Japanese Militaria at Castle-Thunder.com

[terrynf]

I just purchased this Arisaka and thought is was a WWII gun but I'm not sure now. I have checked the marking and believe it is a pre 1935 version. The chrysanthemum has been stamped out with the Koishikawa stamp and the serial number and factory mark seen to be of the Koishikawa factory. The serial number has no marking in front of it and is 62352 and the mark next to SN is the Koishikawa marking with two very small other marks I can not make out. I mean small as type 6 or 8 font.. I don't know how to send pic if someone would let me know I will.

Thanks

[gwsiii]

Welcome to the forum, your carbine is a Tokyo Artillery Arsenal (later Tokyo Army Arsenal) carbine manufactured around 1914 (updated per Frank) according the Type 38 Arisaka by Allan and Macy. The arsenal was located at Koishikawa, Tokyo, Japan. Type 38 carbines were used through the end of World War II by Japan. The overstamp indicates it was pulled from active military service, but doesn't not mean it wasn't used in WWII.
If you can email pics to me I'll post them for you. Or you can go to youtube and search for how to email pictures. In equal condition, given the choice of a WWII era produced carbine and a pre WWII era produced carbine, I'll take the pre-war every time except for a few of the rarer pieces. Trey
_________________
Subscribe to BANZAI!
Fill out a Japanese Rifle Datasheet.
I didn't pay to much for that old Arisaka, I just bought it a little bit too soon!

[gwsiii]

here are the pictures...nice looking rifle. See the Type 38 Datasheet at www.castle-thunder.com/datas.htm and please fill one out for Frank Allan. He'll be along lateranswer any to other questions you might have. The double mark on the barrel is interesting...Overall a very nice looking rifle. I can not tell if that is the original finish on the stock.





_________________
Subscribe to BANZAI!
Fill out a Japanese Rifle Datasheet.
I didn't pay to much for that old Arisaka, I just bought it a little bit too soon!

[gwsiii]

Here are a couple more pictures.


This is interesting on the side of the stock.

_________________
Subscribe to BANZAI!
Fill out a Japanese Rifle Datasheet.
I didn't pay to much for that old Arisaka, I just bought it a little bit too soon!

[gwsiii]

under the receiver

_________________
Subscribe to BANZAI!
Fill out a Japanese Rifle Datasheet.
I didn't pay to much for that old Arisaka, I just bought it a little bit too soon!

[Francis C. Allan]

The two characters on the barrel step appear to be the katakana character イ - I. This is the first time that I have seen these in this location and the meaning is unknown to me. They are probably some type of partial parts inspection stamping. This character was used by both the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal as a partial parts inspection stamp, but it was later used by the Tokyo 2nd Army Arsenal, Itabashi Manufacturing Plant Inspection Office, Itabashi inspector’s stamp. So it may have been used here as part of an overhaul or as a general inspection prior to the weapon being passed out of firt line service.

The stamps under the receiver appear to be the following partial parts inspection stamps applied as the weapon was manufactured at the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal.

ミ - mi – (Tad-a-mi) – Tadami Weapons Plant of the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal.

ニ - ni – the number 2. Partial inspection stamp, Tokyo Artillery Arsenal.

力- chikara – Partial parts inspection stamp used by the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal.

Both ni and mi appear to be stamped over other characters.

I can not quite make out the final inspection stamps which are stamped to the right of the serial number.

Thanks for sharing the photos. It is always interesting to go over these weapons in detail.

Frank
_________________
Francis C. Allan
20Courtney Place
Palm Coast, FL 32137

(386) 445-4225