Type 96 Light Machine Gun Model 3D

The Type 96 was a light machine gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army. It was introduced into service in 1936. It was a development of the earlier Type 11 Light Machine Gun. It still used the 6.5 x 50 mm SR cartridge, despite the fact that the more powerful 7.7 x 58 mm round had already been adopted. Unlike the Type 11 Light Machine Gun, it used a detachable box magazine, increasing reliability somewhat. However, the gun was still prone to failure, which was conditioned by a mistake in its design: in order to ensure reliable feeding (theoretically), the cartridges had to be greased. The grease, however, tended to pick up dust and sand, causing the guns to jam frequently.