Type 38 rifle

The Type 38 rifle is a bolt-action service rifle that was used by the Empire of Japan predominantly during the Second Sino-Japanese War and Second World War. The design was adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1905 (the 38th year of the Meiji period, hence "Type 38"). Due to a lack of power in its 6.5×50mmSR Arisaka cartridge, it was partially replaced during the war with the Type 99 rifle, but both rifles saw usage until the end of the war. The Imperial Japanese Army introduced the Type 30 rifle in 1897. However, the weapon had numerous shortcomings, which were highlighted by combat experience in the early stages of the Russo-Japanese War. These included bursting cartridges, a poorly designed lock in which excess gunpowder tended to accumulate, burning the face of the shooter, frequent misfires, jamming, difficulty in cleaning, and cartridge extraction. Major Kijiro Nambu undertook a redesign of the Type 30, which was introduced in 1906. Nambu reduced the number of parts making up the Type 30's bolt from nine to six and at that same time simplified manufacture and disassembly of the bolt without the need for tools. A dust cover was added because of experiences in the Russo-Japanese War that left rifles inoperable from dust. The weapon was produced in several locations: Tokyo Arsenal from 1906 to 1932; 2,029,000 units (est.) Kokura Arsenal from 1933 to 1941: 494,700 units (est.) Nagoya arsenal from 1932 to 1942: 312,500 units (est.) Jinsen (in what is now Incheon) arsenal from 1942 to 1942: 13,400 units (est.) Hoten (was called Mukden Arsenal before the Japanese took it over. In what is now Shenyang) arsenal from 1937 to 1944: 148,800 units (est.) In 1939, the Type 38 rifle manufactured by these arsenals cost 75.9 yen per unit. By 1940 more than three million Type 38s had been issued to the Imperial Japanese Army. However, a concern that the 6.5×50mmSR Arisaka cartridge did not compare favorably to the ammunition used by the other great powers in the war led to the introduction of a further generation of rifles in 1939, during the Second Sino-Japanese War.