1934-35 Japanese Army Nagoya Mfg. Arisaka Type 44 Cavalry Carbine in 6.5 Jap * SPECTACULAR ALL-ORIGINAL & MATCHING GUN! *
Description:
This is one of the nicest "one-looker" Japanese Arisaka Type 44 Cavalry Carbines we have had in our shop in decades. This beautiful Arisaka Type 44 Carbine is from my personal collection (the owner of A&M Inc.), and has NEVER BEEN LISTED ON THE COLLECTOR'S MARKET PREVIOUSLY UNTIL NOW! It was acquired many years ago from a relative of the soldier's family that brought it home as a war trophy, and it has remained in my possession ever since. This Nagoya-manufactured (Series 2) Arisaka Type 44 Carbine is 100% original, matching, and correct in EVERY way. The only work that has ever been done to it since it was first built sometime between 1934 and 1935 was done during a Japanese Military-supervised rebuild/overhaul, likely in the late 1930's AT THE NAGOYA FACTORY, which of course is also the original manufacturer. It has never been "improved" by some shade-tree gunsmith, modified in any way, or restored/repaired since being taken from the KIA Japanese trooper that carried it. What info I was given came from a family member (by marriage) who was never interested in it, and was told only that it came from either the Philippines or Okinawa, as the man that brought it back as a war trophy fought in both places as an infantryman with the U.S. Army.
While there is no way to know whether the info I was given about this Type 44 Carbine is true, what we CAN say as fact, is this Arisaka Type 44 is exactly what many collectors of WW2 weapons are looking for. While a good portion of the gun collectors today buy pieces ONLY if they are all-original and in mint-condition, many others, myself included, want high-condition and all-original examples only if they show evidence of having been issued and carried in combat. This Type 44 Carbine fits that description perfectly. It is a "one looker" in that anyone with experience handling and looking at these can tell immediately that this one is exactly the same as it was when it was brought to the States, directly from the battlefield where it was captured. It has all-matching serial and "assembly" numbers (used in place of the serial number on some parts), all of the finishes are original Nagoya factory-applied before it was issued for WW2 service and captured, it has a fully intact Mum (which are almost always ground-off or defaced on weapons surrendered after the war ended), it is 100% complete with it's original numbered dust-cover (over the bolt/action), it's original Japanese-issue leather sling is still intact, all of the factory and Japanese Military-applied markings/proofs/inspection marks are completely intact and legible, it has not been modified or "improved" post WW2, the action and all of the controls on the carbine are fully-operational, and while it shows some wear and tear from being in actual combat, it is still IN EXCELLENT condition both inside and out, including a shiny and bright bore.
While a great many Japanese weapons were brought or sent back here to the States in excellent condition, a large percentage of them have been neglected for some period of time since 1945, so with each passing year, less and less examples survive in such beautiful condition like this one. THIS IS PARTCULARLY TRUE WITH THIS MODEL, as the VAST MAJORITY of these Arisaka Type 44 Carbines were made WELL-BEFORE WW2 EVEN STARTED! The Type 44 Carbine was introduced and accepted by the IJA (Imperial Japanese Army) in 1911, a full 30 years before the Pearl Harbor attack. Japanese military weapon model numbers were named based off of the year of the current emperor's reign when they were accepted into service, and as the year 1911 was the 44th year of Emperor Meiji's reign, this cavalry carbine was given the model name of "Type 44". Production of the carbine lasted from 1911-12 until 1942 while WW2 was still raging, discontinued 3 years before the war would end. The total number of carbines produced during that time was just over 90,000 carbines. This pales in comparison to the Arisaka Type 38 Rifle and Carbine, of which 4,000,000 were made, and the Arisaka Type 99 Rifle, of which there were over 3,500,000 were manufactured. This means that the Arisaka Type 44 Carbine represents only 1% of the IJA's standard-issue rifles and carbines. The reason the Arisaka Type 44 Cavalry Carbine was discontinued was due to several reasons, but chief among them was the desire of the Japanese to manufacture weapons chambered in 7.7 Jap only and nothing in 6.5 Jap to significantly reduce supply-line problems that stemmed from trying to supply two different cartridges to their infantry, and because the Type 44 was much more costly, labor-intensive, and