As explained in the rifle section, both the
Chinese and the NK began the Korean War with a
large number of Japanese WWII weapons.
The Type 96 Shiki Kikanju and the
11 Shiki Kikanju both probably saw action in
Korea, and were similar in effectiveness. They
used rimmed cartridges, which needed oiling
because they had no primary extraction and,
without oiling, the case could not easily be
withdrawn from the chamber. They mounted a 2.5
type optical scope to improve target recognition
and hit probability at extended ranges, the same
philosophy as used by the Germans during WWII and
which the US adopted in the 1990s. The reduced
power 6.5mm cartridge was partly intended to
reduce muzzle flash since the MG normally did not
mount a flash suppressor. By the end of WWII,
Japan had designed a 7.7mm Type 99 light gun, far
superior to these 6.5mm guns, but did not
manufacture many.
