The First Model of the Arisaka Rifle was designed by Colonel Nariakira Arisaka in 1897. It was the official service bolt action rifle for the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces from 1897 to 1945. There are five major variants - the Type 30, 35, 38, 44, and the 99. Of all these rifles, the Type 38 long rifle and Type 99 short rifles were the most common and were the rifle most likely to be encountered during the war in the Pacific. There were various sub types, like the 6.5 Type 97 sniper rifle based off of the Type 38 long rifle, the 7.7 Type 99 sniper rifle based off of the Type 99 short rifle, or the 6.5 Type 1 take down paratrooper model converted from Type 38 carbines, but these rifles were rare specialty rifles and only several hundred to several thousand were made of any of these versions. Related to the Arisaka is the Type I long rifle, a rifle made in Italy for the Japanese Navy that utilized the Carcano action but a magazine, stock, and barrel based on the Type 38 long rifle.
The early models of the Type 99 long (discontinued after less than 40,000 were made) and short rifles contained a folding wire mono-pod, flip up sights with "Anti-Aircraft" bars, chrome plated bores, and a dust cover. As the war went on the quality had dropped. These late war rifles where known as substitute standard rifles (commonly called "last ditch" rifles) and were very crudely manufactured with most missing the accessories of the earlier models. Later production substitute standard rifles also had a non-adjustable rear sight and wooden buttplate, and some even replaced the sling with a simple rope passed through a hole in the stock and tied around the barrel (commonly called "rope hole" rifles).
The two most common rifles - The Type 38 was chambered in 6.5x50mmSR and the Type 99 was chambered in 7.7x58mm.
Caliber: 7.7x58mm (Type 99 short and long rifles, Type 2 paratrooper rifle), 6.5x50mmSR (Type 30 carbines and long rifles, Type 35 long rifle, Type 38 carbine and long rifle, Type 44 Carbine, Type I long rifle, Type 1 paratrooper rifle)
Capacity: 5 rounds
Fire Modes: Single (Bolt Action)
Arisaka Type 38
The Arisaka Type 38 Rifle has been used by the following actors in the following films:
