I have one sporterized and converted to 6.5x55. Just forward of the chamber there are two holes drilled from the top at an angle. I took the gun in to a local shop to have a scope mounted and was told that I cannot mount a scope on it. Was told that the two holes are gas venting holes that cannot be covered. Any suggestions? I have other converted Arisakas that came scopes. I appreciate your time.
Arisaka Scope Mounting Issue
- Thread starter 101guns
- Start date
Jim Watson
New member
Forward of the chamber?
Going to have to see a picture of that.
Going to have to see a picture of that.
Swampghost
New member
You can mount a scope on almost anything. Finding a good gunsmith is getting more difficult.
They have an expensive mount for the Ariska that mounts in place of the rear sight and bolts onto it someway and I think I found it once while searching for military scope mounts on the web.
Last I checked it cost about $120 so I opted for another way to mount mine.
I still did not want to cover the vent hole so I welded on some flat steel pieces and drilled the hole thru them then holes out the sides so it would still vent if needed.
http://raybb.com/ariskas.jpg
The top rifle had a lot of work done to it but it shoots like a top-notch target rifle now and I can easily out shoot a friend with a 1903A Springfield 30-06 along with just about anyone at the rifle range.
The bottom rifle I got had a crummy stock and I didn’t have another sport stock laying around that would fit it so I made the pistol grip stock for it out of white oak and it came out very nice and extremely accurate also.
The challenge came about when someone told me, “Those old Jap rifles are not very accurate at all and not worth messing with”.
He was there when I shot this group showing him how I could line up four shots across the bulls-eye with it at 100 yards and not only that but I shot 3 bullets thru the same hole with it at 100 yards also.
This picture page explains most all of the work I had to do on it and shows the 4 shot group.
http://raybb.com/model99.jpg
Not worth the time and not accurate? That’s a funny joke about those Ariskas when I show up at the rifle range and everyone is asking me where they can get one like those now days
Sorry, I'm the only one that has them like that as far as I know is all I can say.
I have not seen the 6.5x55 yet but I hear it is very accurate also. I think if the vents came out offset on the sides of the receiver then I could make a mount even easier in the same way as I did for the model 99s by just making the mount center between them.
If they were in the middle then I would just drill the holes thru the mount just like I did on the model 99s and make it vent out to the sides.
Finding a gunsmith to do that would be hard to do I'm sure so I guess I'm lucky I can do stuff like that for myself now days.
Last I checked it cost about $120 so I opted for another way to mount mine.
I still did not want to cover the vent hole so I welded on some flat steel pieces and drilled the hole thru them then holes out the sides so it would still vent if needed.
http://raybb.com/ariskas.jpg
The top rifle had a lot of work done to it but it shoots like a top-notch target rifle now and I can easily out shoot a friend with a 1903A Springfield 30-06 along with just about anyone at the rifle range.
The bottom rifle I got had a crummy stock and I didn’t have another sport stock laying around that would fit it so I made the pistol grip stock for it out of white oak and it came out very nice and extremely accurate also.
The challenge came about when someone told me, “Those old Jap rifles are not very accurate at all and not worth messing with”.
He was there when I shot this group showing him how I could line up four shots across the bulls-eye with it at 100 yards and not only that but I shot 3 bullets thru the same hole with it at 100 yards also.
This picture page explains most all of the work I had to do on it and shows the 4 shot group.
http://raybb.com/model99.jpg
Not worth the time and not accurate? That’s a funny joke about those Ariskas when I show up at the rifle range and everyone is asking me where they can get one like those now days
Sorry, I'm the only one that has them like that as far as I know is all I can say.
I have not seen the 6.5x55 yet but I hear it is very accurate also. I think if the vents came out offset on the sides of the receiver then I could make a mount even easier in the same way as I did for the model 99s by just making the mount center between them.
If they were in the middle then I would just drill the holes thru the mount just like I did on the model 99s and make it vent out to the sides.
Finding a gunsmith to do that would be hard to do I'm sure so I guess I'm lucky I can do stuff like that for myself now days.
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More like one mans junk is another mans treasure LOL
The rifle and stock I got from my Uncle who thought it was no good and maybe I could do something with it so he gave it to me and the other action I got from a friend for $10 because the stock was all broken and he thought the same about it just being junk not worth much.
All I saw was the bright and shiny brand new looking bores and not much else when I first saw them.
Last time I saw another one was at a gun show with a crummy cracked stock on it and some kind of funky 2x4 extension on the end of the stock but they wanted $200 for it so I passed that one up.
