"New" Arisaka T99?

[Dundee Tom]

And it IS BRAND NEW! I bought this rifle today at a local gunshop, although it seemed grimy and the barrel (in a cursory inspection) appeared dirty and even pitted. Brought it home, disassembled it, and was amazed to find it was still packed in factory-new Cosmoline -- a grease protectant universally used to preserve military firearms prior to issue.

This rifle is an Arisaka Type 99 in 7.7x58mm. It has a chrome-lined barrel, monopod, and anti-aircraft sights. I also got an old bayonet with it. The rifle was manufactured at the Toyo Kogyo Armory on Japan's southernmost island of Kyushu. The stock has a Kanji hieroglyph indicating "Hiroshima."

This rifle, except for the rough-handling marks on the stock, is practically mint and will be a marvelous shooter as well as collection piece. I'm attaching photos of it disassembled as well as assembled.

Considering that it was manufactured about 1940 or '41 and is nearly 70 years old, it's inner mechanisms are immaculate. The firing pin is unmarred, as is the bolt face. The bolt handle shows no handling marks of any kind.

The Imperial Crest on the receiver has been ground off, which is typical of "surrender" arms. Because of its pristine condition, I'm speculating that it was kept in a warehouse after manufacture and for some reason never issued. (Maybe a LIFO stock system instead of FIFO [last in first out/first in first out].) As the arms were turned over to the United States, Gen. MacArthur and the Japanese Imperial Army were in agreement that the Imperial Crest would be obliterated to preserve the Emperor's dignity. (All arms bearing the Imperial Crest were considered to be his personal property, and no Japanese soldier would ever dishonor his weapon, since the Emperor was considered divine.)

So, some American soldier ground out the emblem at a Japanese warehouse, tossed the rifle onto a pile of others, and it was thus bundled and bears the nicks and bruises of rough handling. But, inside, it's still new. The bore is bright and shiny and I'm planning on digging up some ammo for a day at the range with it.

Before you warn me about Japanese wartime rifles, bear in mind that this is NOT a "last-ditch" Arisaka, but a very early production model. In post-war tests, the Type 99 Arisaka was determined to have the strongest action of any World War Two battle rifle, including the Springfield 1903, Garand, or even the German Mauser. It withstood high pressure overloads far beyond the others. I think I'll be fine.

As for the Cosmoline that it was packed with, certainly no Japanese surrender weapon would have received such loving care from the Americans. Since I have lived in Japan, I am pleased and proud to have this seemingly "brand-new" relic of a terrible event in our common history.

 

[Sport45]

Good find. Do all the part numbers match the serial number? Be careful taking it apart. Many of the screws are staked on assembly and backing them out detracts from collector value.

By the way, my Arisaka likes Hornady 174gr .312 bullets better than anything else I've tried.

 

[Ian]

I can't picture an early Arisaka somehow sitting overlooked in a warehouse right up to the end of the war. Seems more likely to me that it was issued to someone who never saw combat (and never left the home islands), and that's why it stayed in good condition.

It's a cool find regardless, particularly if it's all matching.

 

[Kernel]

Very nice. Any importer marks on it? That (or lack of it) would give some clue to it's providence. The odds of finding an un-issued Type 99 made in '40 have to be astronomical. From what I’ve read in the final year of the war the Japs were scrapping the literal bottom of the barrel. Maybe it was captured in China (Formosa, Philippines, Indonesia, Korea….) earlier in the war, then held in some one else’s war reserve for all these decades.

 

[Dundee Tom]

There's the rub. It's not all matching. The bolt bears the numbers 916, and the S/N of the rifle is 2904 (Series 35). I'm betting that the bolts were removed when the actions were cleared for the grinding process, then slapped back together without regard. But, since the rifle was basically unused, that probably wouldn't matter. The screws were not staked and the screwheads show no sign of having been worked on. All quite minty and nothing gnarled up, so to speak. Might have been issued to some Imperial Army honor guard who never saw the need to field strip and clean it.

 

[Dundee Tom]

No importer marks. I agree with the odds you cite, but how else can you explain the unused condition? After all these years, unless some individual come forward and says, "Hey, I carried that gun and never fired it," it's all anybody's guess. Kinda fun to speculate 'tho.

 

[azyogi]

Look to see if the Crysanthemum, on the reciever is ground off. Most of the ones I've seen had a grinder taken to this Imperial symbol. Part of the reconstruction was to deface all of these symbols. I've had two, one with the flower intact my current gun has a grind mark across the flower. I've read that this had to be done in order to bring one back from WWII.

