I remember the WW2 generation and how much they hated, and I mean hated, all things Japanese. Rattlesnakes were nicer creatures in their opinion. Looking back, we can say Japanese soldiers were brave, but they were fanatics to the WW2 generation. And to reinforce this were the stories of cast iron Japanese rifles. It only makes sense that crazy people would be using cast iron rifles that would blow up in your face.
This is one of them. It turns out this was close enough to looking like a real rifle that the local gunstore had it out on the floor as a 6.5 Arisaka. It is not. The barrel is a smooth bore tube not even screwed into the receiver. It just looks like a rifle. This is a training rifle that was used at schools to train the kids in preparation for the real show. I can mount a standard bayonet, you can load it with a standard cartridge, but it was only meant for blanks, if that. Probably they had dummy rounds with no powder. You have to know enough about firearm construction to recognize it as not a firearm, and enough American Dogfaces brought these back, stuffed a round in them, and blew themselves up, that all Arisaka rifles received a bad reputation.
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I do have the 6.5 Arisaka and a short barrel M99. I consider the recoil of the 7.7 round to be less than that of a 30-06, which is far more vicious. Another WW2 story, GI's claimed the Japanese built a rifle of larger caliber so they could use captured American ammunition, but that we could not use their 7.7 round in a 30-06. Well that is nuts. A 30-06 will not fit into the magazine well of my type 99 and I can't close the bolt as the round is too long.
I think highly of the Arisaka action. In all respects it is superior to the M1903. Less parts, more durable, easy take down, simple operation. The Japanese thought long and hard and made an improved Mauser. Because of superior case head support it has taken crazy over pressure charges that demolish M1917 actions and M1903 actions. Not that the Japanese were into reloading for these things, but they did build a very strong and safe rifle. They also reinforced the pistol grip with iron straps so you can smash a man's head to a pulp without the stock breaking through the pistol grip. The Japanese were very aggressive with the bayonet and the rifle was designed for the hard contact of hand to hand combat.
The rear sight is very simple, adequate for someone who just receives the barest of training. The 03 sight is a horrible combat sight, too complicated, too small, easily gets out of adjustment, and is not a very good target sight. About the worst of both worlds.
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