jap type 30 hook safety

[argie1891]

i picked up a neat little carbine today it is a 6.5 jap type 30 with a hooked safety instead of the knob on most jap rifles. it is in good shape externally but the bore is dark. so far i havent learned much about them except they are supposed to be fairly rare. anyone know anything about these little carbines??? argie1891

[Multigunner]

The Japanese sold off tens of thousands of the type 30 hook safety rifles to the Russians and other during WW1.
They had made great strides in metalurgy since the hook safety rifle was designed and it was considered inferior to their later rifles so they sold as many as they could find buyers for in order to finance manufacture of the Type38 rifles.

Not saying the older rifles are bad rifles, just not as trustworthy as the later models, and don't share the Arisaka reputation for great strength. If I had a hook safety rifle in decent condition I'd use light to medium loads, and cast boolits, which I figure is your intention anyway.

Last time I heard of good hook safety rifles hitting the market was from a large stash of these that somehow ended up in Finnland, where they saw limited use due to ammunition shortages and were placed in stores as an emergency reserve rifle and perhaps as a drill rifle.