Latest additions to my collection (many pictures)
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.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/ka1j6h-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/iwjek8-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../112hjdk-1.jpg
There was a lot of "patina" (rust) :(
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2zsqqex-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/6oz7er-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/jhsriu-1.jpg
The magazine catch was rusted frozen
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/50s9qa-1.jpg
as were the sling swivels
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../10ib9lk-1.jpg
and the rear sight slider
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../23uyb90-1.jpg
and the cleaning rod catch.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2cnfm9k-1.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
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/atwx1w-1.jpg
I soaked the rusty parts in a jar of Kroil 404 Not Found and used bronze wool Bronze Wool - Pads and Reels - Grades:Fine - Medium - Coarse and the Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner Pad Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner to remove the rust without harming the remaining bluing. My Chapman gunsmith screwdriver set http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...m_campaign=649 helped me remove the rusty screws without damaging them further (some of the screwhead slots were already a little bunged up).
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/zks4sk-1.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.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2u6cr5f-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../14t90gg-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/vf9stf-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/19kuuf-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/rm7mtz-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2wej3uo-1.jpg
All of the frozen rusted parts are now freely moveable, including the magazine catch.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/sgpe9x-1.jpg
Matching bolt
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/nq8x6o-1.jpg
dust cover
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../10zpbfa-1.jpg
front band
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/riahdf-1.jpg
triggerguard and tangs
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/okbfns-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2cxyrr4-1.jpg
magazine box
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../24d2904-1.jpg
and handguard and stock.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/inqvrs-1.jpg
Assembly number
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2mmd3ew-1.jpg
The rear sight
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/mwv8kx-1.jpg
is matched to the bolt catch and bolt catch spring
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2ijhj4g-1.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.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2myvk1k-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2jcsfbm-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../15guhj7-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../23ldw8p-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/ta3j7l-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../35mh2z8-1.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.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/9h6ts2-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../28s2f6g-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/nb6kjd-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2rp6x49-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/e7i4w0-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2z815wp-1.jpg
The three tomodachi
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/mja7m1-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2gt6q81-1.jpg
