Picked up an Arisaka today!

[nwilliams]

So I decided to expand my WW2 rifle collection today. For the longest time my WW2 collection has been missing something from the Japanese side so I decided to bite the bullet and bring home this Arisaka Type 99 from my local shop.

The gun was marked as a Type 38 chambered in 6.5x50 and someone had it on consignment for $400. Well obviously I brought over the store clerk and pointed out that it was in fact a Type 99 chambered in 7.7x58 and it was missing a few things, namely two screws, the rear sling swivel and the monopod. I asked the shop clerk if he would call the owner of the gun and see if he would accept my offer of $250 for it. Once we had the owner on the line the clerk proceeded to explain to him what the rifle really was and that I thought the price was a bit steep. The owner apparently inherited this rifle and never shot it and all he knew about it was what he could find on the internet, he assumed it was a Type 38. The owner refused my offer of $250 saying he would let it go for no less than $300, so I gave in.

Hopefully I didn't make a costly mistake, I've seen these sell for less so hopefully this one was worth the money I spent on it. I've already located the two screws that I need online and they were cheap so I have those coming. The mum is completely intact which is nice and the chrome lined bore is in excellent condition.

As always here are a bunch of pics.....

 

[shotgunjoel]

Looks great!. The only one of those that I've ever seen outside of a museum was at a friend's house, he had a badly rusted barreled receiver. Oh, by the way, great pictures. I recognized them as yours before I even read your name at the top left.

 

[gunnutery]

Looks good. I've worked on my old roommate's Arisaka before and shot it a couple times. About ten years ago it cost about $26+shipping for a box of 20 rounds. I've seen some recently in a catalog (Norma manufacture, same brand as I ordered for him before) going for about $40 for a box of 20.

If you plan to shoot it, I'd address the big crack in the butt stock. Otherwise great looking gun. Good to see the mum still intact, although I don't know how much it raises the value.

Great pics too.

 

[RainDownmyBlues]

Looks good, I would never touch one simply due to ammo cost/availability.

And that doesn't look like a crack in the stock. It looks like it was two pieces and the glue gave up the ghost, just leaving dowl rods to hold it. Looks FAR too clean to be a crack or break. To me at least.

 

[nwilliams]

If you plan to shoot it, I'd address the big crack in the butt stock.

Actually all Arisaka's that I've seen have that separation/seam in the stock, I still have yet to get an explanation why but apparently they were built that way.

If anyone knows why I'd be interested in knowing, I asked google but couldn't get a clear explanation.

Looks good, I would never touch one simply due to ammo cost/availability.

Yeah, I won't be shooting this very much, it's more of just an interesting piece for the collection that I might take out to the range a couple times a year. I have plenty of shooters already this one simply helps round out my WW2 rifle collection.

 

[caribou]

The Japanese, and the Finns who copied them saved wood by dovetail/dowel and glue'd the "toe" portion on. The stock blank could be much narrower that way.
Japan is an Island with limited resources and thrifty ways with $
If you look at the trigger gaurd and reciver tang, on the Japanese rifes , you will see its metal extends down to the splice and reinforces it, top and bottom.

The Finns took off damaged stocks & restock'd Mosins, made their own stocks, used 2 and sometimes 3 peices of wood for their stocks, with a butt stock "toe" and a forarm grafted on the butt witha splice/glued job.
The Finn made stocks always had a graft in front of the finger grooves, and this allowed shorter peices of wood to be used, saving wood. This also strenghthend the stocks as the wood wouldnt warp as much with the extreame temperature variations in Arctic/subarctic Finnland

 

[nwilliams]

Thanks for the info Caribou, that helps explain things a bit.

 

[CoastieShep]

My dad has one at home that his dad brought back from the war. It looks like it was never even issued, which to me, isn't as interesting as one that has obviously been issued and seen battle.

 

[killertom]

Beautiful rifle, congrats! Have you identified the manufacturer? If no I can do that for you when I get home and take a look at my references. Whats for sure is that it was made in Tokyo. But I just can't seem to remember the name of the factory right now.

Tom

 

[Storm]

Nice one! It looks a lot like mine except your stock is in better condition. Nice mum! I'd say that you got a very nice rifle for a good price.

 

[ZCORR Jay]

That is a great looking rifle and I would love to shoot it side by side with other WWII rifles to see how they all compare.

Overall I'd say you got a good buy.

 

[nwilliams]

Couple more pics....

 

[zhyla]

For an intact mum that looks to be in great shape I think you did fine. I found one of these at my grandmother's house a while back. It's been rechambered in .30-06 and has a ground mum and a rusty bore but is otherwise in good shape. These are fun little rifles, very light and well balanced.

 

[pikid89]

hornady loads 7.7 Jap for 25 or so a box

http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/net...itary-77x58-jp-150-gr-sp-20-rds.aspx?a=606393

i been thinkin about getting some to shoot through my grandpas bring back 99

 

[nwilliams]

Thanks pikid89, that's the best price I've seen yet on that ammo, sadly out of stock but once they get more in I'll definitely be ordering some.

 

[killchain]

Is that a chrysanthemum on the receiver?

If so, I believe that's pretty rare. But don't quote me, I'm just shooting off what I've heard.

 

[Jeremy2171]

Nice looking rifle but probably a little over priced IMHO. Did you check to see if the bolt matched? The rifles finish has been scrubbed and the stock has been refinished plus the missing parts makes the $250 tag a little steep...but it should be a fine shooter and if you learn to handload they are really accurate.

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

I can't make out the series mark. I am guessing a series 22 from the Kokura manufacturing plants, based on the early features and the non-AA ears on the rear sight.
I feel you did okay. Cheaper ones can be found, but it's not like there are a lot of true bringbacks to choose from and the intact mum is a real good indicator of it having been picked up from the field during the war.

The two piece buttstock was deliberately designed and made to strengthen it, not to save money. The Japanese used the light woods available to them.
These lightweight woods are known to have the stocks to crack at the toe.

Notice the grain of the lower dovetailed piece on your rifle. It is cut with the grain running straight to the lower angle of the stock, thereby giving it strength at the toe.

You see many 38s and 99s that have separation in the dovetail from the years spent in tropical climates and natural aging, but you will NOT find many with cracked or missing wood at the buttplate. The idea worked pretty well.

Heres a pic of a Jinsen 38 that had an easier go of it. It has the two piece stock, but you have to look for it.

I second picking up some ammo for it. They are a pleasure to shoot and fit me better than the 03A3.

JT