Rarity of a Type 30 rifle

[burb1989]

Hey gang. I was just wondering how rare a type 30 arisaka rifle is that has a full uncancelled mum that wasn't sold to another country or taken out of service? I have one in my collection and I haven't been able to find one exactly like it for a valuation. From what I have been able to find online as far as cancellation and foreign markings are concerned this particular rifle has none of them (no cancelled mum, no double 0's in front of the serial number, no Finnish, British, or other foreign markings anywhere on it) however it does have an old repaired duffle cut under the front barrel band that I hadn't noticed before until I did a good wiping down of the action and metal. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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[Aragorn243]

I don't think they are especially rare but obviously less common than the 38's and 99's. The trouble with valuation is that while they are less common, there is a corresponding less interest in them which keeps them pretty much in line with the other types. In equal condition, probably worth a bit more than a Type 38 with mum.

I picked one up at the auction from hell last year and I'm thinking I paid in the neighborhood of $325 for it. Complete, matching numbers, cleaning rod present as well as good mum and excellent bore.

[burb1989]

Mine I believe is a mismatched bolt but almost all of the others I've come across have been cancelled out, made into smoothbores, or sold to another country. The last one I could find that was anything like mine sold for $1200 with a bayonet but I believe that was a couple of years ago and I think the market calmed down a bit. Mine also has the original cleaning rod, which seems to be very hard to come across by itself and it has an amazing bore.

[Aragorn243]

I have a smoothbore actioned barrel that I picked up for $25. Been a no go trying to find a stock for it.

[Calif-Steve]

Smoothbore?? A cadet trainer? Very possible.

[burb1989]

Steve mine isn't a smoothbore and it has no markings saying it was ever taken out of service. From looking it up mine is one of less than 150,000 to 200,000 rifles that weren't sold off and who knows how many that weren't converted to smoothbore. It's an oddity for sure.

[Aragorn243]

Smoothbore?? A cadet trainer? Very possible.

Yes, a lot of these were reamed out to smoothbore for firing blanks and became training rifles. Original markings were scrubbed and new characters which say something to the effect, "for blanks only" marked in the receivers. A complete one just sold on gunbroker a couple of days ago. I was watching it. I need a stock for mine. Didn't know what it was exactly when I got it, knew it was a training rifle but that's about it. Odd thing is, it was only about a week later that I picked up the functional Type 30 at auction.

[aspen80]

Hey guys,
While your on this thread I wonder if I might jump in and ask a question?
I was at a pawn shop today and looked at a Jap rifle that the receiver had only a mark similar to the Tokyo arsenal. No other markings and it appeared not to have been scrubbed.
Any ideas?

gilmore

[Aragorn243]

Very little to go on there but basically, every Japanese Army rifle had a mum. Some were ground down rough, some were polished up nice after being brought back. If the "arsenal" mark was where the mum normally would be, it's most likely a school rifle (training). If the mark is on the side in the normal location, just signifies where it was made. It should have a serial number on it. If lacking that, definitely a training rifle and probably not a shooter. Some school rifles were just old worn out rifles that you could still shoot safely but these will have serial numbers, manufacture marks and rifling in the barrels. These were usually overstamped with the Tokyo Kokura symbol with zeros added to the front of the serial number. Most training rifles were never meant to shoot anything but blanks and many not even these.

[aspen80]

Thanks a lot. I will go back and take a better look now that I have some info.