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Saw an Arisaka rifle in a local shop....
- Thread starter pheenix42
- Start date
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A lot of them had the flower (can't spell cres...) removed at the end of the war. A lot of GIs brought them back with the flowers intact. You can buy ammo for it but I probably wouldn't shoot it myself. Was it a 99? What type sights? Wher and how much? I'm not going to buy it, just curious.
rimfire_crazed
Master
Yes - ammo is out there but I wouldn't consider any Arisaka safe to shoot unless i'd been throughly gone over a by a smith who is very experienced with them. Too many things could go wrong and I like all of my appendages and my eyes intact.
That's funny considering how many vets brought them home and hunted with them. The Arisaka action was touted by none other than Julian Hatcher for the strength of its action.
Ammo is... well.. challenging. It can be found but both the 6.5 and the 7.7 are pretty danged expensive.
This will help you decipher the markings:
Markings on Japanese Arisaka Rifles and Bayonets of World War II
Found this snippet to back up what I was saying and thought he said it better than I could:
Ammo is... well.. challenging. It can be found but both the 6.5 and the 7.7 are pretty danged expensive.
This will help you decipher the markings:
Markings on Japanese Arisaka Rifles and Bayonets of World War II
Found this snippet to back up what I was saying and thought he said it better than I could:
PatriotPride
Shooter
I've considered picking one up just to mount. I'd ideally like an Arisaka, Kar98K, and a Garand to mount with my Mosin 
What do Arisakas cost these days?
What do Arisakas cost these days?I've considered picking one up just to mount. I'd ideally like an Arisaka, Kar98K, and a Garand to mount with my Mosin
You got a gun fetish son?
jk, had to do it before someone else did.
DragonGunner
Grandmaster
My son has one in 7.7 Jap, its been sporterized, you can see it on his page at Glock17Man. very safe to shoot but ammo is kinda hard to find, however many have had them bored to chamber the 30/06, easy for a gunsmith to do. I think if my son doesn't sell it he will have it bored for the 30/06.
DragonGunner
Grandmaster
Ft. Wayne gun show had a guy selling a bunch of them, seems they were from 250.00 to 500.00
citizenkane
Sharpshooter
- Apr 11, 2009
- 708
- 28
They are supposed to be a very strong action. Hornaday and Norma make ammo for it but they are pricey!!! From about $1.25 to over $2.00 a round.
I wouldn't hesitate to fire an Arisaka as long as the bore is clear, numbers match, and there's nothing visually "wrong" with it. My Dad brought back 3 of them so my brothers and I each have one. We drew lots and I got the T-99 w/bayonet and sword, my brothers got T-38's. Hornady and Norma still produce both 7.7 JAP and 6.5 JAP. My T-99 (7.7) kick more than a .30-30, but less than a .30-06. It's as accurate as iron sights (and my eyes) will allow. It's definitely one that won't be leaving the family!
Indy_Guy_77
Grandmaster
- Apr 30, 2008
- 16,576
- 48
Chances are good that it was a T-99... in 7.7mm Japanese. Those SEEM to be the most common.
The Arisika action has indeed been touted as one of THE strongest rifle actions ever produced. P.O. Ackley, of the "Ackley Improved" actions and cartridges couldn't get one to blow up... And he tried. Got a Mauser action to blow up, but not an Arisika.
The ones with the mum intact ARE worth more, but they're not exactly uncommon.
Lots of them have missing dust covers, but that doesn't affect functionality.
Would be better if you were a reloader...factory stuff is expensive.
-J-
The Arisika action has indeed been touted as one of THE strongest rifle actions ever produced. P.O. Ackley, of the "Ackley Improved" actions and cartridges couldn't get one to blow up... And he tried. Got a Mauser action to blow up, but not an Arisika.
The ones with the mum intact ARE worth more, but they're not exactly uncommon.
Lots of them have missing dust covers, but that doesn't affect functionality.
Would be better if you were a reloader...factory stuff is expensive.
-J-
arisaka
these rifles are safe, BUT you have to know it is actually a rifle and not one of the blank firing only school or training rifles. some of the trainers were made with cast iron recievers and bolts making them unsafe to say the least. I suspect that this is where the notion that all arisakas are unsafe. some of the training rifles look exactly like the real service rifles and sometimes it is hard to decide if it is a good rifle or not, but there are several books and internet sites to find out if the markings are for the real rifles or not, so there is less of a problem with that. I have fired many different rifles over the years and all have shot well. even the last ditch rifles were accurate. The ammo is expensive, but buy a box or two and get set up to reload and that will come down to a reasonable price.
these rifles are safe, BUT you have to know it is actually a rifle and not one of the blank firing only school or training rifles. some of the trainers were made with cast iron recievers and bolts making them unsafe to say the least. I suspect that this is where the notion that all arisakas are unsafe. some of the training rifles look exactly like the real service rifles and sometimes it is hard to decide if it is a good rifle or not, but there are several books and internet sites to find out if the markings are for the real rifles or not, so there is less of a problem with that. I have fired many different rifles over the years and all have shot well. even the last ditch rifles were accurate. The ammo is expensive, but buy a box or two and get set up to reload and that will come down to a reasonable price.
