live in Okinawa. Yeah... Jungles up the wazoo. Literally used to swing on vines and junk with friends and playing manhunt was SUPER FUN in the jungle.
Majority of the Japanese army(about 80 percent) were fighting in China during ww2 where the battlefields were often on open fields. No where near short engagement distances. This is why they switched their ammo to 7.7 from the 6.5. The pacific campaign against the us, uk and dutch is really only a small fraction of the total war Japan was fighting.
Years ago, I watched a very biased History Channel weapons documentary that said pretty much all of Japan's weapons were obsolete and shitty. Ol gun Jesus is clearing the air for me.
@@highjumpstudios2384 Whoa Whoa... Pump the brakes. The channel that has a show about ancient structures built by aliens, Hitler is still alive, and 3 different shows where people are tearing up a spot of land looking for treasure HAD a track record for quality history content? Haha
@@trashpandatrailadv I mean... back in the early 2000s? Hell yeah. Also, I kinda feel sorry for those guys on Oak island. It always seems like they’re so close.
@@echos5823 Humh, that looks like what Judy Wood claims was used 911, with very convincing argument ... what happened to all the rubble? Easily enough could be the reason for 1st responder respiratory ailments ... Personal observation- about 6mo-1yr. before 911 the TV demolition shows stopped.
An odd "flaw" (Likely one never found by their original end-users) these two guns have is- You can interchange the gas regulator plugs. One of the first Type 96's I dealt with would only fire 2~3 shots before failing to eject. It behaved like it had insufficient gas, and I guessed that it had a Type 99 plug installed. The person who'd sold the gun to the owner of the one I'd dealt with confirmed this theory when his own Type 99 was exhibiting indications of overgassing. A quick exchange of parts via mail, and both weapons were behaving as intended. And yes, the '96 is one of the most enjoyable LMG's ever, to operate.
Interesting. In Korea, if a squad is given both K-1A SMG(technically a shortened K-2 rifle) and K-2 rifle, interchanging the hammers of two guns (yes, this occasionally happens in field strip) can be disastrous. Two hammers are almost identical with a slight difference in length, so K-2 with K-1A hammer simply won't fire, but K-1A with K-2 hammet will immediately fire when the bullet enteres the chamber.
@LordMacKarl Hammers of most assault rifles, including K-1A and K2, are just a few inches of very thin steel needle to be inserted within the bolt, so I don't think that's a possible solution. Btw there is another flaw in K-1A SMG and K-2 rifle. In the early steps of disassembly there is a 'hinge' to be unlocked. This hinge locks the upper and lower receivers, and located just behind the rear sight. If the owner forgets to re-lock the hinge, it wrecks havok in the range - the recoil spring breach opens the hinge, which is conveniently positioned behind the rear sight, toward the user's right eye! The military responded by painting a fluorescent paint on hinges of all guns in 2010.
@@jsyoon9959 then they dropped nuclear bomb, instead of attacking mainland Japan. Because The U. S tank crews were afraid the Japanese will bayonet them, like what they did to Chinese cowards
their wings were lined with glorious Nippon steel folded 300 times they had the right idea with the kamikaze attack except they should've taken it one step further and have the plane just completely cut through the hole of a ship and come out unscathed
Though I would disagree with some of your criticism of the BAR, I would absolutely agree that the Type 99 is far more effective and the best machine gun of the war. It's a real shame that Japanese small arms (both from the imperial era and the modern ones used by their Self-Defense Force such as the Type-64 and 89) aren't given the credit they deserve. The more I study them, the more respect I gain for them quite frankly. Please keep them coming, Ian!
Browning and Winchester contract with Miroku for a lot of their high end guns they sell presently and Howa makes great budget priced but high quality rifles.
It had to be used by highly experienced gunners, since Japan barely made enough of them. It makes the STG-44 look like a throw away weapon in comparison of total production.
The Type 99 s have conversion kits to the more available 7.62X51 or 308 ammo. There are also very nice conversion kits available for both the Type 96 and the Type 99 LMGs that convert them to 7.62 X 39 making them very cheap to shoot. Wow cheap, reliable, with very low recoil that all adds up to more fun to own than than most LMGs.
Who knows ? Maybe one day we'll unearth a Type 14 pistol with a bayonet mounted on it. Though it's not all that silly when you consider some of the '' tacti-cool '' gadgets festooning from modern day AR's and their contemporaries.
+_Scyas_ You know it's funny that you say that because the japanese did actually have an production officer's sword where the handle and hilt of the sword was literally a fully functioning early production nambu pistol. Also the british actually had bayonet attachment for their webley revolvers.
These guns are kinda OP in a "FPS" game called "Rising Storm", in that game it was the first time for me, to discover LMG´s with optics & bayonets on them...
+Toni kireE Lahtinen In that video game the BAR is still superior. Shoulder fired BAR is extremely controllable and accurate and the magazine change is actually quicker than on the LMGs if I recall correctly. Only downside is the barrel melting after a couple magazines, but by that time you have killed half the Japanese army.
+Toni kireE Lahtinen Doesn't really matter since every other American gun is miles ahead of it's counterpart, plus the Americans have the freakin' fiery wrath of God in the form of the flamethrower...seriously, play Axis rifleman with an Arisaka then switch to Allied with a Garand and the difference is night and day.
+Yung Eyebrows Unfortunately Rising Storm doesn't accurately capture how much of an advantage having a semi-automatic rifle is. They heavily balanced the Garand. the M2 flamethrower is ridiculously overpowered, the hit box isnt even correct and it can go through solid objects
Yung Eyebrows i usually play as the Japanese, and usually the TYPE 99 (LMG) can mow down the entire US Reinforcement wawe, and yes the Flamer and Bar are super deadly, but couple of Japanese LMG´s with scopes can snipe everything, that tries to move towards their objective (but it requires superiour positioning, and teamwork, to make Japanese army work well in that game...)
