Wish me luck

[Aragorn243]

I got the metal cleaned up about as good as it's going to get with the exception of the bolt perhaps. I'm satisfied with it. Stock is going to take some work. I wiped it once with linseed oil and it loosened up some of it.

[Bill Hollinger]

That cleaned up very nice! I would love to get a type 38.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Great find Aragorn 243. That looks like an original "urushi" finish. Read up about it on the internet before doing anything to that surface. And do NOT slosh diesel oil over it. Or anything else that you would not apply to a piece of antique Japanese lacquerware - because, although industrially produced, that is effectively what it is!

[Aragorn243]

Patrick,

No fear, I have no diesel fuel. I've wiped it down a few times with linseed oil, put it on heavy to let it dissolve some of the grime and then wiped it off. Not a whole lot coming off anymore but I'll probably do it again this evening. Cloth was pretty black the first time, much less so the second. I hit the metal again and got some more rust off of it. Wiped it down pretty well with lots of Rem oil and steel wool and the rust seems to be lifting up out of the pits. It isn't pitted bad or deep but there are plenty of tiny pits on much of the exposed metal, mostly the barrel. I'm just amazed that the blueing was still under all of that. Asked a fellow about it yesterday and he said it most likely seeps in to a certain depth, I always assumed it was just surface.

I'm happy with it. I'd like to get the bore brightened up a bit but I'm not going to ruin it to do so. The rifling looks good, maybe a few rounds through it will help.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

She looks a bit lonely without a pointy tip.

[Aragorn243]

The bayonet I have. At issue is that I have both a 99 and a 38 now and one bayonet. Do I buy a second one for this one or not. I'm leaning toward not at this point unless I get one for a really good price. I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice for each to have it's own but I have a few other rifles I'd like to get first.

[Midmichigun]

Aragorn,
I would keep my eyes peeled for a bayo. I have noticed that they have been going up in price.... so what you buy now, will probably save you money in the future. I think I am either even with bayo's to rifles... or slightly more bayo's in the collection. I find more rifles than bayo's up here so I am "pre purchasing" them for future acquisitions!
Same thing with slings and accessories... there appears to be more interest in Japanese stuff as time goes on... so I am currently outfitting my rifles with their "gear" before buying more rifles...

Thanks for posting... I think you "done good"!

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Aragorn
The prices seem to have softened a bit in recent weeks on e-bay. Watch close and you can pick one up in condition to match the rifle without busting the budget. OTS did you see the No 4 MK 1 Cruciform sell for big $ a few days ago? I thought about you when I saw it.

[Aragorn243]

did you see the No 4 MK 1 Cruciform sell for big $ a few days ago? I thought about you when I saw it.

I did not, how much did it go for?

Funding for this rifle and the Swiss 1911 were from a good stockpile of scrap metal I had saved over the years. That's nearly dried up and what's left is accounted for in an M95 Steyr I'll be picking up in the next week or so. So unless I break down and figure out how to get a massive pile of insulated copper wire out of storage and to the scrap yard I'm done for a bit. Then I believe I'm going to start saving for a CMP Garand. No more auctions until August anyway.

I may start watching the bayonets, you guys almost have me talked into it. I do want to get a sling and a dust cover for it, probably repros for now. I'm going to watch for a bolt with "66" markings too and see what happens.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

SOLD $142
CURRENT LISTINGS $225 AND $380
I have a couple of the repro japanese frogs. Quality is good on those. IMA I think. The original slings and frogs are CRAZY high on e-bay so I am going to purchase a repo sling in place of my original for range trips. Scrap is high here. A local company has just opened a scrap operation behind our office. You did a nice job on bring the 38 back to proper shape. Good stewardship. I know you will enjoy it. Hornaday ammo is reasonable (relitively speeking) at Sportsmansguide.com.