I have the chance to purchase a sporterized 7.7 Arisaka. It is in a custom stock and has a scope mounted. My question is ... does the Arisaka action make a good rifle? I dont think I have ever seen a Arisaka build before. I am supposed to look at this rifle soon. Thanks Robbie

There's a nice one here:

http://forums.accuratereloadin...1019521/m/5901035051

Thanks Craigster.. my cousin has it and says it is beautiful... he is wanting #300 with 2 boxes of Norma ammo for it... I am going to give it a serious look. I found an article in a G&A magazine about making 7.7 brass out of 30/06. Cant wait to see it now. Robbie

Sounds like a deal, post some pictures if you can.

They are a great rifle and very strong. About that 06 brass with Grafs having 7.7 brass I wouldn't use it. The problem is that the web area of the 7.7 is a larger diameter then the 06 and with warm jacketed loads it gets a pretty good bulge on it. I definitely wouldn't use it for hot loads. Now I do us 06 brass for cast loads. I feel the Jap action is lighter then a 98 Mauser. The action is actually a modified 93 Mauser action. It has some qualities about it that are improved over the Mauser and the main one being that the left bolt lug isn't sliced all the way through for the ejector to ride through. It's only partially cut making it stronger. That's the reason for what some people call the "second" lug behing that left lug. That second lug is to actually guide the ejector so it doesn't just jam against the back of the front lug. Some will tell you that the Jap doesn't handle gas escape well. I say phooey as it has that big round safety knob on the back of the bolt that blocks the action raceways entirely. I happen to really like the Jap actions.

Thanks guys... I saw that brass on Grafs website and also they list Hornady factory ammo for it also. Before I went to the trouble of making brass I would just buy ammo and shoot it. Thanks for the info on the actions...makes me feel more confident about it. My cousin owns it and doesnt know much about guns (he hunts ..but that is the extent of his gun knowledge) he said that it looks a lot like one of his Mod 700 (the way the stock is made) He said that it has a turned down bolt and no sights. I am eager for him to stop by...I might have a new Christmas present!!!

It's true that there are new 7.7 brass and dies available. Use .312 bullets that is the same as .303 brit.

The important thing is that I believe you said it had a scope, but if not that at least it is drilled and tapped because the Jap action is a real devil to drill and tap as the steel is hardened very very hard.

Sounds like you will have a nice rifle and the 7.7 is a very capable cartridge. It's right up there with the 06 and 8x57 if reloaded so.

Early this month gent showed up at range I shoot with a type 99 Arisaka that had been scoped with a cheapo Bushnell scope and nicely sporterized. It was rechambered to 30-06, but still had the 7.7 Jap military barrel on it. He'd found the scoped Arisaka a week before in a pawn shop for $120 and was going to shoot it for the first time. I told him the bore was .311 or .312, not .308, since he was going to shoot some factory 30-06 ammo in it and that he shouldn't expect any good accuracy with the rifle.

Hour or so later, gent comes down to my bench to show me his 100 yard target shot with his Arisaka using the factory 30-06 ammo. EGADS!!!! He was shooting legit 3/4" - 1" four shot groups with the rifle. Heck, one group was close to a 1/2" group.

I picked it up at my cousins earlier today and it is AWESOME!! Whoever did the sporterizing on it did a great job... it has a beautiful light wood stock with rosewood nose cap and gripcap. It is very well blued and the action is very smooth, has a Weaver scope base with weaver rings and a Weaver V9-B on top of it. I am very pleased with it and cant wait to get to the range with it and see what it will do. I believe I will be trying to shoot a deer with it come monday when our 3 day rifle season opens back up.

Rob,

I sporterized an Arisaka Type 99 some years ago. I agree with SmokinJ "They are a great rifle and very strong". However, I never did like or get acustom to using that safety, so traded it and the dies, et.al. I'll not do another.

quote:

Originally posted by SouthArkRob:
I picked it up at my cousins earlier today and it is AWESOME!! Whoever did the sporterizing on it did a great job... it has a beautiful light wood stock with rosewood nose cap and gripcap. It is very well blued and the action is very smooth, has a Weaver scope base with weaver rings and a Weaver V9-B on top of it. I am very pleased with it and cant wait to get to the range with it and see what it will do. I believe I will be trying to shoot a deer with it come monday when our 3 day rifle season opens back up.

PICS!!!

Have fun with it.

