That contemplative stare is him trying to figure out how to fire the gun, hold the hopper cover open, and load clips into the gun simultaneously with only two hands.
Vintage Saturday: Type 11 Nambu
Vintage photo
Vintage Saturday: Japanese ZB
Japanese troops with a ZB light machine gun in China, circa 1937
Conversion
Shooting a Type 99 Nambu in 7.62mm NATO
Some older footage from the vault – this was a gun I bid on, but did not win. Didn’t want to have the whole audience thinking about bidding against me…but now that it’s been sold […]
Semiauto pistol
RIA: Japanese 8mm Hamada Pistol
Just as production of the .32ACP Type Hamada pistols was reaching full scale, Bunji Hamada was asked to redesign his pistol to use the standard 8mm Nambu cartridge. This he did, and after several changes […]
I think troop regardless of weapons platform get that same stare at one time or another.
Interestingly, the that particular Type 11 has a detail not usually seen – a sort of improvised handguard! It doesn’t seem to be made of wood though (my guess would be canvas or some similar material).