The Lineage of the Arisaka: Facts and Circumstance in the History of the Arisaka Family of Rifles

The Arisaka rifle is a family of Japanese military bolt-action service rifles, in production and use since 1897, when it replaced the Murata rifle family, until the end of World War II in 1945. The most common specimens include the Type 38 chambered for the 6.5x50mmSR Type 38 cartridge, and the Type 99 chambered for the 7.7x58mm Type 99 cartridge, which was comparably powerful to a modern .308 round. Many thousands of Type 99s and other Arisaka variants were brought to the United States by soldiers as war trophies during and after World War II. Find out about the parts played by the rifle’s namesake Colonel Arisaka and learn all about the fascinating history and evolution of this esteemed battle rifle.