Type 38 Story

[raindog]

This is from "The Poor Man's Sniper Rifle" by "Dan Boone", published in 1995 by Desert Publications:


"The action [of the Type 38] is also incredibly strong. The author had a friend, a Colorado gunsmith by the name of Do Grims, who told of a customer that had complained of excessive recoil in a Japanese rifle had had purchased.

When Don checked the rifle out, he discovered that the man had purchased a type 38 in 6.5mm caliber, but was firing 7.7mm ammunition designed for the type 99 Japanese rifle. The 7.7mm ammo shouldn't have even chambered in the model 38, but it did, and by all accounts it should ahve blown up with the first round fired, but instead was drawing out the 7.7mm bullet to 6.5mm diameter before exiting the muzzle.

This might seem a wild story to some, if it were not for the fact that a similar story surfaced in the May, 1959 edition of American Rifleman magazine. In this story, a man had purchased a type 38 Arisaka and chambered it for a 30.06 without reboring the barrel. He took it to a gunsmith because he couldn't figure out why the recoil was so bad. The gunsmith couldn't believe what he was seeing; he fired several rounds of 30.06 amo through it (no doubt from a distance with a long string attached to the trigger) with no effect. As before, upon firing, the .30 caliber bullet was drawn out to 6.5mm. He sent the rifle to the NRA for examination where more rounds were fired through it, astounding many more with the strength of the action. Stories of torture tests on Arisaka actions abound, and there is no doubt that it is exceptionally strong as well as unusually accurate."

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[bob q]

How would the 7.7mm ammo chamber in the 6.5mm ? I had an old gun shop owner / smith tell me the Japanese designed the T-99 to be able to fire " our " 30/06 ammo in battle and it would . Was he confused by 7.7mm being made from 30/06 cases ?

[Daan Kemp]

There is that question, how the 7,7x58 chambered in a 6,5x50 chamber. Also how the 7,62x63 [30-06] fit in the action. Note case length differences. Some parts of the story might be missing.

[Oldnavyguy2u]

Somebody is confusing the type 99 and the type 38 rifles. I own both and have fired a lot of 30/06 thru my type 99. However, the type 38 is 6.5x50 and is very particular about it

[CINDERS]

The IJA troops with the 7.7 Type 99 could fire the 303 MkVII ammo at a pinch if needed our troops could not do the same as the jap 7.7 cartridge case was too long for the 303 chamber. AFAIK

[green]

The IJA troops with the 7.7 Type 99 could fire the 303 MkVII ammo at a pinch if needed our troops could not do the same as the jap 7.7 cartridge case was too long for the 303 chamber. AFAIK

The .303" ctg will not fit in a T99 7.7 rifle due to the T99 bolt face being too small for the .303" rim.

[bob q]

So many people thinking impossible things can happen . 30/06 will not chamber in a 7.7mm Type 99 , period . 303 Brit will not fire in a Type 99 . period . 7.7mm will not chamber in a Type 38 , period .

[CINDERS]

I noted greens response, as I do not have a 7.7 jap in my collection I was unaware it was rimless then again I have cartridges of the world not 300mm from my fingertips bit lazy s'pose.
Anyway as usual learnt something.

[green]

The Japanese used three 7.7 ctgs
10 7.7x56R an exact copy of .303"British
2) 7.7x58SR a semi rim case similar to 8x57 Mauser
3) 7.7x58 a rimless version of 2 above

[Surpmil]

There are several accounts of multiple rounds of .303 being fired through .280 Rosses with no catastrophic results;about ten rounds in one case and that shooter apparently wasn't able to discern that anything was wrong in the process either.

The 1910 Ross and the Arisaka would rate as the strongest bolt action service rifles ever built.