The rifle and stock I got from my Uncle who thought it was no good and maybe I could do something with it so he gave it to me and the other action I got from a friend for $10 because the stock was all broken and he thought the same about it just being junk not worth much.
All I saw was the bright and shiny brand new looking bores and not much else when I first saw them.
Last time I saw another one was at a gun show with a crummy cracked stock on it and some kind of funky 2x4 extension on the end of the stock but they wanted $200 for it so I passed that one up.
Most mounts can be cut or drilled to allow the gas escape holes to function. Even if they are blocked, you can play the odds since case head failure is pretty unlikely unless some handloader gets carried away.
If a case head does let go, most of the gas comes back along the left lug raceway and is deflected by the large safety cap. Gas escape through the receiver ring holes could bend or blow off the mount and destroy the scope, but that is not likely.
Jim
If a case head does let go, most of the gas comes back along the left lug raceway and is deflected by the large safety cap. Gas escape through the receiver ring holes could bend or blow off the mount and destroy the scope, but that is not likely.
Jim
toadsucker
Inactive
I've got two Arisakas (6.5 & 7.7) I was always told that the bolt handle had to be cut off and re-welded or you could not eject and re-chamber the next round with a scope mounted. I've been able to shoot cigarettes in two at 100yds by putting a golfball size dot in the middle of a paper plate, then thumbtacking a cigarette on the dot and useing the peep sight. I won $50 from a guy once who said I couldn't do it in 3 shots. It only took 2. By the way- the trees the Japs made their stocks out of only grow to be 4' high so all the Arisaka stocks are two-piece so they look cracked the guy I got my 7.7 from thought so that's how I got it from him bayonette and all for $55. Also the Japs were the first ones to come out with chrome -lined bores. Thats why they are so accurate
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Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions. Both of mine are in 6.5x55. One came with a scope mounted on it, so I cannot ll if it had the gas holes. Altering the bases as Jim suggested makes sense to me. I hate the safeties but these guns can shoot if you get one with a good bore. Also, I have heard (but do not know) that the Remy 6.5x55s are not overly hot and they only load them in 140 grain core loks. I do not reload (yet) so I am not going to be pushing the envelope. Thanks again
Jim Watson
New member
If you worried about case head separation and gas handling, you could drill a new vent hole from the side, being careful not to take metal out of the locking lug support surface. Kind of like a Winchester or Springfield.
Yeah getting that safety to work is like pulling teeth with pliers LOL
I almost thought about welding something onto the side of the back of that bolt safety once just as a way to make it easier but didn't and just treat it as a rifle with no safety now.
I could just imagine 2 Japs in WW2 having a conversation about that LOL
Private:
AHH SO... my safety no good and too hard to work likes it full of dried fried rice
Commander:
Shut you up and no worry about safety.
I was looking at it again lately and there is a way to make it work easier without welding anything to it but it will take some intricate work with a dremel tool.
One problem I did find right off the rip is that if that rear screw is screwed too far into the receiver then it will stop that safety from working at all and might even interfere with the bolt closing or firing so I had to trim it just right.
It really did surprise me how accurate they are when I first shot that rifle in the sport stock I built up.
I was thinking all that time for months of work that I might be doing all of that for nothing but kept looking down that brand new looking bore thinking Naw it's going to work and it sure did surpass all of my expectations.
What's funny is I had that rifle in my closet for more than 20 years all in pieces and the broken pieces in a plastic bag always thinking someday I'll fix it then this year I finally had enough spare time to make it happen.
That was some spare time spent working very hard for months that ended up making my day big time when I first shot it and found it to be that accurate.
I was like, "Holy Cow that's a keeper now". And have it locked in the safe next to my really nice rifles now
I almost thought about welding something onto the side of the back of that bolt safety once just as a way to make it easier but didn't and just treat it as a rifle with no safety now.
I could just imagine 2 Japs in WW2 having a conversation about that LOL
Private:
AHH SO... my safety no good and too hard to work likes it full of dried fried rice
Commander:
Shut you up and no worry about safety.
I was looking at it again lately and there is a way to make it work easier without welding anything to it but it will take some intricate work with a dremel tool.
One problem I did find right off the rip is that if that rear screw is screwed too far into the receiver then it will stop that safety from working at all and might even interfere with the bolt closing or firing so I had to trim it just right.
It really did surprise me how accurate they are when I first shot that rifle in the sport stock I built up.
I was thinking all that time for months of work that I might be doing all of that for nothing but kept looking down that brand new looking bore thinking Naw it's going to work and it sure did surpass all of my expectations.
