Last ditch Arisaka, even worth it?

[hippykiller]

Are they even worth it, or should I hold out and get one of the older one's?

 

[jontheturboguy]

How much?

 

[hippykiller]

How much?

100.00-150.00

 

[ncthorn]

At that price, even if it is a last ditch, if condition is good, I would buy.

 

[curraheeguns]

At that price, even if it is a last ditch, if condition is good, I would buy.

+1

I wouldn't shoot it but I would buy it.

 

[Crystalship1]

+1

I wouldn't shoot it but I would buy it.

That's a cheap piece of history!!!

 

[Disposable Heart]

A few things to consider: Even some of the last ditches are shooters.

1. Bore/rifling: Good or bad? Keep in mind, they have the Lee Metford rifling, so when you look at it, think Glock rifling. Made them VERY easy to clean, however many believe the rifling is worn upon first glance. If it is a smooth bore (not a touch of rifling), DO NOT SHOOT IT! It is a school rifle, not designed to even shoot one round.
2. Matching bolt and other parts: Do the 3 of the rifle's digits match the digits on the bolt (may have to remove it to do so)? If so, it saves you getting headspace checked (though it may be a good idea anyways).
3. What caliber? Many dealers attempt to pass off "last ditch rifles" (which actually have higher collectibility value than the shooters) as the real deal. If it is 7.7, then chances are higher it is a last ditch. If it is 6.5, then the guy is pulling your leg.
4. Reciever: Condition, cracks, etc... Also, check to see if the reciever looks thick in all areas and is it cast poorly? (lots of holes and pores) If you see a ton of pores in the metal, you have a potentially bad situation.
5. Sights: They shifted to VERY cheap looking sights, almost like a marlin rimfire situation, very cheaply made, stamped steel. If not, you may have a decent gun, not a last ditch.
6. Chroming: Yes, the good ones have a gray bore, as they were chromed. A slight accuracy hit, but VERY easy to clean with the rifling type and chroming. Only at the end of the war did they stop chroming. The non-chomers are usually last ditch but can still have good recievers and bolts, check everything, not just the sights and bore.

Keep in mind, lots of dealers/people try to pass off a good rifle as a last ditch because collectors of Arisakas (few and far between) like to collect them over shooters. School rifles fetch a HUGE price if the parts match. If they dont have the bad things above, they are great shooters. Alot of the last ditch rifles are really good safe shooters, but buying ANY Arisaka is an exercise in patience. You should have it headspaced, not due to Japanese manufacturing (VERY good might I add), but as returning GIs were asked to remove the bolts on returning rifles, then they get mixed up in a bag. They arent given the same bolt, unfortunately. Many Arisakas have survived lots of rounds by strength alone, relying on a non-matching bolt. Also, the Ackley testing was done with the 6.5, NOT the 7.7 actions. They never did pressure testing on the 7.7, people tend to generalize the Arisaka action as the best. The 6.5s were great, the 7.7s were a little hit and miss (but still stronger than the Enfield actions).

I would say buy it anyways, they make awesome projects and exercises in ridding one's self of instant gratification. The Arisaka today is still a VERY accurate rifle, however, handloading becomes almost necessary, but VERY rewarding as many Arisakas are MOA rifles with decent bores. My Father's sporterized 6.5 is a SUB MOA rifle, getting cloverleaf patterns with an old Redfield scope from the 50s mounted onto the reciever (they now offer non-gunsmithing rear sight replacements for scope mounting). Also, if you see a hole in the top of the chamber, that is okay, it was desgined for that. If I remember correctly, the 6.5 has two smaller ones, 7.7 one. They allow for gas to blow out in cases of overpressure.

 

[Serial Crusher]

I got a Type-99 when one of my uncles died. It is a prewar rifle with a ground mum. It has matching numbers and a bayonet that has the same arsenal markings. The dust cover is long gone, though. It is a great rifle, but if you're considering buying it to shoot you should look elsewhere. I'm sure Tokyo Rose is right about the accuracy of the rifles, but even finding reloading components for 7.7 can be a serious pain. There are a few places where you can pick up factory loads, but for the price you could be shooting a K31 in short order.