 

[rocky branch]

Your piece is a semi rare T99 Long rifle.
They were made early on when it was decided to go to the 7.7 mm.
It was decided they were too heavy for the Average IJN soldier and the design abandoned.
A majority were never issued and indeed were found after the war in immaculate condition.
These were matched by a wierd assembly number system and this may be a matching piece.
Look at the number on the rear of the bayonet lug.
It should match the bolt.
The monopods on these only fit the long rifles.
The finish is much better than on subsequent T99s.
These are somewhat rare and collectable.

 

[Cosmoline]

That is a remarkably good find. I've seen many dozens of them, most hacked and "sporterized." The intact ones were never that minty. The lack of import marks is interesting as well. Never encountered the "long rifle" variation before.

 

[.45Guy]

There are some NICE Arisakas floating around... That type 99 puts ourType 38 carbine to shame though

 

[Sport45]

The fact that the mum is ground indicates it was a surrendered rifle. The imperial army ground the mum since it was what made the rifle property of the emperor. The US military couldn't have cared less if the mum was left on. Neither army would have removed the bolt for the grinding process. At most they would have opened the action to make sure it was clear.

I'm guessing you have a mix-master that has been kept in good condition and the cosmolene was applied after the war to preserve some GI's souvenir. He may have doped it up before shipping it home. Maybe he never made it home and it stayed that way at his parent's house until they and the rest of their children passed on. You never really know "the whole story".

It's a good find anyway. Since the bolt doesn't match the receiver I suggest you have a gunsmith check the headspacing before you shoot it.

 

[Ian]

With all due respect, that really doesn't look like a "minty" unissued rifle, judging by the photo of the serial number.Aside from the stock being marked up, you can see a bunch of worn spots in the finish. It's not a bad gun by any means - it's a good example of an early 99 long rifle, and will probably be a fine shooter (assuming it does headspace ok). But it's not in mint condition by any means.

 

[Dundee Tom]

Thanks for all the great input, guys. Yes, I'll have the headspace checked before firing. As for the wear aspect: It's all pretty much external and cosmetic. The innards, especially the bolt, magazine, magazine follower and trigger assembly appear virtually unmarked. There were traces of copper in the barrel (blue color on the Hoppe's No. 9-soaked patch), but I can't say if that was from test-firing or actual use.

Thanks to "rocky branch" for the long rifle ID. I was curious about that. The bayonet is a much more used add-on to the purchase. From the markings - it's origin is Kokura, not Toyo Kogyo. And to "Sport45": The mum is indeed ground, as stated.

So, to sum it up: What I have is a collectible, semi-rare T99 long rifle in excellent condition that (headspace allowing) may be a fine shooter. I guess I'll keep it.

 

[Jeremy2171]

Good luck on the headspace check....
I doubt your local smith will have 7.7mm Arisaka gages...and if he does they will be made to SAAMI spec and will give a false reading.

You will most likely have to fire a few rounds remotely and check for separation. If they do then the only thing you can do is swap bolts to tighten it up.

 

[rocky branch]

Even better your rifle is Kokura.
Rarer-fewer made.
Again check gfor the assembly number-you will also find it underside of the barrel.
Also possibly on the takedown lever. One of these may match the bolt.
This may be a matching piece.
I would not worry about headspace.
I have had several last ditch unissued pieces that still had original grease in the bore.
No reason for import marks.
This was done post 1968 and nearly all Arisakas were here long before that.
There is evidence some of the longrifles made it to the Phillipines and are found in rough condition.
Most of the rest were unissued and only dinged up from handling by GIs or their kids like me who played army with them.

 

[Dundee Tom]

I wish you were right, rocky branch, but there are two symbols following the serial number: The first is the Kokura symbol, followed by a circle that is partially bisected on the horizontal, making it Toyo Kogyo. Picked up some Norma 7.7x58 for it and we'll see how she shoots next weekend. Trigger pull, by the way, averages 7.7 pounds. Very crisp, 'tho. I'm wondering, however, whether it is actually a Series 35. My source on characters says that's what it is, but...? Series 35 was just before the atom bombing of Hiroshima, which would make it a "Last Ditch" model, which it definitely ain't.

 

[Ian]

It's hard to see from your photo of the serial number, but it looks to me like series 31, not 35.

 

[Macgille]

Congrats on your find, looks good. You may want to reconsider the list at the bottom of your posts. Anything you post on the internet is available to anyone in the whole world. I don't make it a habit to tell anyone (including my wife) what guns I have. I just don't think its a good idea. Just my opinion though.

