Sporterized Arisaka

[bruce drake]

That T99's Metford Rifling will prefer fat 31 caliber bullets. My T99 likes .316"-sized cast bullets most of all but have gotten good accuracy with lyman's 314299 200gr bullet mold also.

Bruce

[Wayne Smith]

If the barrel was not set back and a 30-06 reamer was used in it use standard 30-06 cartridges put a couple levels of simple tape around the base of the cartridge so it is central in the chamber when fired. Once the cartridge is fired the brass fills the chamber. You can then take off the tape. You then need to expand the interal base of your sizing die. This is very small, but if you don't the die will resize the expansion that you already established.

[Triggerfinger]

Pretty good deal, I'd snag it in a heartbeat!

[CLAYPOOL]

It seems to me that lot of "WW 2 Bring backs" are starting to surface as the best generation passes on. You can see a trend on Gun broker with stuff from Estates for sale. I bought several that will need chamber casts as they weren't marked. I have my stamping set waiting as I cast and carefully test fire for the final. As for P.O. Ackly readings they are quite interesting.One of the pluses of your own range is being able to set something up like this for safely testing with a long cord and / or a divider too. I have a standard rule to have my nephew back a ways for adult to call in for the first res-ponders and life flight.

[rondog]

I had a sporterized Arisaka 99 for awhile, but the barrel was a sewer pipe. Kicked like a Missouri mule, but couldn't hit a stop sign at 100 yards. Couldn't wait to get rid of it. Had a great 2-stage trigger though.

[GONRA]

Wayne Smith - GONRA sez NORMA brand Boxer Primed 7.7x58 mm Japanese brass has been available for decades -
starting in the 1950's. Thats when I got 100 rds. NORMA brand Boxer Primed 6.5x50.5 mm Japanese Brass.

[azrednek]

When I last looked, several of the gunstock makers still show Arisaka stocks for sale too.

The stock on the sported Arisaka would be the deal maker for me. If it has an after market stock, not a cut down military stock, assuming the rifle itself is in good shape with a chrome lined bore, jump on it. As a shooter and not a project. Keep in mind if you add a hundred. You could probably walk out of Walmart with a new in the box rifle or a sweet used classic from a pawn shop both using commonly found ammo.

[azrednek]

It seems to me that lot of "WW 2 Bring backs" are starting to surface as the best generation passes on. You can see a trend on Gun broker with stuff from Estates for sale. I bought several that will need chamber casts as they weren't marked. I have my stamping set waiting as I cast and carefully test fire for the final. As for P.O. Ackly readings they are quite interesting.One of the pluses of your own range is being able to set something up like this for safely testing with a long cord and / or a divider too. I have a standard rule to have my nephew back a ways for adult to call in for the first res-ponders and life flight.

Back in the late 70's i safety tested a few of pathetic looking last ditch models. Stuck them in an old tire. Using a hole saw I cut a hole to stick the barrel through and a smaller hole on the opposite side to pull the fishing line through. Didn't have any of the horror story blow ups and I can recall one in particular despite the crude rear sight shot pretty good.

[Drm50]

I've had many Jap rifles 7.7 & 6.5. Several were sporterized by cutting down military stocks, I only
had one 6.5 that had extensive work on it. It had been rechambered for 6.5 X 257 Roberts. Had
barrel shortened and contoured. Nice blue job and custom stock. Came with cheap scope 4x. I'm
not partial to Jap even if it is a tank. When I was a kid a box of Norma 6.5 or 7.7 was worth more
than the rifle. I load them every now and then, I have a good supply of Norma brass. A lot of WW2
vets bought one box of shells and that was enough to play with. I think Hansen may have loaded
some Jap in the 1980s. I just sold a full dress 7.7 with all the bells and whistles and the Povost
tag. Went home before the surrender so Mum was intact. I would like to have all the Jap rifles that
my dad made into floor lamps for his buddies. He was WW2 Navy vet of Pacific, he brought home
a 6.5 Jap an uncle gave me 7.7 he brought home. I use .311" bullets in the 7.7

[Jedman]

I was givin a 7.7 from a uncle when I was about 15 and decided to sporterize it myself.
Had it looking pretty good but like was said the ammo was very expensive and I never shot it.
It got traded for a shotgun.

