Type 38 "parts rifle"

I was at a flea market today and came across a guy with some old beat up rifles. One was a near complete type 38 which was missing the bolt and a few other small parts. Stock is in bad shape, looks nearly black in color and has some nasty cracks in the butt area. He called it a parts rifle. It has it's mum although it is thin. Not scrubbed I don't think, simply worn down.

No school markings on the metal that I could see and the bore looked to be in surprisingly good shape.

The butt stock has an oval about two inches by one inch burned into it with three characters. I don't know if they are Japanese or Chinese but this mark resembles some I've seen on Chinese Mausers.

Price on this was such that I almost brought it home without thinking about it, $40. But then I decided it might be more trouble than it's worth.

I know without photos it's just speculation but what are opinions on what this might be.

My obvious thoughts are worn out Army rifle turned over to a school or a Chinese capture. I'm thinking I may go back tomorrow and get it if it's still there just as a curiosity piece.

The cracks in the stock are what kept me from buying it. I don't believe they would allow it to be shot even if I find a bolt for it. And I have no need for wallhangers.

I answered my own question. A few posts down is a thread about a training rifle and this rifle has "for training purposes only" stamp which would appear to match what I found today. May still take another look at it tomorrow. A training rifle I do not have.

Price went from $40 yesterday to $75 today. I walked. Too many missing parts and the bad stock.

Some times Arag ya just have to walk

Yep, I walked two isles over and found a guy with a Swiss rivet blade bayonet, one that I was missing, for $40. Made my morning.

The Jap rifle guy was an idiot. One of those guys that should just not open his mouth. The notches in a 1917 bayonet handle were four "kills". A sporterized K98 with it's Nazi marks was very rare. A Portuguese bayonet was Spanish. Everything the guy said was wrong.

Bummer, at least you found something to make the trip worth while.

Photos of the Bayo perhaps?

It's just a rivet blade. I did pull all the Swiss bayonets out the other day so perhaps I'll do a photo study of the different types. Look for them in the bayonet section soon. One thing I noticed is that it is an actual rivet, not a screw. They look like slotted screws in a lot of photos because of the wear line of going in and out of the scabbard. I have three of the 1889-1911 type, rivet, plane fullered and raised fullered, one K31, two sawback - the 1878 Vetterli and the 1911.

Photos up in bayonet section. I do not have a 1911 bayonet, I have a 1914 bayonet. I learned something this evening.