Arisaka Type 99 (Rifle)

History

The Type 99 was one of the standard bolt-action rifles used by Imperial Japan during World War II. It initially proved to be a reliable and robust weapon, but the closure of the noose in the Pacific theater soon led to a dramatic change in its production methods, often leaving the weapon system at a disadvantage.

The type was intended to replace the turn-of-the-century Meiji 38 rifles, but due to demand, a full replacement was never achieved. The Type 99 has evolved through several designs, including short rifles, long rifles, airborne variants and dedicated sniper models.

Production continued from 1939 to 1945, until the surrender of Japan.

Origin: Type 38 Rifle

The Meiji 38 Rifle (Type 38) appeared in 1905 and was seen as an improvement on earlier products tested in 1897 and 1902. The bolt construction is closer to the original Mauser design, with a larger, easier-to-grip bolt handle. At the same time as the rifle, a new pointed-nose cartridge was introduced - Model 38, 6.5x50 mm.

About 3.4 million of this weapon were produced, including carbine and cavalry forms. For three decades, the Type 38 has been the rifle of choice for the Imperial Army. In fact, the Type 38 even served as the official main service rifle of the British Army for a time.

In 1914, the British Army desperately needed quantitative training service rifles to cope with its growing wartime enlistment. As a result, the Arisaka rifle was selected for purchase and received the British designation on delivery: Rifle, Magazine, Type 256 Caliber 1900; Rifle, Magazine, Caliber 256 Caliber 1907; Carbine, Magazine, Type 256 Caliber 1907.

The combat experience of troops has changed again

However, the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of the Sino-Japanese War in the late 1930s soon showed that the Japanese army was again behind the technological curve. It turns out that the Chinese 7.9mm cartridge is superior to the 6.5mm cartridge and has significantly better range.

Therefore, a new weapon had to be developed for the Japanese army to replace the outdated Type 38 and put the Emperor's army on par with its rivals.

New 7.7x58mm cartridge and Type 99 rifle

A new cartridge was soon in development, eventually becoming the Arisaka 7.7x58mm cartridge. The Type 99 was born after brief tests of the improved Type 38 rifle and initial problems were resolved. The Type 99 appeared in 1939 and was similar to the Meiji Series 38, with the main difference being that it chambered for the 7.7x58mm Arisaka cartridge. The type was designed to compete on the battlefield with similar "short rifles" deployed by Japanese contemporaries, but was also produced in bulky "long rifle" form.

Aims to be a more affordable and easier-to-manufacture rifle system, especially at the end of World War II, when resources throughout Japan proved to be rather scarce.

New

Although it was intended to be a normal infantry rifle, the system retained some rather interesting but relatively useless features that set it apart. For one thing, the rifle has a rather flimsy-looking monopod mounted under the fore grip.

The idea behind the addition is a more accurate and stable firing platform when used against low-flying aircraft. Another similar addition inherent to the Type 99 design is the form of an integrated targeting device that extends far enough to allow the gunner to accurately target these low-flying aircraft. Although this is a novel concept, it is a rather optimistic attempt for the designer.

It helps express concerns about air strikes on vulnerable infantry units. The aiming mechanism is mainly centered on the aiming device and consists of a folding rod.

World at War

The Type 99 was already in service with the Imperial Japanese Army when the Pacific War broke out in full swing. However, production never seemed to meet full demand, forcing the continuation of the older but still reliable Model 38.

Both were used at the same time, and the Type 99 never completely replaced the intended Type 38.

Japanese Mauser Rifle

While the Type 99 was based on an original concept born out of a German Mauser design (most bolt action rifles at the time lent their history to the mythical Mauser), it also had some indigenous ideas that were trying to be better produced for the gun. The Type 99's rate of fire was slightly increased due to the introduction of a bolt-action rifle, which cocked when the rifle system was closed instead of open.

The breech cover was rotatable, although for improvement, it often resulted in Japanese soldiers simply abandoning the feature, as it tended to rattle during movement.

