That's similar to what I came here to say. Those Japanese were on to something. While they didn't know how to win but they knew how to punish the bubba fudds for doing their evil 'gumsmiffin'
This happened to my grandfather! He was in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theatre during WW2. When the war ended, he obtained a Type 99 rifle and proceeded to refinish it while still on the ship. He got a terrible rash and had to be treated by the ship's doctors. At the time, they didn't know what caused the rash.
After 80+ years, this is the very first time I've EVER heard this, or anything about this. I've been a gun guy since the late 80's, and you'd think most ppl would know this after all these years ! Good looking out !
I don’t know that these rifles are common enough for it to be widespread knowledge. People may also not make the connection, even though it seems so obvious stated like this.
Even worse, Israel is committing war crimes as we speak, against the Palestinian children and babies. It's truly unthinkable, letting children starve to death.
@@shockwave6213 Actually it is a war crime to withhold food and water to civilians. And these children do not deserve to die from starvation. They are not enemy combatants. So get your facts straight.
I can confirm this. I have a no series rifle that I found in poor condition. The stock was flaking and was pretty dry rotted from being stored in a damp basement and was moldy. I saved what I could, but in order to save the original stock I had to scrape off a lot of the original finish to. I had a terrible allergic reaction from it.
I've heard a lot that the dust cover on these Arisakas caused feeding issues, though that might be a case of none of the rifles ever captured or surrendered were ever matched with their factory covers. That being said, the metal rattle they make when you cycle the bolt gives it a badass, steampunk-like vibe.
it is pretty cool. although, i closed the bolt once without paying attention and it pinched my finger between the stock and the dust cover lol. The rifle draws american blood even to this day
I'll be damned. My grandfather brought an Arisaka rifle home from the war, and before he mounted it in a homemade wooden frame and hung it in his office, he painted the stock with a basic, light brown paint. It looked decent--and still does today hanging in my home office--but it definitely changed the overall look of the weapon. I wonder if my grandfather just painted the Arisaka stock because he'd heard you weren't supposed to refinish them. I never thought to ask. Here's to the tough old bastard on memorial day.
@@Elysium4Funny I heard they were quite excellent to heal headache, broken hearts and so on. The guy who told me this add I will quickly achieve peace. Thanks for the tip, the other guy should have been a liar 😁
Good advice, but I just wore gloves and a dust mask when I refinished one of mine. I do get brutal poison ivy rashes, so it likely would have affected me were it not for the gloves. Before anyone jumps on me about refinishing a precious piece of history, I bought the rifle for $50 because someone had already brutally stripped half of the original finish. Turned out nice, if a shade redder than intended. Great video!
No, I couldn't find one, probably because of the hazard. It was a few years back, but I'm pretty sure it was a reddish stain from Lowes or Home Depot. It looked nice at the end, but anybody who knew Arisakas that more than glanced at it would know it wasn't original.
I have one of these rifles. Got it from my Grandpa, who got it from his friend who fought in WW2 against the Japanese. Still has the original dust cover, mum, and monopod. Not long ago, I freed up the aircraft sights on it so now they finally adjust again.
About 5 years back on Armslist in the Columbus OH area a guy was selling a “haunted” type 99. Said since he bought it cabinet doors would all be opened, faucets turned on when he wasn’t home among other things. Of course it sold… 😂
Even better question is to ask the madman way back who decided poison oak is the best way to lacquer wood in the first place. Too scared of beetles? (natural lacquer is made of lac beetle resin)
I recently did a paper on the arisaka and its finish, urushi is used across east Asia for a number of things from a wood finish, to a pottery glaze, and even in some paints. The oldest use we have record of in Japan goes back over 2000 years
I am SO glad I saw this. I have a type 99, and the stock is well-worn with dents and dings and discoloration from use during the war. I had seriously thought about re-finishing it. Glad I didn't before seeing this. I dont know if it has this finish, but it has the anti-air sight tree, and the chrysanthemum is still there; not ground off. Does not have the bipod, nor the dust cover, but does have the split-stock
Funnily enough, I actually saw this answer coming despite not knowing urushi lacquer was used on Japanese rifles! Urushi lacquer is also used for the Japanese art of Kintsugi, which is a method of repairing broken pottery.
I learned something today! I have an Arisaka type 38 carbine...mum intact, no import mark, all original (battlefield pickup of unknown provenance) I won't be refinishing it, but how do you know if it has that finish? Kind of looks like the finish on my Chinese SKS.
Late answer but you can check the serial number to get a good idea of when it was produced. The urushi finish was applied to all guns made from '37-'45.
I was golfing at talofofo falls in guam. The course Marshall took me into the elephant grass to some bombed out Japanese tanks. Tiny little tanks. With giant holes in the armor.
I think I would still refinish one if it needed it. I'd just wear gloves, long sleeves, etc and do the work as outside as possible. Meaning: 1) under a tree, 2) in a garage/shed with doors open + fan.... That sort of thing. After using finish remover, I'd try wet sanding and/or at least frequent damp cloth wipe downs to keep the dust down. Can't see avoiding the job, unless I or a family member was really supersensitive to irritants. I don't take poison ivy, so there's a chance I'd be less sensitive to this lacquer.
