'Vietnam bring back' Type 38 Arisaka.

I have a Type 38 rifle on its way that the seller claims is a 'Vietnam bring back'. Now, I always 'buy the rifle and not the story', and if nothing else I'm getting a complete, if dirty, Type 38 rifle for $150. It honestly doesn't matter to me if it actually was brought back from Vietnam, but it certainly looks like it spent some time there. Full mum, really rough, etc. Just the way I like 'em.
If there are any Vietnam vets reading this, did any of you guys run into Arisakas there? I have been looking for info on this, but it seems a bit sparse. IMHO, if this was brought back from anywhere, it was brought back from the Pacific, or maybe made its way to Korea. Just curious to hear some thoughts. Pics when I get it!

Take at look at the Mauser Forum. Lots of chatter about RVN "bring-backs". I never saw a Jap 38 or 99 in RVN. We got shelled a few times from a Jap pack howitzer. I saw that gun and know what they are all about. You really need the US Army paperwork to verify its claim of RVN. Absent the paperwork, you have a story gun.

Yeah, it's a complete 'story gun'..I got it because the price was right, and it has that we'll used look I love. I had just gotten to thinking about the use of these rifles in Vietnam. The Internet is full of stories about 'bring back' guns, but like you said, no paperwork, no bring back!

I served as an Advisor. Lived in a small village. Just miserable and we all (5) knew what the Army had done to us. I saw piles of weapons. Lots of M16's, Garands, Carbines, k98's and SKS's. Ther country was awash in guns. My boss (a Major) got a nice M1903 and he brought it back. One of my buddies even had a SMLE Enfield. But I never saw any Arisakas, not a one. With all the K98's around you would have seen tons of 8mm ammo. Never saw a single 8mm round! Go figure. But without the paperwork, sorry it is just another story gun.

The Japanese spent a lot of time in Viet Nam. It is very possible that your rifle is actually a bring back. But, like the rest here, I am skeptical as well.

I saw a T38 carbine at a gun show several years ago complete with papers. It was rather interesting as it had been converted to a single shot in 7.62x39. The mag well was blanked off with a wood block and a piece of sheet copper had been tacked over the bottom where the floor plate would've been. It was in pretty sad shape, the stock had numerous crude repairs and the bore was a rusty mess.

Yep, I too have seen just one T38 carbine that was converted to 7.62x39. It also was at a gun show about 10 years ago. It was done exactly the way you described it.
CalifSteve- thanks for your service! I would have liked to have spent a day over there just to see the variety of firearms you guys came across. It must have been staggering. The SMLE showing up there would have been something!

I have a Type 38 in 7.62x39 upstairs. Police guns/border patrol guns. Lots came in in 1982(?). I got a nice one. They re-bored the Japanese barrel and forced in a 7.62 sleeve into the chamber. Not pinned in and the sleeve will work out under firing. Never saw anything like that in RVN. Indeed the Japanese were in RVN for 5 years and they left some toys around. But ammo would have been a problem and the Viet Minh/Viet Cong never cleaned anything. One of my buddies had a nice Hi Power pistol, but the US MP's would not give him the necessary export permit. It stayed in RVN. Living in a small village was not fun. We got fired upon almost daily, and all Advisors had big rewards on our heads, dead or alive. Not a fun tour and lots of guys quit the Army after one Advisor tour. I did exactly that.

You would think there would have to be Arisakas in Vietnam. Whether they were sitting in someones hut as a way to hunt hogs or used by the Vietnamese who knows. Ammo would have been an issue.

They could have been picked up from the surrendering Japanese and hidden from the incoming French for future use.

I've heard stories about arisakas being in Vietnam but I thought those were a few random snipers that were picked up. Granted my only credible source for anything to do with Vietnam is my dad who served with the marines in the years before Tet. He was on only one raid on a weapons cache where he got and brought back an SKS which he sold off a few years ago because that gun had killed a friend of his at that cache.

I would not doubt a bit there may still be a few old jap rifles in rvn being as they did occupy it in ww2 for a few yrs , but like they have said unless they left ammo behind with them who knows if any ever got used but have to say from all i have read those cong were pretty good at adapting a lethal killing device out of not much. So there is a chance a few could have seen use. But have yet to ever see a pic of one during that conflict ever as well.

There were T38 and T99 rifles left in Viet Nam at the end of WW2. The Viet Min used these rifles against the French but were limited by the small amount of ammo left with the rifles. When ever possible they would take arms from the fallen French and use those as the ammo was much more available. Early on the Chinese did send in some 6.5 ammo for the Viet Min but it never was enough for what they did need. By the time the US got involved the country was awash in Russian designed firearms and ammo was plentiful for them.

Rifle should be in by Wednesday, really looking forward to getting a good look at it. There shall be pics soon!