Is This Arisaka 1943 or earlier?

[SRiverrat11]

Wow! I had no idea this would be so complicated. It is my only Arisaka. Patrick, you said you think its a unit/person ID mark? I also thought it looked very uniform. He was a Seabee. Maybe something from the Machine shop did the initials. I know his name was Albert W. Miller, so that would match the AWM, but I'm still confused and just learning. Patrick, I also really appreciate the time you have obviously spent with this. I am working on becoming a contributing member. I know I will use this site many more times. Heck, 8 WWII rifles, 2 pistols is nowhere near enough. Thank You again, Guys!

[SRiverrat11]

I agree with Patrick, it should be repaired.

Salt Flat. If I choose to repair it, and not saying I will. Can I find that "How To" info here? I thought 2 or 3 dbl end sharpened wires and wood glue wood work, but I have no plans of ever firing it. I cleaned the stock not too long after I got. It was covered in something sticky. Every time I touched it I had to wash my hands. Then I thought of it hanging over a bar for 40 or 50 years and decided to clean it. I did not, however clean the barrel.

[Salt Flat]

River rat, I have repaired them by drilling a 1/4 inch hole in each half (about 1 1/2 inch deep) and use 1/4 inch threaded rod. Pre-fit all the pieces to make sure everything will fit properly. Put some wax or parting agent on the barrel and the complete monopod band, inside and out. Then mix up some good epoxy of the thick gel type. Fill both holes and coat the mating faces, assemble everything together (threaded rod, forend, handguard and bands) and make sure it is all aligned. Remove any squeeze out excess epoxy at the joint prior to sliding the monopod band into place. I warm the hole thing up with an electric heater to make sure it cures right. Watch out for the monopod screw hole and cleaning rod hole (if it has one), you will need to place your splice holes to avoid these. Let it set at least a day and clean up any excess. Take it out and shoot it! Salt Flat

[fernleaf]

The Series mark looks most like Series 22 to me, maybe Series 25, but I'm leaning towards 22. If its Series 22 I would date it to 1942, especially seeing as its got quite a low serial number.

I don't think the stock is original to the rifle. If its a Series 22, it would have (at the very least) a monopod rear barrel band, and as mentioned above that recoil bolt wouldn't be on a Series 22.

There are a few peculiarities with this rifle.

We can get rough dates from production numbers found in the book Military Rifles of Japan. McCollum is good, but Honeycutt is better.

Series 8 Nagoya would be made in 1944. No idea about bayonets sorry...

[fernleaf]

The more I look at the OPs photos, and at my books the more I think its a Series 25...

..especially seeing as it has no front sight ears....

[Aragorn243]

A series 22 would be a regular rifle with everything. Even with a later stock this doesn't fit a series 22. That leaves a series 25 but it would have to be a very early series 25 due to the metal butt plate and the Type marking.

Nice catch on the missing sight ears. I didn't notice that.

[SRiverrat11]

One more question. With so many types of Arisakas, and the bolt not matching, should I be concerned with head spacing if I do decide to shoot it?

[Aragorn243]

Odd as it seems, we are discussing only one type of Arisaka, the Type 99. Theoretically, the parts are interchangeable throughout the entire series so long as it has that mum stamped on it. It met the standards of the military. Nearly all the changes were made to simplify production without sacrificing function or safety. Later models got rid of the luxuries, were polished less, and used less metal on parts that were not essential to the operation.

I would be a bit concerned in that the bolt was made by a different manufacturer but that in itself may not be all that unusual either. Most people wouldn't know that anyway.

Those that didn't get the mum stamped on them should not be fired, they were probably never intended to be fired. These are training "rifles" or school rifles that were put together to look like a rifle but not function as one.

[SRiverrat11]

Thanks Aragorn. I was wondering because Seaman Miller probably picked this rifle out of a souvenir pile.. Then went over to the bolt pile and grabbed a bolt. OK showing my ignorance on Arisakas. I guess a type 38 bolt wouldn't even fit in a Type 99? So the bolt pile, while having type 38 bolts would not fit a type 99, would it?it.

Odd as it seems, we are discussing only one type of Arisaka, the Type 99. Theoretically, the parts are interchangeable throughout the entire series so long as it has that mum stamped on it. It met the standards of the military. Nearly all the changes were made to simplify production without sacrificing function or safety. Later models got rid of the luxuries, were polished less, and used less metal on parts that were not essential to the operation.

I would be a bit concerned in that the bolt was made by a different manufacturer but that in itself may not be all that unusual either. Most people wouldn't know that anyway.

Those that didn't get the mum stamped on them should not be fired, they were probably never intended to be fired. These are training "rifles" or school rifles that were put together to look like a rifle but not function as one.

[Salt Flat]

Just by chance I found what I believe to be a Series 22 Kokura receiver in my spare parts box. The series mark doesn’t look exactly like any of the diagrams either but looks closest to the series 22. One thing I noticed -- my receiver has a little better finish than river rats, another thing that makes me think his is a series 25. Salt Flat