Arisaka Success!

[tawastom]

I dont know if many of you mess with these, but my favorite ditch gun is my type 99. Anyway after tinkering with several altered and Norma cases,and several bullets and powders, Ive found a good recipe at least for mine. I tried 3031 powder and Hornady 165 gr.Ive tried 180 gr. rn, cast, w/4831. after messing around with countless recipes, yesterday I founf "the One" I used altered 270 cases,that I annealed below the shoulder before sizing (sized like butter), 155 gr. Lee .312 spitzer and 4895. this thing shot with accuracy that rivaled my K98 8x57 and even my 30-06 Springfield, all three were grouping about the same, tight quarter sized area @ 150 yds. Im very happy my little Son of Nippon finally found something it likes!

[WILCO]

That's GREAT!!!! Glad to hear you're doing well with the son of nippon.

[Nora]

I'm currently looking for any source of brass for my T44. I've heard mention in the past of using modified .270 brass but haven't tried yet. Other than annealing and sizing / trimming is there anything else you needed to do with it? How is that for extracting?

Nora

(yes I am aware that his uses the 7.7 x 58, where as mine uses the 6.5 x 50)

[frkelly74]

Hey Nora, The 6.5 jap is not a really good conversion to try with 270 or other 30/06 based brass. I have used 308 Win brass but that is a pain because you will have to turn the case body down at the head or it won't chamber. You end up with a ridge not unlike the belt on a magnum case that has to be removed. I chucked the case in a lee trimmer case holder and turned them with a drill against a file until they would chamber. A better parent case is 35 Remington which will end up slightly short in the neck but will work.If you size the 35 Rem case in a 308 Win sizer before going down to the 6,5 it is easier to do without buggering up brass. Another is 220 Swift which you will have to shorten. 6.5 Carcano also works with very little effort, still needs trimming. I have some also that were made from 30/40 Krag but that looks like a lot of work turning the head diameter. I also found out by accident that 6,5 Manlicher Schoenaur might work. Easiest is to buy ammo that is reloadable, and save the brass. Privi and Norma are two possibles.

[tawastom]

6.5 Jap is an odd duck, and even the 35 is kinda a pain. I had one before and the semi rimmed cases is the really bad part to adapt. I do have around 7-10 cases of Norma 6.5 id do away with if you needed it.

[tawastom]

Ok, ive gotten several PMs concerning the powder charges Ive used on this rifle, firstly, make sure the gun is good to begin with!, my charge for 4895 is 35 grains, I claim no responsibility for hazards, just what ive used. The boolit is gas checked. Now on to other things, see if your rifle was owned by the Japanese Navy, it will have drain holes in the stock, now if a real live Japanese Marine ( was submerged in sea water for any time)
used this rifle in an invasion, there might be some swelling around these holes,on the INSIDE, that may pressuring the barrel, remove the excess wood with a razor blade, that improves accuracy a lot. If your rifle is a take down 99, I dont recommend using anything but light loads.

[3006guns]

If your rifle is a take down type 99 you need to sell it to me as soon as possible. That will remove the hazard.......:) Thanks for the info tawastom, I suspected the charge was in that neighborhood.

Also on the no shoot list is the "special type 99" issued during the very last part of the war (to the Japanese navy I believe). This gun had a cast iron receiver....no, not a trainer.....with the barrel extending all the way through, so the bolt lugs locked into the end of the barrel instead. Receiver is much thicker than normal and has a very round, cast iron appearance.

[flounderman]

Easiest way to solve brass problems is to ream the chamber to 260 or the more common conversion was 257 roberts and you had a 6.5-57.

[justing]

for my type 99 i use necked down 30-06 and i can always find some 06 at the range.