The Japanese military pistol cartridge — and by nearly all accounts, a catastrophically inadequate one. Low pressure, modest velocity, and marginal stopping power plagued Japanese officers throughout WWII. American GIs reportedly mocked the Nambu for its weak ballistics.
Type: Pistol
Introduced: 1906, Japan
Parent case: None
Standardization: Obsolete / Non-standard
Bullet diameter: 0.32" (8.13 mm)
Case length: 0.866" (22 mm)
Overall length: 1.299" (33 mm)
Max pressure: 22,000 PSI
Rim type: Rimless
Primer: Berdan
Typical twist rate: 1:10
Muzzle velocity: 900–1050 fps
Muzzle energy: 184–250 ft-lbs
Effective range: 25 yd
Common bullet weights: 102 gr
Primary use: Military (Historical)
Production status: Obsolete
Also known as: 8x22mm Nambu · 8mm Type 14
History: Kijiro Nambu designed both the pistol and cartridge in the early 1900s. The Type 14 Nambu pistol saw service across all Japanese conflicts from the Russo-Japanese War through the end of WWII. The cartridge suffered from genuinely poor terminal performance — low operating pressure kept velocity down, and the small bullet weight delivered minimal energy. Japanese officers who carried the Nambu…
Notable firearms: Type 14 Nambu, Type 94 Nambu, Nambu Type A (Grandpa Nambu)
Military use: {"country":"Japan","years":"1906-1945","conflicts":["Russo-Japanese War","WWI","WWII","Second Sino-Japanese War"]}
Similar cartridges: 7.65x21mm Parabellum, .32 ACP