Arisaka Type 38

The Arisaka Type 38 is a bolt-action military rifle that served as the standard infantry arm of the Imperial Japanese Army beginning in 1905. Designated “Type 38” after the 38th year of the Meiji era, it was designed by Colonel Nariakira Arisaka and refined by Kijiro Nambu at the Koishikawa Arsenal in Tokyo. Chambered in the relatively mild 6.5x50mm Arisaka cartridge, the rifle offered controllable recoil and excellent accuracy at typical combat distances, making it well suited to the smaller-statured Japanese soldiers of the era.

The Type 38 features a Mauser-style turning bolt action with dual front locking lugs and a distinctive large bolt handle. One of its most recognizable design elements is the oversized bolt cover, a sheet-metal dust shield intended to protect the action from the fine grit and debris encountered in Manchuria and other continental Asian theaters. In practice, many soldiers discarded this cover because it rattled during movement and could impede rapid bolt manipulation. The rifle measures over 50 inches in overall length, making it one of the longest standard-issue military rifles of its time, which was partly intended to compensate for reach in bayonet combat.

The Type 38 saw extensive service across multiple conflicts, from the Russo-Japanese War through both World Wars. Millions were produced at arsenals throughout Japan and its occupied territories, including Nagoya, Kokura, and Mukden. During World War II, as Japan’s industrial capacity declined, late-war examples often show simplified manufacturing with rougher finishes and substitute materials. Despite these wartime shortcuts, the underlying action remained strong and reliable. The 6.5mm cartridge, while effective, was eventually supplemented by the harder-hitting 7.7x58mm Arisaka in the Type 99 rifle, though the Type 38 continued to serve alongside its replacement until the end of the war.

Today, Arisaka Type 38 rifles are popular with collectors of military surplus firearms. Examples range widely in condition and provenance, with arsenal markings, intact chrysanthemum crests, and matching serial numbers all adding to collector value. Many rifles had their imperial chrysanthemum ground off during the surrender process, making intact-crest specimens particularly desirable.