Ratty Ugly Beastly Type 99 Arisaka..... or is it?

[Dutchman]

When I lived in northern Indiana (1996-2006) friend and fellow collector calls me and says to get up to Fetlas's store in Valparasio that there's a Jap rifle for $50 and he wanted me to buy it for him as he had to w*rk that day (I was retired).

Do you know Japanese rifles? I don't. Do you know what makes this rifle more interesting to a collector? I didn't.

[Dutchman]

https://type99arisakas.weebly.com/40th-series.html

40th Series Jinsen --- Korea

[Bent Ramrod]

A friend of mine was a collector of Japanese rifles, and he had one of those “last ditch” versions, even cruder than your specimen. There was at least 1/8” of daylight between wood and any metal fitting, the turn marks on the barrel were more pronounced than your example, the parting job on the bolt cap/safety would have gashed the palm of anyone trying to use it, and the rear sight was a block, welded on the barrel with no adjustment feature. The bolt had that cylindrical knob like yours. There was no finish on any metal part, and apparently never had been. There was no butt pad on the stock and no evidence that there ever was one, and no provision for a sling.

He brought it out for our Saturday plinkfest with three boxes of Norma factory ammo, full-house loads with three different bullet weights. The rifle digested them all without comment or complaint and seemed to work and shoot as well as any other Arisaka milsurp, including my Dad’s roughly sporterized chrome-bore version.

[444ttd]

heck, i'd buy it for $50!!!!!

i have one jap type 99 in 30-06(gunsmith did a chamber reaming during the korean war ad gave it to south korea). mine is an early WW2 and it is a derivative of the 98 mauser. the type 99 action is one the strongest actions you could have. it even beats the 98 mauser. that is about all i know.........i can give you what i've learned, but it ain't much!!!!!!


http://www.castle-thunder.com/model.htm
https://oldmilitarymarkings.com/japanese_markings.html

[sukivel]

That looks like the “last ditch”


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[richhodg66]

Not sure why, but I've had the itch to get an Arisaka for several years now and still haven't. A friend in Topeka, who is a good guy, but not a gun guy, just a WWII history buff recently bought one and had all kinds of questions to help him get it shooting and that got me wanting again even more.

The good gun show in Wichita at Hartman ARena has a couple of vendors usually who have a table full of them. I think when that show rolls around again this Fall, I'm going to walk out of there with one.

[Eddie2002]

Shot my first elk with one way back in the 70's. Nothing wrong with a last ditch and they have suddenly become more collectible as the nicer ones get snapped up. For brass resize 30-06 or track down some 8x57 mauser which is a little short but works fine.

[725]

My buddy has one that doesn't look near as good as the one in the photo. He bought it with his paper route money. He never shot it and I convinced him to make a few cases for it and give it a whorl. Don't know the bullet or load, but it is amazingly accurate. I keep after him to take it deer hunting one year.

[444ttd]

heres what my beast looks like. its going to be a 338-06 or a 9.3x62 JES special someday.