What is my Type 38 worth

[Helka]

Recently acquired this rifle. Looking to get an approximate value as there isn’t much out there to get a decent starting point.

It’s a Arisaka Type 38 Sporterized (Bubba’d?)

Based on it’s marking I was able to determine it was built at Koishikawa Arsenal (Tokyo) between 1870 and 1935.

It doesn’t have the standard stock, it’s missing the dial that goes up and down the “aircraft” sight. It has a bent bolt. It very well could have been bent by someone but it looks factory if that makes sense. I have read on other forums that there were versions out there with bent bolts. But likely just bubba’d. The Mum is intact.

The bolt has a serial number of 029 while the magazine baseplate has 829? The serial number on the rifle ends in 860. So unfortunately it’s not matching numbers.

I appreciate any assistance I can get.

Here are some pictures

 

[tiriaq]

Well, someone thought it was worth at least one bid increment less than you got it for.
Forget 1870. The Type 38 rifle appeared in 1905. 38 years after the beginning of the Meiji era in 1867.
I would suggest that it has essentially no collector value. It has had far too much done to it. Have a real go at the bore, see how much it can be cleaned up. It might make a handy shooter.

 

[collector67]

That’s what I was thinking. As far as sporters go, it isn’t bad looking, just a damn shame it happened to an Arisaka.....

 

[collector67]

I saw a few bubba’d Arisakas on Gunbroker.com. Might give you a better idea on pricing.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Value wise it’s a 50-300$ gun depending on how badly someone wants it. To me it’s a sporter in a odd expensive round, so it doesn’t interest me. The only particularly good thing from a collecting standpoint is the mum.

I did restore a Type 99 Arisaka sporter a few years ago with similar features but no mum. Definitely wouldn’t do it again.

 

[howard2]

To me it appears the mum is un touched. That has value. Most I see have been ground or have been peened. Is the barrel cut on the end ?, if not its a positive. Good original wood is hard to find but more outfits are making replacement stocks nowadays. Other than very late war the Japanese actions were well made and the 6.5 is a neat caliber. Slug the bore as there can be quite a variance.

 

[Helka]

Thanks all.