7.7 Arisaka Milsurp around in canada?
- Thread starter JayCee69
- Start date
The only dealer's shelf I have seen a type 99 Arisaka on is Del Selin's in Vernon BC. That was about ten years ago. A few show up at gun shows once in a long while but for the most part the mums have been defaced or ground off. A capture example in VG condition can bring a very good dollar. The ground/defaced examples run anywhere from $350-$450 depending on condition. If in GOOD only with a poor bore even less.
Last spring at the two day Chilliwack show I picked up six Arisakas including a mummed type 38 carbine with matching arsenal bayonet very reasonably. All were in VG or better condition and because I bundled the lot got them very reasonably.
One of the rifles came out of Thailand and had been converted to 30-06 by the Thais and the mum had been defaced by stamping over the end of the petals in a neat fashion. The others all have mums and come in 7.7 as well as 6.5.
There are a lot of variations of type 99s and you need to be very careful as to what you are purchasing. The big thing is to make sure they are still chambered in 7.7 Jap and not altered to 30-06 as those done for Korea. Those are easily spotted because all of the mums were very crudely ground away. Then there are the rifles built in China after the Japanese equipment was captured and chambered in 8x57. I would love to find one of those. Mexico had them chambered in 7x57 as well but I believe they were type 38s. Then there are all sorts of variations including monopods, rear sight wings for following aircraft, last ditch etc.
The Jap rifles are under appreciated or at least have been until recently.
Just to give you an example of how values go, a carbine with defaced mum and in VG condition will sell for around $350+. With intact mum and in the same condition with a matching arsenal bayonet can sell for $1000 or more depending on the individuals doing the deal. That goes for both the type38s and the type99s. Then there is the ever elusive typeII rifles which were made in Italy on Carcano actions without any stamps on the receiver but with the Arisaka type magazine and two piece stock made of beech.
Arisaka collecting can be addicting. I am coming up on the end of my collecting days and now into buy/sell/swap days. Hopefully not to quickly it will be my turn to pass this stuff along to younger collectors. I see a lot of old boys and gals doing just that these days. The younger folks are having a hayday picking up some pieces that haven't been available in any quantity since the mid sixties.
Last spring at the two day Chilliwack show I picked up six Arisakas including a mummed type 38 carbine with matching arsenal bayonet very reasonably. All were in VG or better condition and because I bundled the lot got them very reasonably.
One of the rifles came out of Thailand and had been converted to 30-06 by the Thais and the mum had been defaced by stamping over the end of the petals in a neat fashion. The others all have mums and come in 7.7 as well as 6.5.
There are a lot of variations of type 99s and you need to be very careful as to what you are purchasing. The big thing is to make sure they are still chambered in 7.7 Jap and not altered to 30-06 as those done for Korea. Those are easily spotted because all of the mums were very crudely ground away. Then there are the rifles built in China after the Japanese equipment was captured and chambered in 8x57. I would love to find one of those. Mexico had them chambered in 7x57 as well but I believe they were type 38s. Then there are all sorts of variations including monopods, rear sight wings for following aircraft, last ditch etc.
The Jap rifles are under appreciated or at least have been until recently.
Just to give you an example of how values go, a carbine with defaced mum and in VG condition will sell for around $350+. With intact mum and in the same condition with a matching arsenal bayonet can sell for $1000 or more depending on the individuals doing the deal. That goes for both the type38s and the type99s. Then there is the ever elusive typeII rifles which were made in Italy on Carcano actions without any stamps on the receiver but with the Arisaka type magazine and two piece stock made of beech.
Arisaka collecting can be addicting. I am coming up on the end of my collecting days and now into buy/sell/swap days. Hopefully not to quickly it will be my turn to pass this stuff along to younger collectors. I see a lot of old boys and gals doing just that these days. The younger folks are having a hayday picking up some pieces that haven't been available in any quantity since the mid sixties.
I "lucked" into one about 5 yrs ago at Williams Arms in Port Perry. It is really a shooter not a collector's gun. Mun is ground and sight wings removed. Other than that in very good condition- wood and metal. Bore is like new. Put together some cast loads in reformed 3006 cases. This is a well built fun rifle to shoot. I don't find the aperture sight mounted on the barrel difficult to use even with the 65 yr old eyes. Attracts a few questions and comments on the range. Price- 350.00
The Type II was often referred to as the "Special Navy Rifle" because it was the Japanese navy that ordered them. To my knowledge none of them were stamped with a crest and the distribution was limited by the time they got the rifles because a lot of their navy/marines no longer existed. Also the bolt handle was light and they had issues with them breaking off. The first ones I saw many years ago weren't finished. The wood was stained with grease but still in the white. Lots of speculation as to why this occurred but nothing definitive. Word was the Navy wanted something to designate the rifles as being a Navy only issue but they couldn't get the permission to do so. Rumors???? I don't know.
Just to be clear, my rifle is made with a majority of cast parts, the steel bolt locking to a barrel extension. Barrel assembly is pinned into the cast receiver. Nothing to do with the cast blank shooting only training rifles.
Nothing to do with the hybrid Carcano action based rifles either.
Nothing to do with the hybrid Carcano action based rifles either.
Lucky me. I've had this Arisaka for over 40 years. It is an early model. It was sporterized many years ago but I recently returned it to as close to original as possible. Mum has been gound off. Cleaning rod is a repro. I reload for it. Shoots pretty good. 
I think I live in the milsurp capital of Canada, you wouldn't believe some of the stuff I've seen in collections around greater Victoria. The last Ari I saw was complete, all markings, correct sights, good stock, clean action, monopod - like a good Enfield for condition, I believe it was $600 with an option to buy 5 boxes of commercial ammo at a very reasonable price ($1 /round).
I have often heard the phrase "special navy rifle" applied to the Type II rifles. I just took it for granted that is what you meant. Type II rifles were intended for the navy.
I ran the numbers and symbols on mine, which my Grandpa brought back from Japan. Ground mum, unfortunately, but have the bayonet and some accessories. Nagoya series 6. Once I found out it was not a war end rifle I started looking for ammo. A fellow CGN'er pointed me to TradeEx, got a bag of brass from them, and Wholesale Sports actually had dies. But what I found funny is that the only place i could find with actual loaded ammo was Ellwood Epps - and the fellow I was talking with said those two boxes of Norma they had were on the shelf 11 years! Needless to say they're no longer on their shelves 
Can't wait to clean it up and go to the range, but a few other projects need finishing first (like my garage). It's been a learning adventure for me, and cool to own a piece of useable history. Never seen one at the local gun shows here though.
Can't wait to clean it up and go to the range, but a few other projects need finishing first (like my garage). It's been a learning adventure for me, and cool to own a piece of useable history. Never seen one at the local gun shows here though.Nice rifle, i think the cleaning rod seems a bit too short.
Lucky me. I've had this Arisaka for over 40 years. It is an early model. It was sporterized many years ago but I recently returned it to as close to original as possible. Mum has been gound off. Cleaning rod is a repro. I reload for it. Shoots pretty good.
