Arisaka type 99
| Arisaka type 99 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| general information | |
| Civil name: | Type 99 |
| Military designation: | Arisaka type 99 |
| Country of operation: | Japanese Empire |
| Development year: | 1939 |
| Manufacturer country: |
 Japan
|
| Production time: | 1939 to 1945 |
| Weapon Category: | gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1117 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 3.79 kg |
| Barrel length : | 654 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 7.7 x 58 mm |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 5 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | Magazine box |
| Cadence : | 10 rounds / min |
| Fire types: | Single fire |
| Number of trains : | 4th |
| Twist : | right |
| Visor : | open sights |
| Closure : | Cylinder lock |
| Charging principle: | Repeating weapon |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Arisaka Type 99 ( Japanese 九九 式 小 銃 , kyū-kyū-shiki shōjū , German "Type 99 rifle") was next to the Arisaka Type 38 an orderly rifle (standard weapon ) of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in World War II.
Arisaka does not refer to the name of the manufacturer, but is based on the name of the previous rifle , which was developed by Arisaka Nariakira .
history
All Japanese multi-loading rifles based on the Murata Type 22 fired the 6.5 × 50 mm Arisaka cartridge introduced in 1905 (also 6.5 mm M38; 6.5 × 50 mm HR). As early as the fighting in Manchuria on September 18, 1931, it was found that this ammunition not only had inadequate ballistic values, but also insufficient penetration. In the 1937 Sino-Japanese War, these deficiencies became so blatant that a development program for new rifle ammunition was immediately started. Type 38 rifles were reworked for 7.7 × 58 mm HR (M92) cartridges, a machine gun ammunition introduced in 1932. However, this was too strong and led to weapon malfunctions.
As a result, both the Arisaka Type 99 and the associated ammunition 7.7 × 58 mm Arisaka were developed in the period up to May 1939 ( Kōki 2599) and then introduced immediately.
The rifle was manufactured in nine different factories, seven in Japan, one in Mukden in China and one in Jinsen in Korea .
The original plan was to replace all Type 38 weapons with Type 99 weapons, but this was not achieved by the end of the war. Type 38 weapons remained in the armed forces even after 1945.
technology
Just like the Type 38, the Type 99 was a Mauser Model 98 based rifle with a cylinder lock and 5-round magazine. Ammunition with loading strips was introduced into the permanently installed magazine.
The weapon is shorter and lighter than the Type 38, the typical Maus lock safety has been improved and the chamber, bolt head and barrel have been changed. The barrel is completely enclosed from the upper and lower stock to the upper ring. The barrel was completely chrome-plated on the inside. Until then, this had not been practiced in the mass production of infantry rifles worldwide.
A foldable, one-legged support made of profile wire was provided for all weapons, but this was often not attached.
For anti-aircraft defense, the rifle had a sight consisting of two legs attached to the sight frame and which could be folded out to the side by 90 °. The inner marking was used to address aircraft flying by, the outer marking to address aircraft approaching at an angle.
The locking cover turned out to be a problem as it tended to rattle, which in the jungle betrayed one's own position. The soldiers solved the problem on the spot by removing the cover. The type 30 sword bayonet could be attached to the rifle, which also served as a machete .
variants
In addition to the long version ( 九九 式 長 小 銃 , kyū-kyū-shiki chōshōjū ) a shortened rifle ( 九九 式 短小 銃 , kyū-kyū-shiki tanshōjū ) was produced. Initially manufactured primarily for cavalry and artillery, it was ultimately to become the standard rifle for all branches of service. However, since the weapon could not be produced in sufficient numbers, the long version weapons that had already been produced remained in use.
A sniper rifle was developed in 1941 and produced and issued from June 1942. The literature assumes that fewer than 10,000 pieces of this weapon were produced. The 1,115 mm long weapon weighs 4.42 kg and has a 662 mm long barrel. A telescopic sight offset to the left with fourfold magnification makes it possible to load the weapon with loading strips from above.
A rifle for paratroopers that could be dismantled into two parts was also produced in small numbers from 1941. This type 1 weapon was 1,120 mm long, weighed 4.34 kg and had a barrel length of 657 mm. The front part of the weapon, including the barrel, was attached by a lock, which is similar in construction to a bayonet lock. However, the attachment turned out to be unstable.
From May 1943 the modified Type 2 was delivered. This weapon is 5 mm shorter, about 300 g lighter and the barrel length is only 645 mm. In this version, the connection was made using a cross wedge.
The low industrialization of Japan in connection with the high demand for weapons led to the production of so-called replacement rifles from December 1943, also known as models 99/2 or 99/3. These were rifles made of inferior material and poorly crafted. They had a fixed visor, many weapons were delivered without handguards or had butt plates made of plywood. The barrel was also not chrome-plated.
There is also said to have been a trench version in which the piston was below the barrel axis. This is said to have made it possible to shoot from the cover of the trench. Similar constructions are known from the events in the trench wars of the First World War.
literature
- Günter Wollert, Reiner Lidschun: Infantry weapons yesterday . (1918-1945). In: Illustrated encyclopedia of infantry weapons from around the world . 3. Edition. tape 2 . Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-89488-036-8 , weapons, p. 338-341 .
- WHB Smith, Joseph E. Smith: Small Arms Of The World - a basic manual of small arms , 10th Edition, Stackpoole Books, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1973, ISBN 0-88365-155-6 .
- Military Intelligence Division, War Department (USA), Japanese infantry weapons, Special Series, no. 19 , 1943, Arisaka Type 99 and additional equipment on pages 39 to 44, ISBN 978-0-8071-2013-2 ( available online ).
- David Miller: Fighting Men of World War II, Axis Forces . Uniforms, Equipment & Weapons of Axis Forces. 1st edition. Stackpole Books, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8117-0277-5 , Japan, pp. 270-271 .
Web links
- Modern Firearms - Arisaka 38 and 99. In: world.guns.ru. Retrieved October 26, 2016 .