The people willing to shell out the big bucks for one of these would probably want it it high condition just like any other area of collecting focus. So what would you estimate this one at with the altered bolt handle and what you know about it?
I wish I had the gun to check but maybe I'll get to take another look at it next time we visit my family. I don't recall if there were any more markings on the underside of the stock.
As far as the fighting goes, all he told me was that he was issued an M1 Garand that had a big patch of rust/pitting in the barrel but it never failed him when he needed it. He doesn't say much about it but if I remember right from the few times he has said anything he was involved in fighting on Okinawa and later spent some time on the Japanese mainland. It could have been modified by someone else before he got it. All I now is he brought it back when he came home after the war. I do not know the exact circumstances in which he acquired it. Great and VERY hard to find gun either way! Since neither one of those would make sense on this gun, it could very easily have another meaning as well! I would recommend posting it up over in the Japanese section on Gunboards if you have an account there, those guys are the real experts and could tell you exactly what is/is not original on it. The one on the left, at least from what I see at a quick glance at my books could either be the kana symbol "fu" as used to designate 32nd series on Toyo Koygo rifles or a Jinsen Arsenal plant inspection mark. As for the markings on the stock, the two rightmost characters are "3" and "2". The finish does look strange as well, but as you mentioned we are talking end of the war so anything is definitely possible! Do you know the circumstances under which the vet acquired it? If he didn't make any changes to it himself it's possible another vet modified/customized it then traded/sold it before coming back to the states.
To my knowledge all rifles had the black paint applied, and aside from the designated snipers, bolt handles were not turned down on issued guns. Looks like that one falls into the "early" feature category, but the serial number is right around the time features started changing (the serial number is actually the number on the right, the number to the left is like an assembly number used for matching parts).Īs metalman mentioned, I too have a little bit of doubt that the gun stands now as issued. Production likely started in 1944 and was believed to have been made at training rifle facilities at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal.ĭata on these is sparse in the book Military Rifles of Japan, seems there weren't many examples available at the time to get good data on serial ranges/ features. This variation of T99 is very sought after in the Japanese collecting community. I'm late to the game on this one (been traveling), but great gun budman! Indeed a Naval "Special Type" 99 and nice example of a true late war / last ditch gun.
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