nuprofessor
Tracker
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 734
Loc: Central Missouri
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My mother-in-law passed away in Feb 2007. Every since then my father-in-law has been giving away "stuff" to make sure it gets to the person he wants to have it (not just moms stuff, but his too).
On Fathers Day my wife & I went to his house to take him out for supper. When we got back he wanted me to come up to the attic with him. He had been looking for this gun for about a year he said. It was an Arisaka 7.7mm. He brought it back from Japan when he was there in WWII. He gave it to me. It looks to be in pretty good shape except the wooden buttplate is missing.
I have it at a gunsmith now to have it checked out. If it is OK I plan to use it when I come to Texas on a hog hunt when my son comes home from Iraq.
Does anyone have one of these rifles? How do you like it? Is ammo hard to find? A guy at the gun shop said 7.7mm ammo can be made from 30-06 brass necked up. Does anyone know if that is true?
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Children are our hope for tomorrow- TAKE A CHILD HUNTING OR FISHING TODAY AND INVEST IN TOMORROW!!!
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Sniper John
Pro Tracker
Reged: 08/31/05
Posts: 1671
Loc: Farmers Branch
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I once had one of these in my collection that was brought back from Luzon, but traded it off due to not fitting the focus of my gun collection, but I later wished I had kept it.
Commercial ammo is available but it will be a mail order thing. Or you can reload.
http://www.grafs.com/ammo/239
http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/BrowsePr...ng=653***690***
http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/BrowsePr...**670***9013***
http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/BrowsePr...19785***9016***
If you want to use it hunting for nostalgia reasons, it should do just fine for an open sighted hog gun. Just do some practice shooting with it, to learn it's limitations.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/7-7mmArisaka.htm
That said, I will add, if it has a wooden buttplate, it may be what is called a "last ditch" rifle. Made at the end of the war and may or may not have some safety issues. It also may have some headspace issues. Most Arisakas will have excellent bores due to a chrome lining. But again, the last ditch rifles may not, and thus sustain damage from past use with corrosive ammo. So it is good to have taken it to a gunsmith to check it out.
Please, please do not do anything to alter the rifle from original. It is too valuable as a historical collectable to sporterize. If the mum is ground off on the receiver, it was likely a souvenier rifle taken home after surrender. If the mum is intact, it was likely a battle trophy. Do a little searching on the internet for the explanation of the defaced mums on most of these. Most removed by surrendering soldiers, some removed by US soldiers at the orders of McArthur as a sign of respect to Japanese.
If at all possible, you should get the story of how your father in law came into possession of the rifle. Even if that story was that it was pulled from a pile of surrendered rifles rather than from battle, it is important. Write it all down, include your father-in-laws service history and keep it with the rifle for future family or future owners as it is passed on so that the service by your father-in-law is never forgotten.
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jeh7mmmag
Pro Tracker
Reged: 11/01/04
Posts: 1737
Loc: Colleyville, DFW, TX
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YES-30-06 can be reformed to 7.7x58 Japanese Arisaka (7.7mm Jap).
But there is some difference in chamber specs that will cause brass to be short life. It would be best to by the loaded ammo and shoot this to obtain your brass.
Good post John!!!
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http://mypva.org/home.html
CVT-16 USS LEX BLUE GHOST CATS
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nuprofessor
Tracker
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 734
Loc: Central Missouri
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Thanks guys.
SNIPERJOHN,
Both Grafs and MidwayUSA are less than 30 miles from me. I should have thought about them.
JEH7MMMAG,
I think you are correct- my best bet is to use 7.7mm cases when/if I reload.
Thanks again.
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Children are our hope for tomorrow- TAKE A CHILD HUNTING OR FISHING TODAY AND INVEST IN TOMORROW!!!
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jeh7mmmag
Pro Tracker
Reged: 11/01/04
Posts: 1737
Loc: Colleyville, DFW, TX
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Does your gun have the Japanese crest on the receiver? If it does it is rare find.
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http://mypva.org/home.html
CVT-16 USS LEX BLUE GHOST CATS
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nuprofessor
Tracker
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 734
Loc: Central Missouri
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It does have a star / daisy looking thing on the receiver. Is that what you are talking about?
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Children are our hope for tomorrow- TAKE A CHILD HUNTING OR FISHING TODAY AND INVEST IN TOMORROW!!!
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Ox190
Tracker
Reged: 11/22/05
Posts: 861
Loc: Grapevine,TX
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That daisy is the Imperial Japanese Chrysanthemum. I also have one that was a bringback from one of my great uncles. I know Norma used to produce the 7.7 Jap ammo. Someone changed mine from a T-bolt to a more traditional style bolt action where it lays against the stock. It is a hoot to shoot. Has pretty healthy recoil. I had mine checked by a gunsmith and he said most of them that he has seen are rock solid guns.
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"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life."
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jeh7mmmag
Pro Tracker
Reged: 11/01/04
Posts: 1737
Loc: Colleyville, DFW, TX
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Thats it. Fantastic. Got a macro of it you can post.
Japan tried to grind all of them off before surrendering guns.
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http://mypva.org/home.html
CVT-16 USS LEX BLUE GHOST CATS
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nuprofessor
Tracker
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 734
Loc: Central Missouri
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As soon as I get the rifle back from the gunsmith, I will try to get a picture and post it. I do have pictures of the rifle itself.
OX190- MIDWAY USA & GRAFS both carry 7.7JAP ammo. Luckily, they both are less than 30 miles from me so I can save the freight costs.
Thanks guys for all the info
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Children are our hope for tomorrow- TAKE A CHILD HUNTING OR FISHING TODAY AND INVEST IN TOMORROW!!!
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hwy84
Light Foot
Reged: 12/12/07
Posts: 49
Loc: FAIRFIELD;TEXAS
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My Dad has some 7.7 jap dies if your interested.
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