May 28 & 29, 2020 Extraordinary, Sporting, & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/28/2020
Kokura manufactured Japanese Type 96 light machine gun as manufactured by Kokura in September, 1940. Visible serial numbers are matching. No magazine present. This gun was amnesty registered as a deactivated gun which has been re-activated by “U.S. Armament Corp, Ephrata, PA” and is so marked. Reactivation consisted of reworking the welded latch and opening up the chamber. The Japanese Type 96 machine gun was an effective full-auto only automatic rifle which fired from an open bolt. This model was superseded by the more powerful Type 99 machine gun chambered in 7.7 Japanese, and as production of the Type 99 ramped up, the Type 96 was discontinued. Finding a matching numbered, bolt and barrel included Type 96 gun is unusual. CONDITION: Overall appearance and finish is very fine original finish with brown patina and light pitting uniformly over buttplate and buttstock socket. Brown and gray patina on lower assembly and bottom of receiver. Pleasing brown patina on magazine well dust cover. Typical small dings and handling marks to the wood furnishings. Mechanics are fine. Bore is dark with strong rifling. A very nice World War II Pacific Theater collector’s item which this cataloger can attest is a great gun to take to the range. THIS IS A NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT ITEM AND REQUIRES BATF APPROVAL PRIOR TO TRANSFER. THIS ITEM IS FULLY TRANSFERABLE ON AN ATF FORM 3 OR 4 AS CURIO AND RELIC ELIGIBLE. JWK 2020-05-086
Caliber/Bore
6.5mm Japanese