This is a fine example of a pre-war Japanese Baby Nambu pistol that was manufactured by the Tokyo Koishikawa arsenal. These pistols were never officially adopted by the Japanese military but were intended as private purchase sidearms by high ranking Japanese officers of both the Army and Imperial Navy. This pistol has the high quality rust blue finish and straw colored trigger, magazine release, sear pivot pin and bolt lock with a bright finished bolt, and checkered mahogany grips. The magazine has a nickel plated body with an aluminum base. The top of the chamber area bears the four intertwined cannon balls of the Tokyo Arsenal and the right side of the receiver has the Japanese Kanji markings over the serial number "3449". The matching serial numbers are also visible on the underside of the bolt, the back side of the cocking knob and the back of the magazine and the back side of the right grip and very faintly stamped "3 4" on the left grip panel. The "Baby" Nambu pistol is perhaps the most desirable early issue Japanese semi-automatic pistol.

Very fine with 80% plus of the original blue finish with edge and high spot wear overall, minor thinning and brown oxidation on the grip straps, and some minor erosion and brown spotting on the top front edge of the recoil spring housing and right front edge of the receiver. The grips are also in very fine condition with distinct checkering on both sides. They show only minor handling marks along the edges. A very nice representative example of a Japanese Baby Nambu pistol with matching magazine.