As a sucker for anything WWII surplus, I was shocked to see a Type 100 Nambu clone at SHOT Show 2026. There is nothing that excites me more than military surplus firearms, and especially reproductions of designs that I otherwise could never get.
Gearhead Gunsmith
As with many of us, Charles Calleja’s passion for firearms was heavily influenced by popular historical video games and movies. With this obsession came a desire to find a way to own a Japanese Type 100 Nambu from World War II. Sadly, with strict import laws, low production numbers, and many destroyed during the war, this life goal was growing into an impossibility.
Charles, also known as the Gearhead Gunsmith or the Tensei Sensei, finally had a stroke of luck when a Type 100 Nambu kit fell into his lap. It got him thinking, “What if he reverse-engineered it, so that many others could enjoy the design as well?”
With a lot of measuring, reverse engineering, and many hours of manufacturing, Charles has produced the Tensei, a modern reproduction of the iconic Japanese sub-gun.
Tensei Design
The Tensei is a closed bolt, semi-automatic design that feeds from readily available PPS-43 magazines and incorporates several AR parts in its operation.
Charles’ goal is that the rifle is not only affordable, but also serviceable by the end user. He knows the frustration of working on a design with no real knowledge base, no experts to help, that needs to be serviced by a professional gunsmith. The Tensei will include a thick manual with all the information anyone needs to work on the design.
The Tensei will be offered in 9mm, with plans for a 7.62x25mm variant in the future. The platform will have the ability to be an SBR in its original barrel length or have an extended 16-inch barrel for those who can own SBRs in their state. There will also be two versions, one with and one without a bayonet lug, again for those who live in restrictive states. The Sensei will accept standard Japanese-pattern bayonets, just like the original.
The Tensei is a complete reproduction, using no surplus parts. Charles wants the world to be able to enjoy a piece of history without having to worry about replacement parts that are impossible to find.
