[blackdouglas]

I recently picked up a Arisaka Type 99 at auction. To me, it looks almost perfect. Granted, it's seen it's share of rough times, but I love it. From research I've done, it was made at the Toyo Kogyo arsenal of the 30 Series. I believe a Marine captured it, because he inscribed (what I think) is his serial on it three times. It says, I believe, "OR 1746743 DV3". If anybody else knows anything more, please tell me! I really want facts/opinions on this. Plus, what you think it's worth. I don't intend to ever sell it, I'm putting together a display.

 

[sarg1c]

I recently picked up a Arisaka Type 99 at auction. To me, it looks almost perfect. Granted, it's seen it's share of rough times, but I love it. From research I've done, it was made at the Toyo Kogyo arsenal of the 30 Series. I believe a Marine captured it, because he inscribed (what I think) is his serial on it three times. It says, I believe, "OR 1746743 DV3". If anybody else knows anything more, please tell me! I really want facts/opinions on this. Plus, what you think it's worth. I don't intend to ever sell it, I'm putting together a display.

Looks like you are missing the bolt cover, a sliding cover that helped keep ity clean. It's easy to load the 7.7 Jap using 30-06 brass, 312 bullets. and are a good shooter. The safety can be troublsum until you learn how to use your thumb on it. I used to load the 7.7 and the 6.5Jap but you cannot make brass for the 6.5. I always liked the 6.5 round. I need to add that the early Ariskas were very strong actions but as the war grew on, the became a little dangerous. The 38 is very simular.They were a lot of them around after the war, but are getting rare. You have a nice specimen. It has the so called AIRCRAFT sight also..Good find if you are into Military collecting.

 

[c3shooter]

The intact mum WOULD indicate a rifle captured before the fall of Japan. Ater surrender, the Mums were ground off as token of respect to the Emperor. Values- go over to gunbroker.com (you will need to register) then do a COMPLETED AUCTIONS search- see what they sold for, look at pics, compare theirs to yours.

Oh- some reading on Japanese rifles in general.....http://www.carbinesforcollectors.com/jap2.html

 

[zebramochaman]

Nice find. I have one that my father-in-law brought back in WWII that has a defaced Mum. You have the aircraft sights and the undamaged mum which makes it more valuable. The first things that the Japanese soldiers did when receiving these rifles was to lose the dust cover and the monopod, both of which your rifle lacks. IMO the fact that your rifle has the unmarred Mum makes it a rarer and more valuable example of the type 99.

 

[303tom]

Nice Arisaka & a intact mum, that`s a keeper............

 

[blackdouglas]

Thank you! My family had a lot of guys in different theaters and branches, so I'm slowly but surely trying to do a display with names and pictures, and then weapons underneath. So I am a bit of a collector, I'm just not very knowledgeable. That's why I came to you!
When I found it, the weapon looked terrible. Took me three days to get it cleaned up! But when I saw it had the mum, I knew I had to have it! Best part, I only paid $90 for it!!!!

 

[cottontop]

6.5 brass

Looks like you are missing the bolt cover, a sliding cover that helped keep ity clean. It's easy to load the 7.7 Jap using 30-06 brass, 312 bullets. and are a good shooter. The safety can be troublsum until you learn how to use your thumb on it. I used to load the 7.7 and the 6.5Jap but you cannot make brass for the 6.5. I always liked the 6.5 round. I need to add that the early Ariskas were very strong actions but as the war grew on, the became a little dangerous. The 38 is very simular.They were a lot of them around after the war, but are getting rare. You have a nice specimen. It has the so called AIRCRAFT sight also..Good find if you are into Military collecting.

I beg to differ, but 6.5 Arisaka brass can easily be made from .30-06 brass. Redding makes a form and trim die in 6.5 Japanese (from Midway USA for around $50). Slowly run the 06 brass through the die, trim off, with a hacksaw, what is protruding from the top of the die, file it smooth, chamfer and deburr, run it through a 6.5 Japanese full length sizing die, and you have fully functional 6.5 brass ready to reload. I do this very thing to make 6.5x55 Swedish brass from .30-06 brass and the 6.5x55 is similar to the 6.5 Japanese, so I know it will work. It may not be cost effective and it is a little work (but not as much as it sounds) but it can easily be done.
cottontop

 

[sarg1c]

When we were loading the 6.5Jap a few years ago, there were no dies that would form the 6.5 Jep from 30-06 cases. 7.7 Japs yes. with the 30-06 case being .23 smaller at the base than the 6.5 Jap, seems like it would be too small at the base...With .23 smaller base and oversized chamber, you may be looking at.25-.26 difference. Fire forming the case would expand but not the base? The case would have to kept centered in the chamber also. The swedish only .6 larger may work. with 30-06 brass, remember the Jap made their chambers oversized so as to be able to load dirty brass...I heard of people trying to different things but one must be careful. with the 7.7 it's quite simple. one pass in die, trim. be sure to mark or keep them seperated from your 30-06 ammo.

