Japanese Militaria at Castle-Thunder.com

stenzilla · Joined: Nov 08 2003 Posts: 10 Location: WESTERN NEW YORK

hello all, first post, and first Japanese arisaka!
my t-99 came with the monopod barrel band, does this mean the pod belongs on this rifle, i need to know before i go looking for the pod? also, this rifle is incomplete, but the front two pieces of stock, upper and lower easily come loose from the major portion stock and slide towards the front sight. think it is lose, or is something missing?
s/n is 32145 followed by an upside-down 8 in a circle, has complete aircraft rear sight, all matching except bolt. this rifle was well made, with no rough or crude milling or turning, some blue remains under the wood.
any comments are welcomed. seeking a few parts including the mag follower with spring, front sight guard, dust cover, and maybe the monopod! thanks, "zilla"

riceone · Joined: Aug 22 2003 Posts: 86 Location: Mississippi Delta

The lower part of your stock has been sawed in two at the screw hole for the rear band. This was done to reduce the length in order to get it home from over seas. It can be dowled back together and glued. Look at the wood near the bayonet band and see if there are any wear marks on the wood. If it ever had a pod there will be marks there. Good luck with you find, you'll have to have several more to keep it company. riceone.
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stenzilla · Joined: Nov 08 2003 Posts: 10 Location: WESTERN NEW YORK

riceone, many thanks for the reply! for the life of me i couldn't figure this one out. this helps a lot, and of course you're correct, one simply won't do. i learned that lesson with the steyr m-95's straight-pulls and their varients, i have ten of them!
is this what is called "duffle-cut"? after reading about struck mums, i looked at mine closer to find the one who struck mine didn't have his heart in it, a few slices with a file is all, leaving almost all of it intact. i've learned a lot in a few days about this rifle, but i've got a habit of trying to collect one of each of whatever i'm into at the time, it didn't work with confederate banknotes, and it certainly won't work with Japanese rifles! let's see how far i can get? thanks again, back soon. "zilla"

strangms · Joined: Aug 22 2003 Posts: 35 Location: Tennessee

Go to the link listed below and see what series your rifle is, this will also help to determine about the pod.

A duffel-cut was done to get the rifle into one's duffel bag so that it could be brought home without anyone seeing it.

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

strangms
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strangms

stenzilla · Joined: Nov 08 2003 Posts: 10 Location: WESTERN NEW YORK

thanks for the link, i now have a nagoya arsenal rifle, i couldn't find where the series symbol is to be found, i'll need that to determing year of manufacture. thanks, "zilla"

p.s. i just pinned and glued the duffle-cut stock together, i just couldn't be more pleased so far!!!!

strangms · Joined: Aug 22 2003 Posts: 35 Location: Tennessee

Looking at the serial number, it would be to the left of it.
If there is not one, then it would be a no series, the first ones made.

strangms
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strangms

stenzilla · Joined: Nov 08 2003 Posts: 10 Location: WESTERN NEW YORK

strangms, there is no series symbol, i guess mine was among the first 100,000 made! at 32145, maybe 1939? it may account for the still fine workmanship. my barrel is as smooth as can be, even under the wood.
even though i have a lot of cleaning to do, and mending the stock, i did very well for a rifle that was given me, of course, any extra milsurp money will go to finding the missing parts, which i'm finding aren't cheap.
randy

riceone · Joined: Aug 22 2003 Posts: 86 Location: Mississippi Delta

since you are new to Japanese, resist the temptation to sand the stock and refinish to make it "pretty" just clean the stock and maybe put some floor wax on it. You ruin the value as well as collectability when you fool with the finish. riceone
_________________
Most people who preach tolerance are very intolerate.

stenzilla · Joined: Nov 08 2003 Posts: 10 Location: WESTERN NEW YORK

riceone, thanks for the tip. i never refinish a milsurp's wood. i may steel wool the stock to remove any loose flakes. i just scored some important parts needed to complete the rifle. mag follower with spring, long type cleaning rod and dust cover. most of this rifle won't match, just the reciever and bayo lug, but being more or less complete it important to me as a collector. what do any of you guys think? randy

p.s. i can't divulge the cost of the parts, a bit embarrasing, but when you're hooked, you're hooked!

gwsiii · Joined: Aug 21 2003 Posts: 2237 Location: Hayden, AL

I remember my first Arisaka too....Still got it, my Grandfather brought it back from the Occupation, with two swords. They get a little addictive. Welcome to the board, Good Luck, and thanks for posting! Trey