Type 30 Arisaka
Koishikawa Arsenal · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1897
Also known as: Sanju-nen Shiki Hoju, Meiji 30 rifle, Hook Safety Arisaka
Overview
The Type 30 Arisaka was the first standard-issue bolt-action service rifle of the Imperial Japanese Army, adopted in 1897 (Year 30 of the Meiji period). Designed by Colonel Nariakira Arisaka, it replaced the earlier Murata rifles and chambered the new semi-rimmed 6.5x50mm Arisaka cartridge. It served as Japan's primary infantry weapon throughout the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 before being supplanted by the improved Type 38.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3950 g (139.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1280 mm (50.39") |
| 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 | 765 m/s (2510 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2634 J (1943 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 450 m (492 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 12 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 6.5x50mm Arisaka · primary — also known as 6.5x50mmSR Arisaka, 6.5 Jap, 6.5mm Japanese
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Stripper Clip, Internal Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Hook Safety, Manual Safety
- Features: Stripper Clip Loading, Five Round Internal Magazine, Bayonet Lug, Ladder Rear Sight
Variants
- Type 30 Carbine — Carbine
- Type 30 Trainer — Training
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Army · adopted 1899 · as Type 30
- Russian Empire · adopted 1915
- United Kingdom · adopted 1914
- Republic of Finland
Conflicts
- Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901)
- Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
- World War I (1914-1918)
- Chinese Civil War (1927-1949)
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 599,000 · Production years: 1897-1905
Approximately 554,000 rifles plus 45,000 carbines manufactured at Koishikawa Arsenal before replacement by the Type 38.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Colonel Nariakira Arisaka
Discontinued: 1905
Notes
Notorious for a 'hook safety' that proved unreliable in field conditions, the Type 30 also suffered from broken firing pins and ejection issues. These problems prompted Captain Kijiro Nambu's commission to redesign the rifle, eventually producing the much more successful Type 38. Surplus rifles were widely exported to Russia and Britain during World War I.
Background
Russia's Tsarist government, desperate for rifles in World War I, bought hundreds of thousands of Type 30 Arisakas from the very same nation that had thrashed them with these rifles only a decade earlier in the Russo-Japanese War.