Description
Offered for sale is this mint mid to late war production Imperial Japanese Paratrooper which is in excellent condition as can be seen in the photos.
Manufactured from 1943 to 1945 by the Nagoya Arsenal for use by paratroopers of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy, the Arisaka Type 2 Paratrooper rifle is basically a take-down version of the Type 99 Arisaka rifle & fires the same 7.7mm Arisaka cartridge.
Designed as a dedicated take-down rifle versus the earlier “Type 100” paratrooper rifles converted from existing Type 99 rifles, the Type 2 rifle utilizes a screw wedge on the right side of the receiver/stock section to both secure & release the barrel/forend section.
Correctly, this rifle retains the folding ladder peep rear sights with the original anti-aircraft wings, plus, most unusually, the dust cover is present!
As is most often the case with the Type 2 Paratrooper, this was surrendered & thus has the Imperial “Chrysanthemum” (referred to as the MUM among collectors) removed. Fortunately, it is not incredibly ugly.
Nicely, this sports matching “546” assembly numbers on both edge plates & pin. Although the serial number on the bolt does not match, other partial serial numbers such as on the bayonet lug match the receiver.
The Japanese experimented with several versions of paratrooper rifles, including ones with folding stocks & an interrupted thread-style take-down before settling on this one, which has a screw-in wedge that holds the two halves together.
With only about 21,200 known to have been produced, the Type 2 is the only paratroop rifle that was produced in any real quantity by the Imperial Japanese forces (i.e. more than a few hundred) & as such is a very rare rifle which is highly desirable among serious collectors.
The model designation comes from the year based on the Japanese system that counted from the date of the mythological founding of the Japanese Empire by Emperor Jimmu in 660 B.C. By this system, the Western year 1942 when the gun was adopted was 2602, with the “two” becoming the model designation. Actual production began in late 1943.
According to available records, this “Teishin Rakkasan Shoujuu” Type 2 take-down Arisaka pattern bolt action rifles is likely a mid-to-late production unit manufactured by the Nagoya Arsenal’s Toriimatsu Factory.
As it turned out, the Japanese did not make very extensive use of paratroopers after the airborne attack on Palembang in Sumatra, Dutch East Indies on February 13-15, 1942.
That may have provided the impetus for the Japanese to get serious about paratrooper weapons because in that battle, the airborne troops were equipped with standard rifles that were dropped in separate canisters & ended up landing in swamps some distance from the men, who then had to fight with just pistols, bayonets & grenades.
We are offering this unique rifle as a historical artifact & in no way condone the actions of military forces of the Empire of Japan during WW2.
You will know if this is for you so view the photos carefully & make your decision based on what you see as they form the main description & override all written information.
We think we have described this accurately but if we have it is unintentional & feel free to contact us if we have made any errors.
Whilst we check these out for serviceability, the warranty has expired & this is sold on an ‘as is’ basis.
We have a unique policy whereby if this arrives & is not as described we will accept it being returned for a full refund.
As with all used guns, we recommend you have this checked by a suitably qualified person prior to shooting. Call for shipping cost to your dealer.
