The new machine gun of the Japanese army: Type 91 Tank Machine Gun (modified for infantry use)
The 91-type tank machine gun (in Japanese: 九一式车载軽機関銃) was a tank machine gun equipped by the former Japanese Army. It had a caliber of 6.5mm and fired 6.5mm standard rifle bullets (with reduced propellant).
The 91-type tank machine gun was developed by Kichiro Nishida based on the Taisho 11-year light machine gun. It was widely used in various old Japanese army tanks. From an appearance perspective, the main difference between this gun and the Taisho 11-year light machine gun is that it can be equipped with an optical sight and has a larger magazine hopper.
The structure principle of the 91-type tank machine gun is similar to that of the French Hotchkiss machine gun, using a gas-pushing automatic method and an air-cooled barrel. Its most obvious feature is the use of a magazine hopper feeding system. The structure is as follows: on the right upper part of the receiver, there is a hopper that can accommodate 10 5-round magazines. When firing, the bullets enter the barrel from the bottommost magazine, and when the bullets are used up, the empty magazine is ejected, and the upper magazine continues to supply bullets. Theoretically, this feeding system can achieve the compatibility of ammunition between rifles and machine guns. However, in reality, due to the standard 6.5mm having too much kinetic energy compared to this gun, the feeding speed is too fast, and special reduced-charge bullets must be used. Additionally, due to the unresolved locking gap issue, the feeding and ejection are forceful, making it prone to shell explosion and jamming. Lubricating oil must be used to lubricate the bullets. The total length of the 91-type tank machine gun is 838.2mm, the barrel length is 487.7mm, the total weight is 10.17kg, it fires 6.5mm standard rifle bullets, has a capacity of 50 rounds, and the theoretical rate of fire is 500 rounds per minute.
The 91-type tank machine gun was mainly used by the armored vehicles of the old Japanese Army, such as the 95-type light tank, the 89-type medium tank, and the 95-type heavy tank, etc. When necessary, this gun can be equipped with a bipod to be used as an infantry machine gun.
Type 91 Tank Machine Gun
Data
Originating Country: Japan
Caliber: 6.5mm
Projectile Type: 6.5mm Hasegawa 38 Rifle Bullet
Overall Gun Length: 838.2mm
Barrel Length: 487.7mm
Overall Gun Weight: 10.17kg
Cartridge Capacity: 50 Rounds
Theoretical Fire Rate: 500 Rounds/Minute
Effective Range: 800m
Just like the MG15 aircraft machine gun of Germany, it can be modified and equipped with a bracket for use by infantry.
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