Liberal Porn
Posted on 12/10/2012 7:52:33 AM PST by marktwain
WORCESTER — The Guns for Goods program succeeded in getting more guns off the streets, but it also netted a piece of history.
“We got a very unusual vintage Japanese rifle from World War II with a bayonet,” said Dr. Michael P. Hirsh, chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery and Trauma at UMass Memorial Medical Center.
The program, which offered both gift certificates from Wegmans and free flu shots to people who anonymously turned in guns, netted 102 weapons in two days. Mr. Hirsh said 34 were collected yesterday to go with 68 collected Dec. 1. The collection yesterday was held at the office of the city Division of Public Health.
Most of the weapons will be destroyed, but the antique weapon may find a new home.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegram.com ...
I own one too, minus the bayonet. I inherited it from my dad. I have shown it to many knowledgeable people and not one thought it worth putting in a museum. It was made by Mauser, something I believe the article failed to mention. Mine has the chrysanthemum intact. Years ago I managed to track down some 7.7 Jap cartridges and got to fire it. It’s a beast; that steel butt plate is very unforgiving.
Not worth more than a couple hundred bucks. Unless it was in pristine condition with intact mum and accessories or a sniper version or Paratrooper break down model. Those are worth some serious money.
Liberal Porn
An Arisaka type 99 made in Germany? That doesn’t sound possible to me. I’m certainly no expert. I’ve used this page for identifying different Japanese rifle markings.
http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/japanese_markings.html
Was your father part of the Japan occupation forces? Do you know where he was at? If the chrysanthemum is intact then it could have a far different story to tell than the one I have.
Regarding the Fort McArthur Military Museum. It’s not a huge place, and they considered what I have to be a very good example of the rifle. Other than the time it spent in their display case, it has been well preserved under a bed.
The Arisaka, while made by the Japanese, was based around the basic German Mauser design. Again, my memories are unclear but I believe he told me he took it from a dead Japanese soldier in the battle for Saipan. I have no knowledge of how he got it back to the US.
In the pics below you can see it has the chrysanthemum intact. It also has finger groves that were probably carved into the stock by the soldier who carried it. I always thought that the most interesting feature, right ahead of the folding tree sight, good to up to 1500 meters. As if the naked eye could see that far.
Ugly, ain't it? They weren't made for looks, they were made to kill. And from my experiences shooting it it probably did that very well.
The Arisaka, while made by the Japanese, was based around the basic German Mauser design. Again, my memories are unclear but I believe he told me he took it from a dead Japanese soldier in the battle for Saipan. I have no knowledge of how he got it back to the US.
In the pics below you can see it has the chrysanthemum intact. It also has finger groves that were probably carved into the stock by the soldier who carried it. I always thought that the most interesting feature, right ahead of the folding tree sight, good to up to 1500 meters. As if the naked eye could see that far.
Ugly, ain't it? They weren't made for looks, they were made to kill. And from my experiences shooting it it probably did that very well.
Yep, you’ve got the chrysanthemum... which means that you’ve got to immediately deliver it to the nearest Japanese embassy, as it’s the property of the Japanese emporer. :)
Your finger grips are eerie. Gives it a real sense of personality from the original “owner.”
The “Arsenal Mark” on mine indicates that it was manufactured by Koishikawa Arsenal (Tokyo) 1870-1935, or Kokura Arsenal 1935-1945. Based on the “Series 25” mark, it seems to confirm that mine was manufactured at the Kokura Arsenal between 1939 and 1945.
The kokura Arsenal manufactured 100,000 rifles in the 20 series starting in 1939, 100,000 in each of the 21-22-23 and 24 series, and 92,000 rifles in the 25 series, ending in 1945. Assuming that these numbers are sequential, that tells me that my rifle was probably made in 1944 or 1945, near the end of the war. As the war progressed and things became more and more dire for the Japanese, cost saving steps were introduced in order to speed up production. Late war rifles are often called “Last Ditch” due to their crudeness of finish. However, Dad’s has an anti-aircraft sight on it, which was supposedly deleted from the “Last Ditch” rifles.
But all of that aside, mine could be worth $1 or $1000 and it would all be the same to me. It’s something that I have inherited from my father, and the sentimental value can’t be measured in dollars. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t sell it for a million bucks, but certainly not just because I could use some fast cash. :)
Hey, I actually learned something today about Dad’s rifle while doing a little research. I had no idea that it had a safety, but it does. You’d think I’d have discovered that already that after >50 years of me “playing” with it. :)
The forestock has been shortened on mine, again probably a field alteration made by its user. It's heavy now, I can imagine how a small man would have thought so when carrying it, fully loaded, bayonet attached, day in and day out.
Thanks for the link.
Yes, the spring for the safety is very strong on mine as well. I found that it was best done by using the lower palm of the hand, and doing it in one thrust. It’s terribly difficult compared to any other rifle safety I’ve ever used. I was excited to find it though. I’ll have to ask my brothers if they ever knew it had a safety. I don’t think they did.
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