8mm Nambu

[bouncer50]

I have a Nambu made in 1943. Years back a guy gave me 15 rounds of ammo for it. It was the most accurate military pistol i ever fired the trigger pull was great. I would like to reload for it my understanding is you can use 40 S&W brass to make ammo for it. What bullet mold is needed:? I also did some reading some people after the war rechamber them to 9mm Luger

[Expat74]

http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=115329

This is what I found back in the day about brass conversion when I had hopes finding a Nambu over here..

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Hi--let me say up front I'm no expert on this subject, but do find it very interesting. I have a Nambu, one of the earlier versions with the small trigger guard, very well machined and made. I've never fired it, and probably never will, but like many have contemplated the possibility and looked into it a little. I never heard of using .40 S&W brass, but for years using .38 special was pretty common. I think that the link provided by Expat74 and the information it contains on converting .357 Sig is really a good way to go. Just in case you don't know, you can buy ready made brass mfg. by Bertram Brass. Midway USA carries it. Also, lots of years ago now, Midway had a bunch made up which they offered for sale for several years, and some of that still surfaces here and there. You might also be interested to know that John J. Donnelly's book "The Handloader's Manual Of Cartridge Conversions" suggests using .30 Remington and briefly tells how to do it---although now days finding .30 Remington brass might not be that easy. You might also try Graf & Sons for ready made brass. If you follow through on your project I hope you'll share the results with us.

DG

[bedbugbilly]

bouncer50 - I know absolutely "nothing" about the Nambu's other than what they are. But your post caught my eye.

A while back, I bought a RCBS double cavity mold that was made for the 8mm Nambu - it casts a .323 - 110 grain boolit. I bought it from a member on here to try out as a light weight boolit for cat sneeze loads out of my 1905 Danzig GEW98 Mauser - and it works extremely well out of that. Anyways . . . here is the link to the mold at MidwayUSA to show you what it is -

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/155087/rcbs-2-cavity-bullet-mold-08-110-rn-8mm-nambu-323-diameter-110-grain-round-nose

I'm not interested in selling it as I use it but if you pursue your loading for the Nambu and are looking for a boolit to try . . . let me know and I can mold you up some samples. I won't be casting until I get back from AZ in the spring (I looked and I don't have any cast up at this time) but make a note of it and PM me if you get to the point of reforming and loading.

I know that Midway has shown this mold for quite a while but it has always been marked as "un-available". I would suppose if you were to try some of the boolits out of one and they worked well, you could get Accurate or NOE to cut you a set of blocks?

I think I've only handled maybe two Nambu pistols and they were "vet bring backs" . . and of course, they had very little "good" to say about them . . . . the same as Arisaka rifles . . . . but then I can understand that since they were on the "receiving end" of them!

Good luck on your project and hopefully you can find something that works out for the brass.

Jim

[reed1911]

We keep brass, bullets, and loaded ammo in stock for the 8mm Nambu

[bouncer50]

I want to thank every one for their help. I have a five gallon bucket of 40 S&W brass that i will use. I just got done making ammo for my 41 Swiss rifle and my 11MM french pistol. Next is making ammo for my 32 french long pistol and my 1889 Swiss rifle. Then ammo for the Nambu. I am planing to take my 16 year old grandson to the range and let him fire my 100 year old rifles and pistols and my WW1 and WW11 pistols and rifles. I want to see if he likes forge steel and real wood stocks instead of plastic guns.

[kywoodwrkr]

An old time favorite boolit for 8mm Nambu was Lyman 31950.
You'll find that under 31 C&B pistol but was exceptional in an old Nambu A friend had.
Brass was made the hard way, cut down 30 Rem and ream neck using RCBS form and loading dies sets.
Today, many $!
But for a friend who flew mustangs in China(in second group known as Flying Tigers) during WWII, priceless, as was his expression.
His weapon was given to him by his body guard when he was leaving China.
Grips were his ticket out of China as they were cut with knife telling any/all Chinese citizens to give their life, if necessary, to see him to safety and freedom.

[cuzinbruce]

Hensley & Gibbs #116 is a dead ringer for the jacketed bullet used in 8mm Nambu. Should be available from Ballisti-Cast with a different number. H&G molds were top quality. Ballisti-Cast is about the same. I was quite happy with the B-C I got a year or two ago (different caliber, I have the 116 for Nambu).

[Gunor]

If your going to. Shoot your Nambu - buy some new Wolfe springs.

[maxreloader]

"I know that Midway has shown this mold for quite a while but it has always been marked as "un-available".

For $124.99 Midway shows it as "Available" right now... shipping on 01/08/16...

[MtGun44]

Made ammo for a friend's Nambu back in the mid 60s. IIRC (it was a LONG time ago) we used
.30 Rem brass, but it was way too thick in the head, but did work.

[Expat74]

Finally... pays off to have patience. Got one some time ago but get around posting it just now.

169832

Meet a Type 14 manufactured in 1937. The holster was part of the package (and given the price I see them on evilbay sometimes it was a real bargain). Overall accepable condition. Old steel always intrigues me, if they could only talk.

Anyway, the interesting part.. I got me a pile of HDS brass and some HDS J-words too and gave it a try with 3.4 grs Bullseye under a 100 grain pill. Didn't expect much when I put together the rounds but was pleasantly surprised when I shot them. Cycling 100 %, mild recoil, and the group wasn't too bad either and I was able to cover them with my hand at 25 shooting offhand. Happy Camper here :)

Since I found an old set of RCBS forming dies for relatively cheap, I gave it a try with .40 S&W brass which seemed to work minus the nasty "ring" around the base that some seem to eliminate by pushing the cases up a .30-30 FL sizer. In the long run I guess I'm going with a Lee push-through sizer in .410. Next up is getting a mold for it.

Later!