Jap rifle

[wizzi01]

Can anyone tell me the major differences between a type 38 and type 99? My friend just got a jap rifle from his grandma and we are trying to figure out what model it is. It has the bayonet and it still has the mum that is in excellent shape still no defacement of it whatsoever. Pics will be on their way once he gets off his lazy ***** to take them.

[MRex21]

The Type 38 Arisaka is 6.5x50 caliber. The Type 99 Arisaka is 7.7x58. The easiest way to tell them apart is to simply look at the bore. If the bore is about .30 caliber, you have a Type 99.

Either way, you have a fine rifle. With the exception of the late war 'last ditch' rifles, the Arisaka action is one of the strongest actions ever made.

Congrats!!!

[jonathon]

I believe if it still has the original Japanese markings on it, it will be worth more.. as most of them were ordered to have the markings destroyed on them.

[wizzi01]

Yeah like I said it still has a pristine mum on it. The funny thing about this rifle though is it came from Korea. My friends uncle brought it back when he was in the Korean War.

[CaptMuttonChops]

Its not odd at all that it came from Korea; Japan controlled Korea as a colony or territory IIRC. They also conscripted Korean men into the army.

[wizzi01]

Yeah I know I read up some after I left that post. I guess a lot of Jap rifle went to China and Korea after WWII.

[MrMurphy]

Japanese rifles equipped quite a few North Korean units, left over from WW2.

My brother has a Arisaka Type 99, made after the war from parts (no Chrysanthemum at all) that is in excellent shape, just minus many of the extra bits (AA legs on rear sight, monopod, etc).

[G31Steve]

Originally posted by jonathon
I believe if it still has the original Japanese markings on it, it will be worth more.. as most of them were ordered to have the markings destroyed on them.

The only marking they took off was the the lotus flower on the top of the gun,because it was the symbol of the empperor\royal family and surrendering them would discrase him,and yes ive heard that thoose that still have the lotus flower are worth much more.There is a nice Jap rifle at a local antiqe shop ive been eyeing I cant remeber what modle it is though.


EDIT: i was wrong the symbol is a crisantimum(spelling?)flower,that is the symbol of the emperor not a lotus.

[wizzi01]

It looks like it is a type 99. It is tme for me to get some 7.7 and shoot that thing.

[Alabama]

If I'm not mistaken the 99 has a rear sight with fold-down windage wings for anti-aircraft targeting and is significantly longer, 4-6 inches or so...

[MrCowboy99]

http://www.seidel.us/p/Arisaska_type99.jpg

Also here's a good link to the markings.... enjoy...

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

[Slingshot]

Old Jap bolt action rifles are junk.
That's why they are sold for dirt cheap prices.
If anyone wants a real valuable WWII rifle get an M-1 Garrand.

[kf4zra]

they are jap versions of the mauser rifle, one of the strongest receivers out there. i would hardly call them junk, at least not while there are carcanos out there.

i own several us milsurps, as well as milsurps from: austria-hungary, austria, germany, poland, switzerland, czechoslovakia, russia, england, spain, colombia, yugoslavia, finland, romania, egypt, and the list goes on. They stand up in quality and durability as well as any of these countries' guns.

an early war arisaka is a fine weapon, the last ditch rifles gave it an unfair rep.

i have yet to see a complete, non bubba-fied arisaka sell for under $200. going by your assumption that sub $200 rifles (read arisakas)are crap, then you have included mosin nagants, mausers from more than 30 countries, enfields, steyrs, k31's, sks's, kropatcheks, and ruger 10/22's as crappy rifles.

if you want a crappy rifle, get a chauchat, or a chinese type 53. the chauchat was dropped by more people than any other rifle out there, and the chinese type 53 (chinese mosin m44 copy) was an ok gun if it didnt blow up on you. it was rumored that in vietnam, as many shooters as shootees were killed by the type 53.

[FLIPPER 348]

A good Type 38 or 99 Ariska rifle is FAR from junk. I make replacement safetys and firing pins for both and there are lots of happy jap rifle shooters out there.

[MrCowboy99]

I will never shoot mine. It came from a relative that was in WWII in the Pacific. I even have the Army letter signed orginal letter that allowed him to bring it back.

Also, I the chisma is unscratched or mared. He took it from a Jap solider he had captured and before the Jap solider could mar the chisma to save the emporer's diagnity.

The last time it was shot was at American soliders. This has more sentamental value then the residual value.

[MRex21]

MrCowboy,

You have quite the collectable there with the original 'bring-back' paperwork and the Mum intact. If you ever do decide to take it out, the Arisaka actions are one of the strongest rifle actions ever made. Judging by the condition in the photo you posted, yours does not look like a 'last-ditch' model.

If you ever think of selling it, I'd be very interested.