Why there aren't Japanese rifles among "favorite WWII rifles"?

[Patrick Chadwick]

My advice to all: get yourself an Arisaka, a Carcano, and a Schmidt-Rubin NOW.

OK, so what do I know?

If you think: nothing much - then ignore this advice, print out this post, stick it in a draw, take it out in 5 years time, and then kick yourself.

As I mentioned somewhere else on these forums, for each of my rifles I have a folder with purchase/registration details, chambering standards, loading information, test targets - and prices actually achieved in recent auctions for examples in a comparable condition. And from this I can see that over 2 years the prices have doubled-trebled for comparable Arisakas, nearly doubled for Carcanos, and are just beginning to show a noticeable rise for Schmidt-Rubins.

I keep these folders up-to-date for the benefit of whoever inherits my rifles. Like many others, having looked through truckloads of wall-hanger quality to find a good-shooting example of a type in original configuration, I am not going to part with it as long as I can still shoot. This attitude, multiplied by the number of serious shooters and collectors around the world, means that if you want to get a 1st class shooting example of "the big 5", you will find that as a collector, you have to be rich - and as a competition shooter, you have to be rich and wait for someone to give up shooting.

So, slowly but increasingly, those looking for the nearly impossible, such as a match-grade 1903-A3, are beginning to look at the possible - hitherto neglected rifles in a moderate price range, usually in original configuration, not frequently falsified with fake markings (because it doesn't pay) and, in short, still very good value for the money.

Like I say, look again in 5 years, and see if I'm right! But please don't then start writing moaning posts on the lines of "I can remember seeing Arisakas/ Carcanos/ Schmidt-Rubins for a 100 or so, and wish I'd bought one". Rather look in your gun cabinet and be pleased that you did!

Patrick