+Toni kireE Lahtinen Been replaying Rising Storm again. The Type 99 LMG was based off a very successful Czech machine gun. So it was already improving upon a very successful machine gun. In fact, the British even licensed their own copy with the Bren (which is why both the Type 99 and Bren look similar).
Got a type 99 in our attic back home. My grandpa was a marine in WWII and managed to disassemble it and ship in home in boxes. When he got back to the states he reassembled it and would fire it in his back yard. (he lives in a rural area) one of his neighbors called the police and they took it away, filled the barrel full of lead and then gave it back to him as a war souvenir. My dad used to run around his neighborhood with it playing war. Several years later there was a house fire and all of my grandpas souvenirs were lost except a handfull of stuff that was at a different house and the type 99. Luckily the LMG was on top of a crawl space so when the fire burnt up the flooring underneath it the floor collapsed and the LMG avoided getting completely destroyed. Between the fire and my dad playing with it as a kid, the mag has been lost along with the mud cover, the carrying handle and the bayonet. Through all that it still functions perfectly, and has never been oiled.
404Dannyboy yeah maybe, but dang that is one war relic to long for, and his grandad deserved it as he was the one who fought the war not those nitchy neighbours. And the neighbours could have asked him, not called the police. You can't get a type 99 in your everyday walmart, but I guess anti-gunners will never see the difference in value between an original colt patterson and a s&w 686
@@sxleong I mean, they did give it back to him. I see both sides in this story I just happen to have some extra sympathy for the neighbors because my last neighbors didn't know that quiet was a word let alone a practicable concept.
I havent researched japanese small arms in detail and my general perception was they had some arisakas and will to fight rather than a good small arms arsenal. This lmg is really impressive and surpasses the bren in some ways. Good for Nambu
I am Japanese but I have to thank you Americans for keeping good care of our guns. Unfortunately for us, once these are found in someone's home (happens from time to time since returning soldiers kept their Nambu pistols hidden in their closets) they get sent straight to the blasting furnace since it's illegal to own guns.
That makes me cry. I hope there are some Japanese that keep them hidden. I have two type 99 Arisakas. Ammo is a pain to get but they are my favorite bolt guns. Much better than the Mosins.
I'm from Okinawa and thank God for Americans keeping our WW2 history alive. When I talk to military members, they remember Okinawa like yesterday. The Japanese? They're trying to erase it because it's a dark patch in their history. Many don't know much about it. Even many of the memorials on Okinawa are a joint effort with Americans. I genuinely believe Japan wouldn't have put them up themselves. Sometimes it weirds me out that the American military remembers Okinawa more than Japan despite Japan now owning it. On top of that, my mom and especially my great-grandmother disliked the Japanese quite a bit. My mom practically flinches when she's called "Japanese" and my great-grandmother disliked my father not because he was American, but because he was half Japanese.
From what I understand according to the RIA website and catalog of the gun, it has nothing to do with "anti gun fuckers" but rather that this particular gun was missing several components to begin with, an an already-deactivated piece had been used to replace.
Fascinating x2. Most of us, I would think, are predisposed to think of the Nambu types as "junk', due to the "official" publications and all postwar analyses. To hear a person with reason to talk refer to it as "one of the best" is to un-learn some cherished misconceptions. Thanks for another interesting segment.
The Dutch army used some of these Japanese LMG's after the war against the Indonesian 'rebels'. They used them beside the Bren gun that they had in far larger numbers.
@@nit23sharma I know, my family were among the 'occupiers'... That's why I did put 'rebels' between "". From a Dutch perspective the Indonesian Republic rose up against the Dutch authority and started a rebellion. From an Indonesian perspective they were freedom fighters...
@@Franky46Boy ....one don't rebel against thieves n Robbers .....one protects his home against the looters....its sad n ironic that it was eventually the bloodthirsty fascists like Nazis n Japanese imperialists who (inadvertently) brought freedom to the occupied masses of Africa n Asia......n nowdays Europe n Brits behave as if they invented freedom,human rights n democracy......the comments may seem personal n even out of context...but that's the truth
The way I remember after reading a manual on the 99 long ago is that it was meant to fire a reduced charge 7.7, and also that it would fire either the 7.7 semi rimmed or rimless. There were so many different 7.7 cartridges it was a nightmare supplying them. Supposedly, the full power rifle 7.7 cartridge could be fired if the gas port was modified but this was not intended.
Love to add these to my collection. Unfortunately very, very rare here in shitesville. Regulations, chopped in half, rewelded shut, no moving parts. 🖐 🇦🇺
I like the simplicity of the lockup. Just a bit like the Arsenal Strike one, which I though was fairly original. Just a reminder that there is little new under the sun.
+Pete Zaitcev I wasn't trying to imply that one came from the other, just that the free, vertical locking piece was not as original as I thought. Having said that, while there are similarities, the tilting lock piece of the c-96 is significantly different than either of those, and in some ways has more in common with the later P-38, in others, not so much. I guess it is really just one big engineering conversation where most designers are most likely aware of, and borrow from, many former designs.
Excellente! Have to reconsider my opinion that the Bren was the bes WW2 LMG. Fascinating japanese weapons, especially compared to the Bren! Great, thank you, Mr. McCollum!
