Murata rifle

Murata rifle
general information
Military designation:	村田 銃
Country of operation:	Imperial Japanese Army
Development year:	1880
Manufacturer country:	Japan
Production time:	1880 to 1905
Model variants:	Type 13 Type 16 Type 18 Type 22 Type 22 Carabiner Civil version of the Type 22
Weapon Category:	Bolt action rifle
Furnishing
Overall length:	1294 mm
Weight: (unloaded)	4.09 kg
Barrel length :	840 mm
Technical specifications
Caliber :	11 × 60 mm R Murata 8 × 53 mm R Murata
Possible magazine fillings :	1 cartridge 5 cartridges 8 cartridges
Ammunition supply :	Single loader
Fire types:	Single fire
Visor :	V-rear sight and front sight
Closure :	Straight pull closure
Lists on the subject

The Murata rifle ( Japanese 村田 銃 , Murata-jū ) was the first bolt-action rifle or orderly weapon manufactured in the Japanese Empire . The rifle was developed by Major Murata Tsuneyoshi ( Japanese 村田 経 芳 ) in 1880 and was produced in various versions until 1905. The only weapon of the Imperial Japanese armed forces was Kanji - Monogram Murata family stamped on it.

development

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers fire their Murata Type 22 rifles during the First Sino-Japanese War .

The first troops of the Imperial Japanese Army were equipped with rifles imported from Europe such as the French Chassepot , the British Snider-Enfield or the Spencer rifle between 1867 and 1880 . Only in 1880 developed Major Murata a single shot -Gewehr which Murata type 13 , the black powder cartridge in the caliber of 11 mm missed. The model name Type 13 refers to the year of introduction; 1880 was the 13th year of the throne of the incumbent Emperor Meiji .

Just three years later, Murata presented a further developed version of his rifle, the Type 16, and two more years later the Type 18. These had some changes in the mechanics and the mounting device for the bayonet , but were still single-shot. Both the Type 16 and Type 18 were very similar to the Dutch Dutch Beaumont M71 .

In 1889, just four years after the introduction of the Type 18, Murata introduced the Type 22, which showed significant improvements over its predecessors. The Type 22 was a bolt action rifle that was equipped with an 8-round magazine that could be inserted from below. The new weapon had a reduced caliber of 8 mm and used low-smoke powder as a propellant charge . The Type 22 was the first Japanese-made orderly rifle that was used in the front line ( First Sino-Japanese War 1894/95 and the Boxer Rebellion ). It was produced until 1905, but gradually replaced by the new Japanese orderly rifle, the Arisaka Type 30 , from 1895 .

Markings

Example of an Imperial Chrysanthemum stamp to show that the weapon is the personal property of the Tennō . The weapon shown is an Arisaka Type 99 . Chrysanthemums on Murata rifles were much smaller.

There are numerous markings or stamps on the Murata rifles as was common on most Imperial Japanese weapons. The following marks on a Type 18 rifle:

• To the right of the bolt-action lock: Meiji ( Japanese 明治 Meiji ) + 13 or 18 or 22 + years
• Between bolt action and barrel: Imperial chrysanthemum (as a sign that the weapon is the personal property of the Tennō )
• Front left barrel: serial number (in Arabic numerals )
• Barrel front left: Empire of Greater Japan + Murata + rifle (all in Kanji)
• Run front left: manufacturing arsenal + manufacturing location (all in Kanji)

Note: The Imperial Chrysanthemum was stamped over with an X after the respective weapon was no longer used by the Imperial Army .

Versions

Murata type 13

A typical feature of the Murata Type 13 is the bolt stem , which normally protrudes horizontally out of the lock to the right. It has a large screw at its outer end, behind which, similar to the Dutch Beaumont M71 , a V-shaped leaf spring was hidden, which let the firing pin snap onto the cartridge. It fired 11 × 60 mm R Murata rim cartridges . The Type 13 bayonet belonging to the rifle could be attached to the left of the rifle barrel.

A total of around 70,000 Type 13s (serial numbers 1-70,000) were produced.

Murata type 16 and 18

Japanese soldiers with Type 18 Murata rifles. The shooter in the foreground has opened the closure of his weapon ( bolt handle is perpendicular to the top) to be able to load the next cartridge. Around 1890

Since some breaks in the spar had occurred in the type 13 , this was reinforced in the type 16/18. The number of running straps has been reduced from three to two. The tools for rifle production were supplied by the American company Winchester Repeating Arms Company . The entire production took place in the Japanese Empire. It also fired the Murata rim cartridges 11 × 60 mm R. The type 18 bayonet belonging to the rifle could be attached to the left of the rifle barrel. The 4.09 kg weapon had a length of 1276 mm. The length of the barrel was 830 mm.

A total of around 80,000 Type 18s (serial numbers 70,001–150,000) were produced. Around 10,000 of the carbine version were made.

Murata type 22

The Type 22 was a significant advancement and was the first Japanese orderly rifle to allow a magazine with multiple cartridges to be inserted. There was a Type 22 standard model with an 8-round magazine, while the Type 22 carbine only had a 5-round magazine. The weapon was set up for the Murata cartridge 8 × 53 mm R. The length of the weapon had also been shortened and amounted to 1207 mm along with a shortened barrel of 750 mm. The weight was 3.9 kg. The type 22 bayonet belonging to the rifle could, unlike its predecessors, be planted below the rifle barrel.

Civil version of the Type 22

After the Type 22 rifles were retired, some were converted to shotguns .

literature

• Rotem Kowner : The A to Z of the Russo-Japanese War. Scarecrow Press, Lanham 2009, ISBN 978-0-8108-6841-0 .
• David Westwood: Rifles: An Illustrated History of Their Impact ABC-CLIO, 2005, ISBN 978-1-8510-9401-1 .
• John Walter: Rifles of the World Krause Publication, 2006, ISBN 978-0-8968-9241-5 .

Web links

• Murata Rifles. Nambu World: Teri's WWII Japanese Handgun Website, accessed July 24, 2015 . 
• Murata Type 13 Rifle. Nambu World: Teri's WWII Japanese Handgun Website, accessed July 24, 2015 . 
• Murata Type 18 rifle. Nambu World: Teri's WWII Japanese Handgun Website, accessed July 24, 2015 . 
• Murata Type 22 Rifle. Nambu World: Teri's WWII Japanese Handgun Website, accessed July 24, 2015 . 
• Murata shotguns. Nambu World: Teri's WWII Japanese Handgun Website, accessed July 24, 2015 . 
• Murata Rifle Bayonets. Nambu World: Teri's WWII Japanese Handgun Website, accessed July 24, 2015 . 
• Japanese Type 18 Murata at RIA. ForgottenWeapons.com, accessed July 24, 2015 . 
• Type 18 Murata at RIA. ForgottenWeapons.com, accessed July 24, 2015 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Murata Rifles. Nambu World: Teri's WWII Japanese Handgun Website, accessed July 24, 2015 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Type 18 Murata at RIA. ForgottenWeapons.com, accessed July 24, 2015 . 
3. ↑ Murata Type 13 Rifle. Nambu World: Teri's WWII Japanese Handgun Website, accessed July 24, 2015 . 
4. ^ Walter, p. 88.
5. ↑ ^{a b} Westwood, p. 370.

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . Thus Murata is the family name, Tsuneyoshi the first name.