Jap bring back help

skicat

I am trying to determine what rifle a WWII vet has. I have only spoken to him on the phone and haven't seen the gun yet. He brought it back himself from the Philippines. There is an original beat up shipping tag wired to the gun with his name and the address of his fathers house in MN where it was shipped to. He wasn't able to tell me much but this is what I have so far.

Intact mum
Metal butt stock plate...
M872 on side of receiver
no rear airplane sights
One piece wood stock
barrel extends about 18" past wood stock
flip up sights about 1" wide with elevation "bar" about 1.5" wide
no bayonet
no monopod
no cleaning rod
has not been sporterized...same as when he brought it home.
stock is scratched up

ElMuertoMonkey

Just for clarification, did he mean to say it had an 18" barrel or that the forearm guard portion of the stock is missing and therefore the forward 18" of barrel is exposed?

Because if it's the former (18" barrel), he either has a Type 38 or 44 carbine.

If it's the latter, he has a gun that's in really rotten shape.

Spider7115

This website may help you: http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/japanese_markings.html

skicat

If I understood him correctly it was a one piece stock where the barrel extended 18 inches or so past the end of the stock. I was hoping there was some version like that instead of a missing forearm.

jonk

I'd suspect that the gun was duffle cut or sporterized, despite what was said, as all Japanese rifles had full length stocks. That said, of course we need pics to be more specific, but at very least we need to know overall length, barrel length, approximate bore diameter, etc.

Best guess is some form of Arisaka either a 99 or 38. Does it have a hole (or 2) drilled in the top of the receiver?

There's the slight possibility that it was a homemade guerilla piece from the Phillipines made out of parts too, which would account for its state.

skicat

I asked him about whether the stock was cut to fit into a bag and he said it wasn't. I can't answer the other questions until I get to look at it which might be Friday. I have been reading the old threads here, looking at the auctions on the other side ,googling, etc to get as squared away as I can before I get to see it so I know what to look for. So any other suggestions and opinions before Friday are greatly appreciated.

One of the other questions I had was is the shipping tag part of the paperwork I have seen referred to?

Grasshopper

Well I have seen one Arisaka that had an address label attached to the buttstock and was shipped to the USA that way.

Description,,,,metal buttstock? one piece wood stock..? Mum is good, but I have to see a pic to tell you what you have,,,for sure.

Fatstrat

There is no WW-2 vintage Japanese military rifle w/that original configuration.

skicat

I was afraid of that. I'll get a look at it hopefully Friday. Was there usually other documentation besides shipping tags?

Fatstrat

quote:Originally posted by skicat
I was afraid of that. I'll get a look at it hopefully Friday. Was there usually other documentation besides shipping tags?

Yep, sounds like a duffel-cut/sporterized Arisaka. Would have to see pics to tell which. The MUM signified ownership of the Emperor. Whom the Japanese believed was a God. No Japanese soldier would dream of altering his rifle. And would likely be SEVERELY punished if he did.
Beyond the tag, I believe there should be some type of letter authorizing sending or bringing the rifle back home.

wpage

My dad had a bag of those to bring back from his Aleutian Island tour in WWII. His only take homes from 3 cold years in Alaska specials was burned in a bonfire.
We got a sword and a bayonet.

Good luck with your find! A few made it out.