Weapons · Japan · 1936-1945
Type 96 Light Machine Gun
light machine gun
The Type 96 was introduced in 1936 as a lighter, more reliable replacement for the earlier Type 11, chambered for the 6.5x50mm Arisaka round and unusual among WWII light machine guns in accepting a bayonet. When Japan moved to the more powerful 7.7mm cartridge, the Type 99 light machine gun was developed as its successor and companion weapon, but the two remained in parallel service to the end of the war rather than the Type 96 being fully replaced. It was widely used across China, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, prized for its portability but prone to jamming from dirt and sand without constant maintenance.
| caliber | 6.5x50mm Arisaka |
|---|---|
| weight | 9 kg |
| range | 800 m effective |
| produced | ~41,000 |
Pacific, China, Burma and India
