Arisaka type 38
| Arisaka type 38 | |
|---|---|
|
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| general information | |
| Civil name: | Arisaka T-38 |
| Military designation: | Type 38 rifle |
| Country of operation: | Japanese Empire |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Arisaka Nariakira (developer) |
| Development year: | 1905 |
| Manufacturer country: |
 Japan
|
| Production time: | 1905 to 1945 |
| Model variants: | T-11 |
| Weapon Category: | gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1280 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 3.95 kg |
| Barrel length : | 800 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 6.5 × 50 mm rear |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 5 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | Magazine box |
| Fire types: | Single fire |
| Visor : | open sights |
| Closure : | Cylinder lock |
| Charging principle: | Multiple loaders |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Arisaka Type 38 ( Japanese 三八 式 歩 兵 銃 , sambachi-shiki Hoheijū , Eng . "Type 38 infantry rifle") was the standard rifle of the Japanese army between 1905 and 1939. The model designation refers to the year of introduction in 1905, the 38th year of the throne of the then reigning Japanese Emperor Meiji . In 1894, the military command of the Japanese Empire commissioned the renowned Colonel Arisaka Nariakira as head of a commission with the development of an effective weapon that was cheap to manufacture. The Type 30 of the Arisaka rifle used in the Russo-Japanese War 1904/05 had a few deficits, so that in 1906 the Type 38 went into production as an improved version and by 1940 over three million copies were issued to the Imperial Army.
The Arisakagewehr was a repeating rifle , which greatly from the German Mauser - 98 Rifle was affected. However, its standard could not be reached by far. The Type 38 was a relatively heavy rifle (approx. 4.25 kg) that was very unwieldy, especially in close combat . In addition, it was over 166 cm long with the bayonet attached, making it larger than the average Japanese soldier of the time. Five cartridges of caliber 6.5 × 50 mm HR (also 6.5 × 50 mm Arisaka) could be fired from a magazine box . It could be reloaded individually or using a charging strip. The type 30 (blade length 40 cm) was still used as a bayonet .
The experience of the Sino-Japanese War led to the idea of introducing a new rifle ammunition in caliber 7.7 × 58 mm. This caliber was already used for the Type 92 heavy machine gun and the Type 97 heavy machine gun . The rifle developed for this was named Arisaka Type 99 and was introduced in 1939. It largely corresponded to the Type 38 and was supposed to replace it. From 1940 the short version of the Type 99 was mainly produced. Both models were used side by side until the end of World War II .
Versions
- Type 38 short: barrel length 64 cm, total length 110 cm, weight 3.8 kg
- Type 38 carbine (cavalry rifle): barrel length 50 cm, total length 96 cm, weight 3.5 kg
- Type 44 carabiner: like Type 38 carabiner, backward-folding needle bayonet, introduced in 1911
- Type 97 sniper rifle: like Type 38, telescopic sight with 2.5x magnification, introduced in 1937
- Type I: like Type 38, Carcano clasp, produced in Italy for the Japanese Navy
Type 44 cavalry rifle
Type 97 sniper rifle
Type 30 bayonet
literature
- Military Intelligence Division, War Department, USA (Ed.): Japanese infantry weapons, Special Series . No. 19 , 1943, ISBN 0-8071-2013-8 , pp. 25 to 38 ( online Arisaka type 38 and additional equipment).
- David Miller: Uniforms, Equipment & Weapons of Axis Forces , Stackpole Books, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8117-0277-5 .
Web links
- Maxim Popenker: Arisaka 38 and 99. In: Modern Firearms. world.guns.ru, accessed on May 27, 2016 (English).
- www.nazarian.no: Arisaka Year 38/38 Carbine (English)
- Markings on Japanese Arisaka Rifles and Bayonets of World War II (English)