Found a Japanese type 38 intermediate rifle this week

[8mmman]

Found a Japanese type 38 intermediate rifle this week. The wife took me away for a few nights at a B&B in Sequim, WA. It's a nice little retirement town and kind of off the beaten path as they say.

While walking around we came upon a Fred's Hobbies & Gun shop. Smaller but nice place and what do I find in there used rack but 2 type 38's one long very early rifle in fair condition and right next to it a Japanese type 38 intermediate matching number rifle in near new as rebuilt condition with a dark but strong bore. Both were de-crested but not to badly.

In taking to the woman who owns the shop I find out it was on consignment. So I made them an offer and she called the widow who had them... I got it out the door for $300. Better yet I got to talk to the widow and found out her husband had gotten it at the end of the war on his way home. All she knew was he had told her there were piles of them and they could take one. He had picked the intermediate rifle because it was easer to carry.

The other rifle had been give to her husband from one of their friends who was going into a retirement home and no longer wanted it. She had no other items and as her husband had died last year she had no need of them.

All about the time as they say.... I've had two of these now. Not to common and seldom seen rifle I think.

 

[hang fire]

Good score, those Arisaka rifles have a very strong action and getting harder to come by all the time.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Very nice looking Type 38! I have 2 of them and a Type 99 that has had the stock bubba'd. I have found my Arisaka's to be very accurate at the range.

 

[captmoto]

I have a carbine that went through a house fire. Scorched the stock at the heel. The bore looks dark and filthy. It was a Vietnam bring back from my BIL's uncle. He wants to shoot it but I'm a little hesitant. I think the bluing/parkerizing changed but that might be from water damage. It is a handy looking little rifle.

 

[nwilliams]

Nice looking rifle at a good price! Congrats!

 

[Nighteyes]

Arisakas are excellent rifles without a doubt, particularly when they've been maintained over the decades. Great score!

 

[USAF_Vet]

I like my Type 38. I just wish ammo was cheaper and more available.

 

[8mmman]

Shooting the Type 38's

I'm also ex USAF. Anyhow I've been shooting type 38's & 99's for almost 50 years now and really enjoy them. Found my first one in a garage can in about 1957 while on my paper route. Dad thought all Jap guns were "Junk" at the time. Anyhow I bought a box of Norma and at that time it was $4 a boy 1/3 of a months paper route wages.

Dad made me tie it down and fire it with a rope a few times. Then we shot it and I was hooked. About that time I got a copy of "guns" magazine and there was an ad from the "Old Western Scrounger" and he had original 6.5 ball at $6 per C so I sent off for 300 rounds. Can in by Postal post too.

Next time we when over to our cabin I shot till I couldn't hear anymore and mom got tired of the noise too. The 6.5 original Jap ammo has a real interesting sound and if you've ever heard it you would remember it. Over the next few year I kept picking of 6.5 & 7.7 rifle. They were very inexpensive back then $5 to $15 in near new condition.

Still shooting and reloading for them and more today Too.

 

[bannockburn]

8mmman

Nice find on the Type 38's. I had one years ago that was given to me by a friend of mine who had no interest in it. It came with the mum intact as well as having the sliding bolt cover. Ammunition for it was hard to come by back then as all I could find was some very expensive Norma ammo for it. The overall metal finish on the rifle was very good though the wood stock was somewhat rough and rather poorly finished. It was definitely an interesting and handy little bolt action carbine.

 

[lencac]

Nice job Can't say as I've ever owned one of those because I was never able to find one in that kind of condition. I have never seen one as nice as yours.
As they say in the hood .................... SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET !!!!!

 

[Jackal]

I looked at that rifle a couple times (yes, I live in Sequim), I was very tempted to buy it myself. Glad someone grabbed it so I didnt have to. We have a ton of cool older guns up here, due to the general age of the area's inhabitants. Its amazing how many children and grandkids that have no interest in any of grandpa's guns when he passes away. People either just pawn them or consign them:banghead:. Fred's consigns a lot of guns for widows. I have seen large collections flow through their quite a few times (and since Ive been going there since I was about knee high, I get a lot of first dibs).