Buyer beware or just a bad buy?

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Mark Mauser	Buyer beware or just a bad buy?	Lead	[-]
Posts: 24 (10/05/08 09:06 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None I just picked up my first and second Arisaka rifles this weekend. A T38 and a T99, both with intact mums. My first comment is about the T99. (I'll have comments on the T38 later). I've been looking for a couple of years for some original Arisaka's with intact mums to add to my WWI and WWII collection. Representative rifles from each nation at war. The T99 is a 1st series Nagoya with a serial number in the 28,000 range. All numbers match. The rifle has the monopod with worn grooves on the stock where the base locks down. It has the winged rear sites. The stock has its share of dings and dents. The cleaning rod hole is only about 2 inches deep. When I got it home I noticed that the bolt was turned down. (I was looking at the little things and completely missed this; and why would anybody do this)? Then I started worrying that this may indicate the gun was probably rechambered. I looked and examined for half-an-hour and then I finally saw it. On the left lower receiver, extremely faint and barely noticeable except under a bright light, was a slight stencil of the numbers '30-06'. There is no other sign that the gun has been modified or re-finished. I gave $300 for this "original 7.7 bring back" as the gun show dealer told me. Did I just get ripped for $300 on a worthless gun? I feel so stupid. Mark
eagle7		#1	[-]
Posts: 3579 (10/06/08 10:11 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Is the cleaning rod hole plugged or is that only how deep it is? Later transitional model T99s had a very short rod, only around five inched total IIRC. Perhaps somebody swapped out stocks since your rifle should have a rod around 22 inches long. There is a guy who specializes in straightening out bent bolt handles, and if I had an all matching rifle with a bent bolt I'd look him up. Some T99s were rechambered to 30-06 during the Korean War for our South Korean allies, but I think the stamp was U.S. 30-06. I think the price was high for a T99 with a bent bolt handle, a possibly swapped out later vintage stock, and a nonmilitary rechambering to 30-06. Two years ago I bought an all matching no series Nagoya with a ground mum but with an excellent bore in VG original condition (missing the bolt cover, monopod, and sight wings) for $150. It all depends on how much you value the mum, but a civilian gunsmith rechambering would be a deal killer for me.
Mark Mauser		#2	[-]
Posts: 25 (10/06/08 09:08 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	You've made some good points Eagle7, thanks. What bugs me is that I completely missed the turned down bolt because I was so involved in the little things (that's embarrasiing) and the guy completely misrepresentated the orginality of the weapon (that's just poor ethics). This was not a purchase from an individual but from a large seller of German-Japanese military items. It would have been a deal killer if I'd known about the conversion, or I'd offered a lot less (I paid a lot less than the original asking price anyway). I'm stripping the weapon down tonight. From what I've found on the internet, the stock matches the early series T99's What really chaps me is; why would a guy get a nice rifle like this and then take it to a gunsmith and tell him, "make it look like a Springfield". If the guy wanted a Springfield, then go buy a Springfield! Mark
eagle7		#3	[-]
Posts: 3580 (10/06/08 10:22 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Converting T99s to 30-06 was a popular modification back in the days before you could pick up boxer primed 7.7mm Japanese brass for reloading. The only ammo available was the expensive Norma stuff. The problem with the 30-06 conversion is the fact that you have a .308 bullet going down a .312 bore....
riceone		#4	[-]
Posts: 496 (10/06/08 10:25 PM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Mark, don't be too hard on yourself. All of us have paid too much one time or another - it's part of the education. If it will make you feel better send the bolt to me and $5 for postage back and I will fix your bolt. Take the firing pin safety and extractor off and just send the stripped bolt. Email me at riceone@bellsouth.net. You still have your represenative rifle for your collection. No one else will know the difference if You don't tell them. riceone Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction. - Billy the Kid
Mark Mauser		#5	[-]
Posts: 26 (10/08/08 10:22 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Thanks guys, I really appreciate the pep talk. I do feel better about my purchase after reading your responses. I'll try to post some pics within the next couple of weeks. I just finished a complete take down of the rifle; every part that can be removed; was removed and cleaned. It was the most inside dirty rifle I'd ever stripped. Under the dirt was mainly rust-free and well preserved metal. The good news: Every part with a number - matched the last three digits of the serial number. Most parts contained a small imprint that looked like the Japanese imprint character for the first series Nagaya. The bore was shiny with good rifling. The cleaning rod hole was plugged and I managed to unplug it with a wire. It appears to be missing a 20-22 inch cleaning rod. Now get this. The hole was plugged with about 3 inches of very fine black grit. (Black sand? Iwo Jima?) Highly unlikely but fascinating to think about it. Other than the bent bolt and missing cleaning rod, it's really a very fine looking weapon complete with monopod, winged sights and untouched mum. Thanks for the offer Niceone. I'm going to strip the bolt this weekend. $5 sounds too cheap. If you're a gunsmith, I'd like to pay a fair price for fixing the bolt. I know that it takes a lot of time to straighten these things.
petersalt	Freebies for Board members...	#6	[-]
Posts: 768 (10/08/08 10:56 PM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Riceone [RICE] is a great guy who has a nice machine shop for making things... parts for his large machinery and tractors, little pieces for firearms and fun stuff. He does wonderful work. Please, PLEASE, DON't Spoil it for the rest of us, offering him large sums of money... [He's not accustomed to having bills larger than $10.] If he finds out he can charge for machine work, we won't get nearly as many freebies from him. [and DON'T tell him I said that!!] cheers! peterNaCl
riceone		#7	[-]
Posts: 497 (10/09/08 07:25 AM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Pete, you are such a good friend! My offer still stand. riceone Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction. - Billy the Kid
GaCop		#8	[-]
Posts: 106 (12/23/08 03:11 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	A number of Arisakas were converted to 30-06 for use in Korea, the conversions being done in Japan under U.S. supervision. The left sidce of the receiver was stamped to indicate the caliber change.