Murata Rifle

Japanese Murata Type 13 (M.1880).

Murata rare commercial shotgun. This is not a converted military rifle but manufactured for sporting purposes. This used its own rimmed cartridge, a shortened version of the 8mm murata.

Close view of the Murata shotgun bolt.

Murata Shotguns conversion.

Murata Rifle is an early Japanese bolt-action rifle, named after its inventor Major Murata Tsuneyoshi. This is the first modern Japanese local-production long firearm (before it, Japan produced only Tanegashima arquebus). It's also the first indigenous Japanese rifle. Murata rifles were used by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Boshin War, First Sino-Japanese War and the Boxer Rebellion. After 1898 Murata rifles were replaced by more advanced Arisaka Rifle, but had limited use during the Russo-Japanese War and World War I. After WWI ended, many rifles were converted to shotguns and sold to the civilian market (similar to what happened with old rifles in Russia and Germany). Due to its obscurity, Murata rifle most likely appear in old or historical Japanese movies, TV shows or anime.

Specifications

(1880 - 1905)

• Country of Origin: Japan

• Type: Bolt Action Rifle

• Caliber(s): 11x60mmR Murata; 8x53mmR Murata

• Weight: 9 lbs (4.1 kg)

• Length: 50.9 in (129.4 cm)

• Barrel length(s): 33.1 in (84 cm)

• Capacity: Single-Shot (Type 13, Type 16, Type 18, and civilian models); 8, 5-round tube magazine (Type 22, Type 22 carbine)

• Fire Modes: Single-Shot

Variants

• Type 13 (1880) preliminary model (11x60mmR). Bolt action, single-shot.
• Type 16 (1883) carbine (11x60mmR). Derived from Type 13, structurally identical.
• Type 18 (1885) (11x60mmR). Improved internal mechanisms and ergonomics.
• Type 22 (1889) (8x53mmR). Tube magazine, capacity of eight rounds.
• Type 22 carbine (1889) is a carbine variant of original Type 22 (8x53mmR). Tube magazine holds five rounds.
• Civilian models (various) usually retired Type 13s and Type 18s; part of it were converted to bolt action shotguns via omission of bayonet lugs and rifling.

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The Murata Rifle and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Under Aurora	Kôji Yakusho	Genzo Tamiya	Converted shotgun	1990
	Andrei Boltnev	Arseniy
Yellow Fangs	Hiroyuki Sanada	Haiyaku Eiji	Converted shotguns	1990
	Mika Muramatsu	Yuki
	Bunta Sugawara	Kasuke
	Bin Kurihara	Gohei
	Akira Kurosaki	Sabu
	Yasushi Suzuki	Kuramochi constable
Mutant Girls Squad	uncredited	Vigilant #1	Converted shotguns	2010
	Takashi Nishina	Vigilant #2
Malay Regiment		Communist guerillas		2017

Anime

Title	Character	Note	Date
Golden Kamuy			2018