Japanese Type 44 Carbine Nagoya 6.5 Arisaka Bolt Action Rifle C&R
SOLD FOR: $700
WOA#: WY240126MC018
Make: Nagoya Arsenal
Model: Type 44 Carbine
Serial Number: 6689
Year of Manufacture: 1911-late 1930s
Caliber: 6.5x50mmR (6.5 Japanese)
Action Type: Bolt action, internal 5 round magazine
Markings: The left side of the receiver is marked with a small circle Katakana character followed by “6689” and the Nagoya Arsenal mark. The top of the receiver is marked with a defaced chrysanthemum and ‘Type 44’ written in Japanese. The top of the bolt stop lever is marked “S376”. The top of the bolt handle is marked “689”. The underside of the nose cap is marked “689”. The bottom of the grip and underside of the buttstock are marked with Japanese characters.
Barrel Length: 19”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a v-post between two protective ears. The rear sight is a v-notch blade attached to a flip up sight ladder with a sliding v-notch. It is marked from 4 – 20.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The two piece wood stock has a semi-pistol grip, finger grooves, cutout for the folding bayonet, metal nose cap, barrel band, two sling loops, hooked bayonet quillon (not a stacking loop), buttplate trap release, and a metal buttplate. The buttplate is heavily pitted with areas of oxidation throughout. The buttstock is two pieces of wood spliced together, with a visible seam on both sides. There are compression marks, scuffs, and scratches throughout the wood. The stock and forend are worn around the barrel band. There is discoloration and dried residue in the finger grooves and gas vent hole cutout. There is a long scratch on the right side of the forend. The LOP measures 13.1” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition:The bore is semi-bright and the rifling is very shallow. There is light to moderate erosion in the bore.
In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 3 out of 10.
Many military and C&R eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide. For example, the U.S. used corrosive ammunition throughout WWII. The U.S. military did not begin to phase out corrosive-primed ammunition until the 1950s.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 75% of its metal finish. There are scuffs and scratches throughout. There are numerous impact marks on the underside and left side of the nose cap. There is wear to the finish on top of the receiver where the chrysanthemum was defaced. The underside of the trigger guard has areas of surface oxidation and impact marks along the edges. The trigger and magazine floor plate release also have oxidation. The bayonet retention lugs have wear to their finish. There are impact marks on the outside edge of the bayonet quillon. The bolt and action show usage wear. The screw heads show moderate to heavy use. The markings are legible, but the chrysanthemum and the top Japanese character on the receiver have been defaced. Overall, this rifle rates in about Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The bayonet unfolds and folds correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None
Our Assessment: The Type 44 Carbine was originally intended as a cavalry version of the very popular Type 38 carbine. It comes with a distinctive underside folding bayonet that has a hooked quillon to replicate the Type 30 bayonet. Produced in low numbers for over 30 years, these rifles served with the Japanese through both world wars. This example was made by the Nagoya Arsenal. It has had its chrysanthemum defaced, though most of it can still be seen. The stock has wear to it, but it all appears to be superficial. The metal retains a lot of its finish, with the receiver having very little finish loss. The nose cap has quite a few impact marks on the underside. The bore is semi-bright but there is hardly any rifling left. What little there is left is very shallow. Overall, this is a good example of an interesting rifle that would fit into any Japanese collection.
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