My Type 99 Arisaka, should I fire it?

[rcgoodall93]

Hello,

I recently got me a Type 99 Arisaka at a Gun show and I love it but I have not fired it and I am not too sure wheather or not it shoots a 30-06 or a 7.7 Jap. I have a 30-06 on hand and it appears to chamber correctly but there are no markings indicating it can shoot it so what should I do?

Possible Solutions I have came up with:

1. GO to a gunsmith and have them identify it. I called one to day and they said it would be $40 or more and I am tight on cash right now.

2. Wait for my 7.7 Jap ammo to get here so that I can compare with the 30-06 round and attempt to fire it.

So guys, what should I do? Would it be very dangerous to shoot the 30-06 round out of the 7.7 barrel? Or would it be safe to shoot a 7.7 Jap out of a 30-06 barrel? Help me out guys because I just got into rifles and I don't quite understand it all yet.

Thanks for any help I can get,

Robert

PS: If you want photo's of the gun, I can get them on here for you

Information

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[Longbranch303]

heck, im no expert but I have to think that with the costs of buying the wrong ammo, and possible medical bills if something bad happens, the $40 to have it checked out and given a clean bill of health by a competent gunsmith is a good deal

[rcgoodall93]

Well, if I was going to fire it, I would put it on a vicegrip with a string for pulling the trigger. I know the idea of shooting it stupid but at least it is safe at a distance

[vintage hunter]

What you should do is NOT fire it until it's been determined if it's safe to do so. If your 99's bolt will close on an '06 round spend the 40 bucks and have it checked. Quite a few 99's were rechambered to 30-06 in the 50's and 60's because there was no supply of 7.7x58 ammo beyond what was brought home by returning GI's. The quality of these conversions ranged from excellent to down right sloppy. I think some may have even been done in garages with drill bits for reamers. If it is proven safe to shoot with 30-06 ammo don't be dissappointed if the accuracy isn't what you expected it to be, 7.7 bores are in the .311''-.315'' range and 30-06 bullet diameter is .308'' so it will be a loose fit.

[rcgoodall93]

Well, I took it outside with a 30-06 round and the bolt would go all the way forward but not over to lock the bullet in. So does this mean it is still 7.7 Jap?

[vintage hunter]

Take Longbranch303's advice and spend the $$ to have it checked out. Any answer you get to your last question would at the very best be only a guess because none of us here are able to see the rifle for ourselves.

[barbarossa]

My gut feeling is your rifle is still chambered for the 7.7 round which is just a few millimeters shorter than the .30/06. That would explain why the bolt is not locking down but a cartridge will slide into the chamber.

Some of the early Type 99 barrels are bored a bit smaller and give decent accuracy with the 'oh six' round. I had an Arisaka sporter awhile back rechambered for .30/06 and the bullet was a tight fit at the muzzle.

Personally, I vote for the string test with a proper 7.7mm round. If the cartridge case hasn't blown out or separated at the shoulder after test firing, you know it's good to go. The Arisaka action is plenty strong enough to survive the experiment with little ill effect. I've done this a couple of times in the past in just such a situation with no problems.

If in doubt, take it in to a gunsmith and pay him some money.

[rcgoodall93]

Well, I took the Type 99 out today because I got my 7.7 Jap ammo in the mail. My father inspected the gun and fired the 7.7 Jap round and it fired great so problem solved! Thanks everyone for your advice, I know I can trust you all for sure now