Why there aren't Japanese rifles among "favorite WWII rifles"?

[blackcat_attilio]

Hello!
Just asked my question in another Forum (someone knows it) and people gave some interesting answers. Anyway I wanna know a little bit more about it and I’m here to repeat my question: why asking about favorite WWII rifle(s) almost nobody answers me any Japanese rifle?
Aren't accurate fireguns? I don’t belive it. Or is it only because -today- ammo for Japanese fireguns are expensive and no so many people fire any (i.e.) Arisaka ? Why many people answer Mauser K98 or Mosins or Enfields or Garand and (almost) never Arisaka?
All the opinions are welcome, as always. Thanks.

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.

[arado]

No romance to them just as the Italian and French. Armies defeated without military mystic. Who wants to use a "losers" rifle. gary

[whkento]

It may have something to do with the fact that there aren't as many of them out there in shooters' hands. How can you like something you don't know? Also, many of them that I've seen have either been in terrible shape or sporterized.

In addition, as you mentioned, ammo isn't very easy to come by.

Just a couple of thoughts.

[blackcat_attilio]

No romance to them just as the Italian and French. Armies defeated without military mystic. Who wants to use a "losers" rifle. gary

Hi gary,
at first many thanks for your answer. Me want shoot a "losers" rifle, my buddy more than me. He is collecting 1 rifle per Army: he has 1 Mosin , 1 Enfield , 1 Mauser , since last October he is waiting for 1 Garand and now he is interested in a Carcano Mod.91 and in an Arisaka - about the first one there are some troubles with ammo, but asking in the Forums he received enough infos, about the Japanese fireguns... we are looking to know more.
I belive is always interesting collect a gun which have a history in its background and have the opportunity to shoot it. If it coulda be called romance... well! it is so!
Again many thanks for your post

attilio

---------- Post added at 01:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:25 PM ----------

It may have something to do with the fact that there aren't as many of them out there in shooters' hands. How can you like something you don't know? Also, many of them that I've seen have either been in terrible shape or sporterized.

In addition, as you mentioned, ammo isn't very easy to come by.

Just a couple of thoughts.

Good points of view! Both coulda be the right answer, especially the first one.
Many thanks to you too for the answer

attilio

[jeep]

I think after the war they were the most common surplus rifle. We had no love for the japanese and we even threw the American japanese in prison. Now after 6.5 decades many rifles were used up and bubba-a-rized. The ww2 vets are dying off and son,s ,grandson,s are starting to collect them with renewed interest. But the hate and shunned japanese stuff is just starting to go up in value and interest. Its a story we must not forget. A 1940 Life magazine story said,"The typical Jap betrays his aboriginal antecedents in a squat,long-torosed build, a broader more massivey boned head and face,flat,often pugged nose,yellow-ocher skin ,and a heavier Beard." They thought these little brown -yellow men were no match for us and were not like the Germans who made good weapons and could fight. The common thought back then was the Japanese could not see at night and made junky copies of our weapons. The suprise came in Dec. -7 when they brought there fleet in and sank most of the battle wagons and yes there torpedoes worked and ours were not reliable!

[whkento]

I think after the war they were the most common surplus rifle. We had no love for the japanese and we even threw the American japanese in prison. Now after 6.5 decades many rifles were used up and bubba-a-rized. The ww2 vets are dying off and son,s ,grandson,s are starting to collect them with renewed interest. !

Interesting. I was unaware that they were so common. I WAS told that they were quite often sporterized due to their reputation as a very solidly built rifle. I have a Type 38 which was sporterized very nicely (if I may use that phrase here), in addition to unaltered Type 38s and a Type 99. My interest in the Japanese weapons is an offshoot from my father's collection of WW2 rifles, coupled with the fact that I live in Japan.

[jmoore]

I like the Type 99's light weight, good cartridge, and good utilitarian design, BUT there's several things that keep it from being the "favorite".

1) no provision for a "close in" (i.e. 100-200m) sight setting.
2) No easy scope adjustments on the sniper varients. Zeroing is a gigantic pain!
3) not visually attractive, esp. the trigger guard
4) ammo
5) not a huge issue, but the safety is harder than some to work quietly and unobtrusively when hunting.

---------- Post added at 02:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:48 AM ----------

Oh, as someone from a "loser's country" I don't think it has much to do with anything! We'uns just lost a little further back in time...Besides, I don't recall Italy or France losing WWI, or Japan losing a war from 1905 until 1945, quite the opposite, in fact!

[Mohawk]

I have Hunted with, and taken many deer with a 2nd series Kokura. They are great shooters. The Hornady ammo is second to none, and I can reload easily with the same .311 projectiles that I reload My .303 with. The Arisaka has gotten a bum rap in the past. If You look up Col. Whelen's WW2 rifle test, that he did in the 1950's, You will see that the Arisaka had an even stronger action that the 98K. Even though the barrel blew off the Type 99, the receiver was still good to go...So to all the nay sayers out there, don't judge a book by its cover. It may just be a good read....JMHO

[jeep]

I like the T-99 mid-war substandard types 6-7 series nogoya without monopods and AA sites. They just look cleaner with nice racy lines. The M38 is very smooth and well made compared to the war time 99. A lot of Japanese collecters are called cheap and tight wads,because they still want $25-$100 rifles of a decade or two ago. Well those days are over and we all wish we could buy M-1 carbines for $150 and 303 enfields for $75-100. Those days are over and will never be back. Rifles made 65 to 80 years ago are no longer made and drying up in nice shape. Buckle up butter cup and good luck hunting for that super buy.

[Skip]

I never found anything appealing about French, Italian or Japanese firearms. Plain and simple.