Skip Channel4 main Navigation
Explore Channel4
Food
Homes
Film
4Car
News
See All
Skip navigation.

Classic Weapons of World War II

.
Home
.

Small arms

94 Shiki Kenju (Japan)

Length 18.3cm / 7.2in
Weight 700g / 1.50lb
Muzzle velocity 300m / 1,000ft per second
Cartridge 8mm
Magazine 6 rounds

Following the rapid expansion of the Japanese Empire in the 1930s, a shortfall of sidearms led to the development of the Shiki Kenju automatic pistol. Unfortunately the island economy and resources of Japan hindered mass production of weapons.

The restrictions of the war led to horrifically shoddy manufacturing and allowed for a woefully poor design to get through the selection process. This is a pistol with working parts exposed to the elements (the recoil spring and even the trigger sear), a downright dangerous mechanism of feeding ammunition, and a safety record that placed the user in as much peril as the target. The Shiki Kenju is universally known as one of the worst handguns in history.

Top