Arisaka T38 Metal Question

K

Kwantung Armyman

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Hello fellows, can you guys tell me what kind of metal is used for the Arisaka Type 38 Rifles ? The reason I ask is because the metal feels different than the ones used on my other rifles (Mauser 98k and Steyr-Mannlicher). It also feels kind of light, does it ? And also the butt plate feels like (or is) made of wood ? Can anyone varify for me? Thanks !
 
If the butt is made out of wood, you have a substitute standard Type 99, not a T38. The metal is steel (unless you have a navy special rifle which is rare and made mostly of cast iron), but it's more crudely finished and can feel different.
 
The T38 was NEVER made with a wooden buttplate, and never made with the rough wartime finish. The T99 was. ALOT of people (probably you) confuse the T99 Substitute Standard with the T38 because it has a T-38 style handguard.

DO NOT fire 6.5 Arisaka in your rifle until you know for sure!!!

I suggest posting a pic here.
 
I'm looking at 3 Arisaka Buttplates now. The 99's are solid stamped steel. The Type 38 is perhaps steel and an alloy as a magnet barely sticks to it. The 38 also is casted and still has blueing, which looks like textured paint, on it's tang. It does feel different here, but it appears steel alloy.
I do know that many Arisaka stocks were made outside Japan during their war, 1937-45, perhaps the rest of the rifles were too.Different metalurgy? I did have about a dozen
Arisaka stock sets and some were very soft wood, some orange some brown. While others were a lighter hardwood. It was explained to me that the different woods were from different conquered areas of the Orient.
Hope this helps.
 
Ackley "Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders Vol II" states the T38 action was made of medium carbon steel hardened to 36C-38C Rockwell.
 
Thanks guys, appreciate the lights up :) I'm sure mine is a T38 because it says sanhachi-shiki in Kanji on it. It's just that when I tap it it feels different than other rifles. It's the buttplate by the way I am refering to. The Queens Medalist I think you're right it should be alloy. Thanks the rest of the members :D
 
Just wondering. I know there were training rifles that were only made to fire blanks, but would actualy chamber a live round with rather disasterous results.
If I recall correctly, the reciever on the drill rifles have a one piece tang whereas the real ones have it in two pieces.
 
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