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Excellent WWII Japanese Type 97 Sniper Rifle with Scope

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,500.00 - 3,750.00 USD
Excellent WWII Japanese Type 97 Sniper Rifle with Scope
This is a very nice example of a Type 97 series sniper rifle as manufactured by the Kokura Arsenal. These were produced up through about serial number 7950, before the Japanese switched to the new type 99 series of sniper rifle. That puts this rifle as being manufactured about mid-way in the production cycle. The top of the receiver is marked with the Chrysanthemum (which has been ground) over the Kanji markings for type 97. The left side of the receiver is marked with the serial number (4582) and the four intertwined cannon balls of the Kokura Arsenal. The original scope base is correctly screwed and pinned to the left side of the receiver and it has a late production 2.5X sniper scope. The rear of the scope is marked; "2.5 X10 over an inverted triangle inside a circle/No.10861/Kanji markings. The side of the lower portion of the mount is numbered 10343. The rifle has the early machined barrel bands, trigger guard and floor plate with the Monopod still attached to the lower band. It has the original polished bolt and cocking knob assembly and the sights are the early style with the long staff graduated to 2400 meters with the inverted "V" front without guards. The stock is the correct two piece version with the short handguard and the polished smooth buttplate. It is complete with a cleaning rod.
BBL: 31 inch round
Stock: mahogany
Gauge: 6.5 Japanese
Finish: blue
Grips:
Serial Number: 4582
Condition: Excellent overall with 98% of the original blue finish overall with slight wear on the edges and high spots with some thinning on the floor plate. The stock and handguards are both in excellent condition with minimal handling marks with a small scratch on the lower right side of the stock. The scope retains 95% of its original black painted type finish with some minor wear on the scope tube with some light scratches. The optics are clear with a good reticule, but it has a couple of specs inside, and still has a partial rubber eyepiece attached. The rifle has matching numbers on the parts except the scope.