Arisaka acquisition

[NavyVet1959]

I acquired an Arisaka Type 99 (7.7x58) about 5 months ago that had been "sporterized". It wasn't exactly Bubba-ized, but I've definitely seen better jobs at sporterizing one. Still, it only cost $100 and the bore looked good and the wood looked good while still having a bit of character to it.

The firing pin would not fire, but disassembling the bolt and a bit of cleaning fixed that. The original front and rear sights are missing and the barrel was apparently cut and recrowned to remove the front sight. The new front sight is shorter than the original, so replacing the original rear sight would not help.

Also need to replace the buttplate. It is just not the right size -- a bit too long in one dimension and too short in another. Since it's not a cutdown version of the original Arisaka stock, I can't just use find an original steel buttplate and install it on there. That's a minor issue though.

Just finally got the dies for it and the case trimming guide for converting .30-06 brass to 7.7x58 about a week ago. My first load was 5.2 gr of Red Dot to test it out with since that was what my powder measure was already setup to drop for .45 ACP loads and I figured it would be a good test since I was shooting it in my garage. I recently loaned my chrony to my nephew, so I have no idea what the velocity might be, but it fired and didn't blow up in my face, so I'm happy. :)

Since I only ended up paying $100 for the rifle, I don't want to put too much into it. Someone along the way tapped the gas escape hole forward of the bolt opening for a scope along with adding another hole at the rear of the bolt opening to apparently mount a scope on it at some point. Of course, they are different sized screw holes. There are also two screw holes on the right side of the rear of the receiver, so I'm thinking that it might have at one point in its life had a side mounted aperture sight put on it.

I took the rifle to a gunsmith to see what he might have for a mount, but he could not determine the size of the existing screw threads. He also said that they don't keep much in stock anymore since most people that come in have ARs or something that need work on and not that many people that they deal with have bolt action rifles. Apparently, the old machinist type gunsmith is not that common anymore.

I tried making a rear sight drilling an aperture hole in a small pieces of lead that would screw into the hole to see if the eye distance was close enough to place a sight there. As a proof of concept, it worked, so I figured that I just needed to find the right screw size(s) for the screw(s) and work from there. As I was looking for something else in my reloading room last night, I stumbled across a slotted hex head machine screw that seemed to have a pretty fine thread on it, so just for curiosity's sake, I tried it out. Surprisingly, it worked in the screw hole that had been tapped into the vent hole. I think that the machine screw was from a computer motherboard or hard drive mount or something. I took the screw up to Sears Hardware to see if I could find a nut for it to see what size it was. Turned out that it was a #10-32. That got my hopes up since I figured that Bubba-smith had just used whatever standard screw thread taps that he had handy. So, I then bought 4 sets of machine screws and nuts -- #10-32, #8-32, #6-32, and #4-40 to take back to house to give it a try. I got the nuts so that in a pinch I could use them as a lock nut on the screw and use the slot in the screw as the rear sight for testing. I bought brass screws and nuts so that in a pinch, if it wasn't the exact correct thread, the steel of the receiver could cut the new threads in the brass machine screws. :)

Well, I lucked out pretty good. The #8-32 perfectly fit the hole on the rear of the receiver aft of the chamber opening. The #6-32 appeared to be the right diameter for the two side holes, but the wrong pitch. I suspect that with the soft brass, I could force it and make new threads on the machine screw if needed. The #4-40 was definitely too small for the threaded holes. So, I'm thinking a #6-40 might be a good candidate for those holes. So, back to Sears Hardware or Ace Hardware today to see if I can find that size.

The mold I'm using for this is the Lee C312-155-2R. It's the same mold that I use for the .300AAC -- the only difference is that I will not be resizing the bullets. For testing, I'm just hand dipping the bullets in molten pan lube wax and setting them aside to cool. I'll work my way up to around 13gr of Red Dot to see how it works for plinking before considering full power loads. I also have a Lee C309-113-F that I might try unsized to see if it will work. I had originally bought it for the an AR in .300AAC, but the bullets would not feed (probably just too short and not pointy enough).

