Arisaka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Arisaka rifle
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| Type | Bolt-Action Service Rifle |
| Place of origin |  Empire of Japan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1898-1945 |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Nariakira Arisaka |
| Designed | 1897 |
| Variants | Type 30, 38, 44, 97, 99 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 50 in (1270 mm) long version |
| Barrel length | 31.4 in (798 mm) long version |
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| Cartridge | 6.5x50mm Arisaka 7.7x58mm Arisaka |
| Action | Mauser-Type Straight Bolt |
| Rate of fire | N/A |
| Muzzle velocity | 2400 ft/s (730 m/s) |
| Effective range | 400 m |
| Feed system | 5 |
Arisaka Rifle (有坂銃 Arisaka-jū) is a family of Japanese military bolt-action rifles, in production from approximately 1898 until the end of World War II in 1945. The most common specimens include the Type 38 rifle chambered in the 6.5x50mm Arisaka cartridge, and the Type 99 rifle chambered in the 7.7x58mm Japanese cartridge. Many thousands of Type 99s were brought to the United States by GIs during and after World War II.
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[edit] History
The Arisaka Rifle was designed by Colonel Nariakira Arisaka (有坂 成章; 1852 - 1915), who was later promoted to Lieutenant General and also received the title of baron from Emperor Meiji, in 1907. Several productions runs were made, with later models being made more cheaply, for example the ovoid bulb-shaped bolt of earlier runs was replaced by a smaller and utilitarian cylindrical shape.
The Arisaka bolt-action rifle saw heavy use everywhere the Japanese Imperial Army fought. Prior to WWII, Arisakas were used by the British Navy, Russian Army, in Finland and Albania. The Czech Legion that fought in the Russian Revolution were almost entirely armed with Type 30 & 38 Arisakas. Many captured Arisaka rifles were employed by neighboring countries both during and after World War II, in places such as China, Thailand and Cambodia. However, after the Japanese surrender in the summer of 1945, all manufacturing of rifles and ammunition stopped abruptly, causing the Arisaka to quickly become obsolete. Since most Imperial Japanese Armoury contents were thrown into Tokyo Harbour after the signing of the surrender, spare ammunition also became rare.
One of the final standing orders of the Imperial Army was to file off the Emperor's family chrysanthemum insignia, or mon, from each of the rifles, thereby preventing dishonor from having the symbol fall into surrender. Therefore, the value of one of the rifles to a collector is slightly higher if the insignia, referred to by collectors as a "mum", is intact, as this implies the rifle was captured on the battlefield prior to Japan's surrender. The only insignias that survive on Arisakas are those brought back to the USA by GIs as war trophies, and those captured by Chinese forces. Some of the Chinese captured Arisakas were later exported to the United States, including some Type 38 carbines rebarrelled and rechambered for the standard Chinese 7.62x39mm round. Most removed mums were completely ground off, but some were merely defaced with a chisel or had the number "0" stamped repeatedly along the edges. The latter was usually done with rifles removed from military service (and thus no longer the Emperor's property) prior to the end of the war, including rifles given to schools or sold to other nations.
[edit] Details
Caution should be exercised with all Japanese rifles, both due to lower quality of the "last ditch" rifles produced near the end of the war, and because many Arisaka rifles brought back by GIs were often modified to use different and more readily available ammunition than the original Japanese calibers. Additionally, these rifles were sometimes required to be rendered inoperable prior to being shipped to home. These rifles may have been demilled (permanently damaging the receiver) or simply be missing parts. In the latter case, missing parts may be obtained through a number of sources.
Type 38 Arisakas were commonly rechambered to the readily available and popular .257 Roberts, as it and the original 6.5x50SR share case and projectile diameters, differing only in case length - the .257 being slightly longer.
The Japanese Type 99 in 7.7 x 58mm was sometimes converted to .30-06, which is of similar but not identical dimensions. While the .30-06 can be fired by lengthening the chamber of the rifle slightly (from 58 to 63mm), the 7.7 case is slightly wider than the .30-06 and uses a slightly larger-diameter bullet, meaning a .30-06 cartridge case will swell slightly to fit the oversized chamber, and a standard .30-06 bullet with a .308 diameter will not provide a good fit to the .310-312 diameter rifling.
Fortunately, ammunition for the Type 99 Arisaka rifle can easily be made by running 30-06 cases through a 7.7 die and trimming to length. British .303 bullets (Speer 150 Grain) work well with 45.0 Grains of DuPont 4064 powder. Federal 210 primers are a good choice. Norma manufactures loaded ammunition for the 7.7 X 58mm, as well as making new brass available for reloaders. Hornady also manufactures new Arisaka ammunition in both 6.5mm and 7.7mm calibers. Since the base of the 7.7 X 58mm is slightly larger than the .30-06 (thereby causing varying amounts of bulging of reformed brass in this area), some owners may find it preferable to use the Norma brass or new factory cartridges. Bullets and powder charges of inexpensive surplus .303 British ammunition may also be loaded into 7.7 X 58mm cases to produce a rifle cartridges with ballistics that are similar to the original Japanese military load.
[edit] Gallery
 Full view of the Type 99 |
 Buttstock of the Type 99 |
 Locked Type 99 bolt |
 Unlocked Type 99 bolt |
 Close-up of the Type 99 bolt |
Ground "mum" |
 Barrel of the Type 99 showing rifling |
 Type 99 sights (antiaircraft calipers missing) |
 Type 99 bayonet |
 Type 99 bayonet attached |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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