Between the T99, the ZB26, the Bren and the BAR, I would go with the Bren in real combat. The quick change barrel feature of the Bren makes it the best bet in by book. As far as magazine fed squad type LMG's goes; I own and shoot three T99's, a T96 and a BAR. I have fired a T11, a ZB26, and a Bren. Still, the T96/T99's are a real sweet shooters, and I have found no need to oil or wax the cartridges. Finally, all but one of the dozen or so T99 barrels I own have chrome plated bores, but all three T96 barrels I have do not. Gregg
+Forgotten Weapons Hi, how are you doing? I noticed there will be a VIS 35 pistol from Fabryka Broni in Radom on upcoming auction. I know it's just in few days but is there any chance you could prepare even a short video? That would be great because there's not much about them on RUclips, nor other parts of the Internet. Also a fact that the factory celebrates its 90 anniversary and 80 anniversary of starting the production of VIS 35, would make it special.
The 96 is deactivated and would require extensive gun smithing to repair. The registered machine gun action works and that is worth $10k. The 99 is probably just unpopular because of ammo and parts availability vs a BAR or Bren gun.
Firstly, thanks for another great video. I was wondering, though, if in the future you could edit in some stills of the reticles of guns with interesting optics. I was hoping they'd be on RIA, but sadly their pictures are just overviews. It's not a big thing but it seemed like it would be interesting.
I would have to agree with you Ian that the Japanese gunners for both these weapons were very highly trained and made the weapons highly reliable during combat.Just like other armies gunners were selected from their most intelligent,best shooting, and physically fit infantrymen.Then they were turned over to their expert NCO instructors on machineguns who then brutally gave the recruits plenty of boots to the ass,ribs,and head.Gunners and assistants were put on ranges,conditioning route marches,and tactical engagements before sending them to their respective units.Japanese Army and Marine Infantry Schools were filled with combat veterans of China,Malaysia,etc..
These guns are really nice. I have to admit that I am positively surprised by its design, but at the end of the day I am also Czech which automatically gives few more patriotic points to BREN. :-) Thank You for this video.
X------- Thanks not many people show this type of detail so thank you well done and what you showed on the type 100 par stock rifle was great l had one till I sold it . I wish I did not. And yes the type 99 was the best Iv heard that from the guys who went up against it. Thank you.
Ian the Fact that you said that these may have been the best LMG of WW2. If possible Forgotten Weapons/InRange TV Should do the ultimate gun competion of WW2...Who had the best Rifle, Pistol, SMG, LMG, Heavy Machine Gun, maybe even go a step further and do Bolt and semi auto rifle too. Would be an awesome video to watch and to see what the winner in each category would be.
+Valivali94 By the way, the Bren remained in service in the British armed forces into the 1990's (2000's with reserves). That tells you something about the weapon as well.
+marvincz3 To be fair, Japan was not really given a choice about their (Imperial) armory. The Word is amongst older Canadian infantry, their was a huge preference to keep and exchange the Bren .303 cartridge like the British - but the command opted for the full auto C1 (FAL) variants to keep logistics easier. They were not as happy about that. Although, it was harder to fault the reasoning. Cheers! ~ Thomas
Maybe you should add a little textbox since people, myself included, were a little bit perplexed since most people today don't really think about that slight but distinct difference, but now I can see your point and even get behind it.
The cartridge counter on the magazine makes a lot more sense when you consider that it would be crew served. There was a man laying next to the gunner, ready with a new mag, watching that hole.
I have talked to JD jones ssk ind and Mel Berstein (dragon man) both two of the largest machinegun class 3 dealers in America they both have own mgs 34s and 42s and Brens- they both said that the cone of fire (Beaten zone) the Bren has the smallest pattern of fire and the Bren is the most accurate light machine gun in the world! then i called up Kenton tucker that host the largest outdoor private machine gun range in America (big sandy machingun shoot) they fire to 1600 yards, but can fire out to 3 miles and he said they tested every machingun jap type 99,Bar, french 24/29, ZB 30, mg 42,mg 34,Dp28,DPM,1919a4, Bren etc etc, he said the Bren does have the smallest cone of fire and is the most accurate of all the machineguns!
Just imagine what stories are behind the capture of some of these firearms. Heaven knows what kind of drama led to these guns being brought back to the US.
Simply saying "best light machine gun" can cause some confusion as seen in this comments section; some have brought up the MG34/42 which is fairly valid since they can technically be used in the LMG role. I'd say more specifically that they're possibly the best MAGAZINE-FED light machine guns of the war.
emu4286 you can use many gpmgs in lmg roles, doesn't make them lmgs. You can use an FN Minimi (saw) in an assault rifle role, doesn't make it an assault rifle. Being mag red is one of the defining features of a WW2 lmg.
Woah! That is a serious looking ejector on the 99. It seems like that case is coming out cooperatively, or in pieces. I wonder if Nambu had problems with ejection when developing these guns?
Since these LMGs were often used at such close ranges, was this a big influence for the japanese to not invest much into SMGs? As in because these were effective enough in close range ambushes that there was no need for SMGs.
What a very interesting design especially in regards to the bolt and carrier. Strength wise, how strong is that locking block mechanism compared to say a tilting or rotating bolt? To me it seems like it would be weaker since the bolt itself is not physically locking into the receiver but rather a separate locking piece is.
I recently read a book (lolz, it's nearly 1000 pages... someone nice read it to me). The Nambu LMG got a lot of negativity in the middle of the story - heavy everything - recoil, weight, ammo. In the Pacific what would it have been up against? The book suggests US and Australian LMG's were better, but no further detail. Sauce: Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson should you be insterested.
Bren, type 96 relate to the czech ZB vz. 26, both britain and imperial japan tested a few, and built their own weapons based around many of its ideas. Mechanically different ofc.
