Japanese Militaria at Castle-Thunder.com

[arisakadogs]

I was looking at my three T-44 examples and noticed some difference in the way the rods are stowed. I have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd variation (all I need).
In the 1st variation the storage is a simple arrangment of two holes drilled into the wood and a simple rotating door to trap the rods. They are free to rattle back & forth.
In the 2nd variation the only thing that has really changed is that there is a sheetmetal sleeve in the stock that has a third & shorter pocket for a jag tip. The sleeve is open ended where you can see wood at the inside end.
The 3rd variation is totally different. In the metal sleeve there are two spring loaded buttons at the inside end and there is a U shaped spring that rotates with the door to push the rods slightly into the spring loaded buttons. On this variation the rods are secured with springs at both ends so there is no rattling of the rods when shaken. I'll attach some photos of the 1st & 3rd variation.
Trey, you have a extensive selection of T-44s as I recall. You can probably shed some new light on the evolution of these butt traps.







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"A woman, a dog & and a walnut tree. The more ya beat em, the better they be" (From "The Red Bagde of Courage")

[gwsiii]

I'll try to go through them on Thursday. I've noticed for a long time the stud on flat of the buttplate is pronounced or milled off depending on which variation. I only have 2 sets of rods, one is suspect, so I've never really studied them. Just assumed the variations were as described in MRoJ and The Type 38 and Variations....Trey
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[gwsiii]

Its the busy season at work, and with the 'blizzard' I've been busy catching up. This is off of an early one , 0279 showing signs of hard use.


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I didn't pay to much for that old Arisaka, I just bought it a little bit too soon!

[gwsiii]

Here are some more.
Left to right:
sei marked 1st variation housing S9938, 1st variation housing 26141 with tse marks and numbers (note additional screw)


1st variation 56870 with tse marks, 2nd variation 63871, 2nd variation 64574


2nd variation 65040, 3rd variation 67788

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I didn't pay to much for that old Arisaka, I just bought it a little bit too soon!

[DEFUC]

Looks like that 2 screw version might have not caught on possibly or a re/fit repair...wonder if any others close to that serial have a similar plate/screw set up?

[gwsiii]

It's off of a beautiful rework with no inspection marks in the stock. It came with rods in the trap as well.
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I didn't pay to much for that old Arisaka, I just bought it a little bit too soon!

[arisakadogs]

Very interesting. Trey, it looks like the U shaped spring was added to the rotating trap door shortly after my 2nd variation #57442 as your examples have it and mine doesn't. Do yours have the springs at the inside end of the sleeve? When you have both the U shaped spring and the springs at the end of the sleeve it eliminates the rod rattle.
_________________
"A woman, a dog & and a walnut tree. The more ya beat em, the better they be" (From "The Red Bagde of Courage")