new to me 7.7 jap

[tbryan]

I wandered into a local pawn shop the other day and saw a 7.7 Jap bolt action rifle about to come out of pawn. It had it's mum on it, and was all original, even to the stubby little rod that I though was a cleaning rod.It was in very clean shape, and the bore looked like it had never been fired. It was shiny. I bought it for $150.00. total. My question is how can I find out the facts of the gun ? When made, where made, etc. I bought some brass and a set of dies for it and am looking forward to shooting it. Is there a site that can tell me what the markings mean ? Thanks Tom

[gwp]

Here is a start for your search for information about your rifle. Also I believe most of the Japanese rifles have chrome bores.

http://oldmilitarymarkings.com/japanese_markings.html

http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=373

[TSimonetti]

Join the military surplus forum. www.mislurps.com That's where I went when I got my first jap rifle. There is a forum just for them. Many of those guys will bend over backward to tell you what you have and are very knowledgeable. Introduce yourself and post some pics of the markings and you will have all your answers in no time.

[psteinmayer]

The above link (http://oldmilitarymarkings.com/japanese_markings.html) is a great place to start and find out what your particular Arisaka should have in regard to sights and other stuff! Jap rifles went through several phases as the war progressed, and the condition, fit and finish will reflect that. Most Type 99 rifles had chrome bores until late in the war, when the Japanese were running out of everything. They were manufactured at several arsenals and in several series. The arsenal and series will tell you when and where it was manufactured. Posting pictures here will gain you a wealth of information, as there are some true experts on the Japanese rifles right here in this forum!

As for loading it, the Type 99 has one of the strongest actions ever made... still, prudence is the key. Use a good loading manual (I use the Hornady 9th and 10 editions). You'll want to use bullets sized to .312 (same bullet as a .303 British). The Jap 7.7x58mm Ball round used a 174 gr BTFMJ bullet. Hornady has 174 gr BTHP Match bullets for .303 and 7.7x58mm. Graf & Sons has ammo available using PCI brass and a 150 gr SP bullet (good for hunting). My pet load that I use for Match shooting in my Toyo Kogyo Series 31 is a 174 gr BTHP bullet over 40.1 grains of IMR-4064 and a CCI-200 primer. Pretty accurate!

Happy Shooting!

[p246]

If it's unsporterized you got a good deal at $150.00 even if it's a common series. Well done.

[dave]

According to McCollum the bolt faces were also chromed on early rifles. That and the barrel chrome were dropped "mid-way thru the war". Barrel chromed can be recognized by the thin bright ring around end of barrel, at the bore.

[psteinmayer]

Here is another good resource for information on the Type 99 rifles: http://www.gunboards.com/sites/banzai/DataSheets/M99/M99Data.htm#Model_99. This should help identify items such as sights, markings, stock features, cleaning rods, etc.

[tbryan]

Thanks for all the replys. I will begin my journey for information with the info supplied. It is chrome lined , not cut anywhere. I shot it yesterday , but just 5 rounds. I had some sierra 174 match .312 bullets, and used a load of 44 grains of H380. It shoots low at 100 yards. It will be interesting to see how it does as I work up a good load for it. Thanks again for all the help. Tom