Japan was a very isolated country. The technologies were imported but significantly altered and modified in a very unique way. As such, some weapons of Imperial Japanese Armed Forces were complete garbage, some peculiar in design and way too unorthodox to be of any practical use, while some of them were surprisingly reliable and very effective. The allies sometimes had problem dealing with Imperial Japanese forces because of the unique and unconventional weapons and tactics they used that are almost impossible to predict or create any counter-measures.
My 92 year old dad Bryce, who fought as an Australian commando against the Japanese on Bougainville Island in 1944-45, praises the Nambu LMG highly. It was equivalent to a Bren LMG, but much lighter. He used a captured Nambu in combat against the Japanese.
That's pretty metal dude. My grandfather fought as a Marine throughout the Pacific war, he used captured Japanese weapons on Tarawa and Saipan and praised the hell out of their bolt action rifles and their LMGs. Said they saved his ass more than once when he ran out of ammo and had to grab the nearest dead guys gun.
Stop lying bro
@@abk4202020 Why would somebody lie about something a relative did, and why would you think they were lying? I'll have you know I am 96 years old and carried around two Type-99's on my back throughout the war - especially in Luzon. Oh man, Luzon. You see, I carried two because it's helpful to have a spare barrel and what better way to carry a spare barrel than in a spare gun!? Heh heh heh, anyway, I was also on the Enola Gay when they dropped the bomb and parachuted into the ocean not far from the wreck of the Indianapolis. I had to use my Type 99's to fight off militarist sharks and let me tell you I don't think any other weapon system would've cut it! That's the power of the Type 99! You should show some respect son!
@@fuzzydunlop7928 a 96 year old commenting on a youtube video? Yeah sure. How long did it take you to write that comment? Oldie my ass.
Oh and fuck the Marines!
An LMG with a bayonet is pretty metal.
VidarOdinson79 We need pistol and SMG bayonets!
pistol bayonets exist, they were used to stab the enemy before shooting, so you couldn't miss your shot.
There were actually bayonet attachments for Sten SMGs ;p
Sterling SMG has a bayonet. I used to drill with it!
Styx Monster how can one could simply missed his shot when the range is so close that you can stab them with a bayonet?
Japanese LMG's and HMG's really had superior optics to anyone else, which is funny because they pretty much had the shortest engagement distances of any faction in most of the war.
I can really see how those optics might really help in a defensive role over the iron sights.
Dutch Bandits
Absolutely, very good point.
@@ClassicCase That's more or less what I was thinking. These weapons were designed with the lessons of the Manchurian campaign in mind. There's very little dense jungle in Manchuria.
I used to live in Okinawa. Yeah... Jungles up the wazoo. Literally used to swing on vines and junk with friends and playing manhunt was SUPER FUN in the jungle.
@@georgesakellaropoulos8162 Russia as well. Zhukov cut his teeth in a little fracas in Siberia, pre war. 1938 I think.
Majority of the Japanese army(about 80 percent) were fighting in China during ww2 where the battlefields were often on open fields. No where near short engagement distances. This is why they switched their ammo to 7.7 from the 6.5. The pacific campaign against the us, uk and dutch is really only a small fraction of the total war Japan was fighting.
You could argue the Type 96/99 looking very similar to the BREN was more convergent evolution of guns rather than a copy
They both take there look from the Czech gun that pre-dates both and is probably better aswell
+thestr8person the Czechs did know what they were doing
+Ryan Brown Superior Czechnology :D
+thestr8person Bren didn't just take the look, it took a license to manufacture ;)
+Cplblue Golden czech hands.
Years ago, I watched a very biased History Channel weapons documentary that said pretty much all of Japan's weapons were obsolete and shitty. Ol gun Jesus is clearing the air for me.
History channel doesn’t have a good track record for that kind of stuff I’m afraid.
@@highjumpstudios2384 Whoa Whoa... Pump the brakes. The channel that has a show about ancient structures built by aliens, Hitler is still alive, and 3 different shows where people are tearing up a spot of land looking for treasure HAD a track record for quality history content? Haha
@@trashpandatrailadv I mean... back in the early 2000s? Hell yeah. Also, I kinda feel sorry for those guys on Oak island. It always seems like they’re so close.
I mean, I guess compare to the alien pyramid builder's matter disintegrator, these bullet-shooters would be obsolete snd shitty
@@echos5823 Humh, that looks like what Judy Wood claims was used 911, with very convincing argument ... what happened to all the rubble? Easily enough could be the reason for 1st responder respiratory ailments ...
Personal observation- about 6mo-1yr. before 911 the TV demolition shows stopped.
An odd "flaw" (Likely one never found by their original end-users) these two guns have is- You can interchange the gas regulator plugs. One of the first Type 96's I dealt with would only fire 2~3 shots before failing to eject. It behaved like it had insufficient gas, and I guessed that it had a Type 99 plug installed. The person who'd sold the gun to the owner of the one I'd dealt with confirmed this theory when his own Type 99 was exhibiting indications of overgassing.
A quick exchange of parts via mail, and both weapons were behaving as intended. And yes, the '96 is one of the most enjoyable LMG's ever, to operate.
Interesting.
In Korea, if a squad is given both K-1A SMG(technically a shortened K-2 rifle) and K-2 rifle, interchanging the hammers of two guns (yes, this occasionally happens in field strip) can be disastrous. Two hammers are almost identical with a slight difference in length, so K-2 with K-1A hammer simply won't fire, but K-1A with K-2 hammet will immediately fire when the bullet enteres the chamber.
@LordMacKarl Hammers of most assault rifles, including K-1A and K2, are just a few inches of very thin steel needle to be inserted within the bolt, so I don't think that's a possible solution.