Disposable Heart
Grandmaster
The trainers, or school rifles, have no rifling. The folks who try to shoot regular ammo out of those should not own a firearm if they do not properly examine any firearm they get!
Search the forum, there is a ton of information already asked about the Arisaka.
Search the forum, there is a ton of information already asked about the Arisaka.
Toward the end of the War the Japanese began casting the receivers on their Arisaka rifles. The cast models are NOT safe to fire with modern ammo. I saw some photos of them in the 60's where the gun went off like a grenade injuring several people near by. It was also reported that they would fire with the bolt in the upright position. 
The cast ones have a one piece upper and lower tang that is part of the receiver.
The forged ones (the good ones) have a tang that is separate from the receiver and attached to the receiver by the stock bolts.
I have the one that my Dad brought back from the Philippine Campaign that has the two piece tang/receiver assembly.
Mike
The cast ones have a one piece upper and lower tang that is part of the receiver.
The forged ones (the good ones) have a tang that is separate from the receiver and attached to the receiver by the stock bolts.
I have the one that my Dad brought back from the Philippine Campaign that has the two piece tang/receiver assembly.
Mike
ChalupaCabras
Expert
Unless there is something obviously wrong, mechanically, with the gun in question then it is perfectly safe to shoot.
Rumors of "booby traps" and other hog wash abound. They are complete unsubstantiated.
many last ditch rifles are very very rough, but they are still mechanically capable of firing a cartridge. They are rifles, not pipe bombs.Most Arisakas are NO WORSE mechanically than your average Mosin. Every Arisaka I have seen exhibited better finish than late-war 91/30s.
The fact of the matter is that 99% of Arisakas are perfectly safe to shoot. Even the dread "pipe-bomb" last ditch pieces are fired by there owners with no problems whatsoever.
This knee-jerk "jap rifles are unsafe" attitude is incorrigible, and perpetuated on nothing more than rumor.
Rumors of "booby traps" and other hog wash abound. They are complete unsubstantiated.
many last ditch rifles are very very rough, but they are still mechanically capable of firing a cartridge. They are rifles, not pipe bombs.Most Arisakas are NO WORSE mechanically than your average Mosin. Every Arisaka I have seen exhibited better finish than late-war 91/30s.
The fact of the matter is that 99% of Arisakas are perfectly safe to shoot. Even the dread "pipe-bomb" last ditch pieces are fired by there owners with no problems whatsoever.
This knee-jerk "jap rifles are unsafe" attitude is incorrigible, and perpetuated on nothing more than rumor.
Indy_Guy_77
Grandmaster
- Apr 30, 2008
- 16,576
- 48
Remember, these "last ditch" rifles were still meant to KILL THEIR ENEMIES... Not their own troops.
And they did just that with the same ammunition that they'd been using.
GunBroker auction user named Mr.Nambu has(had) 7.7 Jap for a reasonable price, I think $20 or $22 a box p/20
Also, an intact Mum means that rifle was war booty. It was brought back by a troop BEFORE the end of the war. They are worth a little more with the Mum intact.
I wouldn't be hesitant at all to shoot it, as long as it looks solid and locks up tight. I WOULD check to make sure your numbers match up, as Disposable Heart said.
They are supposed to be some of the strongest actions ever produced.
Also, an intact Mum means that rifle was war booty. It was brought back by a troop BEFORE the end of the war. They are worth a little more with the Mum intact.
I wouldn't be hesitant at all to shoot it, as long as it looks solid and locks up tight. I WOULD check to make sure your numbers match up, as Disposable Heart said.
They are supposed to be some of the strongest actions ever produced.
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Or locking lugs.
We had some dudes come into a shop I worked at looking for ammo for one of those trainers. Fortunately, we were out of ammo that day, or they might have just bought a box and been on their way.
As it was, they came over to ask if we had any more "Japanese rifle ammo" in the back. We asked if it was a 6.5 or a 7.7. They replied that they didn't know, and went out to the car and brought it into the store. It was a trainer: non-heat-treated receiver, smoothbore, no locking lugs... the works.
Shannon took one look at it and got a queasy look on his face, and told them that under no circumstances should it be fired, as it was only a drill rifle. They thought he was just making excuses for not having ammo in stock; the rifle was perfectly safe. Why, they'd already shot off the one round that granddad had left them, just that very morning!
After they left, Shannon looked at me and said "There go the three luckiest morons in East Tennessee."
I never heard of anybody getting blowed up with one later, so I guess when they got across town to someplace that did have some Norma in stock @ $2.00/round, it changed their mind about shooting. (A Type 99 with a ground-off Mum is one of the few rifles whose Blue Book value fluctuates noticeably depending on how many rounds are in the magazine...)
