Arisaka Type 99

[Rev Rob]

A local shop has one for $199

AA sights and full mum. stock is real light.

is that a good price. How good are these? How hard is getting ammo?

[Noah Zark]

Rev:

The price may be OK especially with the intact mum and the AA sight. But other factors like bore condition also need to be considered.

Further, ammo is hard to find and usually expensive. To my knowledge, the only manufacturer of 7.7mm Japanese is Norma, and a box of 20 rounds will be in the $35 to $45 range. I might be wrong, some other eastern European ammo outfit might be making it, but I've seen nothing but Norma.

There is no original surplus available, and the ammo collectors have that snapped up at MANY dollars per round.

Not what I would call a "shooting" collector piece. If you want my opinion, if I were you I would focus elsewhere.

Noah

[Richard Simmons]

IIRC Graf & Sons in offering or will soon be offering the 7.7 Jap ammo. FWIW the ones I see around here are normally in the $150 range with a decent bore, no dust cover, no AA sights, no monopod, no cleaning rod or sling and usually with a ground Mum. :(

[DonWally]

Rev Rob,

Grace and peace to you.

First and foremost, if you want to shoot your T99, you want to make sure it is not a “last ditch” production piece. Those rifles made toward the end of the war are considered by many as unsafe to fire due to poor material and workmanship. Others “bah, humbug” the notion of them being unsafe.

I highly doubt that the one you are looking at is a “last ditch” if it has airplane sights, but check to see that it has a metal butt plate.

As far as ammo: reloading is the only way to shoot 7.7 cheaply. The new ammo Graf & Sons is getting is expensive compared to most other calibers. If you do not reload, YET, maybe a friend would let you work out a deal to use his/her reloader if you buy the dies and supplies.

I would suggest you offer $150. IF, however, the wood is excellent and/or all the serial numbers match, and if it has a dust cover and cleaning rod in addition to the AA wings and Mum, and if the bore has strong rifling and no pitting, I wouldn’t hesitate even if the seller says the $199 is firm. If it has a correct sling and/or an original monopod in addition to all the above, run to the shop, plop down your $199 + tax, grab the rifle and run for home! IMHO! ;)

[Rev Rob]

Im pritty sure it has a metal butt plate and a bayonet with a curled tang.

Oh and what is a monopod?

[BobB]

If it has all that and a bayonet for that price, I would be waiting when they open the door. :D

[Noah Zark]

The monopod is a bend round wire thingy that passes through holes in the bottom of the stock band, and folds flat against the stock. It unfolds down to form a rest for the rifle. Typically, these were discarded by the Japanese troops according to my late father, who fought in the South Pacific from late '43 to the Occupation of the mainland.

Noah

[DonWally]

Originally posted by BobB
If it has all that and a bayonet for that price, I would be waiting when they open the door. :D

:up:

...especially if the bore is good! If the bayo is in any kind of good condition, it will more than make up for the $50. If the blade, crosspiece and pommel finishes are very good and has decent wood grips, jump quickly or tell me where it is!!!!!!!!!! :D

[Rev Rob]

Well I did not jump quick enough. I called to make sure it was still there and the fella said its no longer there. OK Im bummed.

Well thanks for the info now I know what to look for.

[Rev Rob]

Ok I had to fill you guys in on this.

I called the shop a couple of days ago and they said the Jap 7.7 was gone. Well I needed a new gun to clean so I just has to call again.

Well the fella I talked to today said ya its still here. So off I went!!


Well turns out I wrong.

Its actually a type 38, full mum and bayonett.

But it has no cleaning rod, wooden butt plate and a peep sight. There are also a crack in the stock and a bit of pitting.

So for $199 I had to pass.

I did not know they made rushed Type 38s?

[T2K]

Sounds odd. I thought all Type 38's were 6.5mm?

[Rev Rob]

Originally posted by T2K
Sounds odd. I thought all Type 38's were 6.5mm?


Yes that was my bad when I first looked at it I thought it was a Type 99 but it was actually a Type 38. I guess I was mum struck.