Btw there is another flaw in K-1A SMG and K-2 rifle. In the early steps of disassembly there is a 'hinge' to be unlocked. This hinge locks the upper and lower receivers, and located just behind the rear sight. If the owner forgets to re-lock the hinge, it wrecks havok in the range - the recoil spring breach opens the hinge, which is conveniently positioned behind the rear sight, toward the user's right eye! The military responded by painting a fluorescent paint on hinges of all guns in 2010.
Now that is absolutely fascinating.
Legend says that japanese put bayonets on their bayonets
Trust me, I know. I played Call Of Duty: World At War.
So you can bayonet while you bayonet
Yes they bayonated millions of coward Chinese during ww2
@@presleybaguiwan1954 and they thought that will work with American tanks too
@@jsyoon9959 then they dropped nuclear bomb, instead of attacking mainland Japan. Because The U. S tank crews were afraid the Japanese will bayonet them, like what they did to Chinese cowards
This is by far the best gun channel on RUclips.
すごく磨き込まれて、綺麗に保存されているのですね。感動しました。
そうだね
They ever put a bayonet on a zero?
close enough
+Ares12893 The zero itself is a bayonet, often used to stab enemy ships
+Ares12893 Probably at some point.
Ares12893 they put little bayonets on their mortar shells
their wings were lined with glorious Nippon steel folded 300 times
they had the right idea with the kamikaze attack except they should've taken it one step further and have the plane just completely cut through the hole of a ship and come out unscathed
Though I would disagree with some of your criticism of the BAR, I would absolutely agree that the Type 99 is far more effective and the best machine gun of the war. It's a real shame that Japanese small arms (both from the imperial era and the modern ones used by their Self-Defense Force such as the Type-64 and 89) aren't given the credit they deserve. The more I study them, the more respect I gain for them quite frankly. Please keep them coming, Ian!
Given your profile picture I suspect just a bit of bias but yeah I see no reason not to agree with you
The type 64 is cool but it can't use full power 762 nato. Unacceptable in my opinion.
@@humansvd3269 if there’s a will there’s a way.
Browning and Winchester contract with Miroku for a lot of their high end guns they sell presently and Howa makes great budget priced but high quality rifles.
Epic nippon steel
Folded over thousand times
Cuts through everything
Thumba - Umba even itself
Epic nippon thumba ugly face
@Jonathon Coffey I think you mean...
Step 1: "mercy" shot
Step 2: keep moving
This gave me a new appreciation for these guns. Never realized they were this effective,
It had to be used by highly experienced gunners, since Japan barely made enough of them. It makes the STG-44 look like a throw away weapon in comparison of total production.
The Type 99 s have conversion kits to the more available 7.62X51 or 308 ammo. There are also very nice conversion kits available for both the Type 96 and the Type 99 LMGs that convert them to 7.62 X 39 making them very cheap to shoot. Wow cheap, reliable, with very low recoil that all adds up to more fun to own than than most LMGs.
Who knows ? Maybe one day we'll unearth a Type 14 pistol with a bayonet mounted on it.
Though it's not all that silly when you consider some of the '' tacti-cool '' gadgets festooning from modern day AR's and their contemporaries.
+Hungry Spirit Good find. Yes, I'll bet that one cleaved through its share of American machine-gun barrels/tanks in it's time ...
+Trump Hitler Awww ... what's the matter Donald ? Does my sense of humour not agree with you ? Poor baby ...
+Trump Hitler But I thought that is what Russians do?
***** Nah, don't bother - I think the radioactive orange of your ugly mug has blinded me.
+_Scyas_ You know it's funny that you say that because the japanese did actually have an production officer's sword where the handle and hilt of the sword was literally a fully functioning early production nambu pistol. Also the british actually had bayonet attachment for their webley revolvers.
2:59 - "They put bayonets on pretty much everything" I just imagined an artillery cannon with a bayonet.
Shot up bulldog
But they are stupids like u r
A submarine with a bayonet
Bayonets on everything, lol! Says alot about the Japanese soldier, you never want to hear " ...fix Bayonets!..."
They had bayonets on their swords too.
These guns are kinda OP in a "FPS" game called "Rising Storm", in that game it was the first time for me, to discover LMG´s with optics & bayonets on them...
+Toni kireE Lahtinen In that video game the BAR is still superior. Shoulder fired BAR is extremely controllable and accurate and the magazine change is actually quicker than on the LMGs if I recall correctly.
Only downside is the barrel melting after a couple magazines, but by that time you have killed half the Japanese army.
+Toni kireE Lahtinen Doesn't really matter since every other American gun is miles ahead of it's counterpart, plus the Americans have the freakin' fiery wrath of God in the form of the flamethrower...seriously, play Axis rifleman with an Arisaka then switch to Allied with a Garand and the difference is night and day.
+Yung Eyebrows Unfortunately Rising Storm doesn't accurately capture how much of an advantage having a semi-automatic rifle is. They heavily balanced the Garand. the M2 flamethrower is ridiculously overpowered, the hit box isnt even correct and it can go through solid objects
Yung Eyebrows
i usually play as the Japanese, and usually the TYPE 99 (LMG) can mow down the entire US Reinforcement wawe, and yes the Flamer and Bar are super deadly, but couple of Japanese LMG´s with scopes can snipe everything, that tries to move towards their objective (but it requires superiour positioning, and teamwork, to make Japanese army work well in that game...)
+Toni kireE Lahtinen Been replaying Rising Storm again. The Type 99 LMG was based off a very successful Czech machine gun. So it was already improving upon a very successful machine gun. In fact, the British even licensed their own copy with the Bren (which is why both the Type 99 and Bren look similar).
