Arisaka Type 99 Kokura late 23rd Variant Cleaning Rod Help

[usabaker]

Okay fella's you are going to have to forgive me for my lack of knowledge of Arisaka Type 99 rifles. In my prior post Finely Got it Arisaka Type 99 carbine I mistakenly identified the rifle I bought as a Short Rifle (not carbine, I understand this now), not sure where I got the idea it was. Anyhow, I have been studying about the rifle (and have a book on order) and like JROD said the rifle I have is a series 23 out of Kokura arsenal.

It's missing the cleaning rod and I discovered by reading Conrad Hilsdorf's website "A Guide to the Japanese Type 99 Arisaka Rifle" that the version of the rifle I have used a short push in style cleaning rod that is 5 3/4" in length.

From what I understand in reading this page that the short 5 3/4" rod was only used on " very late 23rd series and very early 24th series Kokura rifles" and therefore hard to find.

Until I can find one, I was thinking perhaps I could purchase a reproduction Japanese Arisaka Type II Paratrooper Cleaning Rod and cut it down.

Would one of you fine gentleman have one of the Type II cleaning rods and would be willing to measure from the top of the rod to the bottom of the the section just past the area that lock in the square retainer on the bottom of the fore stock?

Here is a picture of the correct cleaning rod for my 23 series rifle;

Information

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[jangle]

IMHO, I believe your rifle isn't late enough for the short rod you mention. If I were you, I would go ahead and purchase a standard 99 rod (23 3/4") and install it. Rifles that took the shorter push in rod start to show up in the high 90K serial range, and the stocks were not drilled for the long rod. On the odd chance the long rod doesn't go in your rifle, then just cut it below the latch bevel and your good to go. Original Kokura rods are not proofed and should not be difficult to find with the way people are selling original parts on the major auction sites.

[usabaker]

IMHO, I believe your rifle isn't late enough for the short rod you mention. If I were you, I would go ahead and purchase a standard 99 rod (23 3/4") and install it. Rifles that took the shorter push in rod start to show up in the high 90K serial range, and the stocks were not drilled for the long rod.

You are correct... I had pushed stir straw (because it was handy at the time) and it would not go further than about 4.5" down inside the cleaning rod hole. So when I read what you wrote I got a length of 10 gauge wire and pushed it in, when I got to where it stuck I pushed harder and I was able to get the wire to go in 21". I guess the plastic stir straw was not able to over come the dirt and gunk that had collected over the years in it the hole. Thanks for the help!

[Singer B]

You are correct... I had pushed stir straw (because it was handy at the time) and it would not go further than about 4.5" down inside the cleaning rod hole. So when I read what you wrote I got a length of 10 gauge wire and pushed it in, when I got to where it stuck I pushed harder and I was able to get the wire to go in 21". I guess the plastic stir straw was not able to over come the dirt and gunk that had collected over the years in it the hole. Thanks for the help!

You always find really good info from really good people here.