Well that explains how TF I got poison sumac at a gun show. I have an allergy to that and any contact turns into a month of agony with a 30% chance of going blind. I won't be getting an arisaka or nambo niw for damn sure
@@jimzeez Japan actually stopped manufacturing dust covers 43-44 but the receivers still had the grooves milled. Also just google "Japanese Arisaka dust cover myth” and you’ll find plenty of information about it.
@@jimzeez Japanese stopped producing dust covers 43-44 but the receivers still had the grooves machines in them. Google "Japanese Arisaka dust cover myth” or anything similar and you will find plenty of stuff to read.
My great grandfather brought one home from the war, sadly it burned in the 2018 Camp Fire in California 😢 still have the innards, poor stock is gone though...
my dads grandfather brought one of these back! it was passed to him and eventually me! i’m in no rush tho i love my dad! but it is a really cool rifle. he said he will never fire it but he did have it inspected and they said that he could if he wanted to. it’s just way to sentimental to him though. - not that he would refinish this but i’m going to send him the link lol
@@alexwest2573 not really, they used inferior metal due to their shortage and as a result had to brace certain parts of the rifle. They were just making due with what they had
That one still has the Imperial Chrysanthemum on it. Hard to find. Most were ground off when they were sent out later. The flower indicates that it is the property of the Emperor, IIRC. Pretty much only the war trophies have it intact.
Nice rifle it has the mum! I tried to tell a gunshop owner that these stocks could cause a rash. He said I was wrong. Glade to see someone in the know validates my point. Good short.
I've refinished a Japanese rifle before. Never had an issue. I used paint and varnish jell remover. Worked fine. Then used sand paper and water. Anyways,didn't get a rash or anything like that.
Well TBH you shouldn't refinish ANY antique chemical coating without an actual respirator, safety glasses, a face shield, long sleeves and chemical resistant gloves. I've refinished about 40 of them and never had an issue, because I'm not stupid.
Damn, it still has the emperor's stamp on it! Very rare in America! My nephew inherited one from his great grandfather and the stamp is probably 90% there but obvious that US tried to stamp it off
It was actually the Japanese that filed the chrysanthemum off. They saw it as dishonorable that rifles bearing the symbol of the Emperor could fall into enemy hands so if they saw it coming they'd try to delete it.
Urushiol is only allergic for roughly 70-85% of the population. I've been in forests with poison ivy and oak and all of my friends would get bad rashes, but I never have. I like to think I'm one of the lucky immune, but I'm not about to rub poison ivy (or an Arisaka for that matter) on my skin to confirm that either.
I've been buying and collecting military surplus off and on 45 years and never been informed of this.but I never got a Japanese rifle. if I refinished some of the surplus rifles I did it in hot weather .putting stocks outside in the sun,.wiping off linseed oil and soaked it with clorex doing the process many times during the day helping to bleach out the oil. you can't get all the olive out but over several days you can get a big portion of the oil. papa wishing you well. 😊
The hole in the reciever just behind the seal on the chamber of the barrel. Is that a demill thing. I was looking at buying an arisaka that looked really nice but turned away as it had the same hole. I bought a carcano instead and I love that gun it’s absolutely beautiful. A 1912 ts carbine
I have not refinished one but I'd imagine it just like touching poison oak but if sanded or fumes when using denatured alcohol would require the right gloves and mask.
It's rare to see an Imperial symbol on a rifle. Most abided by the agreement that ended the war and removed the Imperial emblem from all Japanese weapons captured at the request of Japan.
I'm not an Arisaka expert but usually school rifles will have circle stamps struck over the mum to indicate it's left Imperial service. That or of course if the bore is smooth. When it doubt, always go to a gunsmith.
@@kylekatarn5964No, there are a variety of different ones. Many of them are set up to shoot blanks, so the bolt does operate. It lacks locking lugs and only locks off the bolt handle.
If you're allergic to sumac would just touching one cause a reaction? Lol ive always wanted one in my collection but I'm terribly allergic to poison sumac
With the dust cover 😍😍😍😍😍😍 that rifle and me have something in common. We both have wood for each other. Anyways I really wish I could find one in great shape like this that doesn’t cost and arm and a leg and an eye and a kidney. I kid myself but yall get the point.
@theMosinCrate Do you know where I can get a replacment Arisaka rifle stock . My grandfather brought back a rifle from ww2 and he passed away and it was passed on to me . The stock has a big crack and I don’t feel it’s safe to shoot it until the stock is replaced but I can’t find anywhere that has these stocks !
Are you going to bury the lead and not mention this rifle still has the Imperial Chrysanthemum engraved into it???? Those are super rare and valuable! After the surrender, the defeated Japanese leaders asked the American officers to remove the flower emblem, which was more or less sacred to them. Most of the Americans honored their request so the rifles that made it back with it intact are super valuable.
Not quite as rare as you might believe. I bought a Type 38, mum marked, dust cover, cleaning rod all included, in 2005 for $300US. And since then I've seen 3 more in varying states, yet still all mum marked. Now I will state I've never seen a mum marked Type 99 for sale. I'll give you that one; those may actually be much rarer in that condition.
