I love seeing people passionate about their projects. The one-man show at Gearhead Gunsmith is crazy passionate about their Tensei project. The Tensie is a replica of the Nambu Type 100 submachine gun, painstakingly recreated as a non-NFA, closed-bolt replica. The reason why Geahead Gunsmith did so was simple.
He saw the gun in video games and wanted one. Video games are a powerful way to engage new generations in firearms. I wouldn’t be here without the micro-sized manuals put in the cases of PlayStation games that describe the weapons. This fascination with the gun led to a bit of self-education as a gunsmith after an education as a machinist.
The Tensei isn’t a 1-for-1 replica because parts aren’t readily available, and reproducing them would drive costs skyward. To make do, the guns use parts from an AR fire control group, an AR firing pin, an AR ejector, PPS-43 magazines, and a 9mm chambering with an NFA-free 16-inch barrel.
These are direct blowback guns with side feeding magazines. The design is certainly outside the norm for a standard American PCC.
The Tensei – Not Typical
The stocks are handmade and hand-finished. The gun operated smoothly in hand and was heavy enough to use as a baseball bat. Wood and steel tend to do that. In terms of options, shooters can choose to have the barrel threaded, to have a bayo lug or not, and even add custom engraving. Adding rails for accessories is also an option to add an optic or bottom-mounted accessory.
Total cost is 1,250, which, for such a handmade, one-man show, isn’t all that bad. Each gun has to be preordered, and they only take 30 preorders at a time to maintain a better production and shipping schedule.
Tiny shops can’t do massive volume, but this doesn’t seem to be one of the products destined for massive volume. It’s for enthusiasts, collectors, and fans of Call of Duty: World At War.
