Arisaka Type 99 Long Rifle
Nagoya Army Arsenal · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1939
Also known as: Type 99 Long, Type 99 Rifle (long pattern)
Overview
The Arisaka Type 99 Long Rifle was the early-production long-barrelled version of the Imperial Japanese Army's Type 99 bolt-action service rifle, chambered in the powerful 7.7x58mm Arisaka cartridge. Produced only briefly from 1940 to 1941, it retained the full 797mm barrel and 1,258mm overall length of the earlier Type 38 pattern, along with the Type 99's aircraft-sighting rear leaf, folding wire monopod, and sliding bolt dust cover. Found more cumbersome than the concurrently developed short rifle while offering only marginally better ballistics, it was quickly discontinued in favour of the short rifle.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4100 g (144.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1258 mm (49.53") |
| Barrel Length | 797 mm (31.38") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 755 m/s (2477 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3220 J (2375 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 656 m (717 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3400 m (3718 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.7x58mm Arisaka · primary — also known as 7.7mm Japanese, 7.7x58mm Type 99, .303 Japanese
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Internal Box Magazine Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Knurled Safety Knob, Bolt Dust Cover
- Features: Anti Aircraft Rear Sight, Wire Monopod, Sliding Dust Cover, Chrome Lined Bore, Stripper Clip Loaded, Imperial Chrysanthemum Marking
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Army · adopted 1940 · as Type 99 Long Rifle
Conflicts
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 38,000 · Production years: 1940-1941
Approximately 8,000 produced at Nagoya Arsenal and 30,000 by Toyo Kogyo between summer 1940 and spring 1941 before the design was dropped for the short rifle.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Kijiro Nambu
Discontinued: 1941
Notes
Only about 38,000 long rifles were made — roughly 8,000 at Nagoya Arsenal and 30,000 by Toyo Kogyo (under Kokura Arsenal supervision) — before production standardised on the more practical Type 99 short rifle. The long rifle is consequently far scarcer than the short rifle.
Background
Japan briefly fielded both a long and a short Type 99 to settle a long-running army debate over rifle length, but the compact short rifle so thoroughly won out that the long rifle was cancelled within a year, making surviving examples prized rarities among collectors.