Milsurp Collector
04-12-2009, 12:30 PM
Here are my most recent Japanese additions to my collection.
First, someone on Gunboards.com advertised a Type 38 with a matching bolt, a dust cover, a cleaning rod, and intact mum for $300 in mid-December 2008. I didn't have a Type 38 so I really wanted to get it. When I contacted him to arrange payment it turned out he lived 130 miles from me, so I told him I would drive down and pick it up. Then we got hit with a really bad winter storm, and then it was the Christmas holidays and still bad weather. Finally, I had one window of opportunity to get it, so at the end of December I drove for over 2 hours, at night, in the rain, to pick it up.
When he showed the Type 38 to me he turned it over and I saw an empty hole where the magazine floorplate, spring, and follower would be. "All it needs is a magazine" he said. I guess he thought it uses a detachable magazine like an AK or AR. I was disappointed but after all of that anticipation and after driving 2 hours I didn't want to come home empty-handed, so I bought it.
When I saw the Type 38 daylight I could see it was a Nagoya 26th series.
http://i39.tinypic.com/ka1j6h.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/iwjek8.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/112hjdk.jpg
There was a lot of "patina" (rust) :(
http://i44.tinypic.com/2zsqqex.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/6oz7er.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/jhsriu.jpg
The magazine catch was rusted frozen
http://i44.tinypic.com/50s9qa.jpg
as were the sling swivels
http://i41.tinypic.com/10ib9lk.jpg
and the rear sight slider
http://i44.tinypic.com/23uyb90.jpg
and the cleaning rod catch.
http://i40.tinypic.com/2cnfm9k.jpg
I was finally able to loosen the cleaning rod catch so I could remove the cleaning rod and take the rifle apart. The tangs and internal parts were somewhat rusty too
http://i44.tinypic.com/atwx1w.jpg
I soaked the rusty parts in a jar of Kroil 404 Not Found (https://secure.concentric.com/kanolabs.com/kanopnlu.html#anchor173855) and used bronze wool Bronze Wool - Pads and Reels - Grades:Fine - Medium - Coarse (http://www.steelwool.biz/Bronze_Wool.htm) and the Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner Pad Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner (http://www.big45metalcleaner.com/) to remove the rust without harming the remaining bluing. My Chapman gunsmith screwdriver set http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=510765&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=free&utm_campaign=649 helped me remove the rusty screws without damaging them further (some of the screwhead slots were already a little bunged up).
http://i39.tinypic.com/zks4sk.jpg
I had a lot of trouble finding a magazine floorplate that would fit. I got several from ebay but every single one of them were just a little bit too long and wouldn't go into place. Since all of the floorplates were too long I concluded that the problem was with the triggerguard. Since I would never get the original floorplate back (I asked the seller, it was missing the floorplate when he got it) I did some careful filing on the interfering part of the triggerguard that barely allowed the floorplates I had to fit, very tightly.
The next day, another floorplate that I had forgotten I had won on ebay arrived. Not only did this one snap into place, it was a little loose! Doh! If only I had waited one more day before filing the triggerguard! :o
After all of the derusting was done, I put it back together.
http://i43.tinypic.com/2u6cr5f.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/14t90gg.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/vf9stf.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/19kuuf.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/rm7mtz.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/2wej3uo.jpg
All of the frozen rusted parts are now freely moveable, including the magazine catch.
http://i44.tinypic.com/sgpe9x.jpg
Matching bolt
http://i44.tinypic.com/nq8x6o.jpg
dust cover
http://i42.tinypic.com/10zpbfa.jpg
front band
http://i43.tinypic.com/riahdf.jpg
triggerguard and tangs
http://i39.tinypic.com/okbfns.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2cxyrr4.jpg
magazine box
http://i41.tinypic.com/24d2904.jpg
and handguard and stock.
http://i42.tinypic.com/inqvrs.jpg
Assembly number
http://i42.tinypic.com/2mmd3ew.jpg
The rear sight
http://i40.tinypic.com/mwv8kx.jpg
is matched to the bolt catch and bolt catch spring
http://i41.tinypic.com/2ijhj4g.jpg
Then in March I got a Nagoya 4th Series Type 38 carbine with intact mum, matching bolt, a cleaning rod, a non-matching dust cover, and a repro sling for $335 on Gunbroker. This is my first Japanese carbine and fortunately it is complete and it doesn't need any cleaning up.
http://i42.tinypic.com/2myvk1k.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2jcsfbm.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/15guhj7.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/23ldw8p.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/ta3j7l.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/35mh2z8.jpg
And finally, also from Gunboards.com, a 4th Series Type 99 for $450, I got in March. Mummed, original monopod, aircraft sights, and matching except for the non-matching dust cover I added.
http://i42.tinypic.com/9h6ts2.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/28s2f6g.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/nb6kjd.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2rp6x49.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/e7i4w0.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2z815wp.jpg
The three tomodachi
http://i41.tinypic.com/mja7m1.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2gt6q81.jpg
First, someone on Gunboards.com advertised a Type 38 with a matching bolt, a dust cover, a cleaning rod, and intact mum for $300 in mid-December 2008. I didn't have a Type 38 so I really wanted to get it. When I contacted him to arrange payment it turned out he lived 130 miles from me, so I told him I would drive down and pick it up. Then we got hit with a really bad winter storm, and then it was the Christmas holidays and still bad weather. Finally, I had one window of opportunity to get it, so at the end of December I drove for over 2 hours, at night, in the rain, to pick it up.
