About a year ago, I was givens two Japanese Type 38 Arisaka Rifles by my cousin. His father, my uncle, brought both of these rifles back after the war. Around 1955 or so, he and my aunt built a new house and they both hung over the fireplace until two years ago. My aunt and uncle passed away a number of years ago, but their daughter lived in their house after they passed away until her death two years ago,.
History Of The Rifles
My uncle graduated from high school in 1937 and then went on to college. At the outbreak of the war, he was in medical school, studying to be a doctor. Near the end of the war, there was such a shortage of doctors that they graduated his class early and all of the men in the class that were able bodied, were soon in the service, My uncle was commissioned as a Lieutenant J.G. in the United States Naval Reserve and then immediately called to active duty. He ended up being assigned to the U.S.S. Cimmaron, a Naval “Tanker”, as the ship’s Medical Officer. They left California headed for active duty in the Pacific, but as they were on their way ov er, the war ended. The U.S.S. Cimmaron was anchored in Tokyo Bay at the time of the signing of the surrender on the U.S/S. Missouri. During his time in the service, he kept a “journal”, and in it, he relates that while they were anchored in Tokyo Bay, one night a fully armed Japanese soldier swam out to the ship and climbed the anchor chain and got “on-board”, intent on still serving his Emperor by blowing up the ship. A number of “Sea Marines” standing guard on the ship quickly “took care of the matter”. After the surrender, some of the officers of the ship, including my uncle, went ashore where there were piles of surrendered Japanese military equipment, including piles of rifles, bayonets, helmets, etc. My uncle selected the two Type 38 Arisaka Rifles along with three bayonets and several helmets and took them as “souvenirs”.
For 65 years or so, the rifles hung over the fireplace. They were dusted during weekly house-cleanings, but never used or fired. When I received them, they were overall in good shape, but needed a good cleaning. I disassembled them and cleaned off any old grease with 0000 steel wool and solvent, then rubbed the metal surfaces down with 0000 steel wool and Ballistol. This brought the metal and the bluing back to life. The stocks were “dingy”, but 0000 steell wool and a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and turpentine cleaned the years of dirt off of them and the original finish with a nice “patina” emerged.
As you can see in the photos, these rifles bear the stamp of the Mukden Arsenal (Manchuria). The rifle at the bottom of the photo of the two rifles bears the serial number “67” and the one at the top, the serial number “210”. To the naked eye, the last number of the three digit serial number is unable to be made out clearly, but taking a photo of it and enlarging it, it is clearly a “0”. The butt stock of the #67 rifle had a “split” that originated from the bottom butt plate screw. I am of the opinion that this split may have happened during the making of the rifle and it was repaired at the time as there is a small dowel that was put in the stock from the underside up into the area that was split. Over the years, the split opened up again and I was able to make a repair to it so that it will never be an issue. I have shown photos of the split. The #67 rifle came with a heavy web sling with the quick attach/dis-attach clips on the end (not shown in photos).
From what I have been able to find out, the Mukden Arsenal’s first production run was from serial numbers 0 to 7,000. It later made two other production runs but the serial numbers used were not consecutive to the run of 0 to 7,000 and were stamped with much higher numbers. Given that these rifles are serial numbered “67” and “210”, they were part of the early initial run at the Mukden Arsenal and date to probably early 1934. Both rifles are complete and have their original “dust covers” and all stampings, including the “Mum” are present.
The bores of both rifles are in very good shape with heavy rifling. A few strokes with a bronze brush and Ballistol had them shining. Both bores “slug” at .264”.
I no longer hunt, so my goal with these rifles is to shoot cast and milder loads – strictly for plinking and paper punching. They have great sentimental value to me and for that reason, I want to be able to shoot them.
I use Red Dot with cast in several other rifles I have, including a GEW98 Mauser that was brought back from France in 1919 by a local World War I Veteran that I knew. For these rifles, I am using PPU brass and have three different Lyman/Ideal molds to try. The plain base 266-324 – 119 gr., the 266-455 – 127 g.r. gas checked and the 266-469 – 140 gr. gas checked. I’m using copper gas checks from Sage and am sizing them at .266” with a NOE sizer – tumble lubing in Alox/Paste Wax. I am taking the #210 Type 38 and my loaded up load development rounds with me to Arizona this winter and am really looking forward to seeing what the rifle will do.
I just wanted to share these two rifles here. I now refer to them as “the twins”. I’m old and never figured that I would ever be shooting Arisaka Rifles. At one time, I had a small collection of mil-surp rifles that included some Type 99 Arisakas as well as Brit Enfields, etc. – but I never shot any of them and I disposed of them some twenty years ago. I have to say that the more I handle these rifles, the more respect I have for them. They are very well designed and made and I have greatly enjoyed being able to get my feet wet with the 6.5 X 50 cartridge as I have cast for them and learned the “tricks” to loading them with what I have on hand. Once we get back out to Arizona and I can get to a range with a friend I shoot with, I’ll post how it works out with #210.