August 11, 12, & 13, 2020 Field & Range Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/12/2020
The Type 2 Paratrooper rifle was developed by Imperial Japan to meet the needs of its briefly lived Army and Navy elite paratrooper units. Nagoya began manufacturing these rifles in 1943 and by the end of production had produced approximately 22,000 Type 2 rifles. This specimen's serial number of "1162" places it very early in Nagoya's production of the Type 2 rifles. The receiver no longer retains the chrysanthemum, but still retains the "Type 2" characters. Matching numbers include the receiver, bolt, extractor, firing pin, bottom of barrel chamber, and the front band. The rest of the matching components are matched by the assembly number "7811" and include the front and rear reinforcement bands, threaded head wedge, and the barrel. Interestingly, the front reinforcement band is the only number to exhibit "7811", as all other assembly numbers only bare the first three digits of "781". 1 - 5/8" groove is present above the rear sling swivel. Rear aircraft sight retains anti-aircraft wings. Drain hole is present on the bottom of the forward stock, ahead of the reinforcing band. Complete with cleaning rod and non-matching Type 30 bayonet manufactured by Toyoda Automatic Loom Works. CONDITION: Metal components retain the majority of their arsenal applied blue finish, with scattered areas of wear and some light corrosion. Scrubbed area over the chamber has turned a grey patina. Barrel is bright and retains strong rifling throughout. Stock shows numerous handling marks, which is appropriate for Japanese rifles of this era. Bayonet is in excellent condition, retaining the vast majority of its arsenal applied bluing. Overall, this is a very nice example of a Japanese Type 2 Paratrooper rifle that would make for a fine addition to any advanced Japanese World War II collector's collection. MLW
Caliber/Bore
7.7x58mm Japanese