AR-isaka anyone?

[USAF_Vet]

It's late, I'm tired, so lots of oddball thoughts are running through the ole noodle.

I've been thinking a lot about AR builds lately, and thought of another oddball I don't think anyone has done yet.

I have an Arisaka type 38 (6.5x50 semi-rimmed) that doesn't get shot much.
It doesn't get shot much due in large part to the sentimental value, though I seriously doubt I could manage to kaboom the darn thing. Also, ammo is expensive and not so common (although one LGS does generally stock it).

Anyway, I put 2 and 2 together and started thinking about an AR-isaka, a meeting of east and west, old and new.

Anyone ever heard of an AR chambered in 6.5 Jap? I'm thinking it would have to be done on an AR-10 lower, unless loaded with the shortest .264 bullets available to cut down on the OAL.

I realize this would have zero advantages over an AR in .308 or 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC, but as a thought experiment, does it have any merit besides the excuse to buy more brass and a new reloading set up for 6.5 Jap?

 

[CornCod]

The Russians sorta beat you to it. During WWI the Imperial Russians manufactured a semi-auto rifle in 6.5 Japanese, the Federov. It was used by the Soviets in their Winter War against the Finns.

 

[armoredman]

Sounds like a fun and challenging build that will be interesting to watch - go for it!

 

[kBob]

The Federov was select fire and many think it should have been called the first assault rifle.

USAF Vet,

What ever blows your skirts up, but am willing to bet that finding or making a suitable magazine is going to be an issue.

-kBob

 

[tahunua001]

I own a type 44 Arisaka carbine. from the 20 inch barrel it gets nearly identical velocity as my 6.5 grendel AR(also 20 inch). it is a highly inefficient cartridge from a carbine and as you said, very expensive, you think it's expensive for a bolt gun? wait til you put it in a semi auto and start losing the brass, a single mag would cost about $25. feeding from an AR10 mag might be problematic. on a different forum, another guy who regularly works on arisakas claims anything based on a 308 cartridge would not feed properly from an arisaka mag so I'm assuming the inverse would also be a strong possibility. you would need an AR10 upper and lower so it would be fairly heavy and the custom barrel and possibly an adjustable gas system to accommodate the variance in the 6.5 jap would probably make such a build astronomically expensive.


I love my 6.5 of all flavors but I wouldn't do 6.5 japanese from an AR for the simple reason that for 2.5 pounds less, several hundred dollars cheaper and half the price of ammo, I can get an AR15 in 6.5 grendel with identical ballistics. For essentially the same trade off, minus less weight, you could build a 260 remington AR10 and get superior ballistics.

I wouldn't worry about kabooming an arisaka with modern ammunition, much of what is sold today is milder than anything the japs stuffed in them and they are extremely tough actions.

 

[USAF_Vet]

tahunua001,
that's is pretty much what I was thinking. Once I did a bit more checking I realized it was going to be a major undertaking. I think I'll stick with builds in more standard calibers.

 

[Devonai]

I think getting any semi-rimmed cartridge to work in the AR platform would be a major headache. I certainly understand the appeal of building a totally unique rifle.