[Der Gebirgsjager]

You mentioned 6-40 as being a good possibility. 6-48 is a very common size thread used by gunsmiths in mounting scopes. Sounds like you've already derived $100 worth of fun from your investment. I'd enjoy seeing some photos, including the holes.

[NavyVet1959]

You mentioned 6-40 as being a good possibility. 6-48 is a very common size thread used by gunsmiths in mounting scopes. Sounds like you've already derived $100 worth of fun from your investment. I'd enjoy seeing some photos, including the holes.

Which probably means that it is NOT 6-48... I don't think Bubba-smith would have had gunsmith tap and dies. :)

Besides, if it had been a normal gunsmith thread, the gunsmith I took it to would have probably had the right size machine screw. He thought it might be metric, but I'm thinking that it was more likely a non-firearm thread.

At worst, it's cost me $0.25 to try out a #6-40.

[bouncer50]

Japs rifles are very strong action but bore size can run from 310 to 317 a lot of chamber are a bit oversize that were the problem is using 30-06 cases to fit the japs chamber but that only for high pressure rounds. Cast bullets are good low pressure round to use. I never seen a bad jap barrel because all the ones i seen were chrome line bores. The later war Jap rifles are very crudely made so be carefull on their use The ones from 1939 till about 1943 are the good ones

[NavyVet1959]

Japs rifles are very strong action but bore size can run from 310 to 317 a lot of chamber are a bit oversize that were the problem is using 30-06 cases to fit the japs chamber but that only for high pressure rounds. Cast bullets are good low pressure round to use. I never seen a bad jap barrel because all the ones i seen were chrome line bores. The later war Jap rifles are very crudely made so be carefull on their use The ones from 1939 till about 1943 are the good ones

It's a series 22 from the Kokura plant, which would put it somewhere in the late 1942 or first half of 1943 timeframe. Since the serial number is 69xxx, I would say more likely in the first half of 1943.

[vzerone]

Japs rifles are very strong action but bore size can run from 310 to 317 a lot of chamber are a bit oversize that were the problem is using 30-06 cases to fit the japs chamber but that only for high pressure rounds. Cast bullets are good low pressure round to use. I never seen a bad jap barrel because all the ones i seen were chrome line bores. The later war Jap rifles are very crudely made so be carefull on their use The ones from 1939 till about 1943 are the good ones

I've read that the later Jap rifles and especially the "last ditch" rifles were unsafe, BUT that is a myth. Yes they were crude in manufacture to expedite rifles faster, but the steel was same as the earlier rifles. As usual it's always wise to take things easy at first and also examine what you have very close..

[mac1911]

See if a Lyman 57smet sight fits?

[NavyVet1959]

Well, my experiments today seem to indicate that those two side screws are probably a #6-40, but a tapered thread. The gunsmith said that he thought they might be tapered.

I bought a picatinny rail for about $10 today at Academy. It was originally for a Thompson Encore / Contender, but I thought that I could make it work. I drilled a new hole at the far end of it to match up with the gas port that had been tapped and then enlarged the forward hole to fit a #10-32 and the rear hole to fit a #8-32. Tightened them up and they feel pretty secure. Probably can't use a stripper clip to load ammo in the mag anymore, but since I don't have a stripper clip, that's not a big deal. The rounds can be loaded one at a time and they eject without hitting anything, so it seems like it might work acceptably. Didn't have my allen wrench to move the scope mounts on my scope, so could not test out the scope on the rifle.

If the plugged gas port hole is that big of a deal, I could try drilling a 1/16" hole down the center of the #10-32 screw. That might be a bit tricky though.

Here's what it looks like so far:

http://images.spambob.net/navy-vet-1959/arisaka-01-640w.jpg

Full resolution:
http://images.spambob.net/navy-vet-1959/arisaka-01.jpg

[LAGS]

That is not too bad for a $100.00 rifle.
And you are right.
There are few gunsmiths that are willing to make their own parts now for a customers rifle.
If they cant order it, then it cant be fixed, is what they tell their Clients.
I pick up a lot of guns, and mostly for Free that people said, " I have taken it to Five Gunsmiths, and they all tell me the same thing".
"You cant find the parts, and it would cost more than the gun is worth to make or Fix the existing part".
So , they just give me the gun.
Most times I have it shooting in a week or less.
I guess it might be related to Liability, and are afraid of someone filing a law suite against them if they make a part and someone gets hurt for any reason, even if it is not related to the work or part they made.

