Gunsmithing Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

[jack simpson]

Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action for a build?
Not to long ago, I picked one up after reading from reliable sources that the action had legendary strength.
My smith and I decided on .308 cal. we worked on it for a couple of months and this is what the final product looked like.

This was the final group I got out of it.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

The design is strong, but many of them were assembled at war's end and quality/fit/heat treating can be questionable. That's part of what can happen when a beaten country's leadership is in denial.

So treat the action with respect; and skip any assumptions of legendary strength until they are proven. Looks like you've found yourself a really good smith.

 

[jack simpson]

Re: Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

If it is any incdication of the metal "Toughness" or not, I do not know. My smith said he had the hardest time when drilling my scope base holes. He has quailty tools and does scopes bases routinely. He had to use heat sink paste, and apply a pin point of heat to where he was going to drill to soften the metal enough so that carbide bit would begin to cut through it.

 

[Clark]

Re: Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

I have drilled and tapped the type 99 action, and it did not seem hard.

The type 38 is 17TPI barrel threads, which is 1.5mm pitch.

I have never believed that Ackley's destructive testing (6) Arisakas was the end of the question. That is the 1966 book "ackley handbook for shooters and reloaders vol II".

 

[puncher]

Re: Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

Yes, but I must be pretty old that I'm the only one. When I was in high school the 38s were selling for 6.50 and the 99s were 7.70. Doesn't take much imagination to figure out where the prices came from. Most of us grew up shooting 28.00 98s and 35.00 springfields. There was a wildcat around for a while that started with the type 38s called the 6.5 roberts and a few rifles were re-chambered for it. When cleaned up they would shoot pretty well.
Good luck with this project. It seems that I grew up in the best riflemans era. There were lots of great guns around most under 70.00 dollars and us kids shot all of them.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

I have had the pleasure of shooting a 6.5 and despite the drilled/punched/stamped/whatever hole fixed rear peep sight, I thought it was a good shooter. I wish you best success with your rifle.

Greg

 

[gunnergirl81]

Re: Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

The Japs are legend for their old world artisan knowledge of metal working. Ever held a real samurai sword? Seen what they go through to make them by hand? It is true artistry mixed with a spiritual respect for the weapons end use.

The same is true of the Siamese mausers. They, at first glance, look a lot like any other mauser. But closer inspection reveals it to be one of the beefiest military mausers made with no step down at the front of the receiver and a massive front ring.

The Japs built very nice weapons, and many of the Arisakas are further proof of that. I doubt yours was a last ditch rifle unless your smith is a voodoo magician that could remove all those crude tool marks. They make fine project actions, especially since the majority we're defaced and have little collector value, and are basically a Mauser action redesigned to simplify the manufacturing process. Like most other milsurp sporters it will return results of equal quality to the work put into it.

You've got a nice rifle there, and not something common that can be found by the rack full at any gunshow. Great job.

 

[Cegorach]

Re: Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

Thanks for sharing. It is always interesting to see something very different from the norm.

Also, thanks to Kenda for filing in some of the blanks.

 

[Sniperhandle]

Re: Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

I have built 2 rifles on jap actions, they are similar to the mauser but they cock on closing and the safetys are hard to manipulate. It is also hard these days to find good triggers. It will make a fine rifle though and they are very strong. Richards Microfit is a good place to get a stock. Have fun!!

 

[Sniperhandle]

Re: Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

Looking at your picture you wont have to worry about a trigger or the safety, nice rifle

 

[nashlaw]

Re: Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

I remember seeing only one of those rifles around my area. It was a few years ago at a pawnshop. Built like a piece of towed artillery. IIRC, it was well done.

 

[Musket_0]

Re: Anyone ever use a Arasaka type 38 action?

This is my Ariska Jap 7.7 rebuild into 30-06. I do like the action. The but plate and grip cap are bull horn I boiled to flatten and carved to fit. Not very comfortable but damn nice looking I thought.