Arisaka Type 99 Restoration Project

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Eaglelord17

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Hi all,

I thought I would share with you all my first restoration project. It is a Type 99 Short Rifle manufactured by Nagoya and it is a early war model (chrome-lined bore, area on the rear sight for the anti-aircraft wings which were unfortunately not with it). The Mum is ground but otherwise it is a solid functioning rifle. To make this 'sporter' someone at some point cut down the stock and had a new bolt handle installed as well as removing the anti-aircraft sights from it. Otherwise they left it intact, proper barrel length and the bore is in very good condition. The parts I haven't ordered or found yet are the anti-aircraft sights, the monopod and its attachment, the bolt dust cover and the cleaning rod.

Here is how I received the rifle








And here it is with the bolt I acquired for it. I am still debating wither to try and find gun smith to cut off the bolt handle from this and install it on the other bolt as the other bolt is in much better condition.





I'll post more pictures as more parts arrive (stock is in the mail and I already have the hardware excluding the parts I have mentioned).
 
Great work! I know first hand that Type99 parts are not the easiest to source. How is the bore? Have you shot it?
 
Just to add to the info I found out the rifle I have is from the first series (as in the zero series) from Nagoya as there is no circle with the kana on it which means it was within the first 100000 manufactured there. That I think places production sometime between 1939 and 1940 (serial number is 563xx). Any help is appreciated.
 
God that "Bubba'd" bolt is horrific! Please keep us posted, I don't think I've ever seen a restoration on a sporter Arisaka before...
 
You can get stock sets off of ebay, parts as well. Try numrich, they have type 99 parts, even some rare type 30 parts right now.

Pete
 
I have a stock set arriving in the next week or so. The anti-aircraft sights, dust cover and monopod (all not reproductions) will take a fair bit longer to source.

In case anyone is interested here is the website that I ordered the hardware for the stock (but not the stock itself). They have some interesting parts and are very pleasant to deal with (its a guy who does it as a hobby). They also shipped my parts at very little extra cost considering that everywhere else (Numrich) wanted a 50 dollar processing fee. ht tp://japanesemilitaryfirearmsparts.com/Type-99-Rifle-Parts_c6.htm
 
Hi again,
Stock arrived but I am having issues getting the front barrel band over the front sight. I can possibly post pictures later of the issue but it doesn't seem to fit at all. I hope that I don't have to have the front sight removed. Hopefully someone knows how to get it on?
 
Well, got the barrel band on,
Here is some pictures of it restocked.




I consider this restored just not to factory standard, as all I need is the monopod, anti-aircraft sights, and dust cover.
 
Just a quick update in regards to the rifles back ground (haven't gotten any new parts in yet but some are on the way).
Mine was produced at Nagoya Arsenal sometime in September or October 1939. I know this as the book I recently got (called the 'Military Rifles of Japan' by Fred L. Honeycutt jr. and F. Patt Anthony) says that production was started at Nagoya in August 1939 with the capability to produce 30,000 rifles a month. As mine is a 'zero' series (evident by the lack of a encircled Kana) it was the approx. 56,000 rifle to roll off the assembly line and would have therefore been made either in September or October of 1939 which makes it a particularly early rifle (I wish I could know exactly what its been through as it would have served the whole war).

Maybe by next week I'll have some more photos to show the progress of the restoration.
 
looks like you did a pretty good job on her. good work. it's rare to find a rifle with everything still intact... I got the AA sights and monopod... nix the dust cover. oh well.
 
Well those parts I ordered came in. Heres what she looks like now.



Here is an original cleaning rod (no repros on this restoration)



Here is the AA-sights not bad looking



The AA-sights were manufactured by Nagoya as well so it works with the rifle



I will post some more pics whenever I find the last two pieces I am missing, this is probably the last post on this for a while due to difficulty finding these parts.
 
Hi all,

Original dust cover arrived along with a nice Type 30 bayonet (manufactured at Toyoda Jidoshoki Seisakusho (Toyoda Automatic Loom Works) under Nagoya supervision). I also had the bolt handle cut off the one bolt and welded on the original one (the one that had been turned down) as the other bolt was in some rough shape (wouldn't feed the brass and to fix it wouldn't have been worth while). The work on it was so well done that if you didn't know it had been welded you wouldn't be able to tell (besides the lack of bluing on the one part). The restoration is almost complete, only missing the monopod and once I find one it the rifle shall be back to factory configuration (excluding the ground chrysanthemum). I have to say the action is one of the best I have ever worked (nice and smooth) and if it is accurate as well then I definitely have a keeper. The gun just seems well balanced and really well thought out, not to big to be clumsy, and it is fairly light. Well here are some pics of it at the moment, can't wait to get it out to the range!













 
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