 

[Dundee Tom]

It's hard to see from your photo of the serial number, but it looks to me like series 31, not 35.

Ian, here's the symbol "te" from in front of the s/n. That puts it in Series 35, which would be the last year of the war. However, this definitely is not a "Last Ditch" Arisaka, is it? The mystery deepens. My Japanese wife agrees with me, by the way. Also read somewhere that when the troops were boarding ships for return to the U.S., the bolts were removed from their rifles to make them inoperable. ("Mutiny on the Bounty" sound familiar?) When the bolts were returned, they were simply handed out with a "one-size fits all" approach. Thus, the mismatched bolt.

 

[Dundee Tom]

Congrats on your find, looks good. You may want to reconsider the list at the bottom of your posts. Anything you post on the internet is available to anyone in the whole world. I don't make it a habit to tell anyone (including my wife) what guns I have. I just don't think its a good idea. Just my opinion though.

Hi Macgille: I don't tell my wife, either. Or the rest of the world, for that matter. This is just a smattering. (Now, how can I alter my signature???)

 

[riceone]

35 Long

Tom, your friend near Birmingham, Al. just sent me an email to look at your rifle. Welcome to the tribe. Is this your first one? It is interesting that the serial number of your rifle is just a few off from the one pictured in Military Rifles of Japan - it is serial number 2971. My 35 is serial number 8605 and is in very good conditon but has a miss matched bolt also. Yours is the first I have seen with a pod - very nice fine. I have a number of rifles in pristine condition that look unissued. None are unfired as they all were fired at the factory before shipping. I have a Series 35 Short T99 that according to the serial number, was made in the final week before the bomb fell. In fact by the best of records I have been able to find it was made on August 5th. It does not have a blemish on it and has the mum intact. Most Japanese rifles have over size chambers and excessive headspace. They were made to function in the worst condition and none of the men carring it were reloaders, so swelled cases did in mean anything. riceone

 

[Sport45]

Is the back of the safety smooth or checkered?

Hang on to the Norma Brass after you fire it. If you send one to me I'll test chamber it in my Arisaka (w/matching bolt) and let you know if it's too long to re-chamber before sending it back. As you have seen the 7.7Jap ain't cheap to shoot if you don't reload. PM me if you're interested.

BTW, I didn't ask if the mum was ground. You said that in your OP.

 

[Dundee Tom]

Tom, your friend near Birmingham, Al. just sent me an email to look at your rifle. Welcome to the tribe. Is this your first one? It is interesting that the serial number of your rifle is just a few off from the one pictured in Military Rifles of Japan - it is serial number 2971. My 35 is serial number 8605 and is in very good conditon but has a miss matched bolt also. Yours is the first I have seen with a pod - very nice fine. I have a number of rifles in pristine condition that look unissued. None are unfired as they all were fired at the factory before shipping. I have a Series 35 Short T99 that according to the serial number, was made in the final week before the bomb fell. In fact by the best of records I have been able to find it was made on August 5th. It does not have a blemish on it and has the mum intact. Most Japanese rifles have over size chambers and excessive headspace. They were made to function in the worst condition and none of the men carring it were reloaders, so swelled cases did in mean anything. riceone

Hi Riceone, Ben told me all about your collection. I'm impressed. So, you agree that it's a Series 35? About when do you think it may have been manufactured? It has too many bells and whistles to have been late in the War, I believe, but I could be wrong.

 

[Dundee Tom]

Is the back of the safety smooth or checkered?

Hang on to the Norma Brass after you fire it. If you send one to me I'll test chamber it in my Arisaka (w/matching bolt) and let you know if it's too long to re-chamber before sending it back. As you have seen the 7.7Jap ain't cheap to shoot if you don't reload. PM me if you're interested.

BTW, I didn't ask if the mum was ground. You said that in your OP.

The safety is knurled, Sport45. I'm a reloader, too, but I don't know whether I'll be shooting this rifle enough to justify getting dies, etc. I test-chambered a round today and everything functioned fine. Looking forward to live fire with it.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I'm a reloader, too, but I don't know whether I'll be shooting this rifle enough to justify getting dies, etc

loaded 7.7 ammo isn't cheap. Dies are $30. If you plan to shoot a couple hundred rounds over X amount of time, it's worth it.

As far as safety, I wouldn't worry. I have 3 Arisaka's, including a last ditch. Shoot them all, still have fingers and eyes. Same goes for my early (pre-800,000 M1903 Springer)