When he showed the Type 38 to me he turned it over and I saw an empty hole where the magazine floorplate, spring, and follower would be. "All it needs is a magazine" he said. I guess he thought it uses a detachable magazine like an AK or AR. I was disappointed but after all of that anticipation and after driving 2 hours I didn't want to come home empty-handed, so I bought it.
When I saw the Type 38 daylight I could see it was a Nagoya 26th series.
http://i39.tinypic.com/ka1j6h.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/iwjek8.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/112hjdk.jpg
There was a lot of "patina" (rust) :(
http://i44.tinypic.com/2zsqqex.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/6oz7er.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/jhsriu.jpg
The magazine catch was rusted frozen
http://i44.tinypic.com/50s9qa.jpg
as were the sling swivels
http://i41.tinypic.com/10ib9lk.jpg
and the rear sight slider
http://i44.tinypic.com/23uyb90.jpg
and the cleaning rod catch.
http://i40.tinypic.com/2cnfm9k.jpg
I was finally able to loosen the cleaning rod catch so I could remove the cleaning rod and take the rifle apart. The tangs and internal parts were somewhat rusty too
http://i44.tinypic.com/atwx1w.jpg
I soaked the rusty parts in a jar of Kroil 404 Not Found (https://secure.concentric.com/kanolabs.com/kanopnlu.html#anchor173855) and used bronze wool Bronze Wool - Pads and Reels - Grades:Fine - Medium - Coarse (http://www.steelwool.biz/Bronze_Wool.htm) and the Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner Pad Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner (http://www.big45metalcleaner.com/) to remove the rust without harming the remaining bluing. My Chapman gunsmith screwdriver set http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=510765&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=free&utm_campaign=649 helped me remove the rusty screws without damaging them further (some of the screwhead slots were already a little bunged up).
http://i39.tinypic.com/zks4sk.jpg
I had a lot of trouble finding a magazine floorplate that would fit. I got several from ebay but every single one of them were just a little bit too long and wouldn't go into place. Since all of the floorplates were too long I concluded that the problem was with the triggerguard. Since I would never get the original floorplate back (I asked the seller, it was missing the floorplate when he got it) I did some careful filing on the interfering part of the triggerguard that barely allowed the floorplates I had to fit, very tightly.
The next day, another floorplate that I had forgotten I had won on ebay arrived. Not only did this one snap into place, it was a little loose! Doh! If only I had waited one more day before filing the triggerguard! :o
After all of the derusting was done, I put it back together.
http://i43.tinypic.com/2u6cr5f.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/14t90gg.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/vf9stf.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/19kuuf.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/rm7mtz.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/2wej3uo.jpg
All of the frozen rusted parts are now freely moveable, including the magazine catch.
http://i44.tinypic.com/sgpe9x.jpg
Matching bolt
http://i44.tinypic.com/nq8x6o.jpg
dust cover
http://i42.tinypic.com/10zpbfa.jpg
front band
http://i43.tinypic.com/riahdf.jpg
triggerguard and tangs
http://i39.tinypic.com/okbfns.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2cxyrr4.jpg
magazine box
http://i41.tinypic.com/24d2904.jpg
and handguard and stock.
http://i42.tinypic.com/inqvrs.jpg
Assembly number
http://i42.tinypic.com/2mmd3ew.jpg
The rear sight
http://i40.tinypic.com/mwv8kx.jpg
is matched to the bolt catch and bolt catch spring
http://i41.tinypic.com/2ijhj4g.jpg
Then in March I got a Nagoya 4th Series Type 38 carbine with intact mum, matching bolt, a cleaning rod, a non-matching dust cover, and a repro sling for $335 on Gunbroker. This is my first Japanese carbine and fortunately it is complete and it doesn't need any cleaning up.
http://i42.tinypic.com/2myvk1k.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2jcsfbm.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/15guhj7.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/23ldw8p.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/ta3j7l.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/35mh2z8.jpg
And finally, also from Gunboards.com, a 4th Series Type 99 for $450, I got in March. Mummed, original monopod, aircraft sights, and matching except for the non-matching dust cover I added.
http://i42.tinypic.com/9h6ts2.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/28s2f6g.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/nb6kjd.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2rp6x49.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/e7i4w0.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2z815wp.jpg
The three tomodachi
http://i41.tinypic.com/mja7m1.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2gt6q81.jpg