Type 100 TERA
Nagoya Army Arsenal · Rifle · Prototype · 1940
Also known as: TERA Type 100, Type 100 Paratroop Rifle, Type 100 Folding Rifle, Arisaka Type 100, Type 100 Parachutist's Rifle
Overview
The Type 100 TERA is a Japanese takedown bolt-action rifle developed in 1940 as the first purpose-built parachutist's rifle of World War II, derived from the Type 99 Arisaka short rifle. Chambered in 7.7x58mm Arisaka and fed by a five-round internal box magazine via stripper clips, it separates the barrel from the receiver through an interrupted-screw joint that locks with a 90-degree turn, while the bolt handle detaches so the parts can be bagged and strapped to a paratrooper's legs during a jump. An experimental design built at the Nagoya Army Arsenal's Toriimatsu factory, it preceded the later Type 1 and mass-produced Type 2 paratroop rifles.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4060 g (143.2 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 4190 g (147.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1149 mm (45.24") |
| Barrel Length | 648 mm (25.51") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 683 m/s (2241 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2636 J (1944 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3400 m (3718 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 200 mm (7.87") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.7x58mm Arisaka · primary — also known as 7.7 Japanese, 7.7mm Type 99, 7.7x58mm rimless
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Cocking Piece Safety
- Features: Takedown Design, Interrupted Screw Barrel Joint, Detachable Bolt Handle, Folding Wire Monopod, Stripper Clip Fed, Based On Type 99
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Army Teishin paratroops · adopted 1940 · as Type 100
Conflicts
- World War II (1940-1945)
- Pacific War (1941-1945)
Production
Production years: 1940-1943
Experimental paratroop rifle built in small numbers at the Nagoya Arsenal Toriimatsu factory; exact production totals are unrecorded but very limited.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Nagoya Army Arsenal
Discontinued: 1943
Notes
The interrupted-screw takedown joint proved insufficiently rigid under repeated disassembly, causing accuracy to suffer, which led designers to move to a wedge-locked joint on the follow-on Type 2. Some references describe the Type 100 as using a folding or hinged stock; wartime Japanese paratroop rifle development is poorly documented and figures vary between sources.
Background
TERA is a contraction of the Japanese Teishin Rakkasan ('Raiding Parachutes'), the designation applied to Japan's wartime family of takedown airborne rifles. The Type 100 was born from the realisation that paratroopers who jumped with their rifles in separate weapon canisters often landed with only pistols and grenades, leaving them badly outgunned until they could recover their long arms.