Another Arisaka Project

[classicist]

Well, I have been collecting for just a brief while. So, I decided that it was due time to get a project, and I purchased a Type 99. It was a kind of an accidental purchase. I was in Fremont and just wanted to check out Irvington Arms. I looked in their pile of "project rifles" and I was made an offer.

The Good: It has an intact 'mum, the receiver is in good shape, and it's early production. The Bad: The stock has been cut down, the bolt has been turned down, the follower and spring are missing, the sight ladder has been sawed off, and the barrel is so shot out that the last two inches of the bore are almost totally smooth. The good news is that I got it dirt cheap. Who says that $15 rifles (excepting the DROS charge) are a thing of the past?

I'll post pics once it's out of 10 day prison.

My goal is first and foremost to get it looking more original, to replace the stock and rear sight, to try and repair the bolt handle, and to perhaps attach a dust cover, the proper anti-aircraft sights, and a monopod (depending on costs). After that, I was thinking about buying a replacement barrel and turning it into a shooter, whether I can develop the necessary skills by then or whether I need to take it to a gunsmith to rebarrel it.

I expect that the costs (both monetary and in terms of time) of restoring this rifle will exceed those if I had bought a nicer specimen to start with... But I'd like to have a project to keep me and my brother (he has offered to help) busy for a little while.

If anyone has a line on the parts which I need (I've checked Numrich - they seem to be sold out of a lot of the necessary parts), information on how to do some of the repairs (especially the rebarrel), or a properly original Arisaka Type 99 for me to examine in the Bay Area, I'd really appreciate the help.

I'll keep you guys updated.

Bryan

[run8]

I have two Arisaka's but honestly don't know what type they are, they aren't carbines. Really don't know much about the Japanese stuff, but would be happy to assist if that's what I have.

[Spiggy]

I have two Arisaka's but honestly don't know what type they are, they aren't carbines. Really don't know much about the Japanese stuff, but would be happy to assist if that's what I have.

Show me pictures of the action, configuration, and serial marks ahead of the bolt release and I can tell you more

[Milsurp Collector]

I expect that the costs (both monetary and in terms of time) of restoring this rifle will exceed those if I had bought a nicer specimen to start with...

No doubt. Far exceed.

[Definately Not Monkeyboy]

Truthfully, whatever you build is only going to end up being a parts gun. The action itself is strong as hell. You may be better off just going the sporter route, and getting a half decent rifle out of the process. Rather than spending significantly more than the rifle is worth just to make something that sort of looks like a real Arisaka. Seriously, it is not worth restoring to original. Skaggs gunshop out of Grant's Pass, OR did one for me that was in even worse shape than yours is. I went with .257 Robert Ackley Improved, and it makes a dandy hunting rifle. He even has his lathe set up to handle the odd thread on the Type 99s. The action is strong enough to handle just about anything you can fit in the magazine, assuming it isn't a last ditch gun.

-Not Mb

[Sampachi]

As DNM has pointed out, you've got a lot of work for what will be a parts rifle. I might have some spare parts but I'll have to look. Got plenty of rifles and reference. What series/arsenal is it and does the bolt match the serial or not. If it doesn't I'm not too sure I'd bother with a restoration unless it happens to be a very unusual T99.
Oddly enough, I bought an uncommon Type 38 from Irvington Arms many years ago that was missing a bolt for $25.

[Sampachi]

Had a thought this morning. Your barrel is probably good to go. The Japanese used the British Metdford style of rifling. The lands and grooves will be shallow compared to what you might expect. The barrel should be chrome lined if it's an early model.

[classicist]

I really don't want to go with the sporter route, but I'll not disregard it as an option. I don't however know whether it is a particularly rare specimen (apart from the subtle distinction of having an intact chrysanthemum). I did not take any pictures of the receiver and am playing off of memory to try to say even this: the arsenal mark forward of the bolt release contains the symbol which looks like a three piece Venn diagram (one of the Tokyo arsenals I think), but I don't remember whether another arsenal mark is present beside it (another arsenal under supervision of Tokyo?). All the parts which are present are of matching serial numbers.

