Another new to me old gun day- Arisaka 38 carbine

ernie8 said:
Early T-38 rifle do not have " worn bores " , they were made that way . The groove size was .268 to .270 They switched groove size , and rifling style in the early 30's . Raising a standard die [ made too small to begin with ] for a rifle with an extra over sized chamber will not work as the fired case is still swollen too much to not be sized down .
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I also read that at least some of them were made with Metford (polygonal) riflings. Regardless, the result to me is the same. 0.264" bullets simply don't work. 0.268" for 6.5mm carcano are much harder to find. Tried some by ppu and they are rather marginal in performance.

You are right about the chamber size. The first die set was Lee. It was a bit too small in diameter. I sold it and bought a used one made by Herter. It has bigger diameter and partial length sizing works just fine. It should work for any chamber with excessive length, not excessive diameter.

Actually a neck die alone probably won't work either. After a few loads the brass diameter will grow too larger to chamber. It will need to be sized down. I think finding a die set to fit the rifles chamber is a must. One can have one custom made if he doesn't mind the extra cost.

-TL

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The problem is mainly case swell from the shoulder down to the head , it is not a length problem . That is why I use a cut off Swede die as you can bump the shoulder back if needed without touching the case body . What works in a later made Type 38 will not work in a very early made one , and the Type I is really different again . I load for over 80 different 6.5mm J rifles and have to separate brass in about 10 different groups as the rifles are that different .
 
No it is my Arisaka collection . I load for wayyy more of the Type-99's as there are a lot more variations of that model to collect and shoot .
 
A quick update:
Brass finally arrived and I cooked up some mild loads with 129Gr Hornady bullets and H4895.

It shot well- averaging just under 2" at 50 yards for 5 shot groups. The point of impact was 6" high, and there is no way to adjust the rear sight any lower. Might have to change to a different bullet to lower the point of impact.

The chamber feels tight- full length sized brass is a bit snug when closing the bolt. Ejection was fine though
 
The point of impact was 6" high, and there is no way to adjust the rear sight any lower. Might have to change to a different bullet to lower the point of impact.
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Shooting high, even at 100yds (let alone 50) is common to military bolt actions from Europe and those Asian guns that were influenced by European standards.

Most of the rifles were intended to be zeroed at longer range, often 300m, and also the training standards of many nations taught soldiers to aim at the enemy's belt buckle which allowed for a reasonable torso hit, even when their range estimation was a bit off.

Going to a different bullet and load will, of course change the POI at various ranges, but consider this alternative, a different front sight.

Something tall enough, and that can be fitted to the rifle's dovetail then filed down to "adjust" it to get the desired POI at the desired range. Keep the original, of course so the rifle can be returned original configuration if/when desired.

I have heard of people removing the rear sight and milling down the base so the rear sits lower, to get the POI they want, which preserves the original LOOK of the rifle but its a permanent change (and to me, more work than its worth) while a different front sight might look a bit wrong, its not a permanent thing, so actual collector value (if any) isn't harmed as long as you have the original sight to put back on.

Arisakas aren't at the top of the desirable collector demand list now, but as time goes by they do get more rare and increase in value.
 
44 Amp, thank for the sight info on mil surplus rifles. My first thought was to get a taller front sight, but I am going to see if I can regulate it with different bullet weights first.

Its a dandy of a little carbine- it handles and feels like a .22, not a centerfire rifle. I anticipate enjoying shooting it for years to come.
 
It would be hard to move poi this much by tweaking the load alone.

I built up the front sight with JB weld. It is quite easy to do and not hard to restore if need be.

-TL

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