Jap Rifle

[KCSO]

I picked up a 7.7 Jap at the local gun show this week and have $100 bucks invested. The gun has a goofy Fajen California stock, but the action and bore are in really good shape. In over 40 years i have never loaded for the Jap ctgs. I see the rifling looks almost rounded ??? Are there going to be any special problems here. I have Graf's brass and a whole bunch of 303 bullet moulds for Argentine (No more Argies here!) and Enfields, where wouold be a good starting point, or is this a sell it quick and hope it can't find it's way home.

[45 2.1]

I see the rifling looks almost rounded ??? Are there going to be any special problems here. A lot depends on the throat and groove dimensions. I've got some like yours and they shoot very well provideing the boolit fits. I have Graf's brass and a whole bunch of 303 bullet moulds for Argentine (No more Argies here!) and Enfields, where would be a good starting point, I would try the 314299 sized as big as will fit with Unique (at the top of its burn range) first, that usually will tell you if its going to work. or is this a sell it quick and hope it can't find it's way home. The Japs are easier to get shooting than the Enfields. No more Argies, they're fun.

[bruce drake]

The rifling is Metford Rifling. It's supposed to be rounded. The Chrome plating the Arisaka's received made the rounded rifling required. You'll find the 7.7 Jap an easy caliber to load for.

I've got three Ari's (7.7, 7.7 rechambered to 30-06 and a 6.5mm) I enjoy every shot from them.

Bruce

[handyrandyrc]

I reload for 7.7 Jap, and re-size .30-06 and .270 Win cartridges for it. I've bought a few Grafs 7.7 Jap cases, but these work just as well. They do need to be trimmed down quite a bit to get them to the proper length, but nothing I haven't been able to handle with my little Lee case trimmer.

[KCSO]

I have hesitated to use 30-06 as they are some smaller in the base and with Graf's brass at $30 a hundred I thought I would stay with the right stuff. The throat looks good in this gun so I might have gotten a bargain.

[hydraulic]

Jim: I've been shooting that Lee 200 gr. Krag bullet I got from you, unsized, with 13 grs Unique with good results. CM

[txpete]

I have 2 jap 7.7's.one was sporterized back in the 50's and the other still full military with mum intact and bayo.
these are great shooting rifles.the graf brass is good stuff.I have been use the lee 185 gr mould (.312).

the sporterized one will do 1-1 1/2 all day long with J- bullets .312 hornadys.
pete

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/txpete/7.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/txpete/Picture073.jpg

[KCSO]

I finally loaded up a few 7.7's tonight and tried the rifle out. I loaded 8 grs of Unique behind a 165 gr. Lee Spire point just to see how the bullet would stabalise. I put three shots into 3/8" at 25 yards. I adjusted the sights and will try and get out to shoot it at 50 and 100 sometime tomorrow. I will probably never shoot any J slugs from this gun and am not a hot rodding reloader by any means but I am somewhat confused about the jap rifles. Everything in the loading manuals says, almost as good as a 30-40 and pressures to be limited to 40,000 pound and in the next breath they are recommending rechambering to 300 Savage or 308 and in one case 22-250 all of which are 45-50,000 pound cartridges. This rifle has a good minimum chamber and the cases need very little resizing, the brass is as strong and say a 308 and there is room for more powder, I can't see why a person couldn't duplicate 308 load in a good rifle, rather than rechambend set the barrel back and use 308 brass. Maybe I have missed something? I'll have to dig out Pet Loads tonight.

[txpete]

http://www.gunboards.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=108768

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_5_50/ai_114283920

[KCSO]

My point exactly! I have read all the tests and even the most crude 99's and 38's will hold more pressure than just about any other gun. DeHass claime that the Arisaka action is superior to the Springfield and equall to the Mauser. Waters tell how strong the action is... and then they go back to don't load to more than 40,000 pounds. DeHass considers the action to be suitable for 50,000 pound cartridges such as the 22-250 and yet cautions not to overload??? the 7.7. I can only assume that no one wants to see hot ctgs end up in someones trainer rifle?

[versifier]

I shoot the Lee 185 (.314) in mine over 25gr of RE7. If all goes well, best groups run around 2" 10shot@100yds, (average probably around 3") but with better sights it might do smaller.

[Safeshot]

If you are worriied about resizing 30.06 or 8mm Mauser brass for the 7.7 mm Japaneese cartridge, you might want to measure the head diameter of some 7.7 Norma ammo just to determine the difference if any.