Original Film Prop Imperial Japanese Type 96 Light Machine Gun Purportedly Used in Gilligan’s Island
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Original Item. Only One Available. The Type 96 Light Machine Gun (九六式軽機関銃, Kyūroku-shiki Kei-kikanjū) was a light machine gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the interwar period and in World War II. Designed to fire the same 6.5x50mm Arisaka cartridge as the Type 38 rifle, they are very similar in appearance to the British Bren gun in that they have a top mounted curved box magazine, a forward mounted folding bipod, and a quick change, finned barrel that featured a top mounted carrying handle. This was not by accident, as the Army's Kokura Arsenal had tested the Czech ZB vz. 26 machine gun, samples of which had been captured from the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China. This is the same gun that was the basis for the British Bren, and after borrowing certain elements the arsenal issued this new design in 1936, designated the Type 96 light machine gun. These were a well made machine gun that featured all machined parts with a hard wood buttstock and pistol grip. Interestingly, the design also includes the provision for a mounted bayonet.
This is a great solid wood non-firing Type 96 prop light machine gun. It really does look like the real thing from just a few feet away. The prop came with a small paper reading:
“Wood movie prop model of a WW2 Japanese type 96 light machine gun used in many 1940’s movies as well in the television series “Gilligan’s Island”.
We found that in Episode 31 of the first season, there was a Bren gun featured, carried by a Japanese Navy sailor that crashed on the island. This was the only instance we could find of a machine gun in the show, and from what we saw, this is not that one. So we can not offer any conclusive evidence that this was used in the show.
The prop gun has a detachable magazine that fits into the hole via friction, and a working bipod. There is also a sling attached with ink-stamped Kanji characters.
The prop gun is very light, and will work well at filling the hole in your collection. Ready for further research and display.
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- This item is completely legal within the USA. International Military Antiques, Inc observes all Federal, State and Local laws. Everything for sale on ima-usa.com is completely legal to own, trade, transport and sell within the United States of America. Every display machinegun and machine gun parts set and gun sold by IMA, Inc is engineered to be inoperable according to guidelines provided by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF).
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