What do you think happened to this Type 38 Carbine

[LTPayton88]

Since the Mum is intact, there is a good chance it was a battlefield pick-up which might help to explain the damage.

This was my thinking as well. Pretty much the only reason I went ahead and picked it up. It was extremely dirty from being in the back of a closet for 60 years. But on a bright note. I just finished cleaning it up and the bore is mirror bright and perfect. The tang screws are still have the case coloring. besides the stock looking the way it does the rest of the gun is pretty immaculate. Glad I didnt judge the book by its cover too hard.
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[LTPayton88]

Once pulling it apart the inside of the rifle is very nice.

[Singer B]

Definitely a keeper. Obviously has had a significant history.

[LTPayton88]

Definitely a keeper. Obviously has had a significant history.

Yea I will be hanging on to this one for a while to say the least.

---------- Post added at 04:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:49 PM ----------

As far as guns with a history goes...

That is really cool. So the guy that I picked this up from was in Korea himself. Again, I cant verify anything with this rifle but his son did say he had this rifle for at least 50 years. I wish there was a way to track something down.

[tiriaq]

As far as guns with a history goes...
Back in the '60s, a dealer on London ON told me about a Chinese made PPSh in town that was brought back from Korea along with its magazine chest pouch, which still had the magazines in it, along with 3 bullet holes from a Sten gun. The magazines were mangled, and the pouch blood soaked. He'd seen it.

[fjruple]

I have a Limited Standard Type 99 rifle with battle damage from a mortar or artillery shell. You can see where the previous owner was holding the rifle at port arms probably running when he was hit.

[m4a3sherman]

I picked up a really nice Type 38 Carbine at Tulsa this year with similar interesting damage. Same thing; all original, even (most of) and original sling! And several gouges taken out of the grip and lower tang metal. My first thought battlefield/shrapnel damage. It was actually kind of a selling point for me; its got a story to tell, if only it could speak (and if only I could understand Japanese). I'll post some pictures later.

I think you have a really nice carbine with character!

[m4a3sherman]

Here we are, pictures of my 'battle damage.' The impression I get is perhaps shrapnel or very specific scraping across something. It's only on the one side and its the only place with anything more than the usual dings and dents. Mum HAS been ground on this one, but I can't imagine the the scrapes on the stock are intentional. Thoughts?

[Patrick Chadwick]

Someone didn't like that rifle, and had a go at it with a sword or bayonet - an axe has a greater wedge effect, and would have removed chips between the cuts.

The cuts are parallel and close, indicating that the rifle was immobile (i.e. not being held up in self-defence) when it was attacked.

[ssgross]

This is the best part. I love inventing stories to fill in the service history of a rifle. For the first rifle, I was gong to say shrapnel, then of course a bring back with that beautiful mum.