halcon

A couple days ago I was looking at a Japanese rifle in 7.7 mm That they call the last ditch rifle made at the end of the WW II . I was surpised it had most of the original finish and the wood was in good condition . It still has the wooden butt plate . The only thing I could tell that was missing was one of the barrel bands . I was wondering if anyone here knew anything about these rifles and what a approximate value would be .It came with three boxes of norma shells and four boxes of empty cases . I bought it , but just wondered how I came out .Halcon

popumm

Goodmorning holcon,I owned one shot as issued in military rifle matches with it couldnt get it to group good enough and sold it.They have a very strong action (saw one a gunsmith was putting a 50cal. barrel on one).
You are able to make the brass from 30/06 and .311 bullets.Shoots good enough for deer but mostly a collector item,does it still have the crest(forgot what the proper name was)on top of the action if the barrel is clean offer 150$175.00,the norma ammo is worth at least $75.Also the one I owned had sights for flying aircraft.

eldeguello

The Type 99, or 7.7mm Japanese service rifle, was a slightly modified Arisaka action, with a barrel chambered for the Japanese .31-caliber cartridge. The action was a very strong DESIGN, and those made early in the war were safe. BUT, the ones known as "last-ditch" rifles are very suspect. Some even had cast, rather than forged, receivers!!, and are NOT SAFE to shoot. If the one you have came with a box of ammo, it is possible that it has been fired, and may be safe. However, if it is truly a last-ditch exmple (and, the wooden buttplate tends to show that IT IS, by all means have a competent gunsmith check it out before any attempt is made to shoot it!!

Keep yore powder dry!!

recoiljunky

Type in "arisaka type 99" into your search engine (Yahoo) and you'll get all the info you need. I just bought a type 99 a few months ago and was able to figure out when and where it was manufactured by the info on the various websites. The historic info is readily available. The emblem on the top of the receiver is a crysanthomum. It represents the ownership of the Japanese emporor. Most were ground off when Japan lost the war as a way to maintain dignity. I practically stold mine at an estate auction, but that's another story.

diyj98

Three boxes of Norma ammo will run you $90.00 plus shipping at wholesale prices.

I just posted a mid war Jap 99 on the huntingnet classifieds. As someone else stated, they have a very strong action. Although some of the late war guns may not be safe to shoot. They make a nice piece of shooting history.

halcon

Thanks for your answers. It looks like I stole one from what I paid for it. I gave the guy $50.00 for it with the shells . He told me later he was ready to give it away .

8mm/06

For what you paid you got a goodt deal on the 3 boxes of shells ALONE. It would definitely be in your best interest to have a competent smith with experience in Japanese military weapons give it a once over. The metals used in many "last ditch" weapons were anything but quality steel. In the final days of the war they were melting down anything they could to form the "cast" receivers.
Even if all you ever do is hang it on the wall you got a deal on the shells. Brand new Norma rounds for the Japanese 7.7 go for $30.95 WHOLESALE. You can occasionally find them for less from somebody just wanting to get rid of them. At the price you paid I'd almost wonder about the ammo being reloaded.
But if they are the real deal, heck, a box of 20 Norma EMPTY CASES from Midway costs $15.74. If you look at it that way, you grabbed a piece of history for $7.00 and got the loaded ammo at less than 1/2 the normal cost.
I would have paid what you did in a heartbeat, even if I thought the gun was a poorly constructed "last-ditcher".

recoiljunky

I like the "Last Ditch" rifles for their historical significance. I've noticed that some people like the banged up models because of the silent stories they tell. I've seen Type 99s for sale on the internet that claimed to have grenade fragments embedded in the stocks.