Arisaka Type 99, my first C&R purchase :)

[Darkemp]

Looks like a home DIY job to me. Non-matching bent bolt subtracts, not adds value.

 

[6pack]

I'll be at the Howard County show this weekend, maybe I'll get lucky and find some parts and get a straight bolt.

 

[Chaunsey]

very nice!

the bolt doesnt match, so i would definitely go ahead and get a new bolt body, just stash the old the old one as a spare, im not familiar with japanese snipers, but even if it were a sniper bent bolt, its non matching and doesnt do anything for your rifles value.

heres a good page on arisaka markings that should answer some questions about various markings all over.

http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/japanese_markings.html

the marking under the mum says type 99 basically.

 

[6pack]

Okay, after I posted I went back to one of the links posted earlier (same one you posted Chaunsey) and was able to determine that is says '99type' like you say. And that the serial number is the 3,200,000 range.

Is the bolt serial number supposed to be the last three of the receiver serial number?

 

[Darkemp]

Okay, after I posted I went back to one of the links posted earlier (same one you posted Chaunsey) and was able to determine that is says '99type' like you say. And that the serial number is the 3,200,000 range.

Is the bolt serial number supposed to be the last three of the receiver serial number?

Yep. Last 3 are supposed to match.

 

[Darkemp]

Okay, after I posted I went back to one of the links posted earlier (same one you posted Chaunsey) and was able to determine that is says '99type' like you say. And that the serial number is the 3,200,000 range.

Is the bolt serial number supposed to be the last three of the receiver serial number?

The serial number corresponds to the series which is how these are dated. They start in series 1 from 1-99,999, then series 2 1-99,999 and so forth.

 

[dad4]

In addition to getting a mono-pod I would try to find a cleaning rod and dust cover to complete your rifle. This is what collectors like to see, also.

 

[6pack]

Okay, I'll keep my eyes open for those too. Thanks!

 

[tourrider]

Its almost impossible to find an arisaka with a matching bolt. I'm told this is because when they were surrendered to US forces, the rifles were put in one pile, and the bolts in another, likely to prevent any of them from being used against them. I've never seen one with an original jap scope, but I guess you can never say never. The receiver should have some type of fixture/holes for mounting one, and the pictures you show don't reflect that.

I picked up a 99 about 14 years ago. Been in my cabinet since. A buddy gave it to me to get it out of his house. I just pulled it out to see all the numbers are matching, the "mum" is clean, but I can't make out the series mark. Might be a "last ditch". Did the "last ditch" have the anti aircraft rear sight?

 

[Chaunsey]

I picked up a 99 about 14 years ago. Been in my cabinet since. A buddy gave it to me to get it out of his house. I just pulled it out to see all the numbers are matching, the "mum" is clean, but I can't make out the series mark. Might be a "last ditch". Did the "last ditch" have the anti aircraft rear sight?

there are many stages of "last ditch" im not sure which if any had AA sights, however there are much more obvious features to a last ditch rifle, usually you can tell simply by the rough stock, certain simplified parts etc.

 

[6pack]

Do you have the bayonet? If my research is correct, the last ditch had flat handles versus a curved/molded shape.

 

[mawkie]

Welcome to the world of Japanese small arms! Bent bolt can be fixed. Don Schlickman and "riceone" over at the Japanese Forum on Gunboards can both straighten bolts. If yours is matching you don't want to lose it if possible.
When I get home I'll try to remember to look up the specifics for your T99 in Don Voigt's reference book. There's a good chance that it was shipped from the factory minus the 'pod as these were discontinued early in production (but the middle band w. pod mount was used for quite some time afterwards). And early Arisakas usually don't match via the SN. They used a 3 digit assembly number that normally didn't match the last 3 digits of the SN. Don's book will give an idea as to how your rifle should be serialized.

 

[6pack]

Good to know mawkie. I look forward to hearing what you say. What's the name of the reference book you're referencing? I'd like to get a copy.

 

[mawkie]

Here your go...
Manuf. by Toyo Kogyo under Kokura supervision
32nd series produced in the latter half of 1943
Parts match via last 3 digits of SN on bayonet lug, bolt and safety
Dust cover installed thru SN 56,000 (so yours would have left the factory with a DC)
Short cleaning rod used starting around SN 40,000
Entire series had rear sight w. AA wings
Safety, blued knurled w. notched indicator
Stock, up to SN 50,000 was two pc butt, urushi finish
Three screw uppper band used to SN 50,000
Lower band w. or w.o. pod up to SN 50,000
Hot salt blue finish used through out the series
This

 

[6pack]

Thanks mawkie, great info! So I need a short cleaning rod and the bolt is garbage. Hopefully someone at the Howard County show will have something, otherwise I'll start searching the inter web.

 

[6pack]

Well, not much was to be had for the Arisaka at Howard County, but I did find a bayonet. It was tagged as a M-99, not sure what that means, I don't see any references to M-99 in the stuff I have. According to the seller it came off a Type 99 GI bring back that he had and was bought by someone that didn't want the bayonet.

The first pic is a little fuzzy.

According to the reference material, this was produced in the Mukden Arsenal in Manchuria. Everything about it seems correct for being produced there.

The scabbard doesn't have any dings or dents but does have these little patches of rust all over it. What's the best way to get them out?

I saw a used reference book for Japanese military rifles, but the guy wanted $100 for it because it was signed. He said an unsigned one would still cost $50-75. Seems too much for a used reference book that wasn't that big, but maybe someone here will tell me otherwise.

 

[bbrown]

The scabbard doesn't have any dings or dents but does have these little patches of rust all over it. What's the best way to get them out?

Slather it with CLP, let it set for a while, then wipe it down. That should stop the rust spots. Anything more would be changing its character. Using 0000 steel wool, for example, would tend to remove the finish.

The most important thing is to stop the rust from spreading.

 

[6pack]

Hmmm, guess I didn't pay enough attention to my rifle: there's no bayonet lug. Are they available anywhere?

 

[Chaunsey]

liberty tree has some

https://www.libertytreecollectors.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=1573&idcategory=83

they have bolt bodies too.

https://www.libertytreecollectors.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=1588&idcategory=83

 

[6pack]

Thanks! I see Ebay has some stuff too. It looks like the front band did not have a bayonet lug on there. Is that relelvant in any way?

I also searched Amazon for stuff and found a couple other books in the $10-20 range. I bought a couple (Japanese 7.7 Arisaka Type 99 Rifle Collector Handbook; Japanese Rifles of World War II) and will let you know how they are.

EDIT: On a closer inspection of my front lug, I can see what looks like saw marks where someone cut the bayonet lug off. Jackasses. I bought one of the Liberty Tree front bands to replace it and got a couple of the brass stripper clips for the hell of it while I was checking out.