I used this video for reference when i was building my cardboard type 99. Thanks for explaining everything clearly and giving a good review 👍
why did you build it?
Thank you lord Ian for all the awesomeness I'm about to receive.
+AppelsinDuck Blessed be thine weaponry
+RebelForce8 Lead us to the promised land, and away from the Heretical temptations of the Eotech.
+AppelsinDuck all hail the murdercube
Got a type 99 in our attic back home. My grandpa was a marine in WWII and managed to disassemble it and ship in home in boxes. When he got back to the states he reassembled it and would fire it in his back yard. (he lives in a rural area) one of his neighbors called the police and they took it away, filled the barrel full of lead and then gave it back to him as a war souvenir. My dad used to run around his neighborhood with it playing war. Several years later there was a house fire and all of my grandpas souvenirs were lost except a handfull of stuff that was at a different house and the type 99. Luckily the LMG was on top of a crawl space so when the fire burnt up the flooring underneath it the floor collapsed and the LMG avoided getting completely destroyed. Between the fire and my dad playing with it as a kid, the mag has been lost along with the mud cover, the carrying handle and the bayonet. Through all that it still functions perfectly, and has never been oiled.
Finnie idiotic anti-gun neighbours
@@sxleong That or his grandpa was firing it too late or too often. Guns are annoyingly loud.
404Dannyboy yeah maybe, but dang that is one war relic to long for, and his grandad deserved it as he was the one who fought the war not those nitchy neighbours. And the neighbours could have asked him, not called the police. You can't get a type 99 in your everyday walmart, but I guess anti-gunners will never see the difference in value between an original colt patterson and a s&w 686
@@sxleong I mean, they did give it back to him. I see both sides in this story I just happen to have some extra sympathy for the neighbors because my last neighbors didn't know that quiet was a word let alone a practicable concept.
Looking forwards to watching the future new updated video in 6 months!
*History Channel: Type 99 is basically a Bren Gun and Ancient Aliens...*
*Ian: I'm gonna end this man's career*
Bruh, History has gone downhill thanks to those damn alien shows
What an awesome design. There's just so many impressive little intricacies that I had no idea about!
Kudos to whoever did the English CC. That was a really nice one
At the end I was dissapointed you didn't make the make believe machine guns noises most of us made when we were kids...
Budda budda budda
@@weswolever7477 mmm... im dutch, so it went: RA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA! (the A sounds different here)
I havent researched japanese small arms in detail and my general perception was they had some arisakas and will to fight rather than a good small arms arsenal. This lmg is really impressive and surpasses the bren in some ways. Good for Nambu
I am Japanese but I have to thank you Americans for keeping good care of our guns. Unfortunately for us, once these are found in someone's home (happens from time to time since returning soldiers kept their Nambu pistols hidden in their closets) they get sent straight to the blasting furnace since it's illegal to own guns.
That makes me cry. I hope there are some Japanese that keep them hidden. I have two type 99 Arisakas. Ammo is a pain to get but they are my favorite bolt guns. Much better than the Mosins.
I'm from Okinawa and thank God for Americans keeping our WW2 history alive. When I talk to military members, they remember Okinawa like yesterday.
The Japanese? They're trying to erase it because it's a dark patch in their history. Many don't know much about it. Even many of the memorials on Okinawa are a joint effort with Americans. I genuinely believe Japan wouldn't have put them up themselves.
Sometimes it weirds me out that the American military remembers Okinawa more than Japan despite Japan now owning it.
On top of that, my mom and especially my great-grandmother disliked the Japanese quite a bit. My mom practically flinches when she's called "Japanese" and my great-grandmother disliked my father not because he was American, but because he was half Japanese.
@@w0y4k15 Everyone seems to forget Okinawa isn't truly Japanese.
南部さんて凄い人だなぁ
NC旋盤やMCがないのに、よく精密に加工できたもんだ
Why would that beautiful piece of history be deactivated? ;__;
Anti gun fuckers that's why ;(
It's not completely deactivated.
You can still put a bayonet on it.
The temporary new America that is
NOT ANYMORE BOYS, AMERICA IS BACK
From what I understand according to the RIA website and catalog of the gun, it has nothing to do with "anti gun fuckers" but rather that this particular gun was missing several components to begin with, an an already-deactivated piece had been used to replace.
both lmgs was featured in the movie "The Thin Red Line". The hill assault scene where a squad tried to capture the bunkers kill and they succeeded!
Fascinating x2.
Most of us, I would think, are predisposed to think of the Nambu types as "junk', due to the "official" publications and all postwar analyses. To hear a person with reason to talk refer to it as "one of the best" is to un-learn some cherished misconceptions.
Thanks for another interesting segment.
I love the idea of an round counter on the mag. That's pretty neat
That type 99 sold for $6,325 which isn't bad for a fully transferable LMG.
Brilliant vid - so rich with detail. Learn so much new stuff every time. Thank you Ian!
字幕ありがとう！
These are very enjoyable videos Ian. Thank you.
really good video! i always have been interested by nambu
Excellent video! Thank you very much for making this video and for presenting it on RUclips!
a beautifully designed and manufactured gun.......very well thought out...
The Dutch army used some of these Japanese LMG's after the war against the Indonesian 'rebels'.
They used them beside the Bren gun that they had in far larger numbers.
Dutch were foreign occupiers in Indonesia.....I wonder why Indonesians are rebels in this context
@@nit23sharma I know, my family were among the 'occupiers'... That's why I did put 'rebels' between "".
From a Dutch perspective the Indonesian Republic rose up against the Dutch authority and started a rebellion. From an Indonesian perspective they were freedom fighters...
