FrankenType30

Looked at a "type 30" rifle today as I was interested in buying it for parts. Just something peculiar about it. First they filed off the end of the hook safety for who knows what reason. Then I notice the rear sight, it's a fixed peep sight. I look at the end of the barrel where it is exposed and it's rough. I'm pondering this but not giving it much thought at the time, figured I'd investigate when I got home. I believe it to be a Type 99 late war Nagoya barrel on a Type 30 action. Now I have to investigate the stock and action better as the stock is one of the things I need off this.

Anyone ever hear of someone doing this before? They are selling it as a 6.5 Type 30, who knows if anyone else will notice this.

You know pics would be priceless...sounds like a cobble job though.

I was at the preview for this month's auction from hell to see if anything was worth going for. Not much military wise that's in decent shape. I am hoping to get one or two offered Type 30 rifles for parts to finish a project rifle. Other than that, I am interested in a Brazilian 1908 and a Ross II. The Ross I can already count out, it will go way too high. Past Brazilians have also gone way over book value so no real hope there either. My son in law is going for the first time and there are a couple of nice but less desirable Mausers I'd like him to get a shot at. This month's and last months auctions have been bad for quality stuff.

Spent last evening and this morning looking for something similar and no luck. The front sight looks like a type 30 sight, the stock except for the front foot looks like a type 30 stock. The front foot looks like a Type 99 stock. I'm going to check it for school markings as I am beginning to suspect this is a cobbled together school rifle.

All Type 30's according to the books are the same. Any variation would be very minor. There's just a lot of weird going on with this particular rifle.

After studying this rifle and looking at all my books I have no idea what it is. It is not a type 30 unless it is one of the very early experimental types. It has a mum, no Serial number, a safety which I cannot identify possibly, a type 35. It does have characteristics of the school rifles but no school markings. Hand guard has two nails in the back holding it on and bayonet lug is ill fitting. It sold for over $500. Rear sight was of a type only seen on late type 99's as far as I can tell. Barrel appeared to be 6.5 mm,front sight looked like a type 30 sight, stock was one piece with a flat butt plate. Kokura mark on receiver a B on the barrel. I'm stumped.

Here is the auction photo:

http://www.horstauction.com/17maygun/images/027.JPG

Rifle did not have the tang extensions or any reinforcement of the stock. It is a nice looking rifle.

This is the type safety it has:

http://www.collectorebooks.com/james...e4/34094x4.jpg

I believe the early type 30's or 29's did not have the tang extensions, this rifle has a normal tang. Rifling was good but I don't believe it was correct for a type 30. There is another type 30 at the auction and it has fine rifling. I'm not digging mine out to look. It does not match any contract rifle I can find either, and if contract, shouldn't have the mum.

OK, I believe I have identified it, it is an 02/45, a late war conversion of a type 35, kind of a last ditch rifle. Dang, if I knew what it was, I might have bid that high on it. Prices are a bit all over the place though.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

kind of a last ditch rifle

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It does look like it's a later rifle, from what I've seen. I still don't know about bidding high on chance though. Sometimes it works out, sometimes you have a pig...

That was the dilemma. I was sitting there not knowing what it was but that it was probably pretty rare or at least very uncommon. Visions of $10,000 values going through my head and letting it go. Problem mostly solved by A - only having $300 in my pocket and B - The wife being pretty explicit on not spending too much. I had leeway of about $600 today and that's it. My cash and the as yet un-fullfilled anniversary gift which for guns was limited to $300. What makes the tale even more interesting was the rifle was bought by a blind gun dealer as a Type 30, probably for a client. Someone may or may not be unpleasantly surprised. Same blind dealer also bought the other Type 30 I wanted for $180 which made no sense to me. The stock was cut, the barrel was cut, the bolt was bent, the receiver was cut and everything else was covered with rust. I figured I'd be able to walk out of there with that for about $50. I need half a dozen or so parts off of it for my Type 30 blank rifle project.

The rifle is a 02/45 . Made from old T-35 receivers and parts from T-38's and trainers in 1945. The one in the photo was in really good shape for a 45 . Worth close to $1000.00

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Originally Posted by bob q

The rifle is a 02/45

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So it really is the end of the production line then. One of these poker games we get into when buying. It may be worth a mint or it may be a waste, the guy we need to ID it for us is never standing beside us...

It would be quite a challenge to screw a Type 99 barrel into either a Type 30 or 38.

Early Arisakas have an Imperial Breech thread, 1.020 x 14 TPI. This feature made them easy to work on in the average American (or Australian) gun-plumber's shop. It also appears to be 55 degree form, again, not surprising given the influence British manufacturing systems had on the world at the time. Mausers PROPERLY have 55 deg. (Whitworth) threads, in various Imperial pitches, as they followed British practice, often with British machines and metrology. The 99 series has a slightly larger diameter (1.050") thread which is METRIC. The "books" refer to "approx 17 TPI", but it appears to be pretty much 1.5mm pitch.