Need Help Identifying a Gun

[Ffsupra23]

I bought this at a gun auction and need help identifying what it is, any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Gunslinger808]

Looks like an Arisaka type 38 or 99.
Japan main battle rifle during WWII, possibly a war bring back trophy.

 

[jag312]

I can't tell from your pictures. Is the chrysanthemum still on the rifle, or has it been ground off?

 

[walnutred]

That is an early Type 99 and I suspect it spent time being carried by more than one nations Army by the extra markings. A friend has a T38 that his Uncle brought home as a battlefield souvenir from the Pacific. However HIS Pacific war was in the early 1950s in South Korea. After WW2 both China and Korea used the Arisakas both in their original calibers and in conversions. China converted some to 7.62x39 and S. Korea apparently converted some to 30-06.

 

[OFT II]

That looks like a Japanese training rifle that I have. Check the rifling in the barrel and see if it exists. Most trainers didn't have rifling and the service rifles had chrome plated bores. If it should turn out to be a trainer don't shoot any real ammo in it. Another way to tell if it's a trainer is to look for the mum. Trainers don't have them and service rifles will either have them or you can see where it was ground off. Either way it's a nice old rifle.

 

[Cyrano]

It still has the dust cover so it probably wasn't used much. Also has a one piece stock: I thought that was the mark of a training rifle intended to be used for firing blanks only. Doesn't look like it ever had a mum, eithr. More evidence of a training rifle.

 

[LVSteve]

Japanese training rifle not suitable for proper ammo. Still, it is an interesting piece of history. Try the Japanese forum on Gunboards or the Surplusrifle forums for more informed comment than I can give..

 

[Ffsupra23]

No the chrysanthemum isn't still on the Rifle, so what does the 229 on the stock mean? Is that probably just the Training # of the gun then?

 

[giddyupsut]

It has the dust cover and the cleaning rod (most are missing).
It is missing the monopod, bayonet and the two little fold outs on the rear sight.
Ammo is not too hard to find. They shoot really hard. Not a big kick but, you know that you have squeezed off a rifle round.

 

[30-30remchester]

A member made a remark that this was probably a war trophy. As I understand it, all Japanese guns were war trophies. I have never seen or heard of Japanese guns sold on the surplus market. I was always told that just about every Japanese WWII item was actually brought home by a returning GI. Was I misimformed?

 

[LVSteve]

It has the dust cover and the cleaning rod (most are missing).
It is missing the monopod, bayonet and the two little fold outs on the rear sight.
Ammo is not too hard to find. They shoot really hard. Not a big kick but, you know that you have squeezed off a rifle round.

IIRC, training rifles did not come with the features you say are missing. Neither are they suitable for real ammo.

The clues that this is a training rifles are:

1) One piece stock.

2) No type number on the receiver ring.

3) The rack number is atypical for an issued gun.

4) If we could read it, the ideogram stamped in the butt would probably state that it is a training rifle. Again, I've never seen such a stamp on a live Arisaka.

As for their surplus status, it is possible that some were surplussed out of the Soviet Union, Indonesia and the UK.

Just to confuse things further, there are "schools" rifles which were worn rifles taken out of military service for training purposes. Most of these are Type 38 long rifles, perhaps from units re-equipping with the Type 99. The one I own has a great looking bore and seems fine to shoot.