[NavyVet1959]

That is not too bad for a $100.00 rifle.
And you are right.
There are few gunsmiths that are willing to make their own parts now for a customers rifle.
If they cant order it, then it cant be fixed, is what they tell their Clients.

We've become a "throw away" society. Same with electronics. Used to be, you had electronics technicians who could troubleshoot things down the the component and just replace that. These days, the best you can hope for is for the technician to trace it down to the board that is bad and he'll replace the entire board. Or more likely, with many consumer electronics, if it quits working, you just throw it away and get a new one. Labor costs have just gotten so high and electronics so cheap that it doesn't make sense to pay someone to fix the item.

I had figured that at worse, this rifle would just end up as a wall hanger. Surprisingly, I was able to get it shooting with very little effort. Now that I can put a scope on it, I might be surprised and it end up being worth shooting at distance. :) Now, considering how thick the brush around here is, "distance" might only mean 100 yards. :)

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I like the Arisaka. This is my sporter in 270 Savage

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v152/BAWallace/IMG_0419_zpsequp7kbr.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BAWallace/media/IMG_0419_zpsequp7kbr.jpg.html)

[bouncer50]

I've read that the later Jap rifles and especially the "last ditch" rifles were unsafe, BUT that is a myth. Yes they were crude in manufacture to expedite rifles faster, but the steel was same as the earlier rifles. As usual it's always wise to take things easy at first and also examine what you have very close.. If seen a quite a few last ditch jap rifles over the years. Back in the late 60s early 70s 10 bucks was a common price for them. If you ever see one in person i think you would not take a chance to fired one.:cry:

[Huffmanite]

I too agree, looks like a nice rifle for $100.

Few years ago, a range member showed up to shoot a decent looking sporterized/scoped type 99 Arisaka for the first time that he too had paid a $100 for at some pawnshop. I happen to walk past his shooting bench when he was setting up and noticed the Arisaka and next to it was a box of 30-06 Remington ammo. I stopped to chat as I noticed the barrel on his rifles appeared to be the original military 7.7 barrel.....which it was. But stamped near the chamber was 30-06. So, as popular back in the day, it'd been rechambered to 30-06. Basically told him he had a .308 bullet going down a worn bore and that the 7.7 bore used a .311-313 bullet.....so, good luck with its accuracy. Guy would shoot the box of 30-06 and then find me on the firing line to show me his target, saying "I think this one is a keeper." After checking the zero on scope at 25 yds, he'd moved target back to 100 yds. LOL, his target had nothing but three shot cloverleafs on it.

[vzerone]

If seen a quite a few last ditch jap rifles over the years. Back in the late 60s early 70s 10 bucks was a common price for them. If you ever see one in person i think you would not take a chance to fired one.:cry:

I am very familiar with the last ditch rifles. Yes they are crude in appearance. They aren't the only country to field a last ditch rifle. Have you ever seen a German 98 Mauser last ditch rifle? They aren't nearly as crude as an Arisaka.

[vzerone]

I too agree, looks like a nice rifle for $100.

Few years ago, a range member showed up to shoot a decent looking sporterized/scoped type 99 Arisaka for the first time that he too had paid a $100 for at some pawnshop. I happen to walk past his shooting bench when he was setting up and noticed the Arisaka and next to it was a box of 30-06 Remington ammo. I stopped to chat as I noticed the barrel on his rifles appeared to be the original military 7.7 barrel.....which it was. But stamped near the chamber was 30-06. So, as popular back in the day, it'd been rechambered to 30-06. Basically told him he had a .308 bullet going down a worn bore and that the 7.7 bore used a .311-313 bullet.....so, good luck with its accuracy. Guy would shoot the box of 30-06 and then find me on the firing line to show me his target, saying "I think this one is a keeper." After checking the zero on scope at 25 yds, he'd moved target back to 100 yds. LOL, his target had nothing but three shot cloverleafs on it.

