Sporterized Arisaka questions...

[caoboy]

I picked up an Arisaka t99 last weekend, and shot it. (AWESOME!)

It has been sporterized, which isn't a big deal, as it was cheap, and it shoots well.

I've been doing some research on it, and as far as I can tell, this might be some super special secret service protect the emperor rifle.

Want to know why? It has a mysterious series stamp!

SO... without more crazy theories, I'd like to know if anybody has seen this stamp before, and could possibly clue me in as to what it is.



As you can see..it looks kind of like the pepsi or Korean flag symbol.

Turned on it's side kind of, it looks like the series 26 mark, but that was for t38 rifles.
This shoots 7.7, and bolt, firing pin, and receiver all match with a 451. Funny thing is, the 'end cap' on the bolt, has a 103 stamped on it.

serial number is 52451. Made at the Nagoya Arsenal, as it is the Nagoya stamp, with no other markings next to it.

I read on some other forum, that Nagoya itself only made up to the 12th series, if true, would mean this is not a last ditch.

The barrel has no sights, but looks to have had the aircraft style, not the fixed peep, sights. There is a scope on there now, with a weaver rail tapped onto the top of it...if possible I'd remove it, and put original sights on it.


At first I thought the barrel was cut down, but then read that there was a carbine model of the T99...and I am assuming it is one.


Tomorrow I'll be putting up more pictures of the rifle. If possible I'd like to restore this, or maybe just buy another one that is (hopefully) original.

[ponderosa]

Hard to tell in your photo, and maybe you've been here already... http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/japanese_markings.html

That position is where the series marks go though.

[TregoMark]

Looks like a sixth series mark to me. Series numbers were assigned to different arsenals in blocks, so a Nagoya series 10 may have the been built at the same time and have the same features (last ditch) as a Kokura series 24 (example only - I don't have my books in front of me). If it doesn't have a front sight or evidence of one, than the barrel was probably cut down and recrowned.

As far as restoration goes, I think you'll find that to be much more expensive ($400+) than finding another more original example. I'd keep it as a nice reliable deer gun or target shooter.

[caoboy]

You know what, I think it MIGHT be a series 6! Now that I look at it again, it has that roku look about it.

So if it were series 6, that's only halfway through the period that it was produced, then it'd be about 1942 when it was made?

How do you tell if it's a chrome bore or not?

[Sampachi]

It's definitely a 6th series, which was the start of the transitional period of production. Not sure if it will have a chrome bore (it should, but not 100% sure).
The rifle was probably made mid to late 1943. Barrel should be 25.5 inches long.

[caoboy]

Barrel is 19.5/8" long...