time-consuming to manufacture than the much-simpler 7.7 Jap caliber Type 99 rifle which was the main focus of infantry rifle production at that time. These carbines were scarce to find even during WW2, and when they were found or captured during the war, the majority of them were already in poor or well-used condition due to their age, many having already served 15 to 30 years prior to being used against the American forces. These were already battle-proven weapons, having been used in numerous conflicts over the years preceding WW2, including WW1. A number of these carbines served in the First World War with the Japanese cavalry during the Siege of Tsingtao in 1914, then again in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, again in The Second Sino-Japanese War (Invasion of China), and again once more in the Battle Khalkin Gol which pitted the Japanese vs. the Russians, all of these conflicts starting well before the U.S. even entered WW2. Many of our Pacific Theater veterans would have brought one of these home instead of a Type 38 rifle or Type 99 rifle had they come across more of them, and/or come across one that wasn't already worn-looking and unattractive. It was both much easier and more appealing to capture one of the numerous Type 38's or 99's that were often found in excellent condition, than it was to take a worn-out looking Type 44 Carbine with little to no finish on it as a war trophy to show their friends and family back home. It is for these exact reasons that these cavalry carbines are so hard to find today in ANY condition or degree/level of originality, and why it is EXTREMELY hard to find one that looks like this!
I have provided a ton of pictures of this Arisaka Type 44 Carbine for the prospective buyer to look at in order to judge for themselves the condition of this piece. As you can see, the factory/arsenal blue finish is still bright, glossy, and very clean overall, showing only some minor wear and thinning to the finish in spots and on some of the high-edges. The much more delicate golden-yellow "strawed" finish you see on some of the small parts including some of the screws, pins, the bolt release lever spring, the floorplate release button inside the triggerguard at the front, and the rear sight leaf spring, is also still intact and the golden color still very visible where it should be. This gold/yellow strawed finish is not very durable, and is often the first type of finish to wear-off, fade, or become stained. The most significant deduction from the overall condition of the carbine comes from the front sight, where the left protective ear is slightly bent from an impact of some sort. It could be bent back into shape, but I chose to leave it as-is. I didnt want to risk breaking it off, and it is likely how it was brought back to the U.S.. The inside of the action is clean and bright, the bore is bright and clean, and the stock set is complete and free from any major damage or cracks. The wood shows some dings, scratches, small impacts, and some worn or thinned areas of the glossy finish applied to it from the factory, but nothing serious or what would be considered an "eye sore" that detracts a significant amount from the overall very handsome look of the carbine. As mentioned before, this Arisaka Type 44 is 100% functional with a smooth and precise action, fully operational controls, and a solid, stable stock set.
If you have been looking for a Arisaka Type 44 Cavalry Carbine that is really worthy of the cost and worthy of standing as a centerpiece to your WW2 Japanese weapons collection, THIS IS IT! It would nearly impossible to find another one of these that is as original, complete, and with as much character as this example has, and it is VERY likely impossible to find another one that has never been on the collector's market before like this one. These continue to appreciate in value every single year at fairly high and steady rate, so they will never be cheaper than they are right now if that trend continues. With that in mind, the longer you wait, the more you will pay to own one.
Price:
$2,795.00
Curio/Relic: Yes
Rifle Caliber: 6.5x50mm Arisaka
Manufacturer:
Nagoya Arsenal
Model:
Arisaka Type 44 Carbine
Serial Number:
2686 (2nd Series)
Bore Info:
Rifled
Condition:
Excellent (as war-time Nagoya Rebuild)
Metal Condition:
Excellent
Wood Condition:
Very Good / Excellent
Bore Condition:
Excellent
Action:
Bolt-Action Repeating Rifle
Stock:
Original Factory Stock Set with Handguard & 2-piece Buttstock
Butt Pad:
Factory steel recoil plate with cleaning rod trap.
Finish:
Original Military Blued & Strawed Finishes
Sights:
Adjustable Iron Battle Sights
Manufacture Date:
1934-1935
Extras:
Original Japanese Military-issue Leather Sling