WesWorld

Messing around a bit with a Type 99 picture...



Type 2 Light Machine Gun

Type: Light machine gun
Place of origin: Japan
Used by: Imperial Japanese Army
Designer: Kijiro Nambu
Weight: 9.9 kg
Length: 1,140 mm
Barrel length: 550 mm
Cartridge: 7.7x58mm Arisaka
Action: Gas operated
Rate of fire: 700 round/min
Muzzle velocity: 730 m/s
Feed system: 30 round detachable box magazine

Compared with the existing Type 99, what does this variant gain you?

The placement of the magazine beneath the weapon would seem to make changing magazines far more difficult in any sort of sustained fire role. If the equipment is supposed to be carried by a single soldier for any period of time, that 10kg weight will get heavy very fast, particularly if he has to carry a significant amount of ammunition as well. The placement of the magazine feed above the weapon made it far more easy for the Machinegun No.2 to change magazines without disturbing the aim of No.1.

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

Compared with the existing Type 99, what does this variant gain you?

The placement of the magazine beneath the weapon would seem to make changing magazines far more difficult in any sort of sustained fire role. If the equipment is supposed to be carried by a single soldier for any period of time, that 10kg weight will get heavy very fast, particularly if he has to carry a significant amount of ammunition as well. The placement of the magazine feed above the weapon made it far more easy for the Machinegun No.2 to change magazines without disturbing the aim of No.1.

I don't think the weight is much different from historical templates - machine guns do tend to be hefty things, after all, and it probably includes things such as the bipod and carry handles, which can't be easily disposed of. But I agree that the magazine location may be an issue when firing prone.

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

Compared with the existing Type 99, what does this variant gain you?

Maybe use in applications where every little bit of weight saved is important, ie Airborne?

Quoted

Maybe use in applications where every little bit of weight saved is important, ie Airborne?

Yes. I'm looking at it a bit as the OTL Type 99 variant for paratroopers so it'll feature a removable butt and barrel for transport. The mag at the bottom of the weapon might prevent a forward-folding pistol grip though, but I don't think it's too big of a deal if the pack becomes a bit more V-shaped because of the pistol grip sticking out.

Quoted

The placement of the magazine beneath the weapon would seem to make changing magazines far more difficult in any sort of sustained fire role.

I'm well aware of the usefulness of the magazine on top. This picture illustrates it really well.


It is mainly because I lack the skills to make it look like the mag is inserted on the side of the weapon like this...

... therefore I decided to do it at the bottom so you get something along the lines like this...

.. something that is a lot easier to do when editing a photo or picture.

Getting it away from the top of the weapon allows for a scope to be fitted on top of the weapon instead of on the right side of the weapon like OTL. While the picture might not show it, the handle would be able to swing left or right.

This way I have an existing weapon that looks different with just a simple alteration of a photo.

... still I will probably try with MSPaint to draw it so it has the mag on the side like the Johnson LMG.

Quoted

If the equipment is supposed to be carried by a single soldier for any period of time, that 10kg weight will get heavy very fast, particularly if he has to carry a significant amount of ammunition as well.

It's actually about half a kilo lighter than the weight given for the Type 99.

I was also thinking of using the smaller 6.5mm round, since that round in large numbers would be lighter than the 7.7mm. That would make the weapon a bit lighter as well. The weightsavings would be useful for airborne troops.

A pic that I created some 4 years ago for Navalism but never really used it there. Seems like a waste not to use it.

Part Thompson (body+barrel part), part Grease Gun (pistol grip+trigger part), part StG.44 (magazine part) and part something-that-I-forgot-what-I-took-it-from-because-it-was-so-long-ago-that-I-created-this-picture (a.k.a. butt part).

Type 2 SMG



Type: Sub Machine Gun
Place of origin: Japan
Used by: Imperial Japanese Army
Designer: Kijiro Nambu
Weight: 5 kg
Length: 840 mm
Barrel length: 270 mm
Cartridge: 8x22mm Nambu
Action: Blowback, Blish Lock
Rate of fire: 600 round/min
Muzzle velocity: 396 m/s
Feed system: 30 round detachable box magazine

Quoted from "Rooijen10"

) and part something-that-I-forgot-what-I-took-it-from-because-it-was-so-long-ago-that-I-created-this-picture (a.k.a. butt part).

