Caliber Help! Arisaka

[TexasRough1256]

I bought a Type 99 Arisaka from a buddy of mine. Story is was his grandpa brought back from the war as a souvenir off a dead jap. Thinking it would be a neat addition to the collection I bought it and the research started. Looking at the serial # it ends up being a 34th Series Toyo Kogyo Arsenal 1940-1945
model mostly these models where chambered in 7.7 jap, so I bought 40 rounds. Well low and behold, the 7.7 wouldn't chamber. So dropping the rifle off at the local gunsmith I had him cast the chamber. He said it was 308 marling express, buying a box removing the firing pin, and trying to chamber a round...turns out that's not it either. The case face is to big and the 30 cal 308 bullet doesn't seem fit in the chamber. So I am left still searching for the caliber, If this doesn't work I think the next step is buy a old surplus type 99 7.7 barrel and rebarrel the rifle back to the original.

[xman59]

might be the 6.5 jap round,,, I think that was what was used on Kennedy,, do a search on rounds chambered in the gun, start by slugging the bore

[Guest]

Carcano was the rifle used on Kennedy.
That Arisaka May have been rebarreled before now to some other outdated cartridge.
It has been sportorized by someone and I would be very careful with that thing. Those rifles were junk for the most part and they tend to be faulty and downright dangerous.
Good luck

[Tx_Wader]

As far as I can tell the 99 was only chambered in the 7.7x58mm Arisaka cartridge by the Japanese.

My guess is someone modified it once it got back to the USA. And as Quahah11 said, be very careful of this rifle. They were not very well made.

[TexasRough1256]

I'm starting to think this rifle may be trouble than what's its worth, thanks for the input guys. Yea it looks to be rebarreled with who knows what caliber, and has been sporterized as well losing its original charm. I think after the comments about it it will make a nice decor piece for the gun room.

[smokin feathers]

Bet its 6.5 jap. I have one with full stock n folding bayonet, that one could have had the stock changed out. Measure the bore. Mine also has the ladder type sight

[ultrastealth]

My father has one that was in relatively good shape until Hurricane Harvey got a hold of it. I never even considered shooting it, as the quality of Japanese rifles deteriorated during the war as raw materials became scarce. Put it on the mantle enjoy the fact that you still have both hands and both eyes, having not tested the steel that was used to make it.

[TexasRough1256]

Put it on the mantle enjoy the fact that you still have both hands and both eyes, having not tested the steel that was used to make it.

Agree, I know old war rifles had quality issues but who knows what this rifles been through. As much as I would love to shoot this rifle at least once..there is a lot of unknown

[softpoint]

Have a chamber cast made. It could be the 6.5 Jap round. several countries had a version of 6.5, including Italian, Swedish, and Japanese, but they are not interchangeable. The Japanese action was quite strong, although crude.

[Iehooligan11b]

I have one in 6.5 jap

[TxAg]

Have a chamber cast made. It could be the 6.5 Jap round. several countries had a version of 6.5, including Italian, Swedish, and Japanese, but they are not interchangeable. The Japanese action was quite strong, although crude.

Re-read the OP. He did that already.

[shwacker1911]

I thought there were a couple 7.7 jap rounds