@@Franky46Boy ....one don't rebel against thieves n Robbers .....one protects his home against the looters....its sad n ironic that it was eventually the bloodthirsty fascists like Nazis n Japanese imperialists who (inadvertently) brought freedom to the occupied masses of Africa n Asia......n nowdays Europe n Brits behave as if they invented freedom,human rights n democracy......the comments may seem personal n even out of context...but that's the truth
@@nit23sharma In 1945 it were the Indonesian pemudas who were the looters and the murderers. Sutan Shahrir called them 'orang rampok'...
T99, the Toyota of WW2 lmgs.
Pretty much.
The way I remember after reading a manual on the 99 long ago is that it was meant to fire a reduced charge 7.7, and also that it would fire either the 7.7 semi rimmed or rimless. There were so many different 7.7 cartridges it was a nightmare supplying them. Supposedly, the full power rifle 7.7 cartridge could be fired if the gas port was modified but this was not intended.
Always enjoy your videos Ian. Well done as usual.
Pieces of art really.
Love to add these to my collection. Unfortunately very, very rare here in shitesville. Regulations, chopped in half, rewelded shut, no moving parts. 🖐 🇦🇺
I like the simplicity of the lockup. Just a bit like the Arsenal Strike one, which I though was fairly original. Just a reminder that there is little new under the sun.
+Pete Zaitcev I wasn't trying to imply that one came from the other, just that the free, vertical locking piece was not as original as I thought. Having said that, while there are similarities, the tilting lock piece of the c-96 is significantly different than either of those, and in some ways has more in common with the later P-38, in others, not so much. I guess it is really just one big engineering conversation where most designers are most likely aware of, and borrow from, many former designs.
Thank you for opening the LMG.
Wow that locking mechanism is... Really unique and smart.
Quite interesting! That Type 96 is almost a proto-assault rifle, thanks to its smaller cartridge.
Excellente! Have to reconsider my opinion that the Bren was the bes WW2 LMG.
Fascinating japanese weapons, especially compared to the Bren! Great, thank you, Mr. McCollum!
It is more sophisticated than I thought
Between the T99, the ZB26, the Bren and the BAR, I would go with the Bren in real combat.
The quick change barrel feature of the Bren makes it the best bet in by book.
As far as magazine fed squad type LMG's goes; I own and shoot three T99's, a T96 and a BAR.
I have fired a T11, a ZB26, and a Bren.
Still, the T96/T99's are a real sweet shooters, and I have found no need to oil or wax the cartridges.
Finally, all but one of the dozen or so T99 barrels I own have chrome plated bores, but all three T96 barrels I have do not.
Gregg
Just bought at Type 96! 😀
+Forgotten Weapons
Hi, how are you doing?
I noticed there will be a VIS 35 pistol from Fabryka Broni in Radom on upcoming auction. I know it's just in few days but is there any chance you could prepare even a short video? That would be great because there's not much about them on RUclips, nor other parts of the Internet. Also a fact that the factory celebrates its 90 anniversary and 80 anniversary of starting the production of VIS 35, would make it special.
Surprisingly low estimated prices. I would have guessed double.
The 96 is deactivated and would require extensive gun smithing to repair. The registered machine gun action works and that is worth $10k.
The 99 is probably just unpopular because of ammo and parts availability vs a BAR or Bren gun.
+Jacob Hughes and frankly the BAR is more desirable for some odd reason. I think it's overrated just like Ian does
Type 99 is in Call of Duty World at War, always my favorite gun in the Japanese parts of the game.
My personal favorite Japanese LMG is the type 97, it was given to snipers and tanks, as it was deemed too heavy for standard machine gunner usage
Firstly, thanks for another great video.
I was wondering, though, if in the future you could edit in some stills of the reticles of guns with interesting optics. I was hoping they'd be on RIA, but sadly their pictures are just overviews. It's not a big thing but it seemed like it would be interesting.
That odd slider lock is ingenious
i would prefer a bren because of the durability always a major point in choosing a heavy weapon
I would have to agree with you Ian that the Japanese gunners for both these weapons were very highly trained and made the weapons highly reliable during combat.Just like other armies gunners were selected from their most intelligent,best shooting, and physically fit infantrymen.Then they were turned over to their expert NCO instructors on machineguns who then brutally gave the recruits plenty of boots to the ass,ribs,and head.Gunners and assistants were put on ranges,conditioning route marches,and tactical engagements before sending them to their respective units.Japanese Army and Marine Infantry Schools were filled with combat veterans of China,Malaysia,etc..
4,3,2,1 - Earth below us
drifting falling
floating weightless
Coming home!
These guns are really nice. I have to admit that I am positively surprised by its design, but at the end of the day I am also Czech which automatically gives few more patriotic points to BREN. :-)
Thank You for this video.
I remember my grandfather owning one, still had the bayonet and bi pod, but it had been de milled
この96式、99式の軽機と92式がかなりの米兵を沖縄、硫黄島で殺傷した。
X------- Thanks not many people show this type of detail so thank you well done and what you showed on the type 100 par stock rifle was great l had one till I sold it . I wish I did not. And yes the type 99 was the best Iv heard that from the guys who went up against it. Thank you.
Ian the Fact that you said that these may have been the best LMG of WW2. If possible Forgotten Weapons/InRange TV Should do the ultimate gun competion of WW2...Who had the best Rifle, Pistol, SMG, LMG, Heavy Machine Gun, maybe even go a step further and do Bolt and semi auto rifle too. Would be an awesome video to watch and to see what the winner in each category would be.
British Bren: Who are you?
