This assault rifle is a lightweight, fully automatic** suitable for use in close combat. In the thirties of the twentieth century, many countries developed their own assault rifles to strengthen the firepower of the infantry. The same is true in Japan, and one of the most famous is represented by Nanbu Kirjiro.
As a leading figure in the field of Japanese light weapons design, he designed the "Nanfang" and "Taisho 11th Year" pistols and the "Nanfang 99" self-propelled guns, all of which he single-handedly created. All of his designs are known for their simple construction, high reliability, and ease of use. Around 1932, he began work on his own assault rifle, with the aim of making it shorter and more flexible.
The first assault rifle he made was called the Southern "One" Assault Rifle, and some people called it the Second Type, Type I or Type IIA. The assault rifle received a grip similar to a pistol, on which a curved magazine was mounted, capable of holding 32 Japanese bullets of 8x22 mm. The advantage of this design is that it can greatly reduce the overall length of the gun while keeping the gun body unchanged, thus improving the portability and concealment of the assault rifle. The length of the "one" submachine gun in the south was only 740 mm, which was somewhat shorter than the American Thompson, the Finnish Somi, the Swiss Sigm 1920, the German MP18, MP28, etc.
The Southern Type 1 assault rifle works by using a reverse jet method that causes the chamber of the machine gun to retreat back when fired, so that a cycle of loading, firing, and unloading can be completed. This is relatively easy, but it has the disadvantage that it requires a little less kinetic energy, otherwise it will cause a huge vibration in the chamber. The 8x22 mm caliber bullet used in the Southern Type 1 assault rifle belongs to this type, with an initial velocity of only 350 m s, which is not enough in terms of destructive power and penetrating ability, and it is difficult to form an effective kill against the enemy.
Another peculiarity of the Southern "One" assault rifle is that the arc of the magazine is large, which can better match the grip of the pistol, but this also brings a problem, that is, when firing, the handle needs to be slightly tilted forward, otherwise it will affect the view of the gun holder. Not only is this uncomfortable, but it also reduces the accuracy and stability of hits. To this end, Nanbu Kiraro proposed a "smart" way to add a small telescopic hoe under the magazine, so that when the user uses the lying down method to shoot, the hoe can be propped up on the ground to enhance its stability. This may seem like a novelty, but it doesn't really make sense, not only does it make the magazine heavier, but it also makes it more complex, and more importantly, it can be used differently in various terrains and environments.
The Southern "One" assault rifle was quite innovative in this regard, but it was not accepted by the Japanese army. Between 1936 and 1937, the Japanese army experimented with the assault rifle, but it was not adopted because of its complex mechanical structure, its prone to errors, and its lack of effective marksmanship. The Japanese Army used the assault rifle in the Chinese war around 1937, but it was also unsuccessful. Jiro Nansaki found that no one was interested in his painting, so he tried to sell it, but unfortunately he could not find a suitable buyer. The reason is that this assault rifle not only has many shortcomings, but also uses a special bullet that is unacceptable to all countries.
As a failed product, the Southern Army's Type 1 assault rifle was neither formally equipped nor put into the battlefield. If this kind of ** is widely used, it will be a good thing for Japanese soldiers, not a good thing. Fortunately, Jiro Minamizaki was not discouraged by this, and he continued to improve his assault rifle, and then developed the Type 2 assault rifle and the Type 3 assault rifle, and finally developed the excellent and popular Type 100 assault rifle, which had a great influence during World War II.