mawkie
C&R Whisperer
-Initially I was going to pass on the latest auction in nearby Howard County but there was a nice looking Mauser HSc that had me piqued and I was starting the first day of a long overdue vacation/staycation so I had the time to kill. Walking to the display case the first thing I see is a last minute addition to the catalog, not found on the website listing. The auction tag was marked "T14" but I knew instantly what it was: a Modified 1902 Nambu, aka "Papa Nambu". Something most Japanese collectors dream of owning.
-A quick inspection showed that the right grip panel was an arsenal replacement but that is not uncommon. For some reason I routinely see that side replaced on many Papas. The magazine didn't match, but again routine. The tangent rear sight was operational, important as they're on the fragile side. Finish was good with some loss and localized minor pitting. Again, most Papas were issued to Japanese Marines and lived a hard life. Those that are 85% or better are very rare and stupid expensive ($3K and up).
-The only mystery was no Japanese Navy anchor stamp. Had me stumped as the finish was definitely original. But I bid away, getting it for a good price. Not sure if anyone else in the room knew what it was or what it was worth.
-Delving into my Derby and Brown reference I found that it was a 1st Variation Private Purchase Papa, built by Tokyo Gas & Electric for sale to Japanese officers (who were required to pay for their own sidearms) or to gun shops, etc. So that explained the lack of a Navy anchor. With a SN in the low 400 range it was likely built in 1909, the first year of production at TGE. And as the Navy decided against issuing shoulder stocks, like on the earlier Model 1902 "Grandpa Nambu", the shoulder stock slot on the early TGE pistols was filled with soft metal. You can see the outlines of it in one of my photos. There have been some Papa Nambus found on the market with this metal removed to "restore" the shoulder stock slot. But only three Papas, all in the 8K SN range, have been documented to be delivered from the factory with the slot in place.
-A quick inspection showed that the right grip panel was an arsenal replacement but that is not uncommon. For some reason I routinely see that side replaced on many Papas. The magazine didn't match, but again routine. The tangent rear sight was operational, important as they're on the fragile side. Finish was good with some loss and localized minor pitting. Again, most Papas were issued to Japanese Marines and lived a hard life. Those that are 85% or better are very rare and stupid expensive ($3K and up).
-The only mystery was no Japanese Navy anchor stamp. Had me stumped as the finish was definitely original. But I bid away, getting it for a good price. Not sure if anyone else in the room knew what it was or what it was worth.
-Delving into my Derby and Brown reference I found that it was a 1st Variation Private Purchase Papa, built by Tokyo Gas & Electric for sale to Japanese officers (who were required to pay for their own sidearms) or to gun shops, etc. So that explained the lack of a Navy anchor. With a SN in the low 400 range it was likely built in 1909, the first year of production at TGE. And as the Navy decided against issuing shoulder stocks, like on the earlier Model 1902 "Grandpa Nambu", the shoulder stock slot on the early TGE pistols was filled with soft metal. You can see the outlines of it in one of my photos. There have been some Papa Nambus found on the market with this metal removed to "restore" the shoulder stock slot. But only three Papas, all in the 8K SN range, have been documented to be delivered from the factory with the slot in place.
on your face.
