Arisaka rifle

[monotonous_iterancy]

Years ago when I was 14, I got my first gun, which was a Mosin-Nagant that I picked out. At the store there was also a Japanese Arisaka, I don't remember if it was a type 38, or a type 99, but it was there. I've always wondered how it would be different if I'd chosen that over the Mosin. How do they compare?

 

[MAKster]

The Arisaka rifles were largely derived from the Mauser. The main reason why they are not more popular is because the ammo is scarce and expensive.

 

[TurtlePhish]

Arisaka bolt is much easier to open, recoil is roughly the same, action is much more "open", sights are nicer, it's a little bit lighter, and yes, ammo is expensive as hell.

 

[murdoc rose]

They can be great rifles or last ditch relics you made the right choice as a shooter maybe not so much as a investment.

 

[MachIVshooter]

How do they compare?

That depends on the particular Arisaka. The earlier ones had better craftsmanship & metallurgy than the Mosin, but a late-war ("last ditch") Arisaka is crude to put it mildly, and can even be unsafe to fire because of quality control and heat treatment.

I have a nice Type 99 and a very clean type 38, definitely prefer them to any variant of the Mosin. But I also had a last ditch rifle, and the Mosin looked refined by comparison

Between excellent specimens of both, the Arisaka is a nicer rifle. Picking at random out of a bin-o-rifles filled with both? The Mosin will be more consistent in quality.

The main reason why they are not more popular is because the ammo is scarce and expensive.

And because they were never imported; Every Arisaka on the US market was a bring back. There's probably more than 100 times as Many mosins as there are Arisakas in the USA.

 

[Arp32]

I'd guess 100 times as many would be a conservative number...

Rarity and just the unique look of the Arisaka are differences I'd add to the list

 

[VAPOPO]

Just as an aside in the 80's I used to run into Arisaka's in good+ condition at almost any gun show for $50 and have a friend that had one converted to .300 Savage that is a great shooter.

 

[Ivy Mike]

The Arisaka rifles were largely derived from the Mauser. The main reason why they are not more popular is because the ammo is scarce and expensive.

I'd like to read that history as Arisaka rifles were supposed to be a clean sheet design. The actions are ridiculously strong. Loads that blew mausers and smle apart were swallowed by the arisaka rifles.
I love my type 44 and wish my mum intact type 99 wasn't a last ditch model.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I'd like to read that history as Arisaka rifles were supposed to be a clean sheet design. The actions are ridiculously strong. Loads that blew mausers and smle apart were swallowed by the arisaka rifles.

Just because the Arisaka is (generally) stronger than other military rifles of the period doesn't mean it's design is unique; Mass & metallurgy. The Arisaka is most definitely Mauser-based.

There were basically 4 rifle patterns in common military use globally at the turn of the century:

The Mauser Type (Entered Service 1893)
The Lee-Enfield (Entered Service 1895)
The Mosin (Entered Service 1891)
The Carcano (Entered Service 1891)

There are other noteworthy designs, of course (Lebel, Schmidt-Rubin, etc.), but these were the major players in significant conflicts for the first half of the 20th century. And the Mauser rifle was adopted or copied by more countries than any other.

 

[monotonous_iterancy]

Interesting. I can't really complain though, my Mosin shoots great, and at a fraction of the cost.

 

[gunner69]

I had an Arisaka in 7.62x39 and it was a hoot to shoot. A friend talked me out of it.

Although they kick like hell, the Mosin Nagant Model 44 is also fun to shoot.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I had an Arisaka in 7.62x39 and it was a hoot to shoot.

That is a very odd choice for rechambering in this large-receivered, long-action rifle.

 

[shotgunjoel]

MachIVshooter, the Chinese converted a bunch of captured Arisakas to 7.62x39 using SKS barrels. Here's some info on the conversions.
http://www.forgottenweapons.com/rifles/arisakas-in-7-62x39mm/

 

[Andy Ball]

Arisaka vs. Mosin-Nagant

I'm pretty new to the military collector thing, but have searched a lot on the web for these rifles, and picked up one of each recently; there certainly are beaucoups more M-Ns out there than Arisakas, and a really good-condition Arisaka is even harder to find (mum intact, bore/barrel/stock condition), but I lucked into a gem 38. Comparing it to my M-N 91/30 with sniper bolt & scope, the Arisaka shoots very well & smoothly, with light recoil that is fine for my 10-year old daughter to shoot. The Mosin is more like a cannon: loud, violent, with a much stronger recoil...but still a joy to shoot and pretty accurate (for my novice skill.) All that being said, it's tough to quantify the historic "cool" factor of the Arisaka, knowing about the development of Japanese martial culture, the attachment to the imperial family through the chrysanthemum (and the rarity of finding a non-defaced one), the decline in quality as the war progressed, and the bastardized bushido code of fanatacism...I really wish my Arisaka could speak. Ammo is relatively expensive (all I've found is Hornady 6.5mm and runs about 23$ a box for 20...but it's only money...so I say if you come across a good condition/good shooting Arisaka, grab it!