Japanese rifles prior to the Arisaka?

[Patrick Chadwick]

a Japanese breechloading conversion of a British P'53 rifled musket. Upwards swinging breechblock sort of like a trapdoor, but the lock-up is completely different.

How about a photo? You probably have a Japanese M1868 Albini-Braendlin conversion.
There were also Japanese M1867 Snider rifles.
The examples I have seen of both types appear to be of mixed British/Belgian/Japanese origin, and it it not clear to what extent they were British rifles, or made up from British components with some help from the Belgians, or Belgian copies, or...???

Next came the Murata, Meiji Year 13 (1880) followed by the Murata Meiji Year 18 (1885), both with an 11mm x 60 cartridge.

The first Japanese "small-bore" rifle was the Meiji 22 in 1889, with a rather "Kropatschekish" appearance. The 8x53R cartridge was (at least initially) filled with black powder.

Next was the Meiji Year 30 (1897) - the first Arisaka type, in response to the Japanese experience versus Chinese Gew88s in 1894. These entered service in time to be the Japanese rifles used to combat the Boxer rebellion.

The M30 was later improved, and appeared as the Type 35 (1902) , introducing the sheet metal bolt cover. But this model was still not satisfactory enough. So it was "Back to the drawing board, Colonel Arisaka..."

...And finally, in 1905, the T38 arrived.

So you see, there was quite a history before the T38 Arisaka!

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[jmoore]

How about a photo? You probably have a Japanese M1868 Albini-Braendlin conversion.

In actual fact I sent Badger a whole mess of photos of this rifle some years back with the intention of someday doing an MKL entry. But aside from owning it, I know nothing more than what's in Honeycutt's book, which in my old edition is about squat! Now if you want to undertake a small project...