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I inherited a rifle (possibly an Arisaka 99) from my grandfather who received it directly from Japan after the war. I heard hear and there that it could be a collector's piece because the Japanese symbols are still intact. Can someone tell me a little bit about that?
Hello and welcome! First, if this is a gun your grandfather brought home then it is already very collectible to you. Or at least it should be. Monetary value on these are not very high, but with all things surplus rifle condition is everything along with whether or not it is some rarer variance like a paratrooper model or sniper rifle. I see "ok" condition type 99's sell for as low as $200. Average price is between $275 and $350 depending on condition. I have seen them priced higher but those are guns that are in really good shape. Photos would be helpful.
As far as the mum being intact, it does add some value but not a lot. They are not as rare as some people like to think and honestly while it's nice to have, a lesser grade gun condition wise with an intact mum will still be less desirable than a good condition gun with the mum x'd out it even scrubbed all together. Again, CONDITION of the rifle determines that. There are guys on here that know so very much more than I do about these if you want specific info on the rifle. Photos are key here because honestly they can be a little difficult to decode depending on how clear the markings are on the gun. Best of luck and my advice is to keep it, treasure it and take good care of it.
Thanks Nick! I plan to hold on to it along with my other collection of rifles. I have lots of questions regarding the others (Remington 1917 and Mauser 98). I'm computer illiterate when it comes to posting pictures here. lol Thanks again
Hey no problem! Those other two guns are pretty nice pieces too. The Remington is pretty straight forward because we marked everything very clearly. What you see is what you get. The Model 1917 is a fantastic WWI service rifle and they are definitely more valuable than the Arisaka. The K98's are another story sometimes. The Germans were sneaky and marked them with codes in order to hide where they were being manufactured. Fortunately there's lots of guys on here that know this stuff really well too. K98's are beautiful, well made rifles. Value wise they are all over the map. Again, pictures, or a description of the markings would help tremendously. Sounds like your collection is off to a great start!
Yes, you simply have to post pics so these guys can see it. Otherwise we're guessing and telling stories...
The mum adds about $100 to the rifle so it is no small deal. Need photos however to ensure the marks are correct. Prices on Arisakas have gone up fast the past two years. If it has the mum and is in decent shape, it's a $400 rifle, no mum $300. All matching with dust cover, monopod, etc and could be worth a lot more. Beat to crap a lot less.
To clarify, when I said the mum wasn't as big of a deal as people sometimes make them out to be, I simply meant that they are not incredibly rare. They do add value to the gun but in my corner of the world I see them bringing close to the same money as ones that aren't intact. But again, condition dictates all.