Type 99 Series 35 Questions

[Glynn863]

Well, last September I found a Series 24 vet bring-back, but it was sold before I could make an offer on it. Today I looked at a Series 35 in a sporter stock. It was made by Toyo Kogyo. The mum is intact and the bolt, extractor, and receiver are matching, so I'm guessing it was a captured rifle as well. Peep sight and single post up front. Rough welded safety. Remaining finish is very, very thin. Seller also offered me 12 loaded rounds of Norma 7.7 soft point, along with 2 fired cases. His asking price is $225. I didn't have time to take pics, but I told him I would research it and let him know soon. What can you tell me? TIA

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[Eaglelord17]

I have mostly completed a restoration of a Arisaka Type 99, a '0' series Nagoya. Only part I am missing is a original monopod (which I have had next to no luck finding). Cost wise all in I think I have 1184.65$, but that includes the dies and brass as well. The sporter alone I paid 180$ for with dies shipped, not to bad. It was pretty ugly though (horribly bent bolt and terribly cut stock). To restore mine, I had the bent bolt cut (work of bubba) and straight bolt handle welded on, acquired a new stock, barrel band, bayonet lug, the screws for the barrel bad and bayonet lug, and anti-aircraft rear sight (you want to find the sight with the 'wings' already on there with the proper spring installed already otherwise you are apparently in for a nightmare).

I know I have spent well more than what the rifle is worth on parts but I quite enjoyed putting it together (first restoration project), it also is one of my nicest shooting rifles. If you are going to restore it be prepared for it to cost more than what it is worth, especially in the States where you guys have a lot of them (they aren't so common in Canada, and they tend to fetch a higher value so that was another deciding factor for me).

[kar66]

Your series 35 will be much easier and cheaper to restore than the series 1 was. It will be a last ditch rifle all series 35s are. You won't need a rear sight with wings, a dust cover or a monopod as series 35 didn't have any of those things. But you will need a stock, handguard and front band with a bayonet lug the late type. The stock you need will be one of the three piece ones. Also you don't need a cleaning rod the series 35 didn't have them. The hardest thing is you will have to remove the front sight to put on the upper band and the lower band too. The barrel in tapered and the upper band isn't easy to get all the way on so you can drive the pin in that holds it in place. After you get all the sight and band pins back in it will look better if you tack weld them in. There are stocks on ebay all the time. Good luck, I did one just like yours a year or two ago.

[Marines55]

there were two different series 35 rifles made at the too cagy arsenal. one was a very early long rifle, and the other was a late war production (last series they made before the bomb hit Hiroshima where they were located). Neither one will be easy to restore from a sporter. The 99 long will cost over $1000 to restore. the late war series 35 will cost several hundred dollars to restore properly.

for the late war 35th, you will need a 3 piece stock set, and a front band which will be pinned on the barrel (no easy fete in itself as you will need a heavy press and some major gunsmithing/bluing afterwards).

bottom line...pass on sporters as they will almost always cost more to restore than they will ever be worth.

[Aragorn243]

bottom line...pass on sporters as they will almost always cost more to restore than they will ever be worth.

Not necessarily. Ground mum but otherwise complete rifles can be found cheap. Swap out the stock, you have a full mum correct rifle and a sporter to sell. Takes some time to find the right one but it can be done.

[Marines55]

Not a correct rifle at all. The front bands were numbered to match by serial or assembly number. So at best you would have a mismatched rifle with a full mum that will never be correct

[Aragorn243]

Curious since the front bands on neither of my 99's is marked with anything let alone an assembly number. It will never be "correct" but it will be as correct as most plus have the mum to boot. Considering how difficult it is to get a full mum these days without spending an arm and a leg, I'd buy it. I've seen parts rifles that weren't complete sell for more than that with an intact mum.

[Marines55]

Those parts rifles may be from a rare arsenal or series which would explain why they sell for so much.

Kokura arsenal made some rifles without a serial number on the front band but they were proof marked for that arsenal so they would t appear in a Nagoya or Toyo Kogyo rifle. There is much to know about the rifles other than simply slapping on a donor stock and metal parts. True collectors know the difference and are not interested in put together mummies rifles simply because they are not correct and never will be. Sure lots of folks spend way too much on jumped up rifles with remembered parts, mismatched wood and metal, etc. but once you know the difference, you won't want a rifle that has been screwed with.

It's always best to save your money for a real matching and mummies rifle. In fact many folks spend more trying to restore a rifle than they would have spent on a good one in the first place!

[Eaglelord17]

It's always best to save your money for a real matching and mummies rifle. In fact many folks spend more trying to restore a rifle than they would have spent on a good one in the first place!

Very true on the restoring part. From personal experience I now have a rifle worth half what I put into it. Its ok because I love the rifle but I know I will never get my money back (unless milsurps go up even more in price).

[Aragorn243]

Nope, common arsenals. They just wanted the mum. I didn't suggest they were smart. Some fellows do indeed look for correct rifles. Most however don't. They either don't care or simply don't know enough to make a difference. They want a complete rifle. I'd never invest more into a rifle than what the end result is worth but parts are easy to get and you can have an attractive rifle with high resale for a little bit of effort.

The market for military rifles is there and it is increasing. Hard to keep anything but crap on the shelves these days. My local shops hardly ever get a military rifle in and when they do, it's gone in days unless they have a massively high price on it and even those sell eventually.