Basement Find (Japanese Rifle)

[Warm_Garand]

Old timer died awhile back, and the heirs found this under the cellar stairs.

He was a WWII vet––served Navy, in the Pacific fleet. No idea where he picked it up.

It is a rifle peculiar to the Japanese naval forces, and it was apparently made by Beretta while Japan was still pillaging China.

Here is some history on the type rifle.

Wiki on Type I Rifle....

More detailed collector data...


Felt kinda sorry for the old girl, and figured I'd do what I could with her.

My brother-in-law knows Japanese rifles (his dad got one in a trench-line on Okinawa, for real), so we had at it over the weekend.

 

[Sir_Macadoo]

very cool. Looks good so far! Lets see some pics when you get it all back together!

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

Wow! Looks like my twin in the picture above kneeling over the rifle with the PB Blaster and WD-40 in the picture.

 

[majspud]

Lexol; good stuff.

I'd stay away from the saddle soap; its more for breaking in new leather rather than preserving old leather.

MS

 

[Sir_Macadoo]

I have good luck with neatsfoot oil for bringing back crispy leather. It does darken the leather tho. Just an FYI.

 

[MisterHappy]

I ran across one of those, once....I had to check 3 references before I found it.

Then I talked to an old[er] guy, who knew exactly what it was.....

 

[Boris]

looks like an awesome project. I'm glad that the gun will be in good hands who will appreciate its history

 

[Jasper]

looking good so far

for the sling, i'd skip the saddle soap. what you REALLY need is Neetsfoot Oil (i have a big bottle if ya want some, i;ll never use it all). it won't repair the cracks, but it DOES do an excellent job at rejuvenating the leather.

 

[Rate_of_Twist]

He was a WWII vet––served Navy, in the Pacific fleet. No idea where he picked it up.

It is a rifle peculiar to the Japanese naval forces, and it was apparently made by Beretta while Japan was still pillaging China.

Just a note to this. My Grandfather was a navy man, an aircraft mechanic that served on Iwo Jima ( he was stationed there right after the island was officially captured and "safe" he has some amazing stories about remaining Japanese forces on the island coming down at night and picking through the garbage for food and killing solders in there sleep )

I personally have his "bring back " type 99 last ditch with a intact mum.

After the capture of Iwo Jima and the surrender of ChiChi Jima ( a island with a radio tower to the north that was never captured if I remember correctly ) Many service man, particularly navy men were offered captured rifles straight out of crate, with the offer of "shipping home" to be taken care of by the US Gov. My grandfather was offered one of such rifle, under such an arrangement ( as were many according to him ) He took the offer, and the rifle was sent home straight from a crate of new weapons that had never been issued. He never viewed the rifle until returning home 9 months later, to his mothers house where she was not the least bit happy with the surprise shipment of a "gun" ( he had neglected to warn her )

Very cool find, enjoy

 

[Manomet]

Hey it hasn't been "sporterized" you got lucky. I have my dads Arisaka he brought back from occupied Japan, have all the materials for loading just haven't got there yet. Have fun and be safe!

 

[Gastrok]

This is very cool. Keep us posted on your progress with it.

 

[msdamato]

I have the same rifle! Good luck finding ammo. I have only seen it online and it is usually out of stock. 6.5x50 jap is what it takes. If you do find ammo let me know, maybe we can get them together. I have not shot mine yet.

 

[Warm_Garand]

I have good luck with neatsfoot oil for bringing back crispy leather. It does darken the leather tho. Just an FYI.

I'm working a hail-mary play with the leather. It was hard as beef jerky. Pretty much hopeless, but worth a try. It would not have been possible to remove it from the rifle without destroying it, so the idea was to use the saddle soap and very very little warm water as a carrier to bring the glycerine into the leather and make it just flexible enough to get out of the sling loops and keepers without breaking. It worked--then the sling was doused with Lexol and put in a gallon sized ziploc and I'm going to let it just sit for a couple or three days.

Hard to see in the small pictures (the pics are actually 13" wide--the site formats them small) some white-painted Japanese characters are faintly visible on the underside of the sling.

Direct link:
http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/SalvadorPix83/10-1.jpg

You can faintly see the white lettering/Japanese characters just above the top of the saddle soap tin.

Here is an interesting link on leather care--they seem to know what they are talking about.

http://www.davidmorgan.com/leathercare.html


Anybody seen the Pecard dressing locally?

 

[majspud]

I had to order my Pecard's antique leather dressing directly from the web site.

MS

 

[ARV]

Is the mum still intact? Also, any black sand stuck in the cracks?

 

[Warm_Garand]

There actually is no Chrysanthemum on a Type I rifle. In the original post I linked to source material for the rifle's origins, and the why was explained there. The Type I was actually made by the Italians for the Imperial Navy--this rifle has PB cartouches (Pietro Beretta) on the receiver.

Head's up on Japanese ammo availability: Law Enforcement Equipment in Waltham has a pleasantly surprising selection of different C&R ammo--in particular a box of Norma 6.5 Japanese ($38) and 3 or 4 boxes of Hornady 7.7 Japanese ($32).

The 6.5 Japanese is also listed as "In Stock" (for the time being) at both Graf's and Cheaper Than Dirt.

Happy Shooting.

 

[ARV]

There actually is no Chrysanthemum on a Type I rifle. In the original post I linked to source material for the rifle's origins, and the why was explained there. The Type I was actually made by the Italians for the Imperial Navy--this rifle has PB cartouches (Pietro Beretta) on the receiver.

Head's up on Japanese ammo availability: Law Enforcement Equipment in Waltham has a pleasantly surprising selection of different C&R ammo--in particular a box of Norma 6.5 Japanese ($38) and 3 or 4 boxes of Hornady 7.7 Japanese ($32).

The 6.5 Japanese is also listed as "In Stock" (for the time being) at both Graf's and Cheaper Than Dirt.

Happy Shooting.

+1 I learned something new.

 

[Garys]

I had to order my Pecard's antique leather dressing directly from the web site.

MS

I did the same. I used it on a leather K-31 sling with good results.

 

[Aussiemak]

Hi I also have a type 1 rifle. the serial number is A1064 so one of the very first of the series. When I first aquired the gun, $38 at an estate auction, I purchased a box of ammo,paid $27, a couple of months later I was at a local sporting goods store that had these very large table filled with all sorts of clearance items. I bought 9 boxes of ammo for $2 a box, still have 6 or 7 boxes.

- - - Updated - - -

Hi I also have a type 1 rifle. the serial number is A1064 so one of the very first of the series. When I first aquired the gun, $38 at an estate auction, I purchased a box of ammo,paid $27, a couple of months later I was at a local sporting goods store that had these very large table filled with all sorts of clearance items. I bought 9 boxes of ammo for $2 a box, still have 6 or 7 boxes.

 

[Maninblue1861]

very nice, and glad to see care in getting it preserved.

 

[Warm_Garand]

More 6.5 Jap ammo sightings: I was up at Collectible Guns and Ammo in Merrimack, and they had 4 or 5 boxes of the 6.5 (Hornady), and I also know that Joe D in Chelmsford has at least 1 more box of the 6.5 (Norma), and is expecting the 7.7 Japanese in. Law Enforcement Supply in Waltham is worth calling--I know they had 7.7 (Hornady) a little while back.

Arisaka sightings: at Collector's in Stoneham, Joe D's, and there was a 6.5 "carbine" at Collectible in Merrimack NH.

All the best.