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LOT 1449
World War II Imperial Japanese Nagoya Arsenal Type 2 Bolt Action Paratrooper Rifle - Serial no. 17128, 7.7 mm Japanese
cal., 26 inch round bbl., blue finish, hardwood stock. Designed as a takedown version of the standard Type 99 Arisaka bolt action service
rifle for use by Imperial Army paratroopers, the Type 2 utilizes a screw wedge on the right side to allow the barrel and forend section to separate from the
action and stock section. Features fixed winged blade front sight and folding rear sight with anti-aircraft wings, a ground off mum on the receiver, metal dust cover, and
smooth pistol grip stock with cupped buttplate. With partial matching serial numbers “128” marked on the underside of the bayonet lug, bolt handle, extractor, faintly stamped on
the dust cover, and underside of the barrel lug, along with “20” assembly number on various components.
CONDITION: Fine, retaining 70% plus original blue finish with scattered patches of smooth brown patina and spotting, various rough cast components, and minor edge wear. Stock is very good as sanded and re-varnished with a few hairline cracks in the right side of the butt. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 2,500 - 4,000
Historic World War II Field Captured Imperial Japanese Type 99 Bolt Action Rifle with Shipping Crate, Bayonet, U.S.M.C. Ka-Bar Knife, and
Artifacts Attributed to a U.S.M.C. Veteran - Serial no. 97639, 7.7 mm Japanese cal., 26 inch round bbl., blue finish, hardwood stock. Adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1939, the Type 99 bolt action short rifle was a development of the previous Type 38 rifle, re-chambered for the 7.7x58 mm Arisaka cartridge, and largely served as the standard issue infantry rifle for Imperial Japanese forces throughout World War II. This example was manufactured as a part of the 23rd series produced by the Kokura Arsenal, featuring winged inverted “v” blade front and folding ladder peep rear (graduated from 300 to 1,500 meters) sights with anti-aircraft volley sights attached, Imperial Chrysanthemum crest retained on the chamber, dust cover, and slotted rear barrel band without monopod provision. With matching “639” partial serial numbers marked on the underside of the bayonet lug, bolt handle, and rear of the dust cover. Included with the rifle is a wood shipping crate, Imperial Japanese leather sling, Imperial Japanese Jinsen Arsenal Type 30 bayonet with metal scabbard and leather frog, “USMC” marked Ka-Bar fighting knife with leather sheath, six Imperial Japanese Navy “flower/anchor” blouse buttons, one Imperial Army shoulder patch (general rank), four Imperial Army collar patches (sergeant, superior private, first class private, and warrant officer), two chevrons, Imperial Japanese Navy sub-lieutenant collar patch, Imperial Japanese Army Air Force patch, and a senninbari. The senninbari, or “one thousand stitch” belt, was made by Japanese citizens (mostly women) as a Shinto amulet
for Imperial soldiers, who believed the belts offered courage, good luck, and immunity from injury for the wearers, with each stitch made by a different individual from the community. Also included
with the shipping crate are two paper tags (one stapled to the crate, the other in an envelope) addressed from PFC Richard L. Horn of the Regiment Headquarters and Supplies Company, 21st Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, FPO San Fransisco, California, to his mother Mrs. Emerson B. Horn of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The 21st Marine Regiment was formed in 1942 and participated in the Pacific Theater battles of Bougainville, Guam, and Iwo Jima before being moved back to Guam following the Japanese surrender, and disbanded shortly thereafter in December 1945. Richard Lee Horn (1926-2007) registered with the draft on February 26, 1945, during which time the Battle of Iwo Jima was taking place, making it unlikely that he partook in any wartime action with the unit and captured
the rifle himself. However it was very common at the time for service members to trade and barter war trophies, and it’s likely that Horn obtained the rifle from a battle veteran in this way, along with the other Imperial Japanese artifacts. All together the rifle, crate, and artifacts make up a truly awesome Pacific War time capsule from 1945 which would be difficult to match.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine as a World War II Pacific War used Imperial Japanese service rifle recovered from the battlefield, with 80% plus original blue finish retained with scattered light spotting, minor thinning, and limited smooth brown patina across the metal surfaces, most noticeably on the buttplate, magazine floor plate, and barrel bands, along with minor overall handling marks and edge wear. The unaltered stock is near excellent, with a few light scrapes and dings, along with defined tooling chatter marks at the pistol grip and crisp finger grasping groves. Mechanically excellent. The crate is good with flaking edges. The artifacts are fine to very fine, with the leather attachments largely dried out. A seldom seen assortment of Pacific War artifacts as sent home by a young marine during the last year of World War II.
Estimate: 3,000 - 5,000
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LOT 1450