99 Walks

In terms of design, the Type 99 followed most of the rifle products at that time. It holds all major components in a wooden frame with an ergonomic pistol grip and integrated shoulder strap. The trigger is located in an elongated ring under the body. Metalwork is exposed along the top of the receiver, including the rear sight and ball stud action lever, which is offset to the right. The ejection port is located directly in front of and above the trigger group, while the rear sight is located directly in front of the ejection port itself.

The Type 99 was the first mass-manufactured battle rifle with a chrome-plated inner chamber for ease of rifle maintenance and cleaning. This feature was completely phased out at the end of the war to ease production and resource requirements. There are two straps on the fore grip, one in front of the receiver and the other behind the barrel muzzle.

The barrel protrudes a short distance from the wood and has a simple forward sight on the muzzle.

7.7x58mm ink cartridges

The Type 99 uses Arisaka 7.7x58mm cartridges, five of which are fed into the system via internal box magazines or "stripping clips". The muzzle velocity is rated at 2,394 feet per second, and the firing action is known as "bolt action," which requires the operation of the bolt handle to load each individual cartridge. This action ejects any cartridges currently in the firing chamber (whether exhausted or not) and introduces a new cartridge that is ready to fire.

It weighs 8.16 pounds, has a length of 44 inches, and has a 26-inch barrel (short rifle). An optional bayonet can be attached to the bottom of the barrel via mounting lugs and rings. The bayonet can be removed and used alone as a combat knife or field tool.

The monopod is hinged on the second strap and flips up on the front end. It can be removed if needed.

Type 99 variant

Model 99 was developed into other useful shapes. These include the 1940's Type 99 paratrooper rifle. Designed for use by Japanese airborne troops, the rifle has a joint between the barrel and the breech. In practice, however, this mechanical change did not endear the rifle to users and led to the development of the Paratrooper Rifle Model 2 in 1942. The Paratrooper Rifle 2 attempted to correct the flaws inherent in earlier airborne versions.

A sliding horizontal wedge replaced the previous joint, and the rifle turned out to be a better end product. However, the production of the system was very limited, and few saw widespread action at the Pacific Theater.

The Type 99 "Short Rifle" is the regular version of the Type 99 that appeared in 1942, while the Type 99 "Long Rifle" is available in limited numbers. The barrel of the short rifle is 26 inches, while the barrel of the long rifle is 31 inches. The Type 99 sniper rifle is a special shape to offset the optical sight (Tomoika Type 1, 2.5x) on top of the receiver on the left mounting bracket.

The monopod was retained for improved accuracy. A sturdy leather sling was issued for field work and hung on the left side of the forearm and butt. The optical sight is housed in a hardened housing for protection.

Bad harvest at the end of the war

Despite having long since earned respect, the Type 99 was still subject to quality control at the end of the war as Imperial Japan's war machine was on life support. Both raw materials and qualified production processes are scarce, resulting in a rather poor quality and finish for most upcoming Arisaka rifles, including the Type 99. Some don't have any type of finish, while others completely replace their backs with simpler, stronger systems. In addition, the machining of internal components often results in the rifle being very dangerous to fire on the operator because the core components are poorly manufactured. As Japan's surrender approached, in 1945, many military rifles bearing the Emperor's Imperial chrysanthemum had this emblem placed on it to avoid the embarrassment of the Emperor's surrender.

Many surviving rifles frequently have this particular situation, especially late war/late model production versions.

Type 99 and the Korean War

The Type 99 short rifle reappeared in the upcoming Korean War (1950-1953). The South Korean Army began modifying the existing Type 99 to accommodate the .30-06 Springfield cartridge used by several American firearms, including the Springfield M1903.

Other changes welcome this redesigned weapon system, such as an expanded magazine and revised ejection ports. While these modified Type 99s were somewhat useful on the battlefield, they proved somewhat inaccurate because the Type 99 was a rifle that was no longer used for shooting.

30-06 Springfield Cartridge. Nonetheless, this revised Type 99 is still in use in some quantities (around 133,000 according to sources), with its own statement.

Producer

The Type 99 is manufactured by several state-owned factories across Japan (including South Korea). These include Tomatsu Arsenal in Nagoya, Dainippon Flat Machinery in Noto, Kayaba Industries in Tokyo, Toyo Juki in Hiroshima, Tokyo Juki in Tokyo and Shinsen Arsenal in South Korea.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes