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What exactly is this Japanese rifle

gunboobgunboob Member Posts: 203 ✭✭✭
edited November 2011 in Ask the Experts
Out of several Japanese rifles aquired a while back, was one a bit different than the usual 6.5 Arisaka.
It is of normal 6.5 lgth. but, a few other things are different. Front of bolt has odd conf. with an oval cut-out on top. Not a swing-around extracter bar, but bolt contained. Normal knurled bolt rear. 1/4" dia. hole in rec. rear, right side. Middle bbl. band retainer is not of leaf spring style, like normal, but, of a heavy wire type. The left side bolt release is of a long heavy wire actuating it. 1/4" dia. hole in bottom of floor plt. through which a bullet point can wedge back a thin wire to release it, rather than the usual trigger guard actuater push stub. No mum,...nothing. Looks as if never had. Instead of ser. nos. running along down rec. right side rear, these are 4 digit closely grouped at extreem front of rec. piece. Butt stock is not normal 2-pc. but, solid i pc.
Is this enough? I'm wild guessing it could be Italian made for early Jap use. And, of course, what, if any, is the desireability/value of this thing. Cond. is ok,..so so, with not much to match.
Hope somebody can give me a clue.

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    p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 25,750
    edited November -1
    The Japanese Type I rifle looks enough like a Carcano you could never miss it. Most likely you have yourself a Japanese training rifle. Meant only for blanks if at all, lots of GI's picked them up not knowing the difference. Check for rifling in the barrel. Absence of is a dead givaway.
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    gunboobgunboob Member Posts: 203 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm familiar enough with Italian to well know its not a carcano. But, I think you might be on to something,....it sure is smoothbore. Really, to be truthful, theres not a lot to lend it to being Jap, except for several main points which suggest it strongly. It did come out of a Jap accumulation, also. What I didn't also mention is that there are what appears to be Jap letter carvings on both sides of the stock. Left side....a couple of characters in a 1 1/8" dia. circle. Right side...5,6,or 7, in a 1" x 3 3/4" rectangle.
    I took it apart, and no Jap stamping symbols evident. I noticed that in one of my old SOG catalogs, in the collectors corner, they had a very good "trainer" for sale at 550.00. That can't be appropriate, can it? Anyway,...thanks for your reply
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    rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Need quality photos boob, for accurate identification and valuation.

    Link give instructions for posting photos on the forum.

    http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=259294

    I've owned one of the black painted, cast iron, Japanese Navy trainers for years. I would dance and sing if somebody offered me $550 for it. Not gone to happen though. Those guys at SOG must be delusional if they figure they can get that kind of money for a trainer.


    EDIT #1 At the link below is a net site that has markings found on various Japanese training rifles. You might compare them to the markings on your rifle.

    http://www.gunboards.com/sites/banzai/Trainers/Trainers.htm#Top_trainer_markings
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    GrasshopperGrasshopper Member Posts: 16,756 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    sale at 550.00. That can't be appropriate, can it

    No,,,I am about 95% sure you have a trainer as p-3 indicates. You think collecting various t-99 are a nightmare,,try collecting different style trainers,,,they ae so many kinds ect,[:I]
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    gunboobgunboob Member Posts: 203 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    right_side5.jpg

    stock_left.jpg

    stock_right1.jpg

    underside.jpg

    bolt_rel_spring.jpg

    bbl_band_retainer.jpg


    I think I may have actually found out how to do this. (Yaeh, I had to call my grand son,...no lie.) Anyway, what can anybody tee me now?
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    p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 25,750
    edited November -1
    Exactly what we though. A training rifle.
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    gunboobgunboob Member Posts: 203 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm going to respond one last time and promise to let it die. I'm still aching to know why no Jap stampings in any metal,...and the unusual serial no. grouping on the forward rec. ring. How far wrong is it to surmise that it may be foreign made, to them,...maybe by the Italians. If no answer, I'll assume no one else is sure neither.
    Thanx,....Bob
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    FatstratFatstrat Member Posts: 9,147
    edited November -1
    According to the reference book "Military Rifles of Japan" by Fred Honeycutt. It was very common for Japanese trainers to be devoid of markings, except serial number. This one appears to be a 7/8 scale children's T=38 trainer. (page 172-73.)
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    GrasshopperGrasshopper Member Posts: 16,756 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It is what it is ,, a trainer, a piece of WW2 history made by the Japanese......Although many people are becoming void of any history other than a few months ago....so true..[B)]
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    gunboobgunboob Member Posts: 203 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Okay, we'll close this one now. Rufe-snow,...that was a VERY interesting addendem you put on, although, I'm pretty sure none matched, still, valuable piece of stuff.
    Fat Strat, that was great. I got ahold of the book, and, sure enough, that's it.
    This was a very productive endever for me, and, I got a little smarter. Thanks all.
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