Jedman

[725]

My buddy has a last ditch rifle - 7.7. Looks like it was made by a drunk 8 year old, but it shoots like crazy. Crudest sights I've ever seen have it grouping very, very well. We resized some .30-06 and loaded a few. I keep telling him he needs to take it hunting, just for giggles but he is stuck on his Rem 700 / 7 mag. He bought it in the '50's with his paper route money. $5 out of the cardboard barrel at Woolworth's.

[Multigunner]

I wonder if a 7.7 barrel can be set back far enough to rechamber to 7.62X51?
A common enough conversion was to .300 Savage which is very similar.
The Hornady .312 bullets I use when reloading my .303 rifles was originally designed specifically for hand loading the 7.7 Japanese.
They make a 175 gr and a 150 gr.

[Eddie Southgate]

I bought two that were sporterized a few years back for $99.00 each . One was in a pretty nice AAA figured full length walnut stock with a Flaig Ace .243 Winchester barrel and Timney trigger . The other one is a .22 - 250 with a Bishop stock , Flaig barrel , Weaver rings and setup with a Redfield receiver sight . The Redfield was worth the cost of the rifle and the rifle is a good shooter and at $99.00 makes a hell of a truck gun . My son deer hunts with the .243 and wouldn't take a farm in Georgia for it.

When I was a teen you could buy Jap's , Carcano's and Endfield's from $7.99 - $14.99 at the local Woolco store and Freidmans Army Surplus . They were kept in wood Whiskey barrels in the middle isle of the sporting goods section . Lugers were $39.95 for standard length and about $ 20.00 more for an Artillery model with Holster . Garrand's were $79.00 and 03 Springfields were $29.00 . Army surplus 1911's were $17.95- $29.95 and 1909/ 1917's were generally less than $20.00 .

Eddie

[Uncle Grinch]

There was a time, like Eddie Southgate mentioned, when milsurps were abundant and fairly cheap. If you couldn’t afford a Springfield, you got a Mauser, if you couldn’t afford a Mauser, you got an SMLE, if you couldn’t afford the SMLE, you got an Arisaka, if you couldn’t afford the Arisaka, you got a Carcano.... an on and on. Boy those were the days!

[Geezer in NH]

I would pass until it was for $100.00

[azrednek]

There was a time, like Eddie Southgate mentioned, when milsurps were abundant and fairly cheap. If you couldn’t afford a Springfield, you got a Mauser, if you couldn’t afford a Mauser, you got an SMLE, if you couldn’t afford the SMLE, you got an Arisaka, if you couldn’t afford the Arisaka, you got a Carcano.... an on and on. Boy those were the days!

Grinch, you left out the Argies!! If you were in good shape financially you bought an 09. If money was tight you got a 91. Either one for an extra buck and change you also got a bayonet.

[azrednek]

I wonder if a 7.7 barrel can be set back far enough to rechamber to 7.62X51?
A common enough conversion was to .300 Savage which is very similar.
The Hornady .312 bullets I use when reloading my .303 rifles was originally designed specifically for hand loading the 7.7 Japanese.
They make a 175 gr and a 150 gr.

Never seen one personally but do recall seeing and hearing it done on some gun boards. I believe I saw a pictorial of the project at sporterizing.com.

The original Hornady RN bullet was .313 weighing 174 gr. Back in the late 70's I shot hundreds of them in Japs, Argies and Brit rifles. Far as I'm know they still make it but it's now .312. The Hornady shot better for me and a shooting bud than the more expensive Sierra 175. Going back a lot of years, best I recall. The Hornady bullet didn't do to good in my friend's Nagant as the bore was closer to .310.

[TCLouis]

So did I miss the detail of a purchase or is this gun still setting out there?

[Isaac]

It is still there. The shop closed for a couple days during the holidays and I have not had a chance to get back there when they opened. Plan to revisit one evening this week.

Isaac

[Clark]

I have worked on a couple sporterized Arisakas that I re sporterized.

They cost me $45 about 20 years ago.
Now there are more.

The extractor relief cut is about the only thing un Mauser like.
Lots of cuts to make the Timney fit.