Modelguns (モデルガン) are Japanese replica or toy guns which are usually made of zinc alloys or plastic materials. Most modelguns commonly available today are designed to highly replicate the physical appearance (some bear the authentic trademarks and markings too) and in full scale of the real gun counterpart. Many are even made to highly replicate the internal mechanisms so that they are able to strip-down exactly and imitate closely the functionalities of the real counterparts. They operate exactly like a cap gun, using a small plastic percussion cap to produce gunfire sound, spark and blowback operation (for automatic models), but strictly not able to shoot any projectile.
There are very strict gun control laws in Japan to restrict the mechanisms and material of modelguns so that modelguns appearing in the Japanese market are safe and cannot be converted into anything that can shoot live cartridges or projectiles. Their high resemblance to the real guns and complete safeness make them very attractive to many gun enthusiasts, especially in those countries with very strict gun control. Best of all, they are only a fraction of cost to the real ones and some even replicate the very rare out-of-reach original models. Modelguns are legal to own in many countries and don't require license for ownership. Having said that, it is recommended that the respective law regarding imitated firearms of individual country should be consulted. Modelguns are not illegal in some countries but it is very hard to pass their Customs. Whilst they are free to import and own in some other countries but the cap is illegal to sell and own there. They may also have trademark infringement issues in some countries.
Besides private collection by hobbyists, they are often used in movie production, re-enactment, authority training and museum display purposes. On the other hand, even airsoft guns look very close to the real guns, their internal design is very different from the respective real ones. Therefore, airsoft guns are generally not regarded as modelguns.
History Modelguns were developed after the Second World War due to tight restrictions on firearm ownership by civilians in Japan. As a result, toy guns became popular with many Japanese gun enthusiasts. The early toy guns were imported cap guns (mainly Mattel, Hubley and Nichols) from the United States from late 1950s. Some of the agencies or shops notably Japan Model Gun Collection Association (later MGC), Nakata store, Ehara store (later Tokyo CMC), International Gun Club (later International Industry (Kokusai)) importing or retailing the cap guns later transformed to key modelgun makers and played a key role in modelgun history. These cap guns were fairly crude approximations of actual firearms and with very few operational features. Strictly speaking they are not classified as modelguns as their design / markings and even size is very different from the real counterparts. Nevertheless, these imported cap guns formed the foundation for further modelgun development and gave designers insight for producing new modelgun designs in Japan.
From 1960, the retail shops / import agencies started some modifications (e.g. surface finish from silver to black color) on the imported cap guns locally to make them more realistic and attractive. In 1960–61, MGC (ModelGuns Corporation) released modified Mattel Snub Nose and Hubley Automatic (from a normal cap gun to a cartridge ejection model) which is one step closer to Japanese originated modelgun.
The imported cap guns were eventually replaced with more realistic Japanese indigenous designed and elegantly produced modelguns. The first Japanese designed modelgun is believed to be the Mauser Military Model M1896 (non-ignition model) released by Yamada Plating Industry (later Hudson Industry) in late 1962. Shortly after, MGC released the Walther VP-2 (ignition model with an innovative Slide action design) in early 1963. While there is still no unanimous consensus on the first Japanese modelgun, these 2 models are unarguably one of the pioneers in modelgun history.
In the next 2–3 years, MGC added some more models to its product line and sold its modelguns in bulk to other re-seller companies who sold them under individual brand names. In 1965, MGC started to sell its products in its own shop "MGC Bondshop". Meanwhile, 7 re-seller companies notably Nakata, Tokyo CMC, Hudson, Kokusai, and Malugo formed an allied association Nippon Kokyu Gangu Kumiai (NKG) or Japan Premium Toy Retailers' Union and stopped buying products from MGC. In 1966, the NKG member companies started to compete directly with MGC starting with non-movable paperweight models (mainly by Nakata, but strictly speaking not modelguns) and shortly later some copied MGC products by some NKG members. The competition heat was intensified when NKG members also had their own design of models which were produced by a modelgun manufacturing company Tokyo Replica Corp. (TRC) formed by Marushin Die Casting Industry and Nakata as a joint venture. After that, the modelgun industry boomed and its popularity grew tremendously. The first major change in the Firearms and Swords Law in 1971 did not have much impact to the growth trend.
Before 1977, metal modelguns dominated the market and plastic models were not popular. These early produced full metal modelguns are now sought-after collectables even though they are a bit less precise and detailed as real ones. After 1977 when the second change in the law started to heavily regulate the products, plastic modelguns led the market as only very limited handgun models can be made in full metal.