If you take in account the diameter of the bore (not the groove) you will find that the top portion of the lands do cut into and grip the bullets. J-words have the ability to center the bore much better then cast so undersized bullets can be surprising sometimes. Depending on the load (pressure) and type of J-word bullets, some of them do bump up and obturate to the bore/grooves. Of course in that gentleman's rifle the correct size bullets would have been better in accuracy and velocity considering no doubt that much gas went around his undersized bullets.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

:grin: Not getting into the "last ditch" argument, but I remember a gun shop in (I think...) El Sobrante, CA, back in the early 1980s that had two of the last of the last ditch rifles welded onto their double entrance doors for handles. You had to wrap your fingers around the barrel and pull to gain access. I purchased a 7.7 mm rifle in that store that someone had already sporterized. Still in the cut down original stock, but the bolt handle had been bent and the sights replaced. The clerk commented to me that he knew the former owner, "He's been shooting it and he's still alive!" I bought a nice stock from Bishop, but have never done a thing with it including shoot it. The firing pins for these seem to come and go in availability, and I kind of got bamboozled on the one in this rifle when a guy from Idaho visiting his parents in Oregon called up my shop and asked if I had one, claiming that he had been shooting his 7.7 and the firing pin broke. "Sure, come on over." I replaced the part and he went outside and test fired it (last ditch, and he also survived) and went away happy. I wasn't too happy when I attempted to replace the one I had sold and found out they were about as scarce as lips on chickens. Eventually, several years later, somebody made some more and I got it working again, but never have fired it. You can bet that I bought a second one and put it in the parts drawer. Meanwhile, I added two as-issued specimens to my collection, one pretty ordinary, but the other has little brass plates with Japanese characters on each side of the butt. The plates are different sizes and shaped differently but appear to say the same thing. I've never gotten a satisfactory translation for them. It has a wooden butt plate, but is otherwise not very last ditch, although perhaps not as well finished as the early models. Anyone here read Japanese? Oh yeah--you gotta watch out for those Idaho guys.....;)

[NavyVet1959]

Meanwhile, I added two as-issued specimens to my collection, one pretty ordinary, but the other has little brass plates with Japanese characters on each side of the butt. The plates are different sizes and shaped differently but appear to say the same thing. I've never gotten a satisfactory translation for them. It has a wooden butt plate, but is otherwise not very last ditch, although perhaps not as well finished as the early models. Anyone here read Japanese?

Post a photo of the characters in this thread. I might have someone who can help...

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Thanks! I shall get it out and take some photos.

[leadman]

I think it was Thailand that had the captured Jap rifles rechambered to 30-06. We were supporting them with ammo and other things after WWII.
I have 3 Type 99s and 1 Type 38. I use 8X57 in the Type 99s as one pass thru the full length sizing die and it is ready to load. The shoulder is farther forward on 8 X 57 versus 7 X 57.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

157247157248157250157251157252157253

Here it is. About all I think I know about it is that it was apparently made at the Kokura Arsenal. I believe it you click on the photos they will enlarge, and perhaps your friend can read the plates. Thanks.

Leadman--I don't know about Thailand, but the South Koreans used them in the beginning of the Korean War until rearmed with U.S. weapons.

[NavyVet1959]

The top row on the horizontally arced plate is something like "3 original style" and the last couple of characters on the row below it is someone's name.

[NavyVet1959]

Well, I spent a couple of hours today trying to find the size allen wrench that would allow me to adjust my scope ring positions so that they could fit on the Picatinny rail that I installed on the Arisaka yesterday. Finally found it and adjusted the rings to fit. Here's what it looks like now:

http://images.spambob.net/navy-vet-1959/arisaka-02-640w.jpg
(full resolution) (http://images.spambob.net/navy-vet-1959/arisaka-02.jpg)

http://images.spambob.net/navy-vet-1959/arisaka-03-640w.jpg
(full resolution) (http://images.spambob.net/navy-vet-1959/arisaka-03.jpg)

It's a 4-16x50 Pentax scope that I had in sitting around in my gun safe.

