Type 2 Paratrooper
Nagoya Army Arsenal · Rifle · Discontinued · 1943
Also known as: TERA Type 2, Type 2 TERA, Type 2 Paratroop Rifle, Arisaka Type 2, Type 2 Parachutist's Rifle
Overview
The Type 2 Paratrooper is a Japanese takedown bolt-action rifle developed during World War II as a parachutist's variant of the Type 99 Arisaka. Chambered in 7.7x58mm Arisaka and fed by a five-round internal box magazine via stripper clips, it splits into two halves at the receiver, held together by a sliding transverse wedge and locking key so airborne troops could jump with the rifle and reassemble it on landing. It was produced only at the Nagoya Army Arsenal between 1943 and 1945, with roughly 21,000 made, making it the only paratroop rifle of the war manufactured in meaningful numbers.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3900 g (137.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1120 mm (44.09") |
| Barrel Length | 649 mm (25.55") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 730 m/s (2395 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3010 J (2220 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3700 m (4046 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, Transverse Wedge Lock, Stripper Clip Fed, Folding Monopod Omitted, Based On Type 99
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Navy Special Naval Landing Forces · adopted 1943 · as Type 2
- Imperial Japanese Army Teishin paratroops · adopted 1943 · as Type 2
Conflicts
- World War II (1943-1945)
- Pacific War (1943-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 21,200 · Production years: 1943-1945
Estimates range from roughly 19,000 to 21,500 rifles; all produced at the Nagoya Army Arsenal.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Nagoya Army Arsenal
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
The takedown concept arose from the February 1942 airborne landing at Palembang, Sumatra, where paratroops dropped their standard rifles in separate canisters and were left fighting with only pistols, bayonets, and grenades. Earlier experimental Type 1 (also called TERA Type 1) prototypes used a hinged or interrupted-thread joint; the Type 2 settled on the sliding wedge as the most robust solution.
Background
TERA is a contraction of the Japanese term Teishin Rakkasan, literally 'Raiding Parachutes.' Because Japan deployed airborne forces sparingly after their early-war operations, few Type 2 rifles ever saw the parachute drops they were designed for, and surviving examples are prized collector pieces today.