Sampachi, thanks for telling me about the barrel. If it is in better condition than I thought when I first looked, then I suppose that I'm in luck, supposing of course that I do end up trying to restore it and don't just rebarrel it in a sporting caiber. Fortunately I'm not bound too tightly to this project... I spent more on gas to get to and from Irvington Arms from the Peninsula than on the rifle itself. It would be nice however to see it through to some sort of fruition.

The most expensive item would be the stock and necessary hardware I'd think, but (as I have seen) no more expensive than a nicely made sporter stock. I'd already have a matching steel buttplate and some of the hardware to go with it. Assuming it doesn't need a barrel, the core components of the rifle would all match (that's a lot more than on my RC K98). I know that much of the rest of it would have to be assembled from parts, but they're out there somewhere and they're better off putting an old sporter back to some sort of original configuaration than rotting in someone's basement.

I'd still like to take a look at someone's original Arisaka. I want to be able to reference what the bolt handle correctly looks like. I'm wide open to parts (follower, follower spring, rear sight, stock, barrel band, its screw, nosecap, cleaning rod), and I am of course still open (most importantly) to suggestions. I still will not disregard suggestions that I make a sport rifle. I do think that a nice Arisaka would go well beside my modest collection of vintage battle rifles.

[Milsurp Collector]

Roy Boone, who posts on the Gunboards.com Japanese weapon forum as "riceone", can straighten your bolt handle for you http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=91480

If your rifle is a Type 99 with only this arsenal symbol it was made by the Kokura Arsenal. The important thing to know is what series (20-25) it is. To the left (in front of) the serial number there will be a small character indicating the series. Use a magnifier because the character is small and several look alike.

= 20th
= 21st
= 22nd
= 23rd
= 24th
(posts limited to 6 images so can't show the 25th series character).

It is important to know the series because only the earliest series had all the doodads (monopod, aircraft sights) on them. If your rifle is a later series you might not need a monopod and/or aircraft sights, and that will save a lot of money.

The most expensive parts will be a correct Kokura stock and handguard in good condition. They are on ebay from time to time but will probably cost 10 times what you paid for the whole rifle.

I would not worry about the barrel until you see how it shoots.

[Definately Not Monkeyboy]

If the barrel is decent, and especially if it is chrome lined, there is no need to rebarrel it. I have a couple of type 99s that Bubba attacked long before I got them. They make decent trunk guns. The 7.7 is loaded about like a .303 British in terms of power. But you can load it up to .30-06 levels easily and safely, assuming your action is in good shape. Brass is actually available again, which saves you having make your own. But if you can't find it, it can be made from .30-06 or .270 brass. I made lots of it from surplus WWII and Korean War era brass, and it works just fine. The bullets are normally the .311" diameter, though some barrels seem to prefer the .312" or even .313" bullets. I would also highly recommend heading over to gunboards and reading some of the information from riceone. That man knows his stuff when it comes to arisakas. He even used to make swaging dies to let you make 6.5 Jap brass out of .308 cases. That was a HUGE help before they started making it again a few years back.

-Not Mb

[classicist]

Thanks for the help. I'll update with more info when I take possession.

Bryan

[Sampachi]

I have a mag box, spring, follower and front sight. I might have an early style rear sight.

There are quite a few of us Gunboard members here in the Bay Area.

If the bolt is matching, then I'd say you might have a good candidate for restoring. It will cost you quite a bit and probably will never be worth much more than the sum of it's parts, but it will make a nice shooter/representative rifle.

[classicist]

If the bolt is matching, then I'd say you might have a good candidate for restoring. It will cost you quite a bit and probably will never be worth much more than the sum of it's parts, but it will make a nice shooter/representative rifle.

That's what I was thinking. After all, I'm not into this for the money.

I'm sending a PM on the parts.

[MikeWilliamson]

I'm looking for a buttplate and handguard to complete mine, and a rear sling swivel.

[knucklehead0202]

i'd continue and finish the sporter myself. it's not that hard find a decent, un-screwed-with arisaka, although they're getting pricier. i've actually been kinda looking for a half-bubba'd arisaka as i'd like to do a sporter. if you were close to me i'd offer to buy it. anyhow, good luck on whatever you decide, i've got a 99 and a 38 carbine and they're neat guns. arisakas are also stupid-simple to take apart. even easier than mosins.