wwii axis reenactment forum

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A Kijiro Nambu modification of the French Hotchkiss machine gun, the Type 11 was the first light machine gun that Japan produced in large quantities and the oldest Japanese LMG design to see service in the Pacific war. The Type 11 used a non-detachable hopper magazine that held six cartridge clips as used for the Type 38 Arisaka Rifle. The clips were stacked lying flat above the receiver, an unusual but surprisingly reliable feed system, although the gun was liable to jam in muddy or dirty conditions. This system also made speedy reloading during assaults impossible. Type 11 machine guns were also available with a special mounting for anti-aircraft use.

the hopper feed system was a neat idea but a right balls up in practice. Each round had to be oiled up before being loaded into the hopper, and since the two main areas of Japanese operations were the Far East and the Pacific this caused major problems, since the far east is muddy and the Pacific is sandy

If they had placed a lit over the hopper feed it wouln't have been so unreliable

If they had placed a lit over the hopper feed it wouln't have been so unreliable