Type 44 Cavalry Carbine
Kokura Arsenal · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1911
Also known as: Yonjuyon-nen Shiki Kihei-juu, Type 44 Carbine, Arisaka Type 44
Overview
The Type 44 Cavalry Carbine is a bolt-action carbine developed from the Arisaka Type 38 for the mounted troops of the Imperial Japanese Army, introduced in 1911 (Meiji Year 44). Chambered in the low-recoil 6.5x50mm Arisaka cartridge and fed from a five-round internal magazine via stripper clip, its defining feature is a permanently attached folding 'needle' bayonet that swings forward into the firing position and folds back into a recess in the forend when stowed, sparing cavalry troopers the burden of managing a separate detachable bayonet on horseback.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3300 g (116.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 966 mm (38.03") |
| Folded Length | 966 mm (38.03") |
| Barrel Length | 487 mm (19.17") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 685 m/s (2247 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2110 J (1556 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 10 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, Bolt Dust Cover
- Features: Permanent Folding Bayonet, Stripper Clip Loading, Five Round Internal Magazine, Sliding Dust Cover, Ladder Rear Sight, Shorter Barrel For Horseback
Variants
- Type 44 First Pattern — Early Production
- Type 44 Second Pattern — Production
- Type 44 Third Pattern — Late Production
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Army Cavalry · adopted 1912 · as Type 44
- Republic of China
- Korean People's Army
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Chinese Civil War (1927-1949)
- Korean War (1950-1953)
Production
Estimated total produced: 92,000 · Production years: 1912-1942
Approximately 92,000 units produced across three pattern revisions, primarily at Koishikawa/Kokura Arsenal.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Colonel Nariakira Arisaka
Discontinued: 1942
Notes
The Type 44 went through three production patterns distinguished primarily by the design of the bayonet's nose cap. It stayed in front-line service longer than many peers, with large quantities captured and reissued by Chinese, North Korean and Soviet forces.
Background
The permanently mounted folding bayonet meant a cavalry trooper could go from carbine to lance with the flick of a wrist, but it also made the rifle a single-purpose weapon: the bayonet could not be removed for cleaning or replacement, so a damaged bayonet often condemned the whole carbine to depot repair.