[Bubba Ho-Tep]

It has always surprised me that Japanese firearms were so bad, when in other areas (the Zero, their naval gunnery) they were so technically advanced. Of all the major powers in the war, they easily had the crappiest personal weapons.

[AppyPappy]

I have an Arisaka. It isn’t too bad but looks like an obvious rip off of another design (KAR-98 maybe)

[Bonemaker]

The pre and early war stuff was actually pretty darn good but the later ones really sucked. I have one and it really sucks.

[central_va]

It weird. The Japs made really goods things and really really bad things. Torpedoes were excellent and their tank sucked. But even their tanks were a conundrum. The tank intercom, optical sites, radios and fire control were top notch wrapped in a really crappy tank.

[Zhang Fei]

[It has always surprised me that Japanese firearms were so bad, when in other areas (the Zero, their naval gunnery) they were so technically advanced. Of all the major powers in the war, they easily had the crappiest personal weapons.]

---

It shouldn’t surprise anyone. When Pearl Harbor rolled around, Japan nominal production per person was 1/7 the US number. Japan also had half the US population. It was involved in an expensive continental-scale war in China. Difficult choices had to be made. It was the moral equivalent of a poorer version of Mexico today fighting the US. Their principal advantages came down to grit, making the first move and relative proximity to the regions contested.

[Hiddigeigei]

It has always surprised me that Japanese firearms were so bad
My cousin brought a bolt-action Jap rifle back from the Philippines. Crudely finished on the outside, but the rifling and all the working parts were very good.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I’ve read the Arisaka had the strongest action and it was almost impossible to blow one up.

Early war production was excellent. A friend of mine had one rechambered to 30-06.

At a large shooting range in Tulsa OK, a man came in while we were preparing for a competition. I noticed his rifle was an Arisaka with the top wood missing. From a prone position he began to knock over the steel targets hundreds of yards away with no problems.

Late war production were junk. A local business man had a late war production. Talk about a piece of junk.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***that Japanese firearms were so bad,***

The early war Arisaka still got more respect than the Italian Carcano.

[Secret Agent Man]

zero wasnt that great for the pilot

they didnt put any armor around the cockpit to protect the guy flying it

[jmacusa]

I agree. The Ariska rifle issued to the Imperial Japanese Army, when topped out with it’s bayonet was almost as tall as the average Japanese soldier.