Kokura Arsenal Type 99 Arisaka Short Rifle, 21st Series (ほ), 7.7 Japanese, WWII, Intact Imperial Chrysanthemum
Early-war Kokura Arsenal Type 99 Short Rifle from the 21st series, marked with the circled kana "ほ" and produced in Japan during WWII (1941–1942). This rifle retains an intact Imperial Chrysanthemum crest and features the desirable early configuration with a peep-aperture tangent rear sight, AA-wing hardware on the sight base, and a factory bolt dust cover with receiver rails. It has a 26-inch barrel, blued steel fittings, and the classic side-sling setup, making it a strong, collectible example of an early Type 99.
Condition
Overall Condition: Fair condition, showing extensive signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Overall Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Fouling: Mild Fouling - Light buildup of fouling or dirt.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
This firearm is in solid functional shape. The stock has a large crack that has been repaired. Exterior surfaces show scratches and blemishes. Pitting is present with minor spots of rust. Rifling is present but shows blemishing.
What's Included
- Kokura Arsenal Type 99 Short Rifle, 21st Series (ほ), 7.7 Japanese
Built by Kokura Arsenal, this Type 99 Short Rifle is a 21st series example identifiable by the circled kana "ほ" series mark and the Kokura stacked-cannonballs emblem. It carries an intact Imperial Chrysanthemum crest along with Kanji "九九式" and small inspection marks, aligning with its WWII production window.
It retains early-war features including the tangent/ladder rear sight with a peep aperture and AA-wing hardware on the base, paired with a protected front blade set between square ears. The rifle also includes the factory bolt dust cover with receiver rails, milled bottom metal, and blued steel fittings.
Mechanically, it uses a cock-on-closing bolt and a large disc safety. Feeding is via a 5-round internal box magazine designed for stripper-clip loading. The rifle is outfitted with a bayonet lug for the Type 30 bayonet and a side sling arrangement at the mid-band and left butt.
The hardwood furniture is the full-length pattern with an upper handguard, a left-side grasping groove, and a steel buttplate. The barrel measures 26 inches and overall length is approximately 44.1 inches, delivering the classic handling characteristics of the Type 99 Short Rifle.