My father was a corporal in the 5th AAF during WWII. After the Japanese surrender, he brought back an Arisaka Type 99 rifle. I thought some of you would like to take a look at it, since he’s just given it to me.
If only it could talk…
Very cool. Does it still have the chrysanthimum etched on the top near the bolt?
It was filed down right after the war but you can still see the outline.
my dad has one of those too… it does have the chrysanthemum on the reciever… his is non-operational (missing a firing pin)
interestingly enough it has the name of the guy who “secured” it and sold it to my grandfather in Pearl Harbor, carved in the butt… what a shame…
----edit----
my dads must be a later “rushed” model too… it has the thin metal butt piece and yours appears to be rubber or something… not sure… what is it made of?
Also the stock on his is almost a burnt sienna color by now as it is not refinished or anything… the one in your pic has a beautiful sheen! something to be proud of!
Thanks for your post, Tom.
Actually the butt of the rifle is metal. I’ve oiled all the metal on it and the pictures probably could use more light, so it comes out darker than it actually is.
Your dad’s rifle is probably a lot more rare, since the chrysanthymum is intact. The US filed them down either out of respect for the Emperor or to further dishonor the Emperor…I’ve heard both.
If you get the chance to post some pictures of your dad’s rifle, I’d love to see it.
Thanks,
Kevin
looks great kevin. its in excellent condition. is it a late model? it looks like its got the wood buttplate instead of the metal one
Kevin - will do, I am going up this weekend for my nieces’ birthday and if have a chance to get by his house I will… I have the feeling this was a “Field appropriation” type thing a war trophy…
According to the markings on the rifle, I’ve been able to identify it as a Type 99, built by the Nagayo Arms Factory, between 1939 and 1945. (I got the info from http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/japanese_markings.html and some other places on the 'net.)
Thanks for your post.
Oh, by the way, the butt plate is metal.
ok cool, even better. ive heard that later in the war the japanese had to scamp on materials, and that their weapons suffered from it. yours must be from before that period, which is amazng, considering the condition its in
It’s condition is remarkable, I’ll agree. That leads me to think it was probably used in Japan, possibly by a guard at a POW camp or some similar duty. It’s a little dinged up, but that could’ve occured when the rifles were piled up together at the end of the war.
I’ve cleaned the rifle a few times, conditioning the wood and oiling the metal. However, if you take another look at the bayonet, you’ll see some “weathering” that I’ve not been able to get rid of. I assume this is a natural oxidation of the steel but I can’t rule out blood stains. I’m inclined to locate a scientific community to donate the bayonet to, just to find out if there’s any DNA samples they might be able to obtain from it.
Next stop: National Geographic (I can dream, can’t I?)
EDIT: As a side note, the weapon, with bayonet mounted, is heavy. It’s difficult to imagine a Japanese soldier trudging along in the jungle, carrying this rifle. It puts the faith in their Emperor/God ideology into perspective a little, as there was no way to honorably serve their country than by hardship and death in battle with the enemy. That’s the only thing that keeps me from utilizing more drastic measures in cleaning the bayonet. If there’s blood on it, I don’t dare to rid of it.
Another side-note, the rife fires 7.7mm rounds, which are VERY expensive. If it was even fired during WWII, it would’ve been the last time, since my father never fired it. I assume it’s safe to shoot with it (if I fork over the money for the compatible ammo) but should I risk it?
I’ll post some more pictures with the elevation/windage sights up…I completely ignored that part of the weapon.
Thats a great gift Kevin.
Your father is very generous.
[:)]
My grandfarther served australian army in the pacific during ww2. He actualy brought back one of those bayonets. He found in a camp that the japanese had abandoned prior to the australians arriving there. He has given it to me so I will try to get some pics for you all
Dave
Nice rifle … and ever more rare as the years go by. The “Sakura” flower was ordered filed off before surrendering by the Japanese government because it’s the official symbol of the Emperor and they did not wish to dishonor him. Surviving weapons that still have the flower were usually pried from a dead hand after a vicious fight before the overall surrender ever happened.
Hello all! This is my first post on the FSM Forum.
Kevin if you have a intrest in firing the rifle I would strongly suggest you bring it to a gunsmith to have the headspacing checked as well as the bore of the rifle for safety sake.
Nice rifle though!
Cheers!