Japanese Arisaka Rifle

You'll need to provide pics.

The Mum being scraped off means it was "surrendered" rather than "captured". I'd say your Arisaka was made in Japan...beyond that...

With pics, our members here will be able to tell you quite a lot probably.

There's a lot to know before anybody can ID your piece.

Pica would go a long way.

The Chyrysanthimum or emperial symbol was removed for many reasons at various times.
No real definitive answer towards captured or surrendered is correct.
I have seen rifles taken in the field that were ground at the unit level.
The vast majority brought home were ground.
These things have taken on a lot more interest n the last few years after being considered worthless for a long time.

The markings on the left of the reciever will tell a lot.

That's right, Why, I was told that the Japanese soldier carried a small battery powered grinder in their pack. If they thought they were going to be killed of captured they would grind off the " Mum " so as not disgrace the Emperor. ( tongue in cheek )

Some idiot has butchered it, bolt handle has been turned (cut and weld or bent) down and stock has been changed or butchered for a "sporter" stock

I didnt even know what I had, but thanks to some help from a few posters on surplusrifle forum, I was given this link:

http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/japanese_markings.html

Found out I have an Arisaka Type 38 w/ the original bayo. and sling. It appears to be a battlefield pick-up since the Mum is 100% intact. The only thing I am missing is the receiver dust cover.

ShooterRuger said:

thats what i figured o well the stuff that the leaved on it is ok atleast all the arsenal makes and serial numbers and japenese writing is still on there. any way to still be able to tell what type it is though

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I am no expert on these firearms by any stretch of the imagination, but I dont think you have a Type 38. Might be a Type 99. This link might be useful as well:

http://www.surplusrifle.com/arisaka/index.asp

ShooterRuger - Here are some pics of what an unmolested Type 38 looks like:

ShooterRuger said:

that is so sweet...that symbol on your bayonet is the same symbol next to my serial number and then before it there is two circles

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Then the manufacturer was either Koishikawa Arsenal (Tokyo) 1870-1935 or Kokura Arsenal 1935-1945.

Cheers!

ShooterRuger said:

i also heard that those two circles next to the serial number also means that it may have been used at a school or for the secret police or something like that im not to sure..can i buy and original stock or should i just leave it be...i also dont know what the japanese writing means they arnt on the list for series numbers its engraved below were the flower thing should be

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That first link I posted didnt answer those questions?

Like I said, Im no expert. If the metal has been modified, it probably wont help the value if you have the original stock.

An easy way to tell the Type 38 from the type 99 is that the receiver ring markings on the Type 38 run in line with the barrel, while the Type 99 markings run crossways. Also the Type 38 has two gas escape holes, the Type 99 only one.

Musick says he has a Type 38 but the picture clearly shows a Type 99 or, as the marking says, "99 Type".

The symbols beside the serial number are the manufacturer's marking and the series symbol using the kata kana "letter." This is similar to the practice of other countries in using a letter prefix, such as "A 1234" or "F98556".

Jim

As a general rule:The type 38 is the model of 1905 and is in 6.5 caliber. The type 99 is the model of 1938 and is in 7.7 caliber. Your rifle isn't ruined, it has just taken on a new roll.

Convert it to 45-70 and go shoot it.

Jim Keenan said:

An easy way to tell the Type 38 from the type 99 is that the receiver ring markings on the Type 38 run in line with the barrel, while the Type 99 markings run crossways. Also the Type 38 has two gas escape holes, the Type 99 only one.

Musick says he has a Type 38 but the picture clearly shows a Type 99 or, as the marking says, "99 Type".

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DOH!

I guess that old saying is true re: good information - you get what you pay for!

Is that the character on top of the receiver that says 99?

Maybe, MAYBE one day I will be able to finally ID this rifle.

With all due respect to THR,this is not the best place for detailed mil-surp questions. The mi-surp experts dwell here:<http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=175&t=80981>. You may have to join to access the forums.

The symbol that looks a bit like someone kneeling on one knee is a "9". So there are two 9's ("99") and the ideogram for "Type" or "Model", hence "99 [year] Type" or "Type 99."

Note that the year designations use different systems. The Type 38 was adopted in the 38th year of the Meiji Era, which began in 1868, so the 38th year was 1906; the rifle was adopted in May, 1906. But by the time the Type 99 was adopted, the Japanese had dropped that dating system and used a date starting with the supposed foundation of the empire. By that system, 2599 was our 1939, so the Type 99 was adopted in 1939 (and the famous Japanese fighter was taken into service in 2500 (1940) as the Type Zero).

(I hope that is not too detailed for this site.)

Jim

You didn't post anything about the battery powered backpack grinders??

Jim Keenan; your post is an exception to the norm concerning mil-surps. I trust you will agree that mil-surps aren't given the same "attention" on THR as on a mil-surp specific forum.