Fitting Type Arisaka Bayonet on Type 99 Rifle

[Navy87Guy]

I’ve had a Type 30 bayonet for years (I believe my great-uncle brought it home from the war). Today I picked up an Arisaka Type 99 rifle (Kokura Arsenal, 21st series). When I tried to fit the bayonet, however, it wouldn’t fit on the barrel. Before I start poking at it, I wanted to see if there were any “tricks” that I should know. I don’t want to damage the barrel (or the bayonet) but I would love to see them mated together!

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

It could be a trick of the camera, but it appears the guard is bent back where it slips over the barrel. If the hole isnt parallel to the lug, it likely wont fit.
Nice Type 99, btw!

 

[Navy87Guy]

@NIGHTLORD40K - For the price, it was a good deal. It’s a Kokura Arsenal Series 21. It’s missing the monopod and the cleaning rod, and the parts aren’t matched - and the mum was ground off. I’m not a perfectionist, though, so I don’t mind!

I’ll take a look at the angle in the morning…thanks!

 

[Navy87Guy]

@NIGHTLORD40K - You have a great eye! There was just a slight bend to the guard. A couple of light taps with a rubber mallet got it back in line. Now, after almost 70 years, the bayonet is reunited with a rifle!



I always assumed that my great uncle who served on subs in the Pacific in WW II brought the bayonet home. I recently found out that his brother was in the Army and was on New Guinea and the Philippines in 1944…so now I’m thinking he was more likely to have acquired it!

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Awesome, glad it was an easy fix!

 

[caribou]

Glad you got it on!

The lower 'hook' on the bottom part of the guard is also bent, looks like up . You can find pix on the interweb to compare to.

Great '99 to boot!

 

[CapnMac]

The lower 'hook' on the bottom part of the guard is also bent, looks like up

I have this reflex memory that's a common sight for those. That's because the hooks are used when "stacking" rifles (where they are stood on their butts an dthe muzzles collected together. Getting them apart in haste is not an easy or simple task. They also were very exposed while in web gear and moving through the places soldiers go.

 

[Slamfire]

The bayonet could be a duffle bag bring back, thousands were. But to collect a war souvenir first hand meant you had to be near the firing line. Many souvenirs went though many hands before they got home.

Everyone traded for souvenirs. Rear area enlisted hoarded booze, which was completely convertible to anything. The best booze was bottled in the USA, the next best was brewed locally from whatever containers that could be made from fuel tanks and water containers. Pop skull was never as good as the refined stuff from back home, but it hit the spot.

Pilots had it best as they often flew to Australia where the trading was good.

Our last WW2 Veteran was second wave Iwo Jima and Okanawa. He was Navy communications and landed with the Marines. His job was to relay messages from the shore to the command ship. He brought back a bayonet, one sword, an Arisaka rifle. He said his ship disembarked in San Pedro Harbor CA and everyone's duffle bag was opened up. If you had an Arisaka rifle, you got in line and had the crest ground off. I was surprised about that as the Japanese did that, but Americans, doing that in the USA? . Sammy said there was a pile of grenades, land mines, etc, that were taken away. Boo hoo, can't take that Japanese type 99 mine back home.