Arisaka question

sakodude · February 2020

Anyone know the significance of the stamped characters in the chrysanthemum on this rifle?

zorba · February 2020

I don't recollect ever seeing that before - but I've only seen 2 or 3 of these.

Gene L · February 2020

If you go to gunboards.com and scroll down to the Japanese weapons and post your picture, I'm pretty sure some of the experts there will know. I think it might be an effort to deface the mum, but I don't know. They will.

earlyagain · February 2020

I think they're supposed to be like that but I cant remember why.

Here ya go.
https://oldmilitarymarkings.com/japanese_markings.html

sakodude · February 2020

I was just reading that same thing. Though I don’t see those specific symbols, I think it was pulled from military service to be a training rifle. That article indicates the mum’s were over stamped in those instances.

earlyagain · February 2020

Ya need one with an aircraft sight

sakodude · February 2020

It does have the volley/battle sight but not the aircraft

JunkCollector · February 2020

Tom that one yours ?
6.5 or 7.7 ?
My nephew has a 6.5 and a lot of ammo.

sakodude · February 2020

Actually it’s something that my brother was offered and were trying to figure out just what it is?

sakodude · February 2020

He was supposed to try and mic the bore to determine 6.5 or 7.7 but he never got back to me on that.

GunNut · February 2020

Very interesting rifle! I wish guns like that could talk...

JunkCollector · February 2020

Well it doesn't look like a last ditch one IMHO

Gene L · February 2020

Since the mum was the mark of ownership of the Emperor and thus held kinda sacred, I can't see any Japanese defacing it by overstamping it. Removing it, yes, as they did with the rifles surrendered at the end of the war to remove the mum and therefore the ties to the Emperor. It could have been captured and defaced by an enemy, like the Chinese or Koreans, and the characters may not be Japanese. But I'm sure the guys on gunboards.com will identify it.

earlyagain · February 2020

Could make it a special rifle. Be worth trying to get the exact information.

Big Al1 · February 2020

May have been issued to a school.http://oldmilitarymarkings.com/japanese_markings.html

Gene L · February 2020

Posted the photo on the Rising Sun forums. They should know.

GunNut · February 2020

Just a thought but do you know where the rifle came from? Arisaka rifles were captured (not just guns but even factories) and used extensively by the Korean and the Chinese. Most of these guns bear all sorts of interesting marks on them and I think those characters might be Korean.

Gene L · February 2020

From the Japanese weapons forum. school mark:

"Very interesting. The mum seems to be cancelled with a 井 - SEI stamp, probably indicating Seinen, or Youth. The next character down is 文 - translated to MON, a common indicator in Japan of a school. In its application on Japanese rifles and carbines it is believed to be the first character in 文部省, which translates to MON-BU-SHO, the “Ministry of Education”. (Translation note: if the character 文 is separated from this string of Japanese characters, it is usually translated as BUN.) Use of this character indicates that the weapon was transferred to an education agency by the IJA, having been released from the IJA weapons inventory. The symbol is nearly always encountered together with a cancelled mum or a concentric circle in place of the mum.

These characters were applied with some unusual tool, giving them an unfamiliar appearance. I have not encountered this exact application previously. Thanks for posing the photo."
"

GunNut · February 2020

Gene L said:

From the Japanese weapons forum. school mark:

"Very interesting. The mum seems to be cancelled with a 井 - SEI stamp, probably indicating Seinen, or Youth. The next character down is 文 - translated to MON, a common indicator in Japan of a school. In its application on Japanese rifles and carbines it is believed to be the first character in 文部省, which translates to MON-BU-SHO, the “Ministry of Education”. (Translation note: if the character 文 is separated from this string of Japanese characters, it is usually translated as BUN.) Use of this character indicates that the weapon was transferred to an education agency by the IJA, having been released from the IJA weapons inventory. The symbol is nearly always encountered together with a cancelled mum or a concentric circle in place of the mum.

These characters were applied with some unusual tool, giving them an unfamiliar appearance. I have not encountered this exact application previously. Thanks for posing the photo."
"

Very cool info!

earlyagain · February 2020

Whoa!
Maybe better hang on to that one. If not for monetary value, for historical oddity.

Freezer · February 2020

Get that one!

sakodude · February 2020

Gene L said:

From the Japanese weapons forum. school mark:

"Very interesting. The mum seems to be cancelled with a 井 - SEI stamp, probably indicating Seinen, or Youth. The next character down is 文 - translated to MON, a common indicator in Japan of a school. In its application on Japanese rifles and carbines it is believed to be the first character in 文部省, which translates to MON-BU-SHO, the “Ministry of Education”. (Translation note: if the character 文 is separated from this string of Japanese characters, it is usually translated as BUN.) Use of this character indicates that the weapon was transferred to an education agency by the IJA, having been released from the IJA weapons inventory. The symbol is nearly always encountered together with a cancelled mum or a concentric circle in place of the mum.

These characters were applied with some unusual tool, giving them an unfamiliar appearance. I have not encountered this exact application previously. Thanks for posing the photo."
"

Thanks Gene, great info.

JunkCollector · February 2020

If your brother gets any deeper into it this may help.

http://oldmilitarymarkings.com/japanese_markings.html

Gene L · February 2020

sakodude said:

He was supposed to try and mic the bore to determine 6.5 or 7.7 but he never got back to me on that.

Quite a difference between 6.5 and 7.7. Probably don't need a mic to determine that.

sakodude · February 2020

Gene L said:

sakodude said:

He was supposed to try and mic the bore to determine 6.5 or 7.7 but he never got back to me on that.

Quite a difference between 6.5 and 7.7. Probably don't need a mic to determine that.

You wouldn’t, I wouldn’t but my brother

anyone hazard a guess on value here?

sakodude · February 2020

To add to the package

Guns and Ammo

Forums

Arisaka question

Replies

MORE YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

Forums

Arisaka question

Replies

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

MORE YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.