Arisaka Italian made Navy 'Type I'

Description

We are excited to offer for sale a rarely seen & relatively unknown Japanese Type I Arisaka made by the Terni factory in Italy specifically for the Imperial Japanese Navy. The designation Type I is for Italian. After the invasion of China in July 1937, all Arisaka production was allocated to the Imperial Army, so under the terms of the Anti-Comintern Pact (which was an agreement between Imperial Japan, Nazi Germany & Fascist Italy to assist each other with manufacturing requirements), representatives from the Imperial Navy who were part of the Japanese delegation in Italy contracted directly with the Italian government for the production of these rifles in 1937, as the competition between the branches of the Japanese armed services was intense & often hostile & the Navy was unable to obtain sufficient numbers of rifles for their Special Naval Landing Forces (elite Japanese Marines) because the Army was effectively dominating acquisition. Available records show that only around 80,000 Type I rifles were produced in 1938 & 1939 with 40,000 manufactured by Beretta & an equal number by Italian government arsenal in Terni, with the final shipment to Japan leaving Venice by submarine in 1942. This particular rifle is from the Terni factory. For obvious logistic reasons the Type I is based on the Type 38 rifle & chambered for the Japanese 6.5 x 50 mm cartridge, the same as for the Type 38. As can be seen, it is an amalgamation of the Carcano & Arisaka. It utilizes a Carcano action as Italian industry was tooled up for Carcanos but retains the Arisaka/Mauser type 5-round box magazine & as can be seen (for logistical reasons) it shares many components with the Type 38 including the stock, sling mounts, rear sight, barrel bands, floor plate & bayonet lug so that Japanese Type 30 bayonets can fit. The Type I never had the Japanese Imperial Chrysanthemum markings, or other markings typical of Japanese rifles due to not being made in Japan. Foreigners (however friendly at the time) were simply not allowed to own the stamps for the sacred Imperial Chrysanthemum. Quality control & official acceptance of these guns was conducted by Japanese delegations in the Italian factories before shipping, so there was no opportunity to apply official Japanese acceptance markings before being issued. Whilst the Type 38 had numbers marked in various places on the rifle, the Type I only has the serial number on the receiver, similar to the Carcano with no other markings. It is believed this had as much to do with Carcano production techniques as it did because the Axis were concerned with keeping the agreement secret. These rifles were known to cost a substantial amount more than domestic production Arisakas. Type I rifles brought back to the United States as War Trophies were reportedly captured at Kwajalein Atoll, the Philippines or found in Japanese warehouses at the conclusion of hostilities. A small number of those found in Japan after the war were said to be unissued but we are quite sure this is not one of these. As you can see in the photos, this rifle has definitely seen service & fits with the family's story. This rifle comes from a private US collection & purportedly came back to the US as a war trophy by a family member who was a Sergeant in the US the 22nd Marines & picked it up on Eniwetok Atoll after it was captured by the Americans in 1944. We assume these are his initials carved into the stock. As collectors, we are always told to buy the gun & not the story which we encourage. We are just giving the background on this rifle as told to us so do your own research & make your own decision based on what you see. The bore is good so a shooter which is demonstrated by the photo showing the muzzle will not accept a 6.5 Jap round, meaning the bore is still tight Of course it will shoot 6.5x50 Jap. Please view the photos carefully as they form the main description & override all written information so ask for more if desired. The combination of low number produced & the attrition rate from previous owners who often fought to the death in battles on tiny islands no-one has heard of, the surviving number is limited meaning the Imperial Type I Arisaka rifle is quite simply an uncommon rifle. These rarely comes up for sale, especially in Australia & not many left in this good original condition. The Type I is a 'unicorn gun' for many serious collectors, as the Japanese & Italian heritage of the rifle makes it an extremely interesting rifle for collectors of both Italian & Japanese rifles. This would make an excellent investment so if you are a curious collector or just want an interesting rifle which is a unique piece of WW2 history, you should buy this for your collection. Whilst we check these out for serviceability, the warranty has expired & these are sold on an as is basis. As with all used guns, we recommend you have this checked by a suita

Specifications