used in these rifles, I am not sure it has much effect on the overall strength and safety of the action. This “system” is one in which the bolt head fits closely within a recess in the breech end of the barrel. This breeching system produces the same results as achieved in the M98 Mauser, in which a ring of steel is placed around most of the bolt head.
The weak points in both systems are the wide extractor cut in this ring of steel, and the undercut in the bolt face recess. As far as strength and safety are concerned, I don’t believe this breeching method is much superior to the 03 Springfield breech system. There is no question that the 98 Mauser and Arisaka breeching would be far stronger and safer if there was no undercut in the bolt face recess, and if a flush-type narrow extractor were used so the wide extractor slot could be eliminated. When an action blows up it is usually the result of a faulty cartridge—when the head of the cartridge splits open to let large amounts of powder gases escape to the rear. In this event, I fail to see where the 98 Mauser or Arisaka breechings are any better than the 1903 Springfield breeching. In the two previously mentioned Arisaka torture tests, none of the cartridge cases used were faulty. I wonder what would have happened with the 6.5mm Arisaka rifle chambered for the 30-06 cartridge if the head of one of the cartridges had cracked or split open when fired, rather than expanding evenly. I think the results would have been different. A good 03 Springfield action with its funnel breeching will withstand considerable abuse from overloads heavy enough to cause head expansion, but if the head of the case splits with such a load then the situation is different. So that I am not entirely misunderstood, I do prefer the Mauser M98 breeching method over that of the Arisaka, and I prefer either over the Springfield.
Another example of the cast iron Arisaka action made for a training rifle. This one has only token bolt locking lugs, a small extractor mortised into the bolt head, and receiver and trigger guard are held in the stock with common wood screws.
Rechambering
Type 38, 6.5mm caliber: During WWII much erroneous information circulated about “that small caliber Jap rifle.” Many believed that they were of “25 caliber.”
Before Norma made the 6.5mm Japanese cartridge commercially available, it was common practice to rechamber the 6.5mm Arisaka rifle or carbine to the 257 Roberts case necked up to hold a 6.5mm bullet.
Underside view of the Japanese Type 38 bolt head (6.5mm) showing: (A) gas vent hole, (B) extractor, (C) bolt face recess with undercut, (D) ejector slot, (E) locking lugs and (F) bolt-stop lug. The Type 99 bolt is the same except that the extractor slot is milled entirely through the bolt-stop and locking lugs.
As long as Norma commercial 6.5
Japanese ammunition and cases are available, there is no longer any practical reason to have the Arisaka 6.5mm rifle rechambered. The Norma 6.5 Japanese case is just as reloadable as any other. If you have one of these Japanese rifles and if you are not sure if it has been rechambered, better have it checked by a competent gunsmith before attempting to fire Norma ammunition in it.
Type 99, 7.7mm caliber: here again we have the same situation. It no longer makes sense to rechamber the 7.7mm Arisaka rifle because Norma also loads this cartridge. Before Norma loaded this cartridge, it was common practice to rechamber 7.7mm Arisaka to 30-06 caliber. Of course, any rechambering is hardly practical since the introduction of Norma 7.7mm Japanese loads. Again a warning—if you are not sure of the chamber in your 7.7 rifle then have it checked by a competent gunsmith.
During the Korean war many Type 99s were rechambered for the 30-06 cartridge and issued to troops of the Republic of Korea. The rechambering was done by U.S. Ordnance units stationed near Tokyo, Japan. I don’t know how these rifles were rechambered—whether the barrel was set back or not, or how the magazine was lengthened, because I have been unable to examine one. These rifles can be identified by the marking Cal. .30 U.S. stamped on the left side of the receiver ring.
Japanese training rifle barrels are smoothbored, and often of two-piece construction, i.e., with the smoothbore tube threaded into the larger reinforced chamber section as shown here.
The 6.5mm Japanese Cartridge
Japan adopted this cartridge in 1897. It is a semi-rimmed bottlenecked case primed with a Berdan primer of a size never made available to reloaders. The “6.5mm” represents bore size, or the same as 256-caliber. The standard Japanese military ball loading was a 139-grain spitzer bullet, its muzzle velocity about 2500 fps. Sporting ammunition in this caliber is still manufactured by Norma and is available through many Norma dealers. Norma offers two 6.5 loads—one with a 139-grain semi-pointed, softpoint, boattail bullet; the other using a 156-grain softpoint spitzer bullet. Muzzle velocities for these loads are 2360 and 2070 fps, respectively.
The 7.7mm Japanese Cartridge
Adopted by Japan in 1939, the 7.7mm cartridge has a rimless bottlenecked case. The standard military ball load has a 183-grain pointed bullet with a muzzle velocity of about 2300 fps. Norma has one load for this cartridge—a 180-grain softpoint semi-pointed boattail bullet. The 180-grain load, with a muzzle velocity of 2500 fps, has at 200 yards a remaining energy of 1770 foot pounds.
Summary
For remodeling into a sporting rifle, or using its action to build a rifle, Arisaka rifles are far down on the popularity list of rifles. Until Norma ammunition became available in the Japanese calibers, the Arisaka rifles were not seriously considered for gunsmithing because of the ammunition problem. Some of their unpopularity is undoubtedly due to the early unfavorable publicity given them during and shortly after WWII. However, I believe the main reason why they have not been used more frequently for remodeling is because the action is not easy to operate.
I have not remodeled many Arisaka rifles, and I can think of only two occasions when I built a complete rifle on this action. I have, however, rechambered many of the 6.5s to the 6.5/257 Roberts. Some of these rifles are still being used by their owners for hunting deer. The amateur gunsmith is cautioned to be on his guard against Japanese training rifles, which are unsuitable for any gunsmithing. These training rifles are discussed at the end of this chapter.
The Arisaka Paratroop Rifle
This chapter would not be complete without illustrations and descriptions of three other types of Japanese military weapons used before and during WWII: the takedown paratroop models, the Type “I” rifle and the various training rifles.
The first of the takedown paratroop rifles is generally designated as the Type 0 Paratroop rifle. This particular model is quite rare, and I have never examined one closely. Probably developed around 1940, it is based on the Type 99 Arisaka action. Chambered for the 7.7mm Japanese cartridge, it was made so the barrel and forend assembly could be separated from the buttstock and action assembly, with the takedown effected by an interrupted-thread joint between barrel and receiver. It featured a detachable bolt handle. It has a 25.75” barrel, weighs about 8.75 pounds and is 44.25” overall. In original and very good condition they’re a desirable item for any military arms collection.
Type 38 Arisaka
General Specifications
Type 38 and 99 Arisaka
