Type 99 Arisaka
Kokura Arsenal · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1939
Also known as: Type 99 Short Rifle, 99 Shiki, Arisaka 99, 7.7 Jap
Overview
The Type 99 Arisaka was the standard bolt-action service rifle of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1939 to 1945. Developed to replace the older 6.5mm Type 38 with the more powerful 7.7x58mm Arisaka cartridge, it featured an aircraft-sighting rear leaf, a folding wire monopod, and a sliding dust cover that traveled with the bolt. Approximately 3.5 million were produced before Japan's surrender, with late-war 'last-ditch' Substitute Standard variants showing dramatically reduced fit and finish.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3790 g (133.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1118 mm (44.02") |
| Barrel Length | 657 mm (25.87") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 730 m/s (2395 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3010 J (2220 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 656 m (717 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3400 m (3718 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.7x58mm Arisaka · primary — also known as 7.7mm Japanese, 7.7x58mm Type 99, .303 Japanese
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Internal Box Magazine Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Knurled Safety Knob, Bolt Dust Cover
- Features: Anti Aircraft Rear Sight, Wire Monopod, Sliding Dust Cover, Chrome Lined Bore, Stripper Clip Loaded, Imperial Chrysanthemum Marking
Variants
- Type 99 Arisaka Sniper — Sniper
- Type 99 Long Rifle — Long Rifle
- Type 2 Paratroop Rifle — Paratrooper Takedown
- Type 99 Substitute Standard — Wartime Simplified
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Japanese Army · adopted 1939 · as Type 99 Short Rifle
- Imperial Japanese Navy Special Naval Landing Forces · adopted 1939
- People's Liberation Army · adopted 1945
- Korean People's Army · adopted 1945
- Indonesian National Armed Forces · adopted 1945
- Viet Cong · adopted 1955
Conflicts
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- World War II Pacific Theater (1941-1945)
- Indonesian National Revolution (1945-1949)
- Chinese Civil War (1945-1949)
- Korean War (1950-1953)
- First Indochina War (1946-1954)
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Production
Estimated total produced: 3,500,000 · Production years: 1939-1945
Produced by nine arsenals across Japan, Manchukuo, and Korea. Quality declined sharply in late-war 'Substitute Standard' production.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Arisaka Nariakira (lineage); developed by Kijiro Nambu, Dogane Giichi, and Iwashita Kenzo
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Surrendered Type 99 rifles often had the Imperial Chrysanthemum (Kiku) on the receiver ground off as a condition of surrender. Late-war 'last ditch' rifles use crude sights, wooden buttplates, and simplified bolts.
Background
When Japanese soldiers surrendered, occupying Allied forces required them to grind off the 16-petal Imperial Chrysanthemum (Kiku) crest from the receiver, symbolically severing the rifle from the Emperor. Original unground Type 99s remain prized collector items today, while ground specimens vastly outnumber them.