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Gun Show Arisaka
Ok, I ws at a gunshow and i saw a WWII Arisaka for sale for $300. The mum was still intact, but the dustcover was gone, there was little to no bluing, and the stock had been cut.
From what the man had told me, it was a bring back from WWII and the previous owner had probably cut it.
So the question is: Is $300 a good price, or should I pass on it?
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02-05-2017 08:06 AM
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arisaka
If the numbers matched and the mum was there, I could buy another stock. If it looked good otherwise I would buy it. Most dust covers are missing.
Gil
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I'd pass. Sounds like a really beat up rifle that needs a new stock. If the metal were in excellent shape with most of it's bluing, might be a different story. Stocks are getting harder and harder to get with each passing day and the prices are well over $100 and sometimes over $200 these days.
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Thank You to Aragorn243 For This Useful Post:
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I'd agree with Aragorn. Maybe some pictures would help.
I'm looking for a good Arisaka myself, but it is hard to find them lately.
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From the sound of this rifle any price over $100 is too much for it. Just because it has the mum doesn't dictate that price. Also it would never be all matching unless you lucked into finding the correct and matching bayonet lug. For that amount you could get a complete one in decent shape. I've been picking them up lately in the $250-$300 range. Now I have about 12 of them and only a couple still have the mums on them. I don't really value the mum that highly unless the rifle is also matching with a great stock. Most of the time the all matching but ground mum ones are the way to go as some of the collectors strictly want to find mummed pieces and will pass up otherwise great rifles. I'd say pass on this one and find a more complete and matching arisaka.
Last edited by burb1989; 02-05-2017 at 02:59 PM.
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that price is too high i usually get 200 to 250.00 for intact rifles. projects ones from 80 up too 200.00 some with mums others none. Stock is hardest part to find any more just sold a good looking rifle with a gut less bolt for 200.00 safety knobs an firing pins are very dear now too. got about 6 or 7 different ones right now on rack
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Well, I know this is late, but I wanted to let you guys know that i passed on it after sleeping on it. I did go to a local gun store and saw that they had 4 of them, the cheapest being around $275 and the highest being a little over $400.
most of them had the mum in tact, another had the mum ground off, while another have hte mum scratched but hte dust-cover still on it. I'm thinking of getting one of them to complete my "Axis and Allied Rifles of WWII" collection but my knowledge on Arisaka's are very limited.
Three were Type 38 and one was Type 99, which i think had the dustcover, but no mum.
If there is anything that I need to keep an eye out for, or questions that i need to ask before i even make the purchase, please let me know.
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I'd rather have a complete gun with a ground mum and matching parts than one with a mum that was mismatched and/or missing pieces. Action and band screws on Type 99s were originally staked - these being intact adds a reasonable amount to the value, maybe 10-15% depending on the buyer is fair? I put one back together to use as a shooter and I won't go down that road again due to the time/cost involved (and that was with getting lucky on the stock), while I wish I still had the staked gun I found a little ways back as I've yet to find another.
Earlier guns have chrome bores and are worth looking out for IMO. Be wary of school rifles which can't be fired, they will typically have writing on the stock, mum removed/cross out IIRC, and be smooth bored. Original dust covers should be numbered. As for 38 vs 99... depends what you like. 38s are pretty long rifles that can be WWI era old, and shoot what should be a reasonably flat and easy shooting in 6.5x50 Japanese Arisaka, never tried one out. Type 99 will be newer and shoot 7.7x58 Japanese Arisaka which uses a nominally .311 bullet (bores should be slugged) to somewhere around full power cartridge specs of the day. 7.7 brass can be made from .30-06 in a pinch, not sure about 6.5.
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I think the biggest thing to look out for is making sure you are getting an actual rifle. Make sure you can tell the difference between an actual rifle and a school rifle. Some school rifles are OK as they are just older, worn rifles removed from service. These will have a serial number with 00 in front of it. Strict training rifles won't have a serial number and the quality of the workmanship will be bad. Not to confuse these with late war substitute rifles. Workmanship on these can also be rough but they will have a mum present or had one ground off. Early rifles will have all the neat stuff although the dust cover and monopod may be missing. 99's tend to be more desirable than 38's, early 99's over later. More complete over less complete. Getting replacement parts is getting harder and more expensive. Make sure you do not have to replace the stock. You can sometimes buy a complete rifle for less than what stocks are going for these days.
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Making 7.7 Jap cases from .30-06 is fraught with hazards, as the Japanese round has a significantly larger base / head diameter. On first firing they will distort alarmingly near the case head.
Batches of "proper" 7.7 brass appear from time to time; Privi Partizan have made several runs. Next time you are seeking the perfect Arisaka at a gun show, check out the tables selling reloading components, you might even luck on some Norma brass / ammo.
Many Arisaka chambers are also a bit "generous" and, on firing, the brass WILL stretch to fill the space. Sizing it all the way back to "SAAMI" (cough) spec each time will over-work the brass to brittleness in short order. The truly hard-core send a couple of cases fired in their rifle to their die-maker of choice and get a "custom" sizer made; big bucks, but more fun at the range and longer brass life.
If you only plan to shoot it once in a blue moon, just buy a packet of ammo for the occasion and skip the rest.
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