Arisaka 99 questions

[Datamancer]

Hello I'm new here and this is my first post. My name is Rich but my friends call me Doc. I've gleaned tons of useful information from this forum in the past so I figured it was about time I joined up.

I just recently purchased an Arisaka Type 99 and was wondering if anyone could help to provide some information about it.


Beneath my Mosin for size comparison)






This rifle has the ground-off 'mum on the receiver but you can still see the faint outline of it. According to the serial number on the left side of the receiver, this rifle was made in the Nagoya arsenal (which dates it between 1923 and 1945 and is a Series 6 (which refines the date down to between 1939 to 1945). One interesting thing is that it is missing the top and bottom wood on the barrel but I’m not certain if that was a “last ditch” (late-war production) exception or a later customization. It doesn't share any of the other last-ditch properties though- the machining on the receiver is a little too nice and it has a steel butt-plate, so I'm leaning toward it being a later customization.
I'm relatively new to collecting and Google is about the extent of my research resources so if anyone out there has more information about this rifle, or can help me date it a little more accurately, I’d love to hear your input.
Thanks!
-~Doc~-

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

Looks like a customization job done later to me... The bolt handle points to later production but the rifle looks better finished than models produced very late in the war.. The link below shows the early production 99 bolt handle..

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=166978950

[KLRANGL]

I agree. It looks sporterized, not last ditch....

[Sport45]

Looks like it could be a duffel-cut. Many GI's cut the stock under the barrel band so that it would be short enough to fit in their duffel bag for the trip home after the war. The stock could be re-assembled and the cut wouldn't show under the band. The handguard and remainder of the stock on this one is missing and the band has been moved back.

Does the number on the bolt match the last digits of the serial number? If not, you may want to have it checked for headspace.

For more information about your rifle click on the link below.

Markings on Japanese Arisaka Rifles and Bayonets of World War II

[Datamancer]

Thanks for the help, everyone.
Sport45, that's actually the same site I used to get this far in my investigation. The bolt numbers do match the ending of the serial number, so I think I'm OK there but I'll still get it checked out by someone who knows what they're doing before I fire it though. With a round this powerful I don't want to take any chances of a bad shell fit or hairline crack somewhere or anything like that.

Has anyone used the Norma 7.7 ammo? Is it any good or does anyone have any better recommendations?

-~D~-

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

I've used the hornady brand 7.7 ammo in my type 99... It is far cheaper and no one stocks the norma 7.7 stuff in my area... Norma stuff is excellent, but I have not had the chance to use it in mine... Mine shoots the hornady ammo very well...

[Sport45]

Another place to look for information is the Arisaka Forum at Surplusrifleforum.com.

[Datamancer]

Thanks for the help, everyone. Wow you're right, the Hornady stuff is way cheaper...almost half! I'll try posting over at the other forum and see if I can get any more info. I'm not sure how much more info I'll be able to get in addition to what I was already able to figure out, but you never know.

I'm guessing that since the rest of the stock was basically glued to the main stock and clamped onto the barrel that it's not a floating-barrel rifle?

-~D~-