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I've been interested in getting an Arisaka because they're seemingly the last good milsurp bolt action rifle that can be found for good prices, unlike Mosins. The issue is the ammo, it's not cheap and common like 7.62x54r is and reloading is the most sensible thing to do.
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Good prices? for now...don't take too long...
The issue has always been the ammo. Large numbers of Arisakas came to the US with returning GIs, and some were imported for civilian sale, but there was never any kind of large amount of Milsurp ammo for any of them. Its one reason you see so many of them converted to other calibers.
Moisins, on the other hand have been both unobtainable and cheap and common as dirt, along with the ammo. Before the end of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, Moisin Nagants, SKSs and all the other combloc arms were very rare in the US. About the only ones were war trophy bring backs, and while 7.62x54R ammo could be had, it was scarce and expensive, and, believe it or not, there was a time when nobody made 7.62x39mm ammo in the US and overseas sources were rare.
After the fall of Soviet Communism, the former Warsaw Pact nations dumped shiploads of rifles and ammo on the US market, dirt cheap. We got used to that. Then it basically ended, and as supplies dried up, up went prices.
All the milsurps went through that, or will. priced a Swiss K31 lately? Even the French guns are going up, along with Carcanos....
Making 7.7mm from .30-06 is a bit of a pain, but once done, is done. Use a tubing cutter to take off most of the extra length of the 06 case, it will save on trimming. once trimmed to nearly the right length, run them through the 7.7 sizer, then trim to final length. If they come out just a little short, they will still work. I did about 100rnds that way, before I found some actual 7.7mm brass. That was some years ago, and the 7.7 brass is still waiting in a bag....I might get around to using it, someday...maybe..
