Arisaka converted to 7.62x39

[richhodg66]

I've had an itch for an Arisaka for a while and looked at one in a local shop today that looked complete and original and in good shape, intact Mum even.

The guy said it had been "rechambered" to 7.62x39. I looked and it did have a plastic spacer in the magazine for shooting a shorter cartridge, but the barrel sure looked like the original barrel. Knowing you can't rechamber a longer cartridge to a shorter one, I have to assume some kind of spacer was inserted into the chamber kind of like I've heard of for making a .30-06 shoot .308 ammo.

Anybody heard of this kind of conversion and can it be reversed? It would still be a neat shooter, but I already have a bolt action 7.62x39.

[BigBore45]

I doubt it can be reversed. Usually they ream it out for an insert and it is then pressed or soldered in. Possibly, if you could have it removed you could have a new insert installed and finish reamed. Pretty costly.

[junkbug]

The Chinese were well known to bore out 6.5mm Type 38 rifles and carbines to 7.62x39.

[richhodg66]

The Chinese were well known to bore out 6.5mm Type 38 rifles and carbines to 7.62x39.

I hadn't heard this, but I believe it. This had a big plastic spacer in the magazine and what was obviously not the original follower. I seem to remember Numrich or someone selling conversion kits for Mausers to shoot 7.62x39 ammo, maybe this was one.

Darn shame, would have been exactly what I was looking for as a shooter Arisaka, might still be interested in it, but the asking price was too high for one that's not original.

[Texas by God]

Keep looking, Arisakas pop up in all kinds of places and they are very good(though odd) rifles. I saw a 1916 Spanish rebore that I assumed was .308 but it had a mag spacer like you describe that was x39 length. I wonder if it has a chamber bushing within a chamber bushing? The owner was no help, he couldn't remember buying it! The outside of the barrel looked all original- strange....

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[beechbum444]

I wish someone made a barrel for the type 38 that was in 762 x 39 that was priced right

[richhodg66]

I wish someone made a barrel for the type 38 that was in 762 x 39 that was priced right

Well, if you want an Arisaka in 7.62x39 there's a good one in a shop in Abilene, Kansas.

I do admit, it would be fun and a good use for one with a shot out barrel.

[Drm50]

Jap Arisaka bore is same as 7.65 Belgian Mauser or Brit 303. You might be ok if you loaded for 7.62x 39 with the larger diameter bullets. Of the shelf ammo wouldn't be accurate. I know a gun that bought a sporterized Jap 6.5 that had been rechambered to use 257R brass. It was a 257/6.5 Jap. He was getting bullets key holing because he was shooting 257R factory loads. He wasn't a loader and had no idea of 257" vs 264" bores. The price that unaltered Japs are bring you can by a low end 7.62 X 39 for same money. I know several guys who use 30/06 brass to form 7.7 Jap. It's not perfect book specs but it seems to work with no problems. There was a roomer back in WW2 the japs could shoot our 30/06 GI in their 7.7mm. This might be possible but it wouldn't be accurate.

[Eddie2002]

Wonder if it could be rechambered to 7.62 x 51 Nato. That would be a nice conversion and probably wouldn't be too hard. Reloading for it would take care of the larger bore. I've been resizing 30-06 brass for my two Arisakas for years with no problems, 270 brass works well also but needs more brass trimmed.
What were they asking for the one in Abilene?

[richhodg66]

The 6.5x.257 Japanese was a common conversion to allow war trophy bring backs to be shot, kind of like the 8mm-06 conversion for Mausers. A couple of years ago, a decently sporterized Arisaka chambered in it presented itself and I should have bought it, but hesitated until I could check dies availability. I found a set easily enough, but in the mean time, someone bought it. Hopefully he was a handloader who understood what he had.

The 7.7 Japanese is enough shorter than the .30-06 that I seriously doubt anybody could have chambered American ammo in a Japanese rifle.

[cosmoline one]

Am I missing something?6.5 vs 7.62 ?Should be able to tell by the muzzle size. difference is big enough, or drop a .264" bullet in muzzle if it falls through its been rebored?
that magazine blocker could have been a project never completetd

[richhodg66]

Am I missing something?6.5 vs 7.62 ?Should be able to tell by the muzzle size. difference is big enough, or drop a .264" bullet in muzzle if it falls through its been rebored?
that magazine blocker could have been a project never completetd

We're talking about two variants of Arisaks. The first generation of them were chambered for the 6.5 Japanese, a cartridge that is ballistically similar to the 6.5x54 MS or 6.5 Carcano. At some point, they adopted the 7.7 Japanese which is an oversized .30 like the .303 British, in fact, I'm told you can interchange load data.

Someone changed this one I'm talking about to fire 7.62x39, whoever it was did a dumb thing, especially considering the intact Mum. He either; A. Took a 7.7 one and had some kind of chamber insert installed to allow for the shorter case to headspace and fire, along with a spacer to make it work with the shorter cartridge, or B. he had a 6.5 one rebored, which seems highly unlikely someone would have gone to that kind of trouble and expense.

