Help me identify this Arisaka

[Correia]

I'm trying to help a friend identify some of his old guns. One is an Arisaka, however I'm not very familiar with these rifles. I know that they come in several calibers but I could find no numbers showing what that would be. The bore was approximately 1/4 inch across.

There is a ground spot where the Imperial Mum was taken off of the receiver.

The markings on the side of the receiver: Something that looks like a circle around a seven, 13835 something that looks like a little flower with 3 petals, and finally a tiny mark that looks like a hat over a smile (small U shape).

The wood appears to be rather plain but fine, the metal work seemed clean. So it didn't look like one of the ones from the end of the war.

It has the flip up sight with the legs that can fold out to the side.

There is no cover over the receiver.

 

[Mike Irwin]

The sight with the anti-aircraft legs makes me believe that it is a Type 99 in 7.7 (.311 cal.). I don't believe that any Type 38s in 6.5 (.264 cal.) were made (oops!) WITH the anti-aircraft sights. (forgot to add that important part!)

The "flower with petals" is actually 3 interlocking circles, which indicates manufacture at the Tokyo Arsenal.

I'll have to look in my books to try to figure out what the other markings are.

 

[Parke1]

What you have there is a Series 32 Type-99 Arisaka, manufactured by the Toyo Kogyo arsenal sometime between 1939 and 1945. Judging from the serial number, it was probably manufactured fairly early on.

I think this is accurate, given your description. I have a Type 99 that's series 21, made in the Kokura Arsenal around 1941. It still has the mum on it, and I got it for a song at the local dealer. Now if only I could stop buying other stuff and shell out the cash for a box of 7.7 Jap, I might actually be able to fire it someday...

Hope this helps.
-Parke1

 

[Zander]

Good research, Parke1...

When a shooting buddy inherited an Arisaka recently, I found this site to be really helpful:

http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/japanese_markings.html

Yours appears to be mfrd. earlier in the war and, as such, is a good specimen. Would be worth even more if the emperor's chrysanthemum was undamaged, but that usually happened only with GI bring-backs. The 'mum was ground-down on most all of the rifles turned in to allied forces after the war so that the emperor could save "face".

You'd think that he had more important things to worry about...

 

[Jagermeister]

Correia:
Here is some trivia that you friend may like to have. Not much but it does put some light on the subject.

JAP TYPE 99 1939 Rifle:

Cal: 7.7mm
Wt: 8.8lb
Action: Turnbolt
Bolt: 1 piece rotating head
Mag: Bx. Stagg. column
Capacity: 5
Bbl Length: 25.75"
Bore Dia: .303"
No Grooves: 4
Groove Dia: .315"
Twist: Right

Rate: 9.75"
Length: 44"
Made by: Torimatsu factory of the Imperial army arsenal, Hagtoya, 1940-5; Dai-Nippon Heiki Kogyo Notobe, 1940-2; Kayaba Kogyo, Tokyo 1940-2; Imperial army arsenal Kokur 1940-5.
In 1943 attempts to conserve raw materials led to the Substitute Type 99, also known as the Type99 model 2 or 3. This was charaterised by use of low grade steel, omission of bolt cover and sling swivels and the deletion of chrome from the bolt face and thebore.

From 1940 to 1943 Paratroop rifles were were made with an interrupted thread joint between the barrel and receiver to allow rapid dismantling into two separate major components. A foldeing butt was developed to safeguard against the failure of the interrupted screw system.


JM

 

[Correia]

Jagermeister, I got your e-mail. Thank you.