Help identifying Arisaka Rifle

[backbaygunpawn]

I have a Arisaka gun in my store and need help identifying it. The only two markings we can find are by the serial number. Attached are some pictures, if need more I can attach more. Any help would be appreciated.

[John Boy]

This should help you. Values? All depends on type & condition
http://www.castle-thunder.com/model.htm

[Crank]

Type 99 rifle made at Kokura Arsenal, "Last ditch" due to welded cocking piece, 7.7mm, fixed rear sight, Chrysanthemum "Mum" ground off so it was surrenderd to be sanitized as part of the surrender agreement and they were handed out as trophies to whoever wanted one. The wooden butt plate has some fossilized rubber butt pad. I hope that helps.

Mark

[john hayslip]

The 7.7s had the airplane sights and should have holes in the rear sight for the swing out pieces. Like wise they had a monopod wire on the front end which would account for a likely hole in the front. If it this one a 30-06 bullet should go in about about 2/3 of the say en the front of the muzzle.
If a 6.5 a 250 Remington about 2/3 of way unless rebarreled and yours isn't. Some were opened up after the war for a 257 Roberts case necked down to 6.5

[DeanWinchester]

Hmmm, looks Japanese to me.

[Janoosh]

Crank has nailed it. "Last ditch" type 99. Single gas hole...very late model with welded safety and barrel bolt handle..not adjustable rear sight.

[Screwbolts]

I agree with Crank and Janoosh. Last ditch all the way. I also think this Arisaka is in better shape than most examples seen today.

Ken

[paul s]

8th or 11th series Nagoya arsenal, late war " last ditch" Type 99 rifle, 7.7 Jap caliber, very common, Mum looks ground, most people feel not safe to shoot.

[backbaygunpawn]

Thanks for everyones input

[DeanWinchester]

It would make a great action for a pistol caliber build. .45 acp and 1911 magazines would be a great plinker.

[Prospector Howard]

Be careful with these "last ditch" rifles. They are called last ditch for a reason and paul s is right about possibly being unsafe to shoot, especially full powered loads. When I was a youngster my dad and I showed up at the local range just after one of these had a serious issue and it wasn't pretty. I picked up one at the LGS a few years ago and looked it over just for the fun of it. If I bought it I think it would have been just for a wall hanger and for it being a piece of history.

8th or 11th series Nagoya arsenal, late war " last ditch" Type 99 rifle, 7.7 Jap caliber, very common, Mum looks ground, most people feel not safe to shoot.

[leadman]

I recently bought 3 of these Type 99 rifles. First one was a sporter, then saw one with a full military stock but no firing pin, spring, or safety knob and bought it. Both have ground mums. Then I saw another sporter with an untouched mum and bought it. I now have a complete military except for the monopod and receiver dust cover.
All three have bores between .314' to .315". The bores were chromed so they look very nice inside.
I had the military one at the range Thursday and it shot great, much better than expected.
Check the serial number and arsenal stamp online and you will be able to tell which series it is. My second one had a last ditch bolt in it but is an early receiver.

The group in the picture is from my military Type 99. 18grs of SR4759, Lee 160-312-TL sized to .315", 25 yards, 5 shots. 8X57 brass reformed to 7.7X58.

[UBER7MM]

Leadman,

Is that a 50 yard group? Good shooting, there. That rifle is a keeper!

[JHeath]

I am no Arisaka expert but according to some people the last-ditch 99s are safe but crudely finished. The training-only mock up "school rifles" produced by Japan are definitely not safe with live ammunition, and confusion over kb'ed school rifles is the problem. Someone please correct me if you know for a fact of some metallurgical or other issue with late 99s.

[Prospector Howard]

I'd bet some are safe to shoot, while others wouldn't be. That's the problem. At the end of the war there was no consistency in what they were producing. Some steel would have been made right and other steel, not so good. This "tales of the gun" is worth watching if you haven't seen it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQu7Vo62Juc

[JHeath]

Let me put it this way: Can anybody cite a documented kaboom of a Type 99 last-ditch, and verify that it was not a school rifle?

I don't have a position on it. Maybe some expert can give us ten documented examples, and I will thank him for it. Facts are good and interesting.

Probably some Japanese boolit caster once blew up an '03 drill rifle, then the story spread around Japan that late-war US '03s must have had bad metallurgy. And then somebody else read somewhere about heat-treating problems with some serial-number ranges of '03s. And the story was that they were low numbers, but that must be a mis-translation, because everybody knows that late-war 03A3s had inconsistent metallurgy, remember that guy Ichiro who blew up that fancy white-painted 03? Must have been one of those last-ditch American rifles.

[nagantguy]

It would make a great action for a pistol caliber build. .45 acp and 1911 magazines would be a great plinker.

++++1 on that always wanted one on a jungle carbine, the price fer a good 303 has made the arisakia look good to fulfill my dark desires.

[Janoosh]

Just for information...not all Arisaka type 99 have lead (anti-aircraft) wings. Nor mono pods. As the war progressed many of these items were subsequently deleted. So it is possible to have the mono-pod barrel band, and yet no mono-pod. Same with the rear sight. Lead wings were deleted. Im not a purist by any means...just posting info..