Type 35 Arisaka
Koishikawa Arsenal · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1902
Also known as: Meiji Type 35, Sanjugo-nen Shiki Hoju, Type 35 Naval Rifle
Overview
The Type 35 Arisaka was a naval-service refinement of the Type 30 rifle, developed by a commission led by Captain Kijiro Nambu to address mechanical defects of the original. Adopted in 1902 (Meiji Year 35) primarily for the Imperial Japanese Navy's Special Naval Landing Forces, it introduced a redesigned wing-style safety lever, an improved rear sight, and the now-iconic Arisaka sliding bolt dust cover.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4200 g (148.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1273 mm (50.12") |
| 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 | 1830 m (2001 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 12 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| 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: Wing Safety Lever, Bolt Dust Cover
- Features: Stripper Clip Loading, Five Round Internal Magazine, Bayonet Lug, Ladder Rear Sight, Redesigned Safety, Sliding Dust Cover
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Navy Special Naval Landing Forces · adopted 1902 · as Type 35
- Republic of Finland
- Russian Empire · adopted 1915
Conflicts
- Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
- World War I (1914-1918)
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 38,200 · Production years: 1902-1905
Approximately 38,200 rifles produced at Koishikawa Arsenal in Tokyo before replacement by the Type 38.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Captain Kijiro Nambu
Discontinued: 1905
Notes
Often overlooked because it was rapidly superseded by the highly successful Type 38 in 1906, the Type 35 served as the testbed for the dust cover and safety improvements that defined later Arisakas. Surviving examples saw service as far afield as the Spanish Civil War and Finland's Civil Guard.
Background
The Type 35 was effectively the prototype for everything that made the Type 38 famous: the sliding dust cover, the wing safety, and the corrected ladder sight all debuted on this short-lived naval rifle before being adopted across the entire Imperial Japanese arsenal.