 

[Hiram2005]

I have a last ditch with the mum intact. 7.7 mm. Have 2 boxes of Norma ammo and a bayonet, with the dust cover. I have shot it twice. Bought it at the old Broad Ripple Sport Shop about 32-34 years ago.

 

[Serial Crusher]

I got an ancient box of Norma ammo with mine, most of it was showing some corrosion. I had just read the story about P.O. Ackley trying to blow them up and how well they handled case failure, so I decided to give it a shot. I picked one that wasn't too badly corroded, sighted up and pop ... fizzle ... nothing. I waited a few seconds and then ejected the round, it was spent, and a look down the muzzle showed me that the primer had just enough oomph to push the bullet into the rifling. I tapped it out with a cleaning rod, cleaned the rifle and hung it on the wall. So that's about all my experience with the Type-99. The ammo was badly corroded, but it's still in the original Norma box, with the info hand written on a sticker on one of the flaps. It says 5.7 Jap - 8/55

 

[Walt_Jabsco]

Honestly, as historical value goes, even if the rifle isn't really up to shooting, the last ditch Arisakas are such an interesting piece of history that it's probably worth buying.

It really is remarkable that, in the face of certain defeat and complete lack of supplies, the Japanese continued to fight nonetheless.

 

[KoopaKGB]

Fought to the death or commit suicide as a way to maintain their honor. A very respectable culture, similar to our own military "death before dishonor."

 

[Mgderf]

I found some 7.7 Jap ammo from a Mr. Nambu on GunBroker. Price wasn't that bad at all. I also found a set of dies for the 7.7 a year or so ago, but haven't tried to find componenys yets. I still hjave a couple hundred loaded rounds.

 

[edporch]

I realize this is a very old thread, but DuckDuckgo popped it up as I was researching them.
But the idea that so-called "last ditch" Arisakas are simply unsafe to shoot is not accurate.

YES, as the war went on, Japan manufactured the Arisaka 99's with less fit, finish, and simplification of some parts to reduce the steel used (for example, the wooden buttplate).
BUT, if you see one that has all the arsenal, series and serial number markings that it was accepted for military use, it's just as safe to fire an any other.
In fact, the Arisaka actions were destructive tested, and found to be among the very strongest bolt actions in the war.

Here's a good video about them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHTk6HoxZC0

 

[DangerousDave]

You could part the rifle out and double your money on E-Bay. The stocks alone are bringing $200, barrels $75 , metal hardware $50 on up. It would be ashamed to part it out though, as it is an unique piece of history. Just giving you an example that the asking price is well worth it. I have a last ditch type 99 that I have shot numerous times. It is deadly accurate. I started out a skeptic about these rifles and have developed an affinity for them. I can remember when you could buy them for $30 all day long. Those days are long gone. I would jump on it for the price they are asking.

 

[johny5]

OP - thanks for posting the question. I'd never heard of a 'last ditch' Arisaka before. Spent some time on the google machine reading about them. Cool piece of history!

 

[natdscott]

Meanwhile, the ‘34 Tokyo I have has been full-meal-deal handloaded for, in reformed .220 Swift casings.

You might be surprised at the accuracy and speeds on the good ones, with a 140 Sierra. I shot a match or two with it, and I don’t have to apologize around a Springfield.

The softpoint Gameking is pretty nasty on “things” as well.

 

[DadSmith]

+1

I wouldn't shoot it but I would buy it.

If you reload soft shooting rds say 2,000 fps would that be okay with these rifles or are they just that unsafe?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

If you reload soft shooting rds say 2,000 fps would that be okay with these rifles or are they just that unsafe?

They're not unsafe. As edporch noted above, the Arisaka actions were one of, if not the strongest actions of any WWII rifles. The only thing they did with the "last ditch" rifles was to cut corners on the fit and finish, sights and of course the stock (wooden butt plate instead of steel).

 

[DadSmith]

They're not unsafe. As edporch noted above, the Arisaka actions were one of, if not the strongest actions of any WWII rifles. The only thing they did with the "last ditch" rifles was to cut corners on the fit and finish, sights and of course the stock (wooden butt plate instead of steel).

I must have skipped over his post. Thanks for the information and heads up.