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**Mike Irwin** · August 10, 2016, 08:02 AM

I agree with Jim's assessment.

Basic Carcano action but with the Mauser-style integral staggered box magazine loaded with standard stripper clips instead of the Mannlicher packet clip magazine found on the Italian rifle.

The story I've heard for the origin of the rifle is that small arms arsenals in Japan were controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army. The IJA and the IJ Navy were quite bitter rivals and didn't work and play well together.

This, and the fact that the Army was rapidly increasing in numbers made it difficult for the Navy to obtain sufficient numbers of small arms.

IJN representatives approached Germany, Italy, and Czechoslovakia for their rifle needs. They liked the German-made rifles, but apparently they were too expensive, so they contracted with both Italian and Czech arsenals to produce rifles.

I'm assuming that the Czech-made guns (questionable if any were ever made/delivered given how things worked out in 1937-1939) were to be built on the standard Mauser design.

August 10, 2016, 08:02 AM	#5
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,380	I agree with Jim's assessment. Basic Carcano action but with the Mauser-style integral staggered box magazine loaded with standard stripper clips instead of the Mannlicher packet clip magazine found on the Italian rifle. The story I've heard for the origin of the rifle is that small arms arsenals in Japan were controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army. The IJA and the IJ Navy were quite bitter rivals and didn't work and play well together. This, and the fact that the Army was rapidly increasing in numbers made it difficult for the Navy to obtain sufficient numbers of small arms. IJN representatives approached Germany, Italy, and Czechoslovakia for their rifle needs. They liked the German-made rifles, but apparently they were too expensive, so they contracted with both Italian and Czech arsenals to produce rifles. I'm assuming that the Czech-made guns (questionable if any were ever made/delivered given how things worked out in 1937-1939) were to be built on the standard Mauser design. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.