And yes, I can tell the difference between a 6.5 and .30 caliber bore, that was never a question or concern or even an issue in this thread.

[richhodg66]

Wonder if it could be rechambered to 7.62 x 51 Nato. That would be a nice conversion and probably wouldn't be too hard. Reloading for it would take care of the larger bore. I've been resizing 30-06 brass for my two Arisakas for years with no problems, 270 brass works well also but needs more brass trimmed.
What were they asking for the one in Abilene?

It was somewhere in the $350ish range. It's a good shop and the guy running it is a good man, but that is way too high to me for something like that, but I bet it won't stay on that rack for long.

[Eddie2002]

Thanks, that's a little high for what it is. Still would probably be a good shooter with the right ammo. Currently have two 7.7 Japs and am always looking for another.

[richhodg66]

Thanks, that's a little high for what it is. Still would probably be a good shooter with the right ammo. Currently have two 7.7 Japs and am always looking for another.

Honestly, I can see why that conversion would be attractive, I really do. It's a neat little cartridge and easy to load for. If you're not a handloader, the ammo is cheap and widely available. I just wish the guy had chosen something less desirable to molest.

How hard would it be to find a type 99 barrel in decent shape?

[junkbug]

Does it look like the first one? The Chinese had their own reasons for converting obsolete war equipment.



https://www.forgottenweapons.com/rifles/arisakas-in-7-62x39mm/

[richhodg66]

Looks just like it except the spacer block in the magazine is white plastic.

[firebyprolong]

There was a fairly nice sporter in 6.5 or 7.7 in a pawn shop in emporia last week, with a bishop stock for around 250$. I'll be there again this week I can check if your looking hard rich.

[richhodg66]

There was a fairly nice sporter in 6.5 or 7.7 in a pawn shop in emporia last week, with a bishop stock for around 250$. I'll be there again this week I can check if your looking hard rich.

Not looking hard, I just got the itch to get a military one a few years ago and haven't shaken it off yet. I might be interested in a sporter one if the price was right and it looked good. Ask if it has been rechambered to that 6.5x257, seems like a lot of the sporterized ones were.

Emporia is not that far away, is this a pretty decent gun shop? Might be worth a drive down there just to check out a new shop.

[Drm50]

My dad was WW2 navy vet of Pacific. He was a electrician in navy and ended up main electrician in town. I would like to have a buck for every Jap & German rifle that he coverted to floor lamps for other vets back in early 50s.
There was never surplus ammo for Japs. Not many shot them because Norman ammo cost about the same as the value of a Jap. Most gun shops wouldn't take them on trade. The only foreign military rifles that were wanted were German 98s and to lesser degree Brit 303s. In late 50s there was a rash of Bull Guns built on jap actions.
220swifts and wildcat varmit guns. Straight heavy barrels. I guess the Jap Arisakas one claim to fame was its strength of action. I was never into them. Last one I had still had POVOST docs attached and Mum. Prior to Jap surrender Mum wasn't ground off. That was MCAurthors regulation and had to do with Emporor saving face. The Mum was his seal.

[TCLouis]

Someone imported some Type 38s back in the 80s (as I remember it) that the Chinese had modified to utilize 7.62X39.
Depending on the barrel condition I always regretted not buying one!

One can always do what TBG did and go straight to 30-30 with a new barrel.
Doubt it is worth it unless one can do the change themselves.

[firebyprolong]

I wouldn't make a special trip just for that pawn shop let's put it that way. It's usually pretty high and not much selection, that's why that jap stood out. They tend to take in the stuff the gunshop in town won't. I only make the rounds when I have time to kill in town. I'll get some details and a couple pictures if I can next time I'm in and pm you. Then you can decide if it's worth the drive.

[Texas by God]

I've always wondered why 1891 Argentine Mausers are found "decrested" sometimes.....

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[3006guns]

Someone imported some Type 38s back in the 80s (as I remember it) that the Chinese had modified to utilize 7.62X39.
Depending on the barrel condition I always regretted not buying one!

One can always do what TBG did and go straight to 30-30 with a new barrel.
Doubt it is worth it unless one can do the change themselves.

I have one of these, received as a Christmas present. It was a type 38 (6.5mm) with the barrel shortened, rethreaded and rechambered by the Chinese for 7.62 x 39 round. The barrel has been rebored/rifled for the larger bullet. The magazine has a sheet metal "barrier" to prevent the rounds from moving to the rear. This barrier is held in place by two slots cut in the follower, so the follower rides up and down while the barrier stays in place. The stock has Chinese markings cut into the butt. The rifling itself is "ho hum" and looks like it was done on a hand operated machine. It's really a pretty clever conversion, using as many of the Japanese parts as possible.

I've fired the gun and it's surprisingly accurate out to 200 yards or so. The only "glitch" is a slight imperfection in the chamber, which causes a small dimple in the extracted brass. It really does no harm though and the brass is reloadable. The gun and its history has a definite place, alongside my other Arisakas.