Most of the
Japanese
rifles that I've seen for sale are not in as good condition as other milsurps. It seems that so many of them were kept in the garage or wherever and not regularily cleaned, etc, and have rusted, frosted metal and bores. In the last year I've collected four rifles, however the one with the least "patina" is the one that was sporterized. This is another reason they aren't among the "favorite WWII rifles". So far I've abstained from loosing bigger money to get that more pristine rifle.
The T38 I recently purchased had so much hardened oil/grime that it was difficult to operate the bolt. It had not been cleaned since WWII! The bore is very dark, etc. It was difficult to clean - the hardened gunk appeared to be some sort of sealant at first glance. Also, so many of the rifles do not have matching bolts - its like they were thrown in a barrel when transported, and then randomly installed in the rifles.
It's time for the old negative attitudes that existed after the war to be torn down, and this is happening. I think the current growing interest in collecting Japanese rifles is symbolic of changing attitudes as well as wanting at least "one from every country". As different cultures communicate with each other many of the old extreme negative "ways" gradually change. If you follow post WWII history, you will find that
many of the vets from both sides became friends.
One thing I can say about the T38 and T99 rifles - the bolts are a dream to disassemble and put back together! I think that the safety is OK.
The rifles show attention to detail. Probably the biggest negative is the extra "catch" or "hump" or whatever you call it in closing the bolt. Here the enfield is definitely more smooth. I did notice that the old worn T38 mentioned above has a relatively smooth closure compared to others.
Originally Posted by PRWM1
Most of the Japanese
PM
