[Super Toaster]

So I talked to one of my coworkers who knows I have an interest in ww2 bolt actions, and he said while helping is bro move his bro gave him his type 99. He now has 3 99's and is willing to sell me 1 of my choice, dunno the price's yet all I do know is 2 of them, he thinks anyway, have be sported for hunting. He says he thinks the front sights have been cut down but doesn't know.

So what I'd like to know is a good site online where I can find markings, a fair price cuz I don't wanna cut him short and which markings I should look for. I just want a good shooter, to go bang when asked.

I forgot to mention, I have not seem them yet and all 3 have have been in his family since at least 1970, so I know they are well cared for.

[Capt'n Mil Coll]

If you have pics that would help. If they have been sporterized (we call it bubba on here) they are worth from $100 to $150. If all original from $199 and up.

[Oxford]

This link will show you plenty of Arisaka rifle and bayonet markings:

Markings on Japanese Arisaka Rifles and Bayonets of World War II

Good luck!

[Super Toaster]

I don't think I can get pictures but we will see tomorrow, and thanks for the help

[Super Toaster]

Ok so at work today he came up to me and said he brought 1 from home for me to look at. I had heard the type 99 is about 50 inches long and this looked too short. The flower was filed except for the edge of 3 pedals and was from the Nagoya Arsenal. the rear sight didn't have the folding airplane sights, the bolt had an oval shaped end to the handle and that's about all I remember.

[scroamer65]

Off the top of my "head" the stock in front of the rear sight should
cover the top of the barrel up to the metal cap on the front to the
front sight. The mum shows this to be a surrender weapon. Missing
parts on rear sight my have been done earlier but if you want just a
shooter no problem. The shape of the bolt handle was the same on
both type 38 and 99. The length ? depends when it was made as
the Japaqnese didn't maintain the same length during production runs.
I've seen both long & short rifles. Ammo, Norma is your best bet.
Ballistics of the 7.7x58 is compareable to the British .303. These
rounds ARE NOT ENTERCHANGABLE !!!!!!! If the cost of ammo
gets to much some people do rechamber to ??? Check with a
good gunsmith as to the condition, shootable or not.
It might be possible to rechamber to 7.62x 63 (30-06) or 7.62x51 (.308).
As a suggestion if you do rechamber take a fully loaded round of
your choice and see if it fits the magazine well.

[Super Toaster]

So heres the deal, next time I see my coworker is Saturday, unless I go shooting then it will be Sunday, I will be able to see all 3 and compare them. I printed that markings site because he doesn't have the internet. Anything else I should know before then?

[jpkingp1]

Around $200 for something shootable isn't a bad buy these days. And, will provide incentive to get into hand loading. 7.7x58 is easily made from 30.06 brass, is a simple process of annealing the necks and expanding/setting shoulder back and then neck trimming. I've manufactured hundreds of them for myself and other hunting friends that keep an old T-99 in the back of the truck for a backup gun. Some folks also use 8 mm Mauser for their base stock. And yes, you can either have the chamber reamed out to 30.06 length and use that ammo, or do that and put in an '06 bushing to bring it down to .308 Win., but accuracy will suffer because of the difference between a .30 and the .31 cal bullet that the T-99 barrel was cut for. Watch for wooden butt pads and welded on crude sights of the "last ditch" models. Tolerances got really wild and steel quality went out the window on those. Wall hangers only for last ditches.

Jeff

[Super Toaster]

So here is the 2 guns I get to pick from, but I've got to do that before 3:30 my time. The top 3 are 1 gun and the bottom one has the same marks, just no mum. The one with the mum is missing a folding sight. I can't make out what the writing says because the sites pics are grainy and my eyesight is not so good =/

[Capt'n Mil Coll]

Without shooting them there is no way to tell which is better. You can open the action make sure they are unloaded put a flashlight in the chamber and look down the muzzzle and see how the bores look. The best is bright and shiney with no pitting and the lands sharp.
Sporter 99's are a dime a dozen. Personally would not pay more than $100 for one.

[Super Toaster]

Thats what I was thinking. I'll just have to keep an eye out for an original stock and sights. I'm going to keep the mum one due to the other having rust, and the bore is visually better.

[scroamer65]

Just a suggestion when having truble reading info. on a computer
monitor, print the info by the printer, this may help.