Type 99 rifle
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| Type 99 rifle | |
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 A Type 99 rifle without monopod. |
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| Type | Bolt-action rifle |
| Place of origin |  Empire of Japan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1939–1945 |
| Used by | Users |
| Wars | Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II, Korean War, Indonesian National Revolution |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1939 |
| Produced | 1939–1945 |
| Number built | Around 3.5 million [1] |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 8.16 lb (3.7 kg) |
| Length | 44.1 in (1120 mm) |
| Barrel length | 25.87 in (657 mm) |
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| Cartridge | 7.7×58mm Arisaka |
| Action | Bolt action |
| Muzzle velocity | 730 m/s (2394 ft/s) |
| Feed system | 5-round internal box magazine, stripper clip loaded |
The Type 99 rifle Arisaka or Type 99 short rifle (九九式短小銃 Kyū-kyū-shiki tan-shōjū) was a bolt-action rifle of the Arisaka design used by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
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[edit] History
[edit] Design
During the Second Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s, the Japanese found that the 8×57mm IS cartridge the Chinese used was superior to the 6.5×50mm cartridge of the Type 38 rifle, necessitating the development of a new weapon to replace the outclassed Type 38.[2] The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) developed the Type 99 based on the Type 38 rifle but with a caliber of 7.7mm.
The Arisaka was based around the basic German Mauser design, albeit with some local alterations. It utilized a cock-on-closing action, which improved the rate of fire from the standard Mauser cock-on-open design. Also unique is the rifle's safety mechanism, operated by pressing in the large knurled disk at the rear of the bolt with the palm of the hand and rotating it in a 1/8 clockwise turn, which is often misunderstood by Western shooters who are used to the Mauser's thumb lever safety. It had a quick-release bolt, anti-aircraft sights, a rotating bolt cover, and monopod. The bolt cover, in particular, was highly problematic. Many soldiers simply discarded them due to excessive rattling. As a bolt-action rifle the Type 99 was a very solid weapon, but as with all manually operated rifles used during World War II, it was outclassed by semi-automatic rifles and sub-machine guns in most close-combat situations.
The Type 99's bayonet was in the form of a very long, slender blade, grooved to provide rigidity. The early models featured a hooked quillion. This bayonet attached to a lug under the barrel and was further stabilized by a loop that fit around the muzzle. Unmounted, it handled like a machete.
The Type 99 was produced in four versions, the regular issue Type 99 Short Rifle, the Type 99 Long Rifle (a limited production variant), takedown Type 2 Paratroop Rifle, and the Sniper Rifle Type 99. The standard rifle also came with a wire monopod and an anti-aircraft sighting device. The Type 99 was the first mass-produced infantry rifle to have a chrome-lined bore to ease cleaning. All of these features were abandoned by the middle of the Second World War.
[edit] Japanese use
The Type 99 was produced at seven arsenals in Japan, Mukden in China, and Jinsen in Korea.
The IJA had intended to completely replace the Type 38 with the Type 99 during the Second World War, which they entered in 1941. However, the outbreak of the Pacific war never allowed the army to completely replace the Type 38, so both were used until the end of the war. As the war progressed, more and more cost-saving steps were introduced to speed up production. Late war rifles are often called "Last Ditch" or "Substitute Standard" due to their crude finish. They are generally as crude as the 1945-dated Mauser K98k of Germany.
The Type 99 is noted as being one of the strongest military bolt rifles ever made[3], but many late-war ("last ditch") rifles were notable for using lower quality parts, a complete lack of finish, and other shortcuts to ease production. The "last ditch" rifles are usually distinguished by their crudeness; poorly finished stock, wood buttplate, very obvious tooling marks in the metal, rudimentary sights and an unfinished bolt knob and handle. Surviving samples may be unsafe to fire.
Some Type 99s may actually be training rifles intended for firing blank cartridges only. The training rifles were made of mild steel and were never intended for ball ammunition. It is possible that reports of Type 99 rifles "blowing up" were due to Allied soldiers testing captured weapons which they did not know were actually training rifles with ball ammunition. This may have led to the Arisaka unjustly acquiring a reputation for being of poor construction[citation needed].
[edit] Other users
During the Korean War, approximately 126,500 short and 6,650 long Type 99 Rifles were re-chambered under American supervision at the Tokyo arsenal to fire the then-standard .30-06 Springfield cartridge. "Apparently" intended for the South Korean gendarmerie, few rifles appear to have been issued by the end of the war in 1953. These rifles were fitted with a lengthened magazine well and had a small notch cut in the top of the receiver to accommodate the .30-06 round's 1/3 inch greater length.[4] Accuracy suffered, due to the difference in cartridges, rifling rate and characteristics, but they were nonetheless functional. Conversions to both .30-06 and 7.62 NATO have also been performed by civilians, often along with sporterising modifications.
After 1946 the Republic of China re-chambered many Type 99 rifles to fire the 8×57 IS cartridge.[1] Indonesian forces used many Type 99 rifles in the fighting against the Dutch during the Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949). The Royal Thai Army received Japanese rifles of all types after 1945 and converted some short Type 99 rifles to fire the U.S. .30-06 cartridge during the early 1950s.[4]
[edit] Availability on US market
Though the Arisaka rifle was never imported to the USA in great numbers, many thousands are available, most brought home singly by Marines and soldiers returning from the Pacific theater. In many cases the imperial chrysanthemum atop the receiver has been defaced by the surrendering Japanese in order to preserve the Emperor's honor: the mark indicated that the rifle was the Emperor's personal property. Rifles with an intact chrysanthemum sell at a higher price on the collector market, sometimes almost double the price for a defaced rifle of the same type. Many have been rechambered to more common calibers, due to the scarcity of factory 7.7×58 Arisaka. Unlike other rifles of the period it has a strong, safe action.
[edit] Users
Republic of China: re-chambered for the 8×57 IS cartridge after 1946[1]
Indonesia: used during the Indonesian National Revolution[4]
Empire of Japan
North Korea: during the Korean War[5]
South Korea: few were actually issued [4]
Thailand: used after 1945, some were converted to the .30-06 cartridge in the early 1950s[4]
[edit] References
- Hatcher, General Julian S. (1966). Hatcher's Notebook. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Company.
- ^ a b c Walter, John (2006). Rifles of the World (3rd ed.). Iola, WI: Krause Publications. p. 33. ISBN 0896892417. http://books.google.com/books?id=Eq2Dnj4sDZIC&pg=PA33.
- ^ Military Factory - Arisaka Type 99 Rifle
- ^ Hatcher, P. 206, 210
- ^ a b c d e Walter, John (2006). Rifles of the World (3rd ed.). Iola, WI: Krause Publications. p. 34. ISBN 0896892417. http://books.google.com/books?id=Eq2Dnj4sDZIC&pg=PA34.
- ^ Edwards, Paul M. (2006). The Korean War. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 77. ISBN 0-313-33248-7. http://books.google.com/books?id=xA34hGXAjlIC&pg=PA77.
[edit] External links
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