Short Development History of Type 95 Gunto

[stegel]

Not hi-Jacking this thread, but just wanted to add some photo's of the very rare type4 70mm rocket launcher made in Jinsen and Osaka Arsenals. This is the same one Nick mentions in post 128.
It looks like some heavy equipment, i'd hate to be carting it around, but it is a 2 man rig to operate.




This is just for some added info.... now back to type 95 stuff!

Nice examples you got there Bruce, the gifu looks like it needs your disassembly and reassembly skills applied to straighten out the handle/fuchi/tsuba a bit nicer! both would of been made in 1939 i believe.

[Kiipu]

Before turning the page on the rocket launcher pictured above, the secret markings translate as follows.
試七噴進 = 試製七糎噴進砲 [Shisei shichi senchi funshinhō] = Experimental 7 cm Rocket Launcher.
820 = Serial number 820.
54ほ = Made in 1944 by Ōsaka Army Arsenal.

Later on, the rocket launcher was renamed as the 試製四式七糎噴進砲 [Experimental Type 4 7 cm Rocket Launcher].

[Shamsy]

I have a rough idea of a serial number range, Bruce, but there seem to be some odd outliers that throw it a bit. I thought there were around 100 to 150, based on the earliest of the 'non-transitional' tsuka I've seen. That sword had the old style screw but the later mirrored tsuka-ito pattern. Would need a much better range of examples though and we would likely see a few swords that would throw any definitive range.

[Nagoya10]

As regards to serial number ranges, is there much (or any) info or lists of the serial number ranges assigned to the different Type 95 manufacturers?

[Nick Komiya]

I have never systematically tried to research serial numbers, but number range assignments I did run into are posted here like post #126. I think only fragmented information survived the burning at the end of the war.

[Nagoya10]

OK thanks, your history of the T-95 Gunto has educated me greatly, about 90% more than I ever knew. I have a matching one I got years ago and it has one of the unknown manufacturer markings of the cherry blossom with the "-" in it, serial 47961. It has the iron tsuba but the copper ferrule with arsenal markings. I have tried to figure out a date range but I guess that would be a mystery. Previously I could not figure it out, with a low serial number but iron tsuba it seemed to be an early one but the iron tsuba threw me, but your postings gave me info that manufacturers apparently got blocks of serial numbers.

[stegel]

04-06-2019, 09:16 PM #69
nick komiya


Quote by ghp95134 View Post
Leading me to ask our long-time collectors .....

Has anyone ever seen a blade stamped with the "maru-Ai" (愛) mark?

Thanks,
--Guy
Or a Type 95 with a （私）stamp, for that matter.

In reply to the above questions, i've been looking at stamps on Type 95's.
I came across an unusual one which for me is not so readily identifiable.
I think it could be 私 ?? it's just the stroke at the top right hand corner throwing me off.
I've only found it on Tokyo swords so far.


I don't think it is 社 as i've come across it numerous times and can be sure of identifying it.


Mind you , these are very small stamps and perhaps hard to actually make?
Could there be variations of the same stamp for this purpose?
I would expect that they are not interchangeable.

I haven't come across the 愛 stamp yet, but judging by the size, a poorly struck stamp could slip through as something else, maybe a 'To', to my bad eyesight.

[ghp95134]

I see "sha", a seven-stroke kanji:
社
The radical is definitely 礻, #113
#113 can also be written as 示

The radical for 私 is the two-branch tree radical, #115:
禾
Which is *not* what I see encircled in red.

Cheers,
-- Guy

[Bruce Pennington]

I agree, it's a "Sha"

[Nick Komiya]

Yes, no doubt about it being 社