POTD: The Japanese Colt 1903 – The Sugiura Shiki
Sam.S 10.12.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Sugiura Shiki was a rare Japanese semi-automatic pistol produced in occupied Manchuria in the final years of WWII. It closely copied the Colt 1903, with nearly identical blowback operation, an 8-round magazine, and fixed sights. Around 1,000 total Sugiuras were manufactured, with only 26 definitively documented today. Its production in Manchuria was likely intended to arm occupying forces and increase weapons output. Most surviving examples remain in China or are in the hands of collectors. Being unavailable for export beyond China and Manchuria, Sugiuras are scarcely seen outside museums or specialist collections.
“This is an extremely rare example of a late WWII Japanese Sugiura Shiki, 7.65mm Model that was manufactured in late 1944/45, in mainland China. Both the 6.35 and the larger 7.65 were manufactured while under the occupation of the Japanese Forces. Although undocumented, it is theorized that they were actually manufactured at the Nippon Koshuba Juhogyo Kabushiki Kaisha in Beijing. At the end of the war, the Chinese Government reoccupied that factory, and today it is still manufacturing weapons for the Chinese Government only its known as the North China Company (aka NORINCO). These are extremely rare pistols with an estimated total production of approximately 1,000, and only 26 known, documented example in existence today. This specific pistol is one of the documented 26 examples, and it is listed by serial number (2059) on page 268-273 in the reference book “Japanese Military Cartridge Handguns 1893-1945″ by Derby/Brown. Obviously almost all of these pistols remained in China after the war, and the few other surviving examples were brought by returning GIs. These were a very similar copy of the Browning Model 1903 blow-back pistol only slightly larger in physical size. They fired the standard 7.65 mm Auto cartridge and are fitted with a standard fixed front and rear sight, bottom magazine release and checkered mahogany grips.”
Lot 1667: Sugiura Shiki (7.65mm Model) Semi-Automatic Pistol with Holster – Rare Documented World War II Japanese Sugiura Shiki (7.65mm Model) Semi-Automatic Pistol with Holster. (n.d.-z). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved October 11, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/78/1667/sugiura-shiki-(7.65mm-model)-semi-automatic-pistol-with-holster.
