Arisaka '38 question

[SA1911a1]

In my gun trek today, the only thing the got my attention was a type 38 Arisaka, ground mum, average condition, priced at $299, but could probably be bought at $250, plus tax. Is that a good deal in today's milsurp market? I have two nice type 99s and one butt-ugly one and would consider purchasing a cousin to play with them, but only if it were a deal.

[awalker1829]

That would depend on your local market conditions. That would be a good deal here.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I used to pay between nothing and a hundred bucks ( if it had bayonet, cover and sling) for type 38's. That was .....a few years back, today the asking price seems to be around $250

[Longcolt44]

Lately Arisaka's have slowly been going up the price ladder. From what I see in different auctions prices are all over the place and very few are being offered up for sale. I would hold off any Arisaka with no mum and over $200.00. I don't actively collect Arisaka's but I do have 9 of them.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Yea, I don't collect them but still ended up with a pile of them. More the -you want all of those than you buy this also- sort of deals.

[Fledge]

Depends on the mum, matching numbers, and the bore condition. A lot of the type 38's I see are rode pretty hard, but I picked up a Type 38 none matching, ground mum, with a VG bore off of Gunbroker for $230 a couple of months ago. It is a sweetheart to shoot.

[TulaTom]

Type 38's have gone up in price lately and have become more scarce in my neck of the woods. The ones you do see are either really rough or in good condition for $500+. I think I paid $300 for mine about 3 or 4 years ago and wondered if I over paid. Mum was intact, but mismatched. Great shooter.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I picked up a 99 at a Sanford and Son type junk store in the middle of the worst neighborhood in Newburgh NY two years ago for a C note. Went there looking for antique phonographs and found guns instead. Figured I might need it to fight my way back to the car.

[Joekopec1]

I picked up a 99 at a Sanford and Son type junk store in the middle of the worst neighborhood in Newburgh NY two years ago for a C note. Went there looking for antique phonographs and found guns instead. Figured I might need it to fight my way back to the car.

Don't want to make another thread regarding arisakas, but since we are on topic what do you think a fair shaped type 99 would go for with aircraft sights and a fully intact mum?

(Also does any one know if these were keept in any type of preservatives? As the bolt and receiver has decent amount of oil/grease build up)

[awalker1829]

Not certain on the pricing since I’m not into Japanese rifles. Most militaries would do various things to rifles that were being stored long term. Parts would be covered in grease or heavy oil. Oil and grease are both effective preservatives.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I picked up a 99 at a Sanford and Son type junk store in the middle of the worst neighborhood in Newburgh NY two years ago for a C note. Went there looking for antique phonographs and found guns instead. Figured I might need it to fight my way back to the car.

Don't want to make another thread regarding arisakas, but since we are on topic what do you think a fair shaped type 99 would go for with aircraft sights and a fully intact mum?

(Also does any one know if these were keept in any type of preservatives? As the bolt and receiver has decent amount of oil/grease build up)

About the same as for the 38's with intact mum, with the AA sights it's likely an early war, 1941-42 with all the good stuff like chrome lined bore, fair to middling finishing work, OK wood ( none of them ever had great wood) Most of these rifles with intact Mum were captured during the war and brought home by GI Joe, the ones taken off rifle piles post war or imported from China 25 years ago would have ground mum's. If there are any preservitives on the rifle then GI Joe put them there, I did the same myself when packing arisakas away in storage, the Japanese would have had only a normal amount of oil on the bolt.