If I saw one in decent shape that wouldn't wreck my wallet, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Did a 6.5x.284 with the 29 1/2" military barrel. Loaded hot back than ; had no problem except finding bullets that didn't come apart in the air. With the right bullets it struck like the hammer of Thor. roger

I got to shoot the 7.7 today....I am HOOKED!!! this thing shot great...I got 2 boxes of ammo and a box of brass with the gun...One box of Norma 174gr rn's and a box of some kind of ammo loaded with 180 gr Sierra SP's (looks like Gun Show ammo) I had planned on hunting with the Sierra's...but that was some of the worst ammo I have ever shot..had a hangfire with it. I am going to pull the bullets and use the brass. I shot a pretty good group at 100yds condisering the rest I was using. I am carrying it hunting monday and hope I get a shot at something. I am going to spend the money and get the Timney trigger that has a standard style safety installed this spring. There was a guy at the range shooting a couple of redone Mausers that really liked my Arisaka.. he was very impressed with it. I replaced the vintage Weaver V9 with a newer Redfield Tracker. A good friend of mine is going to post the pics for me when he gets a chance...I want to know what you guys think of it. Thanks Robbie

Glad to hear of your success with the 7.7.

Happened to take my 6.5x257R type 38 sporterized Arisaka to workbench this afternoon to put a scope back on it. Discovered my rear mount was very loose and front mount needed tightening too. Hmmmm, may explain the poor accuracy of the rifle, DUH! I'm reloading some more 6.5x257R ammo tonight for it. Whoever did my rifle installed a different safety on it...probably something you could buy back in 60s-70s that is a simple slide. It is attached to bottom of receiver and blocks the trigger. The orginal trigger is still on it and it has an acceptable trigger pull. I've had Stevens 200s and a Savage Axis with a much worst trigger pull.

Mine has the original trigger with the original safety.. it is kind of a pain to do the trigger... but I am the only one that is going to be hunting with it til I get the new safety on it. Somebody has redone the original trigger and it is smooth. I cant wait to see what that big round nose bullet does on a deer or hog!! That 6.5x257 would be a neat round...are dies hard to find for that???

Rob-

Here are your photos. That is a NICE-LOOKING RIFLE!

As to 6.5x57 dies, they are not hard to find. It's a ballistic twin to the 6.5x55 -- and that puts it in pretty good company.

Thanks Bobby!!! I really appreciate you posting those for me. It was hard to contain my excitemenet when my cousin brought it out.

I also have a sporterized type 99 that I sporterized. I installed a timney trigger, drilled and tapped for scope mount. I kept the military barrel. I shoot Norma brass and 150 grain .312 hornady Spire point bullets. It is one of the most accurate rifles I own.

PSJ12.... does the Timney trigger have the safety on it?? Was it hard to install??? Thanks Robbie

Bobby,Beautiful 7.7 Arisaka !!! I own the other Arisaka that Craigster put a link in for. recently I had a timney trigger installed. I ended up taking it to a gunsmith.He had to remove some metal on the bottom of the reciever. He charged $65.00 After getting it back it took a couple hours to get the stock to fit.It works perfect and I'm happy with it. it just not a drop in fit.

Thanks Mojave... Where is the best place to find one of these triggers???

I have a Timney trigger on a 96 Swede. The trigger itself is just fine, but their safety leaves something to be desired...at least on mine. The safety is affixed to the trigger body by two protruding pins from the trigger body and anchored with C clips. There's the problem...the C clips. In more then one instance one C clip came off rendering the trigger unsafe (put the trigger and it doesn't release the sear and if you try to open the bolt it then fires). I called Timney and they sent me a "bag" of the little C clips. I told them that the C clips they used are flimsy to say the least.

By the way on all the Jap rifles I have, and I have more then one, I can operate the original safety with my thumb when my shooting hand is grasping the rifle in the firing position. Myself I've never seen what the complaint is about the Jap safety.

I have tried to work the safety on mine like you descibe and I cant work it with my thumb... the spring feels too tight. Have a hard time getting it on also.

Now that is a nice rifle. Someone did s very nice job on it. Is that group from factory ammo, military or hand loads? There is some potential there to shrink that group a bit with some experimentation.

That was with Norma 174gr RN factory loads. I plan on loading some 150gr bullets and play with it some more. But first I am going to try and put one of those big round nose bullets thru the side of a deer. We have 3 days left starting Monday. Somebody did do a great job on it..I wish I could get the safety smoother as it has a great trigger on it.

The bottom 3 of the group are the real group.. I really concentrated and shot that one ...I wasnt shooting off a very good rest.

Check your barrel.
I had a 7.7 that was tight enough that I could shoot .308 bullets in it.

Apparently some barrels went up to .318, but I doubt a gunsmith would have gone to the effort to to all that work on anything but a "tight" barrel. Bet you can get it down to the much sought MOA with a little effort.