Japanese Rifle - The Firearms Forum

chubcobear · 11-17-2012, 11:17 AM

My good friend's father recently passed and left her several long guns. One appears to be a Japanese made rifle (unknown caliber). Any help to identify and value this gun would be appreciated.

chubcobear · 11-17-2012, 11:21 AM

Please forgive the oversize photos. It was our first attempt at this. Thanks.

woolleyworm · 11-17-2012, 11:35 AM

It is an Arisaka. A clearer pic of the receiver by the mum will give the type#. It started out most likely as a 7.7Jap caliber, but you'd have to verify the chamber to know for sure. Not much collectors value since it's been sporterized, but should be a good hunting rifle and still worth $100-115 IMO. How's the muzzle end look?
It appears to be an earlier model. If you could post the serial number, I'm having a problem making it out clearly.

chubcobear · 11-17-2012, 12:36 PM

Thanks Wooley, the ser is 45557, and I had no idea what the caliber could be.
When I first saw the rifle, I thought that it had been a military rifle that had been cut and sporterized. We will try to get a better picture of receiver.

deadin · 11-17-2012, 12:51 PM

Also need the series mark just before the serial and the arsenal mark (Usually on the same side of the receiver.) in order to date properly.
Clear pics of all the marks will help. (Brace your camera on something when taking the pictures.)

Buffalochip · 11-17-2012, 08:51 PM

Single hole in receiver above the mum indicates a Type 99 even without the blurred stamping. Should be 7.7 unless altered. A shame it has been sporterized--intact mums are the exception.

Jim K · 11-17-2012, 08:55 PM

Another way to tell is that on the Type 99 the model number runs crossways; on the Type 38 the characters are one above the other.

Jim

chubcobear · 11-18-2012, 05:14 AM

Arisaka type 99, series 1? Not sporterized? Saw a picture of one on internet. What's a mum?
Her gun looks exactly like thishttp://cdn2.********.com/sites/********/uploads/posts/2012/06/14/433713_03_wwii_jap_arisaka_type_99_640.jpg

RJay · 11-18-2012, 05:29 PM

The Mum is the stylized chrysanthemum just to the rear of the pressure/gas relief hole. The " mum " is a royal symbol of the Emperor. Rifles that were captured in the field had the mum intact. rifles that were surrendered at the end of the war had the Mum removed or defaced. The Japanese used several types of rifles during their military reign. your rifle is a Type 99 ( or what is left of a Type 99 ). Yes, the stock has been sporterized, but the metal seems to be correct for the most part.

That is the short version of a very long story, hope that helps.

chubcobear · 11-18-2012, 06:20 PM

Thanks RJay.

11-17-2012, 11:17 AM	#1
chubcobear V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 132	Japanese Rifle My good friend's father recently passed and left her several long guns. One appears to be a Japanese made rifle (unknown caliber). Any help to identify and value this gun would be appreciated. Attached Images __________________ There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress. - Mark Twain "....life isn't fair. The central threat to freedom comes from those think they can use politics to make it so. " --Bradley Gitz -->

11-17-2012, 11:21 AM	#2
chubcobear V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 132	Re: Japanese Rifle Please forgive the oversize photos. It was our first attempt at this. Thanks. __________________ There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress. - Mark Twain "....life isn't fair. The central threat to freedom comes from those think they can use politics to make it so. " --Bradley Gitz

11-17-2012, 11:35 AM	#3
woolleyworm TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SW Fort Worth Contributor Posts: 4,888	Re: Japanese Rifle It is an Arisaka. A clearer pic of the receiver by the mum will give the type#. It started out most likely as a 7.7Jap caliber, but you'd have to verify the chamber to know for sure. Not much collectors value since it's been sporterized, but should be a good hunting rifle and still worth $100-115 IMO. How's the muzzle end look? It appears to be an earlier model. If you could post the serial number, I'm having a problem making it out clearly. __________________ . What are you gonna do, talk the alien to death? -- (on Sigourney Weaver's worry about Guns in Aliens) "Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands." "I carry a small gun to compensate for my huge Blue press." .

11-17-2012, 12:36 PM	#4
chubcobear V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 132	Re: Japanese Rifle Thanks Wooley, the ser is 45557, and I had no idea what the caliber could be. When I first saw the rifle, I thought that it had been a military rifle that had been cut and sporterized. We will try to get a better picture of receiver. __________________ There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress. - Mark Twain "....life isn't fair. The central threat to freedom comes from those think they can use politics to make it so. " --Bradley Gitz

11-17-2012, 12:51 PM	#5
deadin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 867	Re: Japanese Rifle Also need the series mark just before the serial and the arsenal mark (Usually on the same side of the receiver.) in order to date properly. Clear pics of all the marks will help. (Brace your camera on something when taking the pictures.)

11-17-2012, 08:51 PM	#6
Buffalochip Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 766	Re: Japanese Rifle Single hole in receiver above the mum indicates a Type 99 even without the blurred stamping. Should be 7.7 unless altered. A shame it has been sporterized--intact mums are the exception.

11-17-2012, 08:55 PM	#7
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: Japanese Rifle Another way to tell is that on the Type 99 the model number runs crossways; on the Type 38 the characters are one above the other. Jim

11-18-2012, 05:14 AM	#8
chubcobear V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 132	Re: Japanese Rifle Arisaka type 99, series 1? Not sporterized? Saw a picture of one on internet. What's a mum? Her gun looks exactly like thishttp://cdn2.******.com/sites/*****/uploads/posts/2012/06/14/433713_03_wwii_jap_arisaka_type_99_640.jpg __________________ There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress. - Mark Twain "....life isn't fair. The central threat to freedom comes from those think they can use politics to make it so. " --Bradley Gitz Last edited by chubcobear; 11-18-2012 at 05:57 AM..*

11-18-2012, 05:29 PM	#9
RJay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,504	Re: Japanese Rifle The Mum is the stylized chrysanthemum just to the rear of the pressure/gas relief hole. The " mum " is a royal symbol of the Emperor. Rifles that were captured in the field had the mum intact. rifles that were surrendered at the end of the war had the Mum removed or defaced. The Japanese used several types of rifles during their military reign. your rifle is a Type 99 ( or what is left of a Type 99 ). Yes, the stock has been sporterized, but the metal seems to be correct for the most part. That is the short version of a very long story, hope that helps. __________________ RonJames Last edited by RJay; 11-18-2012 at 05:43 PM..

11-18-2012, 06:20 PM	#10
chubcobear V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 132	Re: Japanese Rifle Thanks RJay. __________________ There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress. - Mark Twain "....life isn't fair. The central threat to freedom comes from those think they can use politics to make it so. " --Bradley Gitz