 

[sarg1c]

The 6.5 jap is a good round, only drawback to it was that no commercial arms manufacturing co ever chambered their product for it. . Had they done so it would be a lot more popular today.I liked it and loaded it when I could afford the cases Some brass can be found but it's not cheap.

 

[RufusTFirefly]

blackdouglas, that Arisaka is a good one! I wish I could find one like that. Intact mum and the AA sights. May I ask what $ you paid for it?

Rufus

 

[crazycharlie2]

Don't believe everything you read on forums.
Your rifle was property of the Emperor, as such the sights and dust cover would not have been thrown away by a Japanese soldier. Most likely it was thrown away by a G.I..
As far as safety of the action, P.O. Ackley (I believe) tested a lot of Arisakas and found their actions to be very strong.
You done good based on the price you paid for it.
Other sources of info can be found on surplusrifleforum.com

 

[blackdouglas]

Thank you Rufus! You wouldn't have thought so when I found it. Whoever had it before didn't appreciate what they had. But when I saw the mum, I knew I had to have it! I bought it for $90, it looked that bad.

 

[blackdouglas]

Thank you Charlie. Do you think I should try to replace the dust cover, or leave as is?
LOL! If I shoot it, it will only be once or twice, just to ensure it works. I just love having the history!
I just wish I knew what the numbers meant! They must be important, they're inscribed three times. I truly thought (and hoped!) they were a Marine's serials. = (

 

[alsaqr]

Your rifle was property of the Emperor, as such the sights and dust cover would not have been thrown away by a Japanese soldier.

Uh, no. i had numerous career USMC and US Army friends who fought Japanese troops in places like Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Phillipines. Japanese troops often threw away the bolt covers because they clattered when the bolt was operated, giving their position away. Some of my friends complained because it was so hard to find a nice souvenir rifle with a bolt cover.

Most of my friends who fought in WWII are gone now.

 

[blackdouglas]

Thank you alsaqr. I didn't know that! Would you try to find the/a dust cover, or would you leave it as is?
I know what you mean. I grew up in a VA hospital. That's one reason I want to collect pieces like this. The history should be preserved and cherished! I'd love to find a BAR, because that's what my great-grandfather carried.

 

[crazycharlie2]

Thank you Charlie. Do you think I should try to replace the dust cover, or leave as is?
LOL! If I shoot it, it will only be once or twice, just to ensure it works. I just love having the history!
I just wish I knew what the numbers meant! They must be important, they're inscribed three times. I truly thought (and hoped!) they were a Marine's serials. = (

The dust covers were serialized to the rifle. You may find one, but the odds of finding one that matches your rifle are slim to none. go to www.surplusrifleforum.com/index.php/...
They might be able to help you out. They have a section on Japanese rifles.

 

[crazycharlie2]

Uh, no. i had numerous career USMC and US Army friends who fought Japanese troops in places like Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Phillipines. Japanese troops often threw away the bolt covers because they clattered when the bolt was operated, giving their position away. Some of my friends complained because it was so hard to find a nice souvenir rifle with a bolt cover.

Most of my friends who fought in WWII are gone now.

Believe what you want. This tale has been told over and over. Not worth arguing over.
Sorry about your friends and mine who have passed on from all wars. I wish I had talked with more of them. Some day I will be proudly joining them.

 

[primer1]

Thank you alsaqr. I didn't know that! Would you try to find the/a dust cover, or would you leave it as is?
I know what you mean. I grew up in a VA hospital. That's one reason I want to collect pieces like this. The history should be preserved and cherished! I'd love to find a BAR, because that's what my great-grandfather carried.

Ohio ordinance works. Got $$$$$$?

 

[blackdouglas]

OK, for ammo, I have friends who can get me Hornady 7.7 for about $15.

 

[Milsurpshooter60]

Thank you Rufus! You wouldn't have thought so when I found it. Whoever had it before didn't appreciate what they had. But when I saw the mum, I knew I had to have it! I bought it for $90, it looked that bad.

90$?,with an intact mum and aircraft rear bar sights ,you stole it man , worth more than ya think with an intact mum and aa sights still intact that is one i would just shoot and leave alone.I have two an uncle brought back check em out on arisaka for 200.oo thread, both had mums removed before he got em in 1945 japan,but very straight shooting guns im able to get 1.5 moa out of em with handload,s .I collected all my 7.7 brass over the yr,s of shooting them as they were before i touched em at all,norma ,s&b, and hornady make,s load,s for them and i just kept saving the brass and neck size only for each rifle now.amazingly accurate.,shot many a deer with them in tenn and ky ,i love the 7.7 round if ya handload em you can get amazingly good accuracy out of such a simple but robust design.And pretty much stack,s up with the .308 ballistically when hand loaded.