Japanese Type 38 Bolt Action Rifle……………………SOLD

A very well preserved Japanese Type 38 Rifle

Chambered in the Japanese 6.5 x 50 mm with a straight arm Mauser bolt system and internal 5-shot magazine.  Stocked in the local hardwood available to the Japanese at the time.  The stock is made by dovetailing the butt-stock together out of two pieces of timber thus causing less wastage out of the original boards used.  The joint in this case has not separated and is in good condition.  The fore-end has finger grooves running for about 8″ on either side.  There is a handguard over the barrel which sits between the rear sights and the mid-band.  The remainder, a total of 16″ of the barrel is left exposed – the barrel has fine original bluing to it and has only high edge wear right at the muzzle.  Under the barrel is a full length cleaning rod.

Overall this Type 38 rifle measures 50.1/4″ in length.  The round blued barrel is a nominal 31″ in length.  The trigger pull is 13.1/4″ long to center.  The Mauser type bolt is finished in the white and is marked on underside of the stub with some digits and symbols which are hard to tally with the serial number, but on the obverse the last digits of the  serial number are stamped. (NOTE: My opinion – its a different type face)   The bolt knob is an elliptical egg shape.  The cocking-piece head has the classic rotary design machined into the rear facing surface which adds grip to the operation of applying the safety.  The outer edge of the circular bolt head has an external bump (Much like a pointer) to its form which, indicates the position of the safety.  The 12 o’clock position indicates safety ON.  The length of the bolt is covered by the sliding dust cover which is numbered to a rifle ending in the numbers “688”  The receiver is marked with the Imperial Chrysanthemum and the characters for “Type 38”.  An attempt to deface the Chrysanthemum has been made but it easy to see the design even though the blueing has been removed.  There are gas escape holes in the receiver.

Blueing on all surfaces has more mellowed, than worn. The end result is a rich dark brown / blue which remains on all surfaces.  The flat steel butt-plate has lost is colour but there is no rust apparent on any portion of this Type 38.  There is slight wear on the magazine floor plate, which looks maybe to be the result of resting the rifle on something (like a sandbag)  Smooth, colour hardened (straw) trigger and magazine release catch within trigger guard.  No markings observed on lower trigger guard assembly.  The LHS outer action wall is clearly marked with serial number “W 366163 / makers mark.”   The marking is the circular symbol for Hoten (Mukden) Arsenal.  The rear sights consist of an aperture battle sight for close ranges and ladder for longer distances.  The ladder is graduated from 400 meters to 2200 and has a sliding aperture.  The sight components are numbered to another rifle and the spring is once again the attractive straw-type colour.  The bayonet lug is numbered to this rifle showing “163” with the correct type-face digits. The RHS of the stock has the interesting feature of the “drain-groove” specifically machined into the stock to allow water to run-off the rifle in very wet conditions.

It is interesting that the majority of this Type 38 is in fine condition but just to add something a little unexpected, there appears to be battle damage to the fore-end 3.1/2″ from the nose cap, on the RHS. (I have worked in timber for a large portion of my life before I took up the calling and in my humble opinion, this is impact damage).  It is not possible to make this kind of thing up it looks immediately obvious.  There is similar damage just behind the mid-band on the LHS.  This evidence suggests this rifle saw some sort of action and now bears the scars to prove it.  The action is fine, if not a little tight but this is complimented by the bore which is clear of pitting or misting.   This should make an excellent shooter.  Freshly London Proofed 2016.

Ask for  Stock No’ f 590

£ 650.  SOLD

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