Loaded up a round with 13 gr of Red Dot and the 155 gr Lee bullet and gave it a try. Going to have to switch to rifle primers since the firing pin is putting a serious indentation in the primer.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Well, it remains a mystery. A Japanese exchange student told me once that this style of characters is no longer in use in Japan, and we made a rubbing (tissue paper and pencil) of the plates which she sent to her father in Japan. He said that it is the name of a printing company in Tokyo that prints in three styles, and that the company is still in existence. But what would this be doing on the rifle? Since the rifle has the Emperor's crest it would be owned by the government. Perhaps it was a plant guard's rifle? Who knows. I bought it in about 1974 from a consignment rack in a gun shop in CA.

Your Arisaka is coming along nicely and is actually a very nice looking rifle.

[NavyVet1959]

Well, it remains a mystery. A Japanese exchange student told me once that this style of characters is no longer in use in Japan, and we made a rubbing (tissue paper and pencil) of the plates which she sent to her father in Japan. He said that it is the name of a printing company in Tokyo that prints in three styles, and that the company is still in existence. But what would this be doing on the rifle? Since the rifle has the Emperor's crest it would be owned by the government. Perhaps it was a plant guard's rifle? Who knows. I bought it in about 1974 from a consignment rack in a gun shop in CA.


The person I asked said that it was Japanese, but many of the characters were Chinese. Many of the characters that Japan use are Chinese.



Your Arisaka is coming along nicely and is actually a very nice looking rifle.

Just need to get a new buttplate for it and go try to sight in the scope. The scope is nothing special -- probably a $150 scope, IIRC. Still, it makes it easier on these old eyes...

A rebluing might be nice also, but I doubt I'm going to attempt that.

[TCLouis]

I shoot .308 coated and .310 real cast GC boolits out of my sporterized T99.

SOME barrels apparently at minimum spec and since mine was fully sporterized when I bought it, I am guessing the gunsmith waited for a tight barrel to work on since there were many T38 and T99s around back in the 60s.

[rpludwig]

mine shoots well with hornady j-word 174 gr.312...but slug your bore as they can vary quite a bit as others have pointed out.

get some good reloading data if you don't have it, most older manuals list the 7.7 jap

suggest you go here http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewforum.php?f=175&sid=cf654afb7b80c122956974a162742799&start=30

(forum with a dedicated Arisaka section - plenty of good info there)

[NavyVet1959]

Well, it remains a mystery.

The first 4 characters are an area in Japan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanda_Station_%28Tokyo%29

堀井 is someone's last name
http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/2957473/16?tocOpened=1

The other characters are about a printing company.
http://trademarks.breanlaw.com/71637633-myriagraph.html

At that time (i.e. before Xerox), the company dealt with carbon paper. :)

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Thanks very much for the research and interest you took in this matter. I'm sure that there is an interesting history to the rifle, and wish it could talk. Perhaps, having the plates, it can talk more than most. Everything you have said/found out matches up to some extent with what the exchange student's father in Japan told her. He did say that some of the characters were no longer in use in Japan, and that some of them appeared more Chinese. Here is one result that I thought was comical---well, it appealed to my twisted sense of humor---I showed the writing to a very well educated Chinese fellow (a chemist) hoping that he could identify any of the characters that might be Chinese. He said that the only one he could recognize was one that represented "Tokyo." Then he said, "You know, the similarity in writing exists because at one time the Japanese were from China. But they were bandits and we drove them off the mainland to the islands." Anyway, thanks again, and I think I'll oil it up and store it away again for another few years. Your project has inspired me to become re-interested in my long delayed sporter project, and maybe I'll dig that out and get started.

[NavyVet1959]

I showed the writing to a very well educated Chinese fellow (a chemist) hoping that he could identify any of the characters that might be Chinese. He said that the only one he could recognize was one that represented "Tokyo." Then he said, "You know, the similarity in writing exists because at one time the Japanese were from China. But they were bandits and we drove them off the mainland to the islands."

I doubt it would be that simplistic...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_people#Theories_of_origins

As with a lot of other cultures, invasion and conquering helped to merge cultures.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_invasions_of_Japan

Reminds me of the old joke...

Q: Why are Nordic women so nice looking?
A: The Vikings only took home the nice looking ones...

[vzerone]

Thanks very much for the research and interest you took in this matter. I'm sure that there is an interesting history to the rifle, and wish it could talk. Perhaps, having the plates, it can talk more than most. Everything you have said/found out matches up to some extent with what the exchange student's father in Japan told her. He did say that some of the characters were no longer in use in Japan, and that some of them appeared more Chinese. Here is one result that I thought was comical---well, it appealed to my twisted sense of humor---I showed the writing to a very well educated Chinese fellow (a chemist) hoping that he could identify any of the characters that might be Chinese. He said that the only one he could recognize was one that represented "Tokyo." Then he said, "You know, the similarity in writing exists because at one time the Japanese were from China. But they were bandits and we drove them off the mainland to the islands." Anyway, thanks again, and I think I'll oil it up and store it away again for another few years. Your project has inspired me to become re-interested in my long delayed sporter project, and maybe I'll dig that out and get started.

堀井謄写堂 Horii Toshado was a company produced duplicating machines, stencil paper etc. 堀井謄写版 is a stencil duplicator. My best guess is these plates were removed from a pre-war duplicator and placed on the T99 as decorations. Similar duplicators were used by Japanese, KMT & PLA forces for printing newspapers & flyers from WW2 to Korean War.

Random metal tags or data plates were sometimes added to rifles post war to increase their, I'll say visual appeal. The tag on the left hand side of the stock was attached so it'd be read with the muzzle pointing down, suggesting someone who couldn't read it applied it.

The second brass tag, top line says shiki gen 3, i.e., beginning type 3

The stock is 34th or 35th series Toyo Kogyo T99, not a training rifle. Random metal tags or data plates were sometimes added to rifles post war to increase their, I'll say visual appeal. The tag on the left hand side of the stock was attached so it'd be read with the muzzle pointing down, suggesting someone who couldn't read it applied it.

Does that rear sling swivel indeed have one screw or two?

[smokeywolf]

NavyVet1959,
I would advise that you verify the thread on those number 4 screws you bought. National Course is 4-40. I've never heard of a #4 in a courser thread.

Der Gebirgsjager,
The plaques on your stock read:

Arched horizontal plaque reads right to left, bottom to top:
Bottom - "HORII", version" (Horii, Shinjiro (1856-1932) founded the company)
Top 3 characters - "3rd generation".

Vertical plaque reads bottom to top:
Bottom 2 (horizontal) characters - "Tokyo" Prefecture
Next 4 characters up - "Horii Tosha" (name of business)
Next 3 characters (going up) - "main office"
Top 2 (horizontal) characters - City of "Kanda"

Was pretty common in early to mid 20th century and earlier for text to be read bottom to top or right to left.

vzerone is quite right about Shinjiro Horii. He was pretty famous in the industrial realm in the late 19th - early 20th century Japan for his printing copying inventions.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I am astounded at the amount of knowledge, both general and specific, that can be found on this forum. Thank you all very much, and I'll print this page off and put it with the rifle for whomever will someday own it after my departure.

NavyVet, perhaps you can see the connection and humor in the Chinese fellow statement, when you consider that a U.S. pilot might be flying his trusty P-40 fighter when assaulted by a Japanese Zero. His wingman might say, "Look out, Red Dog 2, you have a bandit at 5 o'clock!"

