Need some Arisaka help

[highpower]

I just picked up a very nice Type 99 Arisaka, complete with mum and antiaircraft sights and the nicest bayonet I have ever seen. It's a little dirty having sat for fifty years in the garage of the veteran who liberated it. More pictures to come as soon as I can clean the dirt and light surface rust off of it. Bluing looks to be near %100 on the barrel and receiver and about %50 on the trigger guard and floorplate.

The bayonet is an early one with a hooked quillion and an uncleaned bright blade. Really, I bought the rifle just to get the bayonet.

What I need is to find out where I can go on the net to find the chart that will tell me what series it is. My Google-fu has failed me and the site I had bookmarked is no longer on the air.

I know it is Kokura Arsenal and was made after they stopped putting the monopod on them (no marks on stock) and before they dropped the antiaircraft sights.

Anybody have a link to a website that has this info?

Please excuse the crappy pictures, There is no decent light in this dump to do still life photographs. When I get in my new house I will take better pics.

[musick]

Whats the assembly number?

These guys may be able to help: http://surplusrifleforum.com/viewfor...5c6150b9a0f020

Side note: that bayo is in amazing condition. Congrats!

[Geologyjohn]

HP, that is one fine looking Type 30 bayonet and frog.
A bit about your rifle. It is fairly early from the 21st series. About May, 1942, possibly April, but more likely May.
It SHOULD have both the dust cover AND the monopod with Type B lower band. All 21st series had the dust cover and monopod.
Nice!
Geologyjohn

[six seven tango]

I'm assuming you had radix.net since that was my go to and is now gone...

Hope this helps.

http://www.castle-thunder.com/series.htm

[highpower]

HP, that is one fine looking Type 30 bayonet and frog.
A bit about your rifle. It is fairly early from the 21st series. About May, 1942, possibly April, but more likely May.
It SHOULD have both the dust cover AND the monopod with Type B lower band. All 21st series had the dust cover and monopod.
Nice!
Geologyjohn

OK, so I need to source the monopod. It does have the type B lower band and the reason I didn't think it had ever had one, is there is no marks on the stock or the band to indicate there had ever been anything on there.

I know they make repro dust covers, but I hate (most) reproduction stuff. I guess I'll just keep looking for the real deal. On the bright side it does have the cleaning rod.

[Geologyjohn]

HP, remember, the dustcovers were hand fitting and it you buy one, there is a high probability that it will rub the top of the receiver, removing some of the finish. Also, dustcovers were serial numbered to the rifle it was fitted on, so it would be evident that your addition would be a mismatch.
Yeah, there are repro monopods out there. Originals are also out there, but expect to pay up to $200 for an original.

[Discogodfather]

Just got this 99 with a matching dust cover. It has a monopod but it is slightly suspect. Kokura had a rare squarish monopod, but the book says its ok to also have rounded.



How are you guys finding the matchup between series number and manufacturing date. Even the book I have does not match series to dates.

When is the 22nd series?

[Vlad 11]

Strange , the 21 series stock would not have that type of recoil bolt. More typical in a late war stock.


The bayonet is a Kokura Hikari

[NorcalGSG]

OK, so I need to source the monopod. It does have the type B lower band and the reason I didn't think it had ever had one, is there is no marks on the stock or the band to indicate there had ever been anything on there.

I know they make repro dust covers, but I hate (most) reproduction stuff. I guess I'll just keep looking for the real deal. On the bright side it does have the cleaning rod.

Leave it. It's the way it was when it was in service. Anything you do now will only make it less legit/authentic. What I would do is write down all the info you can about it's history, and the man who brought it back. Anything about where he served, where he got it, etc.

[mls343]

^^ Agreed. Leave it be. This looks like a transition piece and should be left in it's original condition. There are varying degrees of be decline of the Ariska, and this is an excellent example of a mid war transition. Try to find an early Type 99 as well as a late (last ditch as some call them) example, and you have yourself a nice start to collecting Japanese firearms. It's actually pretty cool to see the transformation when you display them all at one time.

[Geologyjohn]

re: recoil bolt. Good catch Vlad. As a 21st Series, it should have a Type A recoil bolt in the stock. This one shows a Type B recoil bolt. What gives with that?
BTW, least anyone thinks that I know anything, this information anf earliuer posts by me comes thanks to "The Japanese Type 99 Arisaka Rifle/A Comprehensive Reference for the Collector and Historian/From Prototype to Post WWII" by Don Voigt (2010).
To Discogodfather, Series 22 were made from October 1942 to June 1943.

[timbo]

^^ Try to find an early Type 99 as well as a late (last ditch as some call them) example, and you have yourself a nice start to collecting Japanese firearms. It's actually pretty cool to see the transformation when you display them all at one time.

I agree. Comparing my early war 99 to my last ditch, it's hard to believe the same country made them both. The early rifle is quite well made, while the last ditch has extremely crude machine marks and welds.