Mint 2nd Series Kokura Type 38 Carbine [Photo heavy]

[lthilsdorf]

No crazy story with this new rifle, but I happened to go to a local gun show and saw this carbine sitting on the racks with several other Type 38 rifles. Looked mint, so I took a closer look. Numbers seemed to match and the stock looks like it has never been messed with. Price seemed OK at $440, especially with other Type 38 carbines at the show starting at $599 and in far worse condition. The guy selling it said he had owned it for as long as he can remember, but was just reducing his collection. He didn't want to lower it and said he was bringing it to the big Syracuse show next weekend anyway. I figured there are fewer and fewer of these rifles in this condition and I might as well buy them while I can.

This rifle has a ground mum and missing dust cover, but everything else seems correct. The front barrel band refuses to come loose, so I can't take it apart to see the assembly number or the trigger. However, the extractor and bolt release are all marked "912". Strangely enough the rear sight is marked "746" while the rifle's serial number ends in"476". Not sure if this is an error or indicative of a rework. Rifle seems to be in too nice of a shape not to have been reworked. I'm not sure if the cartouches on the stock are correct for the rifle itself, so if someone would like to chime in that would be great. Firing pin has no number and the whole bolt assembly is filled with grease on the inside.

Any other thoughts? Maybe I paid too much of a premium but the majority of Type 38 carbines I see seem to have rode hard and put away wet. Having the mum is nice, but I don't think it adds that much of a premium. It was funny but I saw 4 carbines at this show and one sporterized Type 44, which is the most I've seen at a show in NY in years.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Very nice example, considering the desperate and constant need the Japanese had for weapons during the last stages of the war and how much of a beating these rifles took finding any Arisaka this nice is an accomplishment.

[Cj556]

That is a nice example. The fit and finish on these early T38s is nice despite the bad rep Japanese rifles have

[RazorBurn]

That is a nice one. The Jap's really had a nice rust blue finish on their rifles.

[desdem12]

wow

[Fledge]

[Type99]

Nice find, my collection lacks a nice kokura made carbine. The rear sight isnt mismatched or misnumbered the rear sight assemblies had a separate subassembly number ( depending on maker and time frame) as these were assembled separately and later mated to the rifle. Occasionally three numbers are found and one of the numbers will match the rifles separate assembly number, Which you seem to have a grasp of. The front band and firing pin are correctly unnumbered. Im not sure where the matkets is these days but solid old military rifles in nice shape are in short supply and getting fewer especially at gunshows. Autions being the prefered method of collection liquidating these days and soon theyll be the only source for this stuff. Again nice find!

[martin08]

I'm sure that anyone would prefer a full mum, but this one can't be diminished otherwise. Great condition. Without the scrub, it would have been more than double the price.