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Jap service rifle question

2K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  Buford Allen 
#1 ·
What rifle was general issue to the WW II Japanese soldier ?
 
#3 ·
I didn't click on the link 22WRF provided, so I don't know if it mentions this or not.... But if you find an Arisaka with the mum stamp still intact, BUY IT. The Japanese were ordered to deface the mums from their rifles at the end of the war, because it was considered a sacred symbol of their Emporer. So every rifle in their possession was defaced. But a few escaped, and they are hard to find. They are worth big bucks.
 
#4 ·
I have seen dozens of T99s-very few unground.
There is a controversy among collectors about whether the T99 is actually the most common.
It was to replace the T38 but a lot of them are saying that a good deal of the T99s never got issued thru the crumbling Jap supply channels...
An awful lot of them got picked up after the war when they were cleaning out the arsenals.
'Nother thing we'll never know for sure.
 
#5 ·
I picked up a T-99 for $35.00 from an ol' boy here in Sterling. He was selling it for the widow next door. Her dog had chewed the handguard off and the thing was covered in crud and cobwebs. The safety bolt was last-ditch, but it had airplane sights. None of the numbers match. What a wreck. It did have a chrome-lined bore with lots of strong rifling left, though. So I went and got a scrap-heap Boyd's walnut stock that had a right-hand cheek-piece with a left-hand cast-off (perfect for a budget leftie like me) Took off the comb down flat and removed the cheek piece. The thing is, I've got pretty poor eyesight for iron sights, and the T-99's sights are pretty funky to begin with. I've gotten some sub-3" groups at 100 yards, but I'm dead sure the rifle will shoot tighter if I scope it.

So I finally get to the question... Where does a guy in Northeast Colorado find someone to do the bolt-handle work? Is there some special wizardry involved, or could a competent welder in a machine shop do the job?
 
#6 ·
There were actually two rifles in service with the Japaneese Imperial forces.

The older of the two was the type 38 Arasaka in 6.5 mm. The newer model the type 99 was introduced in 1939 and was of 7.7 mm diameter. Because of the war a great many 6.5 mm Arasakas were used through out the war as there wasn't sufficient time for the conversion process to be completed.

According to P.O. Ackley the Japaneese Arasaka's had two distinguising features. One is that they were extremely strong actions. Probablely the strongest of all modified Mauser actions. The second feature was extremly quick lock times.
 
#7 ·
Well, just to get in on the subject. My Dad and his older brother both have Arisaka Type 99's that my Grandpa got in Okinawa and sent home. They both have the Mum intact on top of the receiver and the anti-aircraft sights. If you are looking for one of these rifles, djohns6, there is one at George's Guns in Vernon, Tx. It has been sporterized with a Monte Carlo type wood stock and a scope. I think the price was around $200 the last time I looked at it. And BTW, the Mum is there.
 
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