Arisaka 99 bolt stuck

AFD LT. B

Inactive
I recently picked up another Arisaka 99 at an estate auction. Got it cheap because no one could get the safety to work/ didnt know squat about the rifle. After closer inspection, I now see why. It looks like the plunger has rotated 90* to the left looking at the rear of the gun. The little notch that should ride through the passageway at the 6 o'clock position on the gun is actually at the 9 o'clock position. This is preventing me from disassembling the upper portion of the gun. I need to somehow get it realigned, but proving impossible. The little notch will not travel past the left side of the barrel housing ,beneath the bolt release tab. Suggestions?
 
Friend of mine has an Arisaka - got to shoot it a few days ago. Loved the rifle, the ammo is expensive (unless you reload). :)
 
I had that occur to me some 20+ years ago, but I cannot remember how I fixed it.

I would start by removing the barreled action from the stock.

Then remove the trigger and sear assembly. Push out 1 pin and the trigger/sear comes off.

The hazy part is that I was doing something with the safety while lifting the bolt handle. I think I depressed the safety slightly while lifting the bolt handle, but I'm not sure. I do remember that it didn't require force/broken parts and the entire process seemed easy afterwards.
 
It is a poor description of what is going on. Going by your description, the gun is on safe and there is nothing wrong with it. My guess would be the locator stud on the front of the safety knob has been forced out of the slot in the F/pin and is jammed there. Do as DNPark said earlier and remove the trigger and sear block. Then you may be able to realign the hook on the F/pin with the safety stud and bolt handle. Use a brass drift to tap on the receiver and bolt as they are fairly soft and will gouge and bend easily. It may be something as simple as a missing F/pin spring. Good luck.
 
AFD,

This is a simple fix and no 'smith is needed unless you are new to guns and feel you would not recognize damaged or altered parts.

I responded in a post dated January 14th of this year on THR with photos and a fairly detailed dis-assembly procedure.


Am betting this is your situation.

You can find it on that site with the keywords 'Japanese 38' or searching my handle.

Sounds like the firing pin sear lug is in the bolt release area.
Unless parts have been modified this is a result of incorrect assembly by someone, not a design failure.

This is a five minute process with the barreled - CHECK the barrel for a round!! as described - action out of the wood.

Cost will be for you to post a couple of photos when you get it put back together.

Let's hear back now, JT
 
I, too, had that problem a couple times, but more than 20 years ago. I think it facilitates the fix if you remove the bolt release, if I remember correctly.

It also seems to me that I was able to get it back working by "fiddling" with it each time. As was stated prior, it's more or less a design flaw, and not something broken.
 
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The rear of the bolt/cocking piece is checkered. It's that way for a reason. With the heel of your hand push in and rotate the cocking piece. That action should bring everything into alinement and unlock the bolt.
 
The rear of the bolt/cocking piece is checkered. It's that way for a reason. With the heel of your hand push in and rotate the cocking piece. That action should bring everything into alinement and unlock the bolt.

Not necessarily; There is a way to rotate the safety and get everything (including the safety) locked. As I said it's been 20+ years since it happened to me, but you definitely have to "fiddle" with it, but I think (if I am remembering correctly), manipulating the checkered knob is part of it.

The first time it happened to me was at a gun show in the 80s when some joker somehow managed to get the bolt on a Type 38 on my table in that condition. It took me about 20 minutes of "fiddling" until I finally got it free.

The second time (on another Arisaka) was not too many years after that, and I more or less knew what to do, but even that was more than 20 years ago.
 
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