Co-worker needs help ID'ing Rifle

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  • todbiker

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 11, 2012
    1,245
    Laurel, Maryland
    Eric says this belonged to his father, a WWII navy vet.
    I couldn't find a manufacturer's name or a date on it, but didn't try and remove the stock. Could only get the bolt carrier to close.

    The muzzle looked almost like the size of a .22 but the chamber looked closer in size to a centerfire caliber? There was no daylight looking down the bore, so it's either heavily corroded or was non-firing used for training purposes.

    I don't have much depth of knowledge with regards to C&R, so he now knows it appears to be a rusty old rifle from my 2 cents. :D

    Here are some pics
    https://goo.gl/photos/ZWUmD95s6AbKSyqEA
     
    Last edited:

    ohen cepel

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 2, 2011
    4,509
    Where they send me.
    The bayonet looks to be Japanese. Any markings on it at all? That said, the bayonet may not belong with the rifle. The Japanese did make many training rifles so that is my current guess pending markings of some sort.
     

    tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo

    mgbill

    Active Member
    Apr 19, 2007
    370
    Mount Airy, MD
    It's a Type I Japanese Arisaka/Carcano: https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=388778
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_I_Rifle

    Made by Italy for use in Japan with the 6.5x50mm round. They were pretty much exclusively distributed to the Japanese Navy. That's why there's no mum or Japanese markings on it. That's a Type 30/35 bayonet that went with it.

    Rarer than Arisakas from what I understand, but the condition on that one is well.... uuuuuugly.

    Bingo - looks just like mine, except for the poor condition.
     

    KH195

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 10, 2013
    1,550
    Virginia
    Agree with the above and will add that the bayonet looks to be a Type 30 training bayonet based on its construction.
     

    tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo
    As to the bore being filled, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's filled with dirt and rust. Given the severe pitting to the exterior of the barrel and action, I'm guessing it was brought home and either never shot, or shot, but never cleaned. There are a couple of choices here that your buddy could go with. He can have it professionally restored, but I'm guessing that it's going to be extremely expensive to do so. It's a family heirloom though, so that might outweigh the cost. He can leave it like it is and have a wall-hanger that will continue to deteriorate over time, or he can build an electrolysis setup for rust removal without damaging any remaining bluing on the weapon and then treat it with a rust preventative to clean it up a bit without damaging any collector value left in it. My guess is that if the barrel is that bad, it's not going to be a "shooter" and will always just be a conversation piece regardless of what route he takes.
     

    Cruacious

    C&R Farmer
    Apr 29, 2015
    1,595
    Elkton
    As to the bore being filled, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's filled with dirt and rust. Given the severe pitting to the exterior of the barrel and action, I'm guessing it was brought home and either never shot, or shot, but never cleaned. There are a couple of choices here that your buddy could go with. He can have it professionally restored, but I'm guessing that it's going to be extremely expensive to do so. It's a family heirloom though, so that might outweigh the cost. He can leave it like it is and have a wall-hanger that will continue to deteriorate over time, or he can build an electrolysis setup for rust removal without damaging any remaining bluing on the weapon and then treat it with a rust preventative to clean it up a bit without damaging any collector value left in it. My guess is that if the barrel is that bad, it's not going to be a "shooter" and will always just be a conversation piece regardless of what route he takes.

    Could also be a very simple cleaning it needs. But, given the condition, I'd look into getting it thrown into an electrolysis tank to dissolve the rust. It will be the most effective method at this point.
     

    K-43

    West of Morning Side
    Oct 20, 2010
    1,881
    PG
    Here's a good link for you. http://candrsenal.com/rifle-carcano-type-i/
    The dead giveaway is the funky Carcano safety lever and split-bridge receiver combined with the internal box magazine.
    They were manufactured in Italy for a Japanese Navy contract in 1938-39.
    They don't have much in the way of markings to begin with. They weren't "scrubbed" of Meiji Chrysanthemums like most Japanese rifles were before being "surrendered" to the US occupation forces because there was no chrysanthemum to grind off.
    Finland also received Carcano rifles from Italy in 1939 for use in the war with the Soviet Union. Despite the bad rep they got in the US after WWII, the Carcano's were sturdy weapons.
     

    todbiker

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 11, 2012
    1,245
    Laurel, Maryland
    Here's a good link for you. http://candrsenal.com/rifle-carcano-type-i/
    The dead giveaway is the funky Carcano safety lever and split-bridge receiver combined with the internal box magazine.
    They were manufactured in Italy for a Japanese Navy contract in 1938-39.
    They don't have much in the way of markings to begin with. They weren't "scrubbed" of Meiji Chrysanthemums like most Japanese rifles were before being "surrendered" to the US occupation forces because there was no chrysanthemum to grind off.
    Finland also received Carcano rifles from Italy in 1939 for use in the war with the Soviet Union. Despite the bad rep they got in the US after WWII, the Carcano's were sturdy weapons.

    Great link, I'll pass it on to my co-worker, thanks :thumbsup:
     

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