What to look for in a Type 99

[Aragorn243]

I'm really wanting to get one of these. I know some things about them but probably not enough to ensure I'm making a decent purchase.

Local sales have been going for about $150 or so for a rifle with the mum ground off. I'd like to get one with the mum but am wondering about the significance of a mis-matched bolt. A bring back with a bayonet, matching numbers and mum brought $450 last year.

I'm a collector more interested in simply acquiring a sample rifle from each warring nation than an investment piece. I want a functional rifle rather than a perfect example.

Are the anti-aircraft sights significant or not? Dust covers I understand are pretty rare. I'd rather not get one with a cut stock. Serial numbers or manufacturer numbers on earlier ones are located in three or four places?

Sale coming up in about three weeks that I might have a decent chance of getting one.

Information

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[303Nut]

Most T-99's are missing some of the extras. If you are looking for one to shoot I would get one with maching bolt/receiver and a good bore. I avoided the Japanese rifles for a long time till I found A T-99 that made a great shooter and I sort of got hooked and have since added two more with each one getting nicer than the first. If you see one in decent shape, get it and you want be sorry.

[Mohawk]

They are great shooters. On par with the .303 Enfields. You want one with a Mum. That usually denotes a bring-back. At the end of the War, MacArthur(not the Japs) had the Mums ground off on Jap rifles..Do some research and You will find I am right. Matching Numbers are a must. Also acquaint Yourself with series Numbers. The lower, the better. They are the Japanese character on the front of the serial number. A second series Nagoya is better built that a 26 series Kokura. Again, Some simple research will have You speaking Type 99 in no time. The Hornady ammo is a must. It's accurate and Re loadable. I use one to shoot Military Firearms matches all the time. I could grab a Garand or a Springfield, But My Second Series Nagoya wins for accuracy every time. AA ears and a Mono-pod are pluses, but many have been removed by Japs or Americans over the years..Check all serial numbers on the bolt, as all the parts were numbered. If You find all matching on the bolt and receiver, with a shiny bore..You are in business. Be aware that they have Metford style rifling that is rounded and not sharp like our rifles. It looks worn, but field gauge it with a cartridge in the muzzle. tight there is generally a winner...Good Luck on Your search and let Us know how it turns out...Cheers, Peter

[tkarnes]

I read somewhere that they would use a rifle, stuck in the ground by the bayonet, with a helmet on top as a grave marker, they would remove the bolt so the rifle couldnt be picked back up and used again. So here are all of these boltless rifles sitting around and some GI grabs a bolts and sticks it in a rifle and ships the rifle home, that could be a reason why bolts are commonly mismatched. I dont know if that is true or not, its just something I read.

[Patrick Chadwick]

I read somewhere that they would use a rifle, stuck in the ground by the bayonet, with a helmet on top as a grave marker, they would remove the bolt so the rifle couldnt be picked back up and used again. So here are all of these boltless rifles sitting around and some GI grabs a bolts and sticks it in a rifle and ships the rifle home, that could be a reason why bolts are commonly mismatched. I dont know if that is true or not, its just something I read.

I doubt both parts of that explanation. The first part is an "image" we all have in our minds from romanticized literature and films. Since the rifle was the property of the emperor, it would be inappropriate to stick it in the ground - Think of all those mums pedantically spoilt before rifles were surrendered. Nope, the rifle in the ground image does not match my impression of Imperial Japanese attitudes.

Secondly - if all those bolts were removed, where did the hypothetical GI get a bolt from in order to complete a mismatch?

The answer is, I think, much more prosaic:
It was apparently common practice in many services to store rifles and bolts separately, presumably as a safety measure, to reduce the chances of a thief obtaining a fully functional weapon. They were also often shipped separately, for the same reason. Mixups must have been frequent. When armories were cleared, for whatever reason (weapons surrendered, obsolete stocks sold off), and the rfiles were being disposed of by the ton, no-one would be interested interest in matching the bolts to the rifles. The inevitable result was a load of mismatched rifles. And, of course, a lot of creative use of number stamps...

Patrick

[lee sherman]

Another story I heard was that when a G.I. got onboard the "victory ship" for Frisco with their newfound "Arisaka" warprize the bolt was surrendered and tossed in a drum container. Of course upon completion of the post war cruise the bolt would be returned. The odds had to be a thousand to one that the correct bolt would be returned to the original rifle. It would be nice to get the straight "dope" from an actual WWII veteran. Too bad we lose so many now. Maybe all of us Arisaka owners will never really know for sure what the hell happened! Many of these rifles have the cleaning rod missing also. Late nite weenie roast in the bilge and then toss the rod out the nearest porthole??!! What??

[clarkmilitaria]

I have heard from many people, including vets, that when rifles were captured and brought to camps or bases, the bolts were thrown in one pile and the rifle in the other. I am almost sure that I have seen a photo of captured Germans walking through a U.S. camp and doing this with their rifles and bolts, but I could be remembering that incorrectly. I figured that is why so many "bring-back" K98's have mismatched bolts and it is considered somewhat common for that to be the case. I do not know if the same thing was done with the Japanese rifles, but it would not be too hard to imagine that it was done. My T99 all matches, including the bolt, but it has a ground mum and was brought back by a vet.

[jeep]

I like something on the order of a 6th series Nogaya with out the garbage gingerbread. I don,t like monopods or AA sites! Great shooters and more gracefull in my eyes.