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Winchester 72A & Arisaka Model 99 7.7mm value.....
ptt
Member Posts: 39 ✭✭
I have two old rifles, one, the .22 I have acceped as payment for debts owed. A Winchester Model 72A bolt-action rifle w/14-shot tube magazine. Good finish but some unfinished carving on the walnut stock. Tack driver! And a WWII souvinire relic Arisaka Model-99 in 7.7mm two-piece rifle. This Japanese rifle was brought back from the Island campaign on Okinawa and has flip up 1500M sights w/aircraft tracking accessory fold down arms. A d-ring bolt forward of the reciever that allows removal of the barrel/forgrip. The old "monkey" wood cobby stock is heavily carved with dragons and pagodas. And "1944" is carved in right rear of the stock in large numerals. These carvings were obviously done with either a bayonet or pocket knife. I have had this old Jap rifle for many years and had ammo made for it from necked down 30.06 brass a $2.50 each! It bagged about two dozen white tails over the years! Never scoped. It has a 4 digit serial number. (5319) Has the Crysnthimum symbol of the emperor on the reciever and back-end of the bolt. I've heard it being called a paratroopers rifle as well as a snipers rifle (It was taken off an eliminated sniper near Maschinato Ridge, Okinawa.. Any idea of the value?
Comments
THerefore I think most collectors would assume the carvings are of post war origin, and detract from the originality and collector value of the rifle.
Other points to look at are: Do all the serial numbers match? Generally all serialed parts will have the last 3 digits of the serial number on the receiver.
A Mumed (not ground or defaced in any way) and matching paratrooper T-99 in good original condition could easily be worth $1k. However I suspect the stock carvings will have a detrimental effect on the value of your piece, by several hundred dollars. If it is mismatched or the Mum defaced, subtract even more. Regardless of either, I'd put it in the $500.+ range. BTW: The Battle for Okinawa occured April to June 1945. So the Okinawa story is almost certainly mistaken. These war relic rifles very often come w/elaborate stories of when/where aquired. Some may be true, many are not. But such stories do not increase the rifle value unless they can be proven, generally by military issued "bringback papers" documentation. Without those, the saying "buy the rifle, not the story" is good advice.
My 2005 Gun traders guide lists the Winchester Model 72 (no mention of A designation) at:
$206. in good condition. Again I'd suspect stock carvings to detract somewhat from value.
WACA Historian & Life Member