Modified “Model 23” Hanyang Rifle
Modified “Model 23” Hanyang Rifle “Model 23” was the term used by Japanese forces during the 2nd Sino-Japanese war to call those Hanyang rifles that they captured . The term was not an official designation but a general reference to any rifle that was of Hanyang rifle style. "Modified Model 23" was used by Japanese forces to call a type of Hanyang fitted with Japanese Model 38 magazine. (Updated Aug 9, 2024) When Japanese invaded china, Japanese Ministry of Army compiled a booklet called Investigation of captured Chinese Weapons in which a modified Hanyang rifle with internal Mauser type magazine is listed as Modified Type 23 rifle (改23式步銃). The 23, if not abnormal, refers to Nationalist Year 23 (1934). Mr. Bin Shih's Chinese Small Arms of World War 2 references the picture (above) of Type 23 that captured and examined by Japanese. I personally own a copy of Japanese booklet but the picture quality is worse than Mr.Shih's. So far four specimens including the one c