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Japanese Type 38 Rifle bring-back from garage sale...


USdog
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Type 38s for the most part are matched by a three digit series number located underneath the receiver so a complete tear down would be necessary to figure out if it is indeed matching. You found a great rifle and at a yard sale no doubt. The only things I find at yard sales are just old kids toys and torn up clothes. Either way great score!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just had to chime in on this one.

Thanks for sharing the pictures of the rifle.

 

It is popular folklore that the dust covers "rattled" as mentioned earlier. But that is not the case...properly fitted and numbered dust covers do not rattle.

You NEVER see a Type 38 in a photo without a cover. I dare someone to find a photo of such.

Remember, these rifles belonged to the emperor...you treat it with respect....and respect they did.

So...no Japanese solider "tossed" a dust cover off.

Most likely it was the GI who brought it back and had no clue what it was and how it went back on.

 

2 forms of number matching on a Type 38

Last 3 digits of the serial number should match the bolt handle, firing pin, extractor, floor plate, dust cover and bayonet lug.

 

The other way (besides tearing the whole thing apart)...numbers on the bolt handle, dust cover, floor plate, bayonet lug and bolt extractor handle should match themselves, not the serial number.

in short, if the bolt matches the dustcover, you usually have winner.

 

Dan

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Not necessarily one50. Later series rifles began to be matched by both serial numbers and assembly numbers and that depended on the series of rifle. The earlier type 38s were primarily matched by the assembly number. Also just because a bolt matches a dust cover doesn't mean the rest of a rifle is matching. I have an early type 38 that has a mismatched bolt and dust cover but both match each other and the rest of the rifle matches the assembly number. This also applies to type 38 carbines as well.

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I really don't want to tear this gun apart so I just looked for markings on the exterior that I could find. Flip sight, bayonet lug, and bolt extractor handle are all marked "879". However the bolt has a different number, "3717". But I found it odd that the flip sight has a "*17" marking, as well as the "879", making me think somehow the bolt matched with it maybe??

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Blu, your correct, I didn't want to get into that with USdog, as I figured he would not want to tear the rifle apart and most likely not a "Japanese nut".

Figured he would want the quick places to look.

 

Notice the last thing I said...."usually have a winner"

Blu, You have an exception....i was giving him the quick and easy way to check for matching.

There is an easy explanation as why yours is the way it is Blu...it's sorta common....when you field strip the gun, all you do is remove the bolt and dust cover.

Set it down next to your buddies and everyone cleans their guns.

You pick up the incorrect bolt and dust cover and inadvertently put it on your gun.

That really is the only way that happens in the field.

 

This is an early rifle and most likely is a no series Koishikawa (my educated guess) which used assembly numbers only for matching.

USdog, without seeing the serial number and arsenal marking on the left side of the receiver, we can't tell you anymore than guesses.

 

Dan

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Sorry about the misunderstanding One50. I tried to dumb down the basics of matching up type 38s as many confuse those with the matching system for type 99s.

 

USdog from the sound of your assessment everything seems matching on your rifle so far. I would just venture to say it is matching and leave it at that for now. Also if it doesn't have any markings before the serial number it could be what is called a no series which is a first generation of its type. Sorry if my earlier post got you a bit confused.

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Yep definitely a no series meaning it is a first generation type 38 probably made sometime in the 20s or early 30s. Mine is in the 500,000 serial number range and thanks to people who know more than I do about approximate manufacture dates I know mine was made sometime close to 1915. Your rifle is still a great score and I hope it is a great shooter as well :)

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Yep definitely a no series meaning it is a first generation type 38 probably made sometime in the 20s or early 30s. Mine is in the 500,000 serial number range and thanks to people who know more than I do about approximate manufacture dates I know mine was made sometime close to 1915. Your rifle is still a great score and I hope it is a great shooter as well :)

Very cool. I had a feeling it was pre-WWII. Would be interesting if I could find out the exact year of manufacture. Any idea how I can find that out? Again, thanks for the help ;)

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There are experts out there who have been collecting these for a long time that can infer when a manufacture date was but since there isn't any information left in regards to when a rifle was exactly made all anyone can do is infer based on how early a rifle type was adopted and how early a serial number is on the rifle. It's thanks to one of them that I have a general idea on when mine was made.

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My guess is late teens early 20's

 

This arsenal started making this rifle in March of 1906

They stopped making rifles in March of 1932

That's 26 years of production

This arsenal made about 2 million rifles, yours is just under half of the total made.

Half of 26 is 13 subtract from 1932 and you get 1919...yours is just under half.

 

Of course production did not start and stop with "x" amount of rifles per day.

Holidays, natural disasters, material shortages...blah blah blah.

Late teens early 20's

 

The math for Blu's rifle is about right too if his is 1915ish and in the 500,000 range.

 

Also,

Your SN puts it in the area of a lot of known Navy marked rifles.

Look on the underside of the stock by the rear sling for a navy anchor with 2 squiggly lines running through it.

 

T38's are nice to shoot, it's a softer load easy on the arm...it's a nice poof.

 

Dan

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Thanks both of you guys once again. That is some awesome info, I really apprechiate it! As for the naval marking, I didn't see one but I can look again when I have a chance. But in my original photos, did you see the photo of the navy anchor on the sling?

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