Japanese Type 99: I’m you, but I’ve got a younger brother (Type 99)
What about the MG42? It was good enough that many post war MGs are based off it ^^
+Valivali94 The MG42 is a GPMG, not an LMG. Similar, but different.
Forgotten Weapons Oh well ^^ I looked up the weight and as it was similar to this i thought it also is an LMG.
+Valivali94 By the way, the Bren remained in service in the British armed forces into the 1990's (2000's with reserves). That tells you something about the weapon as well.
+marvincz3 To be fair, Japan was not really given a choice about their (Imperial) armory.
The Word is amongst older Canadian infantry, their was a huge preference to keep and exchange the Bren .303 cartridge like the British - but the command opted for the full auto C1 (FAL) variants to keep logistics easier.
They were not as happy about that. Although, it was harder to fault the reasoning.
Cheers!
~ Thomas
Maybe you should add a little textbox since people, myself included, were a little bit perplexed since most people today don't really think about that slight but distinct difference, but now I can see your point and even get behind it.
Did they put bayonets on their grenades?
Yes
Imperial grenade drill: "Step one: fix bayonet to grenade..."
I could've sworn I've already seen this video.
The cartridge counter on the magazine makes a lot more sense when you consider that it would be crew served. There was a man laying next to the gunner, ready with a new mag, watching that hole.
They're so steam punk looking. Japanese had some awesome firearms.
I have talked to JD jones ssk ind and Mel Berstein (dragon man) both two of the largest machinegun class 3 dealers in America they both have own mgs 34s and 42s and Brens- they both said that the cone of fire (Beaten zone) the Bren has the smallest pattern of fire and the Bren is the most accurate light machine gun in the world! then i called up Kenton tucker that host the largest outdoor private machine gun range in America (big sandy machingun shoot) they fire to 1600 yards, but can fire out to 3 miles and he said they tested every machingun jap type 99,Bar, french 24/29, ZB 30, mg 42,mg 34,Dp28,DPM,1919a4, Bren etc etc, he said the Bren does have the smallest cone of fire and is the most accurate of all the machineguns!
I have decided... i can’t live without FW videos 🤜🏿
Just imagine what stories are behind the capture of some of these firearms. Heaven knows what kind of drama led to these guns being brought back to the US.
The locking system reminds me of a Winchester model 1894.
確か着剣する理由は射撃が安定するからだっけ？
Bayonet on an LMG. That's very...optimistic. Quite metal too.
Simply saying "best light machine gun" can cause some confusion as seen in this comments section; some have brought up the MG34/42 which is fairly valid since they can technically be used in the LMG role. I'd say more specifically that they're possibly the best MAGAZINE-FED light machine guns of the war.
emu4286 you can use many gpmgs in lmg roles, doesn't make them lmgs. You can use an FN Minimi (saw) in an assault rifle role, doesn't make it an assault rifle. Being mag red is one of the defining features of a WW2 lmg.
emu4286 but isn't the mg 42 a gen purpose machine gun? Also I think moving around with large belts of bullets are quite difficult
Great as usual !
Woah! That is a serious looking ejector on the 99.
It seems like that case is coming out cooperatively, or in pieces.
I wonder if Nambu had problems with ejection when developing these guns?
Since these LMGs were often used at such close ranges, was this a big influence for the japanese to not invest much into SMGs? As in because these were effective enough in close range ambushes that there was no need for SMGs.
My god that ejector is insane
I feel that Japan is an underrated WWII faction.
Type 99 FTW. Better cartridge and and pretty good gun to boot.
Good video. Thanks.
are you sure that "13" is degrees in field of view? I know that mark only as "magnification x diameter of gathering lense in mm"
Hey Ian, do you plan on ever doing a video on a Type 97 Automatic Cannon, if you ever come across one?
He already did
Swiggity Swag Are you perhaps referring to the Japanese Type 97 Tank Machine Gun?
Yeah, so I'm going to assume it's a different weapon than what you are talking about
They are two different weapons. www.wikiwand.com/en/Type_97_heavy_tank_machine_gun www.wikiwand.com/en/Type_97_automatic_cannon
Loved these in rising storm
What a very interesting design especially in regards to the bolt and carrier. Strength wise, how strong is that locking block mechanism compared to say a tilting or rotating bolt? To me it seems like it would be weaker since the bolt itself is not physically locking into the receiver but rather a separate locking piece is.
Hey Ian!
Just wondering, what got you into learning about and loving such unique weaponry?
Cheers!
That old school tacticool moment at the end.
one of the most OP guns in CoD : World at War lol
I recently read a book (lolz, it's nearly 1000 pages... someone nice read it to me). The Nambu LMG got a lot of negativity in the middle of the story - heavy everything - recoil, weight, ammo. In the Pacific what would it have been up against? The book suggests US and Australian LMG's were better, but no further detail.
Sauce: Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson should you be insterested.
3:09 日本人って刃物好きなんすねぇ〜
Bren, type 96 relate to the czech ZB vz. 26, both britain and imperial japan tested a few, and built their own weapons based around many of its ideas. Mechanically different ofc.
Hmm as a german soldier the charginghandle looks kinda similar to a gun i often have to shoot :D
Japan was a very isolated country. The technologies were imported but significantly altered and modified in a very unique way. As such, some weapons of Imperial Japanese Armed Forces were complete garbage, some peculiar in design and way too unorthodox to be of any practical use, while some of them were surprisingly reliable and very effective. The allies sometimes had problem dealing with Imperial Japanese forces because of the unique and unconventional weapons and tactics they used that are almost impossible to predict or create any counter-measures.
I would say the M2 Browning was the best machine gun of the day, but that's just my opinion.
HMG =/= LMG