Kijiro Nambu

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Kijiro Nambu (南部麒次郎, 1869-1949) was a prolific Japanese small arms designer, sometimes called the "John Browning of Japan". He designed or helped design many of the weapons the Japanese military would carry into the Second World War. Kijiro Nambu designed the Nambu pistol, the Type 3 heavy machine gun, the Type 92 medium machine gun, the Type 11 light machine gun, and the Type 96, 97, 99 series of light machine guns.

Nambu was born on September 22, 1869. He entered the Japanese Army at the age of 20. At 23, he was commissioned a lieutenant of artillery.

In 1897, Nambu was assigned to Tokyo Arsenal. He was promoted to Major and ordered to develop a semi automatic pistol for the Japanese military. His Nambu pistol was completed in 1902. In 1925, he redesigned the pistol.

In 1922, he was promoted to lieutenant general and placed in charge of the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal. In 1924, Nambu retired from active military service.

Nambu founded the Nambu Arms Manufacturing Company, Ltd., in Tokyo in 1927. It was here that Nambu developed many of his light machine gun designs. Nambu led Nambu Arms Manufacturing during the Second World War. He died in May 1949.

Unlike Browning in America, whose arms were noted for their ruggedness and simplicity, Nambu's designs were often unnecessarily complex and awkward. The poor quality of Japanese steel and the rush of wartime production also contributed to the poor repute of many of Nambu's creations.