From 1970 to end-80s, many modelguns (mostly from MGC) were exported to the USA and sold under the RMI brand by Replica Models, Inc. (which later transformed to Collector's Armoury, Ltd.). These exported modelgun products were exempted from the strict Japanese Firearms and Swords Law.
As time went by, modelguns were enhanced technically with more realistic appearance, detailed construction and operation more accurate to real guns due to continuous competition among makers.
However, the roll-out of more Airsoft in the mid-80s has had a big impact to the traditional modelgun industry. The continuous fall in popularity and sales volume of modelguns in the next 40 years forced some modelgun makers either out of business or switching to mainly Airsoft production.
Model Gun & Airsoft and Toy Gun Industry History by Hiroshi Saito, STGA Director Koichi Masui, You Kurogane "MODELGUN GRAFFITI" Tatsumi Publishing, 1993. The man who made MGC - MGC 50th Anniversary by Tsutomu Jimbo (Founder of MGC) Published by New Japan MGC 2010.
Legends The Japanese modelgun/Airsoft inventor Tanio Kobayashi (小林太三) is considered by many Japanese to be the "father" of the modelgun. He joined MGC as a chief engineer in 1961. Kobayashi's innovative internal modelgun design (known as Tanio or Slide action which makes the slide cycle to load and eject the cartridge when the trigger is pulled) in MGC Walther VP-2 completely revolutionized the simple cap gun design and led to the modern version of the modelgun. He also led MGC to innovate the safety barrel insert, the cap blowback system and the development of a safe plastic cap exclusively for modelguns. In 1978, The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) awarded Kobayashi (then Director of Design and Development Division of MGC) Invention Honor Award for the development of safe modelgun design, construction method and contribution to the development of the modelgun industry. He left MGC and established his company Tanio Koba in 1992. His company continues to produce quality Airsoft and modelguns today.
Noboru Mutobe (六人部登) is a very important and highly reputable modelgun designer. He was a craft-worker and joined Nakata in 1962 to design and prototype modelguns for Nakata. His ingeniously designed and prototyped models that were produced by Nakata and later TRC were very competitive with the MGC products. He left Nakata in 1967 and established his own company Rokuken with products in the Rocken brand. Many of the Rocken modelguns which were made in solid brass are also known as high grade luxury models. But the metal modelgun production from Rokuken ceased after the amendment of the Firearms and Swords law in 1977. The Rocken brand metal modelguns were only produced in very small quantity and they are now expensive sought-after collectables. However, Rocken brand and designed high grade plastic modelguns were released by other makers from mid 90s and are still produced today. Mutobe also worked as an independent freelance designer to design and prototype many products for other modelgun companies such as CMC, Suzuki, Asahi Toys. His work is characterized as very realistic replica both the appearance and mechanism as the real ones. His contribution to the Japanese modelgun history is always remembered.You Kurogane, Kuroda Takahiro "MODELGUN GRAFFITI" Tatsumi Publishing, 2002.Teranishi Kenji "MODELGUN RETURNS" Goma books, 2006.
Regulations
The initial modelguns which were made with full metal were originally classified as "toys" and fairly unregulated. When some models were made very close to real firearms both appearance and functionally and several misused cases happened, the authority increasingly intervened the modelgun industry to prevent them to be abused for criminal purposes. So the law was changed in different stages to make the products very safe, easily identifiable as toy guns and extremely hard to modify to fire any projectile.
In 1965, the Japanese government began regulating the replica firearms industry. Changes included was a requirement that the barrel have an internal insert to prevent tampering to fire any projectile.
In 1969, in accordance with the administrative guidance of the Police, the modelguns had to add a crown mark stamp on the body to distinguish it from real gun. However, these models only exist in very small quantity and are hardly found today.
The Firearms and Swords law revision in 1971 introduced more safety changes. It required that the barrel of all metal model handguns released thereafter must be completely blocked up in metal and must be entirely painted in white or yellow (excluding the grip). Since then, all metal model handguns produced were either painted in gold color or gold plated which was accepted as yellow color. Even the pre-1971 produced metal model handgun barrels needed to be blocked up and re-painted in yellow / gold color in order to comply with the law. However, the metal modelguns for export (mainly to RMI) could still be made in black color. Moreover, plastic modelguns started to get into the market as it is not governed by the law and can be produced in black color for more realistic look.
In 1975, the Japan Model Gun Manufacturing Cooperative Association (which later merged into Japanese Toy Gun Association (ASGK) (日本遊戯銃協同組合) in 1986) was formed by most modelguns makers. All members of the Association agreed to stamp on a "SM" mark (Safe Model) on the metal modelgun frame for safety conformation and identification purposes.