It's from an M1 Garand.

The gun doesn't have a charging handle and the magazine is about 1/3rd too wide for 8x22mm Nambu, and it doesn't have enough curve.

Quoted

It's from an M1 Garand.

The thing is that the Garand is not in the Navalism directory and from what I remember I never looked at that rifle so I'm not sure about that. I usually have pics with various parts when mixing things, but I don't seem to have one of this one...

Quoted

The gun doesn't have a charging handle

Yes, that has probably to do with the original picture I used. I could take a look and see if I can edit something in there.

Quoted

and the magazine is about 1/3rd too wide for 8x22mm Nambu, and it doesn't have enough curve.

I think I shrank the width a bit of the mag, but can't be 100% sure. Thinking of it now, even if I did shrink it a bit, I can't remember what kind of round I shrank it to... Also shrinking the width only will results in a straighter mag.

I will take a look tomorrow if I can add the handle and do something about the magazine. Maybe it'll end up with a 50 round mag.

Come to think of it, wouldn't the charging handle be that handle thingie of the Grease Gun that I kept on there?

I can understand that something like that might not be strong enough for a bigger SMG so I will see if I can edit the Thompson's into it. Thinking of it, I may have mirrored the left side of the thompson to use it as the right side because it also does not have the shell ejection opening.

Something like this? Also added a version with a foregrip...

An interesting design and a good photo kitbash. The only thing I would say is that the barrel looks a little long to me and that gives the weapon an overall long and uncompact look.

Ergonomically speaking, I think that there would be interference between the user's arm on the forward pistol grip and the magazine. I would suggest eliminating that. Unfortunately, you are stuck with a curved magazine due to the choice of ammunition. Otherwise, looks pretty good to me, if perhaps somewhat long - but that could be a trick of the eye.

Turning it black and white and polishing it up a bit helps a lot to make it look better.

The whole top section (from the muzzle to the point where the butt is connected) is from a Thompson and size-wise unedited. It is probably caused by the grip-trigger-magazine part being a bit further back than on the Thompson which creates a bit of a gap between the wooden grip and the magazine.

Significantly decreased that gap so it should look a bit better now...

... maybe I should replace the butt with a folding stock like on the MP 40...

Quoted from "Rooijen10"

Significantly decreased that gap so it should look a bit better now...

... maybe I should replace the butt with a folding stock like on the MP 40...

Now this looks like a very serviceable weapon! The proportions seem very good. Personally, I would stick with the wooden buttstock and forestock - the weapon looks as if it is machined from block steel and not stamped out; the wooden furniture goes with that sort of look. It might save a few hundred grams, and paratroops would love it. But the Yakuza Special Forces would like the look I think.

I think that the Yakuza Special Forces might prefer a heavier and more solid weapon so they can "convince" certain people with a few taps from the weapon.

I actually took a quick look at a folding stock like on the MP-40 (swinging under the weapon) or the PPS-43 (swinging on top of the weapon) but the way things are laid out right now, it will not really work out without lengthening the weapon between the magazine and the trigger...

Looks perfect now.

Quoted from "Rooijen10"

I think that the Yakuza Special Forces might prefer a heavier and more solid weapon so they can "convince" certain people with a few taps from the weapon.

I actually took a quick look at a folding stock like on the MP-40 (swinging under the weapon) or the PPS-43 (swinging on top of the weapon) but the way things are laid out right now, it will not really work out without lengthening the weapon between the magazine and the trigger...

Well, if you did want to shorten the length of the weapon for use by paratroops, you could go with a sliding stock like that used on the M-3 Grease Gun. That always looks rather flimsy to me, so I would keep what you have - a rather impressive looking gun.

Both the Grease gun's and this one on the M1A1 are rather flimsy looking things...


A folding wooden stock like on the Type 100 SMG would be a lot sturdier I think.

Quoted from "Rooijen10"

Both the Grease gun's and this one on the M1A1 are rather flimsy looking things...


A folding wooden stock like on the Type 100 SMG would be a lot sturdier I think.

The hinged stock is far sturdier than the frame stock, but is, I believe, actually heavier than the non-folding stock (weight of the hinge and all). It does make the weapon more compact for paratroops, but I suspect that the Yakuza Special Forces would want the solid stock for "conversational use" during interrogations.