Disappointed Samurai
Nambu pistols were one of the symbols of the Japanese armed forces in the 1930s and 1940s, modeled after European designs and commonly found in the hands of officers. They were created by Kijirō Nambu, often called the "Japanese John Browning." The Model A began production in 1903, resembling the German "Parabellum" and taking structural inspiration from the Austrian Mauser C96. It was followed by the improved Model B, and in 1927, the most famous Type 14 with many enhancements was born. These included the use of two return springs, a manual safety instead of a grip safety, a magazine safety, and a slimmer grip. The reliable 8mm pistol had an eight-round magazine and was manufactured until the end of World War II. Ironically, the successful series concluded with a type considered by experts to be one of the worst service pistols in history. It was created out of necessity because production could not meet the demand for the Type 14. Despite Nambu's efforts to simplify previous models, he produced the complex and unattractive Type 94 in 1934, which embodied nearly all the characteristics of a failed pistol. A safety bar protruded from the left side, which could easily cause an accidental discharge if pressed unintentionally. The magazine held only six rounds and was very difficult to remove from the well. A weak firing pin spring caused frequent misfires, and the only advantage over the Type 14 was a weight reduction from 910 to 765 grams. Today, collectors value the Type 94 precisely for its exceptional concentration of design flaws.
Handheld Rocket Launcher
After World War II, designers sought ways to further increase the power of handheld weapons. One approach was to replace traditional ammunition with miniature rockets. The furthest progress was made by the American company MBAssociates, whose designers Robert Mainhardt and Art Biehl introduced the Gyrojet pistol in the 1960s. The name perfectly described the functional principle – the 13mm rockets (jets) featured gyroscopic stabilization. According to the inventors, the Gyrojet represented a revolution similar to the invention of gunpowder, and on paper, everything pointed to that. The rockets, loaded into a six-round magazine, exhibited minimal recoil, which was expected to increase accuracy. Upon leaving the barrel, the projectile initially traveled slowly and only accelerated to 380 m/s after a few meters. The weapon did not need to withstand high gas pressures, so it required neither a heavy barrel nor an extremely durable chamber. The greater the expectations, the worse the disappointment during tests. The Gyrojet proved less accurate than standard pistols because the rockets accelerated unevenly. They took a long time to reach full speed, resulting in minimal impact at short distances. To make matters worse, a large percentage of the "microjets" failed during flight. Despite the weapon's simplicity and reliability, the shortcomings of the rockets overshadowed its potential. A few units made it to Vietnam with the US Army, where they demonstrated functionality even in humid conditions. However, ongoing issues with ammunition (despite resizing to 12mm) and complex loading condemned the Gyrojet to be a short-lived curiosity.
Colt's Blunder
In the late 1980s, Colt's contracts with US law enforcement agencies declined as most switched from revolvers to pistols. Executives decided to respond with a new service weapon and, in an effort to expedite the process, purchased a ready-made design from Knight's Armament. They were confident nothing could go wrong, as the legendary "black rifle" creator Eugene Stoner was involved in the development. The 9mm pistol was produced in versions with polymer and aluminum frames. It featured a double-action-only trigger with an automatic safety, a rotating barrel lock, fixed sights, and a 15-round magazine. However, Colt's engineers modified the design without consulting Stoner, increasing the trigger pull weight and lengthening the barrel, and began production using parts supplied entirely by external manufacturers. The new pistol, named Colt All American 2000, hit the market in 1991. Shortly after its introduction, the weapon faced harsh criticism due to chronic unreliability and inaccuracy. Even the addition of roller bearings did not help the extremely stiff trigger. Colt recalled sold units for modifications, but this only contributed to the weapon's poor reputation. Sales were so low that the "2000" was discontinued in 1994. A total of 20,000 units were produced, and its unpopularity was also attributed to its unattractive appearance.
Kicking Bull
Brazilian Taurus is best known for its revolvers. Today, they also produce quality semi-automatic pistols, but there are exceptions that prove the rule. The darkest sheep emerged in 2004 with the hammerless PT24/7, which Taurus heavily promoted as the ideal self-defense weapon for concealed carry and as a service pistol for police officers. At first glance, it was difficult to find faults with the weapon. It combined a polymer frame with a slide made of titanium, stainless steel, or blued carbon steel. Users could choose from 9×19mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP calibers, with magazine capacities ranging from 6 to 17 rounds. Ambidextrous controls and ergonomic shapes, complemented by serrations on the slide and ribbing on the grip, aided comfortable handling. Taurus touted the PT24/7's emphasis on safety as its greatest advantage. The model featured trigger and striker safeties, as well as drop and manual safeties. The São Paulo police department acquired 98,000 units in .40 S&W. However, the highly praised safety features soon proved lacking, making the pistol dangerous for law enforcement officers. Taurus pistols fired not only when dropped but also spontaneously without pulling the trigger – simply having a round in the chamber was enough. In 2013, the factory shamefully recalled the weapons for inspection and modification. Company representatives never admitted fault, but they paid $39 million in compensation to customers.
A Rifle in Your Palm
Sometimes, a pistol fails so badly that it leads the manufacturer to bankruptcy. Such was the story of the futuristic ZiP .22 from USFA. Founded in 1993, the company thrived on producing Colt revolver clones. It gained fame and decent profits, yet its owner Douglas Donnelly ended established production in 2011 and delved into developing an atypical semi-automatic pistol in .22 LR caliber. The result looked more like a miniature bullpup assault rifle. Most parts were made of polymer, with only the barrel, return spring, and firing pin being metal. The boxy frame featured a two-piece trigger guard, with the trigger hidden in the upper cutout and the shooter expected to insert their middle finger into the lower part. At the rear was a rubber butt pad to absorb recoil. To attract tactical enthusiasts, the pistol featured upper and lower rails for mounting optics or a flashlight and used ten-round magazines. Donnelly claimed the ZiP .22 was a groundbreaking invention, but market reactions brought him back to reality. The dimensions, shape, and grip made shooting uncomfortable to painful. The short sight radius made aiming difficult, so even experienced shooters struggled to hit targets at standard distances. The poorly executed pistol cost just $200 but sold poorly. USFA ceased production in 2014, and Donnelly shut down the business entirely three years later.
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