When I bought this Type 38 carbine I bought a new stock from Numrich(the old one is pretty bad)and went out to shoot. I loaded five rounds, loaded and fired, cycled the bolt and fired again, that's when I noticed the piece of brass on the ground didn't look right, it looked like this:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...03/00335-1.jpg
After I got over feeling very stupid for not checking the rifle out better(thank goodness for the strength of the Arisaka action) I unloaded the rifle and went home to see what the deal was. I soon discovered that a number of 6.5mm Jap rifles had been rechambered in .257 Roberts. I did some measuring on the spent cases and found out it is a .257 Roberts. Since then I have shot the correct ammo through it and it does good, it will hit the 200 meter NRA rams every time from the rest. You would think that the .257" bullet would be a tight squeeze in a barrel made for 6.5mm(.2559")but it works, although it may be hell on the bore. I figured I'd post this so somebody else doesn't have to learn the hard way.
Here is the 6.5mm Jap bullet:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...03/00241-1.jpg
Here is the .257:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...03/00112-1.jpg
Here is the rifle, untouched Mum and matching numbers(wouldn't you know someone would screw up a full Mum, matching rifle).
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...03/00138-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...03/00337-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...03/00629-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...03/00923-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...03/01021-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...03/01515-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...03/01713-1.jpg