Towards the end of the 19th century, certain semi-automatic pistol designs began to see production, such as the Borchardt C-93 and Mauser C96. Japan, in the midst of the Meiji Restoration, was keen to not fall behind when it came to military technology, and devised a replacement for their Type 26 revolver.
Towards the end of the 19th century, semi-automatic pistols started being produced, such as the Borchardt C-93 and Mauser C96. Japan, during its Meiji Restoration era, aimed not to fall behind in military technology and created a new pistol to replace their Type 26 revolver.