What's funny is I had that rifle in my closet for more than 20 years all in pieces and the broken pieces in a plastic bag always thinking someday I'll fix it then this year I finally had enough spare time to make it happen.
That was some spare time spent working very hard for months that ended up making my day big time when I first shot it and found it to be that accurate.
I was like, "Holy Cow that's a keeper now". And have it locked in the safe next to my really nice rifles now
I can tell you a few thing about reloading 101guns and the first thing is never try to push the envelope of which I think a lot of ammunition manufactures do just as a way to sell that fastest bullet on the market.
You can read my page here to find ways of making any weight bullet optimal for any caliber rifle you shoot and I did write it based on the 7.7x58mm Japanese round and how it can also shoot a 125 grain .311 diameter bullet very accurately if you ever do start reloading.
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=318179
I calculated the math very carefully and wrote that piece when a challenge came up about no known loadings for the 125 grain bullet for the 7.7x58mm round in any hand loading book along with people saying the 125 grain bullets are just not accurate from that rifle anyway.
The optimum bullet turned out to be the 180-grain bullet loaded at a little more than a medium loading then the 150-grain loaded at about a medium load along with the 125-grain loaded at about 3 grains of powder less than the 150-grain bullet.
The only people I see now days trying to push the envelope are the ammunition manufactures along with some hand loaders who think the hottest load in the books must be the best ones to use.
That little 125 grain bullet I hand load for the 7.7x58mm is now just as accurate as the 150 and 180 grain bullets I use when I applied that math to it and so what if I only get about 2300fps with it as it is accurate out to 200 yards easy now and will still be a fine varmint round.
I also applied the same math to my 7mm-08 and even with a 1-10 barrel twist rate I can now fire a 100-grain sierra hollow point into a one hole group at 100 yards with it and it still gets a good 2700-2800fps depending on the powder used which is plenty.
You might notice a lot of factory ammo always has a splash ad right across the front of it saying, “Fastest ammo on the market 3500fps” or something similar and I bet they even have one for that 100 grain bullet for the 7mm-08 saying 3500fps some place around also.
Sure it’s fast but far from accurate and talk about burning up a barrel fast it will sure do it to it.
In a day and age where everyone wants to be faster I’m starting to think those marketing executives at the ammo manufactures are not only trying to sell only based on speed alone but they may also be in collusion with the firearms manufactures as a way to burn those barrels up faster so more sales can be made.
Kind of like how Shelby built the cobra sold it as the fastest car on the market then later came out and said, Oh yeah be sure to buy and carry a fire extinguisher because the engine catches on fire every once and a while” LOL
You can read my page here to find ways of making any weight bullet optimal for any caliber rifle you shoot and I did write it based on the 7.7x58mm Japanese round and how it can also shoot a 125 grain .311 diameter bullet very accurately if you ever do start reloading.
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=318179
I calculated the math very carefully and wrote that piece when a challenge came up about no known loadings for the 125 grain bullet for the 7.7x58mm round in any hand loading book along with people saying the 125 grain bullets are just not accurate from that rifle anyway.
The optimum bullet turned out to be the 180-grain bullet loaded at a little more than a medium loading then the 150-grain loaded at about a medium load along with the 125-grain loaded at about 3 grains of powder less than the 150-grain bullet.
The only people I see now days trying to push the envelope are the ammunition manufactures along with some hand loaders who think the hottest load in the books must be the best ones to use.
That little 125 grain bullet I hand load for the 7.7x58mm is now just as accurate as the 150 and 180 grain bullets I use when I applied that math to it and so what if I only get about 2300fps with it as it is accurate out to 200 yards easy now and will still be a fine varmint round.
I also applied the same math to my 7mm-08 and even with a 1-10 barrel twist rate I can now fire a 100-grain sierra hollow point into a one hole group at 100 yards with it and it still gets a good 2700-2800fps depending on the powder used which is plenty.
You might notice a lot of factory ammo always has a splash ad right across the front of it saying, “Fastest ammo on the market 3500fps” or something similar and I bet they even have one for that 100 grain bullet for the 7mm-08 saying 3500fps some place around also.
Sure it’s fast but far from accurate and talk about burning up a barrel fast it will sure do it to it.
In a day and age where everyone wants to be faster I’m starting to think those marketing executives at the ammo manufactures are not only trying to sell only based on speed alone but they may also be in collusion with the firearms manufactures as a way to burn those barrels up faster so more sales can be made.
Kind of like how Shelby built the cobra sold it as the fastest car on the market then later came out and said, Oh yeah be sure to buy and carry a fire extinguisher because the engine catches on fire every once and a while” LOL