Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very good original Japanese WWII leather holster for the Type 14 Nambu semiautomatic pistol. Constructed from thick leather, it retains its rigid protective lid, internal ammunition compartment, firing pin pouch, original securing strap, and combination cleaning rod and takedown tool.

The hard-shell lid encloses the pistol grip as well as the accessory compartments positioned within the holster. The separate flap covering the spare ammunition compartment remains intact. An additional pouch was provided for the pistol’s spare firing pin, an important accessory due to the Type 14’s firing pin design. Inside the holster is a leather loop intended to retain the combination cleaning rod and takedown tool. The original tool remains present, rare to see.

These holsters were originally marked inside the lid, and this example still has the original Japanese kanji markings which are now faint and covered in wear.

The Type 14 Nambu pistol was adopted in the 14th year of the Taishō era, corresponding to 1925, and entered production during the following period. Chambered for the 8×22mm Nambu cartridge, it became one of the principal Japanese military sidearms of the 1930s and WWII.

The design was developed from earlier Nambu pistols and was intended to simplify manufacture and reduce production cost. Type 14 pistols were commonly carried by officers, who were often required to acquire their own sidearms, although they were also used by other authorized military personnel.

Early Type 14 pistols were manufactured to a comparatively high standard. As wartime demands increased, production methods and finishes were progressively simplified.

Later pistols can be recognized by features such as the enlarged trigger guard, introduced to make the pistol easier to use while wearing gloves, and later simplified cocking knobs and other production changes.

Holster production also evolved during the war. Earlier examples were generally made from leather, while shortages of suitable materials led to increased use of rubberized canvas and other substitute constructions during the later years.

This example retains the substantial leather construction associated with the earlier and midwar holster pattern. Its intact ammunition compartment flap, firing pin pouch, original securing strap, faint Japanese markings, and surviving combination tool make it a particularly complete example. The missing shoulder strap, age to the leather, and heavy verdigris on the fittings are the principal condition considerations.