Question about short rifles

[madsenshooter]

I mean the 25" barreled ones, not the carbines. All the pics I've found online show barrels that were turned down on the end to accept the bayonet lug aka top band, and front sight. But recently I ran into a 25" barrel that hasn't been turned down. Were there some of the short rifles NOT made from cut downs? Maybe the Japanese had been keeping an eye on developments elsewhere, like our Board of Ordinance and Fortifications Krag rifles that had 26" barrels, and opted to try the shorter rifles themselves. The barrel still has the original sights on it, leaf is longer than the carbine, shorter than the rifle's.

[Guamsst]

It is my understanding they were made both as new rifles and cutdowns. But I am not stating that as a guaranteed fact.

[madsenshooter]

You know, now that I think about it, I had one of the 26" barreled rifles in my hands one day. There was no step down to its barrel either. I remember being surprised by it's length. I knew about long rifles and carbines, but not the in between ones. The fellow's dad was in the Navy and brought it back from Okinawa. The military stock was gone and the younger brother had wedged it in a Savage bolt action shotgun stock.

[Guamsst]

The Chinese played with "cavalry" rifles too and I ran into what I believe was a Chinese Type38 cavalry rifle at Tulsa a couple of years ago. I was really excited until I measured the barrel. I think it was 27 inches or something like that. I talked to the Banzai guys and apparently 2 or 3 of them had almost bought it as well. They made the same assumption that it was a postwar ChiCom cut down.