I do agree with your joke's assessment of the appearance of Nordic women......oh where did the years go!

vzerone, the swivel has one screw only, and is made that way. Even though it only has one, the design is such that it seems solidly attached.
So it is your opinion that the plates were added after the war? That is possible, I suppose. Many peculiar, hard to explain things have happened. What makes me wonder about them is that they seem very original to the rifle with the inletting appearing about the same age as the rest of the wood. Additionally, the Chrysanthemum crest escaped being defaced or removed. So the rifle might have been captured and sent home, or taken after the war, but I think those sent home after the war had the crest removed. I wonder why a G.I. would add the plates. Overall, the rifle is in such great shape that I doubt if it saw any combat. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot it. I'm inclined to send a letter inquiring about the history of the rifle to the Horii Tosha company, but don't write Japanese and would be embarrassed to make them get a letter written in English translated. Probably everyone that would know anything about it is dead now anyway. A great conversation piece.

[NavyVet1959]

NavyVet1959,
I would advise that you verify the thread on those number 4 screws you bought. National Course is 4-40. I've never heard of a #4 in a courser thread.

Yeah, it's a #4-40... I got carried away with typing "-32" in that post and added it to one too many... I've gone back and changed it...

[Screwbolts]

I like the Arisaka. This is my sporter in 270 Savage

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v152/BAWallace/IMG_0419_zpsequp7kbr.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BAWallace/media/IMG_0419_zpsequp7kbr.jpg.html)

Could you please elaborate some on the 270 Savage, not at all familar or ever heard of that cartridge.

Ken

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Originally found in the Savage 99 lever action. When loaded with 130 gr. bullets it is close to the .270 Win. You can read up on it in "Cartridges of the World".

[Rich/WIS]

I have seen at least 3 of these re-chambered to 30/06, definitely done to a captured bring back so the new owner could shoot it. Watch you cases, the ones I have seen shot showed a lot of expansion as he 7.7 is a bit fatter than 06. As posted above these are remarkably strong rifles.

[TCLouis]

Huffmanite

I shoot 308 coated and 310 boolits out of my sporterized and my mostly stock type 99. Well, no coated bullets out of the mostly military rifle.
I'm betting back in the day when GUNSMITHS and hobbyists worked converting guns like the Arisaka, that they were able to look for the tight bores rifles and used them. Plenty to choose from back in the day when a lot of these were done.

[AZBronco]

Pipe threads are tapered ,not machine threads,...Most likely the tap used was not a 'bottoming {full diameter} tap, but the starting,tapered style ,tap.

[Texas by God]

I had a 99 "sporter" that someone installed Remington 700 sights on. Got it from a police auction for $18! It and my young eyes could shoot 1-1/2" groups at 100 yards. My reloads used 8x57 brass and Remington .310" 180gr RN bullets. The brass did have a little head expansion but wasn't a problem. Gave it to my brother who can't remember where he left it........
I bet yours will shoot, too.

[3006guns]

Not that I can add much to an already great thread, but.....

One of my Arisakas was bequeathed to me by a now deceased friend. He modified the rifle many years ago by:

1. Removing the barrel.
2. Facing off the breech/shoulder so that it would go back in exactly one thread.
3. Deepening the extractor notch the same amount.
5. Replacing the original stock with a Bishop sporter style.

The gun now shoots 7.65 Mauser with no other changes, and it's accurate too! It seems the two cases are virtually identical as to shoulder angle, with the Mauser cartridge being shorter...by one thread pitch. Why that caliber? Because he had three cases of surplus ammo. It's accurate too! I've plunked many a ground squirrel with that rifle using just the iron sights.

[Multigunner]

The Hornady .312 150 and 175 grain bullets were originally designed for handloading for the 7.7 Japanese rifles. These work very nicely in .303 handloads as well.

[Earlwb]

Many years ago I got one of my Arisakas converted to .22-250 Ackley Improved and sporterized it. It turned out really well and it is amazingly accurate too. I was using it for varmint hunting for a while, at least until shooting Prairie dogs became a bad thing. The gunsmith who did the barrel work drilled and tapped it for a scope for me.


Didn't Pres Obama sign an executive order for BATF that put a lot of onerous restrictions on gunsmithing? If the gunsmith work improves the guns accuracy, it comes under new restrictions. They have to pay additional fees etc and thus it likely put more gunsmiths out of business, as only the larger gunsmiths could afford it.

[bmac10]

wow! you really know your stuff!!