The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Part one of my two part pick up from Pennsylvania the other day. These rifles were posted on Facebook by a gentleman who bought them both from a New Jersey veteran's relative. I have the capture papers for one rifle, so I'll post it with this rifle. Both rifles look to have been in a basement for many years, and I think some of the pitting and damage is the result of that. But I'm willing to look past some cosmetic faults to see some great rifles underneath.

This is a Kokura Concentric Circle Type 38. There is some rough pitting on certain parts of the metal, and a bit of blackening to the stock in areas, but the finish is original and the rifle is all matching down to the dust cover.

Without disassembling, the following parts matched:

Bolt handle
Floor plate
Safety (Very poorly struck, but it does same "914"
Dust cover

The bolt release, barrel band, and striker have no number stamped. The extractor has an assembly number stamped on it. At some point I will disassemble the rifle and take a look at that.

The stock has a single Kokura proof (Please pardon my ignorance as I can't recall the Japanese name of that particular one), and the finish appears to be original.

Overall besides the cosmetic look of the rifle I don't think I could find a better example of a Type 38 Concentric Circle rifle. I picked up a bolt mismatch Nagoya over the summer for $350, so I was very pleased to add a Kokura rifle.

Enjoy the photos!

cool pitting on that one, like it was lying on the ground set upright on it's barrel someplace, and the ground had some sort of corrosive liquid on it.

I know squat about Jap rifles. What is the concentric circles vs the Mum?

Another good find.

millman wrote:I know squat about Jap rifles. What is the concentric circles vs the Mum?

Unknown still to this day. The two main theories are either:

Sent to schools as training rifles
Used by paramilitary forces (kempeitai)

Many CC marked Type 38's show school markings on the stock and receiver, which adds credibility towards that. However, no Type 99 CC rifles show such signs. There are also very late last ditch style Type 99's made with the circles. Many argue why the Japanese would bother sending these late war rifles to schools when they could barely keep up with general arms production, let alone sending rifles for educational use.

Who knows? That is half the fun, right? Keep us apprised.

Your Type 38 was a once in a lifetime find, congrats's