Type 38 Carbine

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jobu07

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Evening all. I happened across a new addition to the collection today, Japanese Type 38 carbine. This is my first Japanese rifle, and it appears to be in relatively good condition all things considered. I'm happy with the price I paid for it, especially given the intact mum.

Well, here are some pictures. I can't quite seem to get the series prefix figured out. I see I'm missing a dust cover and a sling. Other than get out and shoot the bugger, what can everyone tell me about this specimen?

Thanks for looking.
 

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I've had one for years, in a out the same shape, exceptmine does not have the intact mum. Ido have the dust cover, muzzle cover and bayonet . They are good shooters and generally better workmanship than the Type 99 in 7.7mm. Very nice looking rifle, enjoy it!
 
The markings will tell what city they were made in. The arisaka is generally regarded as an overbuilt action, especially for the rounds that they were chambered in. I have a reciever, barrel and a few other pieces with which I plan to build a sporter. Ammo for the 6.5 is scarce, but not unobtainable. I just can’t stand to settle for that round, I think I’m probably going to chop my shot out barrel and just use the threads as a conversion sleeve and then thread on an AR barrel in something like 450bushmaster.
 
I've been looking for one for years.
I'd thought that I'd found one, but the poor thing had had every major working part had been Bubba'd.
When cocked, a tap on the stock would set it off.
Nope.
That’s the parts gun I need to find. I’m trying to figure out what to do with the whole safety on the bolt deal. I’m not opposed to capping the bolt and using a Timney trigger with a safety on the trigger... that door knob is odd to say the least.
 
I am somewhat seeking a Type 38 for my WW One collection. From what I gather from my research, the actions are amazingly strong. From looking at the dimensional reference tables in Cartridges of the World, the cartridge is amazing similar to the 6.5 Mannlicher - Schoenauer, the 6.5x53.5Rmm Mannlicher and the 6.5x52mm Carcano. If one is a reloader, one could likely finagle something.

Nice find even if it never gets fired for pleasure. I have found a few loose 6.5(x50)mm Arisaka rounds in my gun show skulking. It isn't really common, but there is some around.
 
That’s the parts gun I need to find. I’m trying to figure out what to do with the whole safety on the bolt deal. I’m not opposed to capping the bolt and using a Timney trigger with a safety on the trigger... that door knob is odd to say the least.
To use the Arisaka safety, do not grab with fingers. Use the palm of the hand, push and twist. I understand it was designed to work with gloves.
 
To use the Arisaka safety, do not grab with fingers. Use the palm of the hand, push and twist. I understand it was designed to work with gloves.
Yes, but if I’m building a weird custom gun then I’m not putting that visual catastrophe on it. A capped bolt which slightly compresses the firing pin spring should be sufficient to light primers, and a safety on the trigger would serve in its place. For guns like the OPs nice factory gun, yeah absolutely. And one more to add, 260rem is not far off.
 
Nice looking early production (series 4 Nagoya Arsenal complex) carbine.
You have probably googled for photos and noticed that your gun has
been 'sporterized' at the grip area on the stock (last photo).
That work, unfortunately, takes it out of the collector realm as well as removing the arsenal markings on the stock..
Plus side it is a top notch looking shooter grade.

It is a clean looking gun that has not seen much use.
Carbines that had seen steady WWII useage usually show a lot of wear and rounding of the
left side grasping groove area of the stock (from getting it bounced around and rubbed on your back while on horseback).

I do not see a 'tan line' on the receiver from the dust cover.
Japanese arms that retained their original covers often show a two tone look on top of the receiver where
the dust cover protected the finish under it.
If the interior of the dust cover grooves show much wear, it is also a good indicator of how much time a cover spent on the gun.

Just pick up a repro sling and save a bunch of dough.

I would pick up some Howard's feed and wax and put some in the stock dovetail to help slow the separation gap.
Most folks will tell you the Japanese used two piece stocks to save wood.
Nope, they did it solely for stock strength.
With the softer woods used by them, the stocks would crack at the toe under any sort of hard useage.
Look at your last photo and you will notice that the grain of the lower stock section is in-line with the toe (for strength).
You will not find many Arisakas with wood missing at the toe when comparing them to '03's.

JT
 
After re-reading the series table, I found I was looking at Type 38 rifle data vs. carbine, which explains why the series 4 didn't appear right. Now all seems fine.

Thanks all for the input. The safety is a bit of an odd duck, using your palm does make it easier to manipulate as Archie said.

The receiver appears uniform in coloration with minimal wear in the dust cover groove. That groove actually appears to have residual grease and grime in it from over the years that a cotton swab and some Hoppe's should clean out. The stock toe piece doesn't have much, if any, gap between it on the rest. This reminds me of how the Finns did a toe splice to reinforce their M39 rifle stocks. Different, but still an effective measure. JT, you mention the stock looks sporterized at the grip. I'm assuming you mean the rounded edge of the pistol grip. Can you elaborate more?
 
Correct.
Both the upper and lower grip area on your carbine have been sanded down to
make it into what is undoubtedly a more ergonomic grip. Here is an old crappy photo of some of mine,
but it gives you a look at some un-modified stocks.

Japanesedispay20101.jpg

Note the butt on my carbine (second down left side) has drastically different colored wood (uncommon) that clearly shows the two piece design.
That is why I chose to put it in the display, as the carbine itself shows wear.

In practice, the sheet metal dust cover made for somewhat awkward and slower manipulation of the bolt. That is why not many are seen with their matching covers.
The safety was designed for cold weather operation (think Manchuria in the Winter) and can be quickly manipulated while wearing mittens.

The Nagoya Arsenal was a separate Arsenal complex located 200 miles WSW from Tokyo
(which had relocated the earthquake and fire destroyed National Arsenal there to Kumamoto (Kokura) on the Southern island of Kyushu in the mid-thirties).
The Naval yards on Kyushu (which would have also included the Kokura Arsenal) was the target for our second Nuclear bomb.
Heavy cloud cover over the yards that day diverted the B-29 called 'Boxcar' to the West for the secondary target, Nagaski, instead.

JT
 
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