*RARE AND UNIQUE JAPANESE SHORT SNIPER RIFLE WITH SCOPE AND CARRYING CAN.

Revised: 9/29/2012

Additional Information: Dr. Libbey has continued to research this gun and discovered further very positive and interesting information.

A) Translation on plate of scope interprets “High Altitude Range Finding System Telemeter Receiver”.

B) It is known that the Japanese actually adapted an artillery scope to a rifle to experiment with higher power scope.

C) This is similar to the Type 99 mount which has 3 adjustment screws in the front. However, on this example the 3 adjustment screws are on the rear.

Extremely Important Additional Information regarding Lot #2615; Japanese Sniper Rifle. Dr. Edwin Libbey; noted Japanese Arms scholar has researched and found additional important information regarding this rare rifle:

The Marine who reportedly brought this Sniper Rifle back from Japan is listed on the USMC Muster Rolls in July 1944 as a Corporal, assigned to Company “A” of the 5th Amphibious Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. His unit participated in the invasion and capture of Iwo Jima in February 1945 and later was part of the occupation army in Japan. They occupied Sasebo, Japan, where the Japanese Naval Arsenal was located, along with Kyushu and Honshu. Part of his unit’s duties was the destruction of Japanese arms and munitions which certainly would have afforded him opportunity to obtain this and other Japanese arms. This theory is supported by the fact that the rifle has ground “Mum” and is caliber 6.5mm, which was the cartridge used by Japanese Naval Army forces. This Marine unit is memorialized in the book Alligator Marines, A History of the 5th Tractor Battalion. We have not been able to obtain a copy of this book for review to see if the Staff Sergeant Marine who owned this rifle is mentioned.

*RARE AND UNIQUE JAPANESE SHORT SNIPER RIFLE WITH SCOPE AND CARRYING CAN. SN 13815. Cal. 6.5 mm Jap. Rare and unusual Japanese short sniper rifle with 23-1/2″ bbl, barleycorn front sight with protective ears and a ladder rear sight, graduated to 1900 meters, probably custom built to reflect the ballistics for the shorter bbl. Rifle has overall length of 42-1/4″ and is mounted in a 2-pc full length stock with handguard, 2 bbl bands and cleaning rod. Buttstock and lower band have sling wires. The front receiver ring mum is ground and it has a straight handled bolt matching numbered to this rifle. Left side of receiver is mounted with an aluminum dovetailed base by means of 4 screws into the left side of receiver. The inside face of the dovetail and lower outer face of the mount are stamped with the 16-petaled Chrysanthemum of Imperial Japan. Fitted into the dovetail of the base is a very unusual aluminum rail to which is mounted a 1-pc steel base with solid front ring and rear ring with 3 external adjustment screws. Mounted in these rings is a 6-1/2″ x 1″ scope with brass tube that has aluminum ends and is mounted in the center with a brass plate bearing a lengthy Japanese inscription that has yet to be translated although it appears that it is a type of scope made by a transit company. The rail is secured to the base by means of a cruciform shaped thumbscrew which fits into a dimple into the base. Left front of the rail is mounted with a 1-3/16″ square brass plate that is beautifully dovetailed into the rail and staked in place. This plate is hand engraved “20 X 3” with the tiny “0” behind “3” indicating degrees, over a triangle shaped Japanese character which has “TO” on the left side of the point and “KO” on the right side, which is over “No.171”. It also has the hand stamped matching SN. Base has the last 3 digits of matching SN. SN on receiver has been moved forward to accommodate the base and also has the Nagoya Arsenal cartouche of two small circles inside a larger circle. Top of the receiver ring has 3 Japanese characters that translates to Type 97 “i” series, manufactured at Nagoya Army Arsenal in late 1942 or early 1943. Accompanied by a 2 page letter from renowned Japanese arms researcher Edwin F. Libby wherein he identifies this rifle as “Japanese test type 97 short sniper rifle with prototype telescopic sight and mount.” He speculates that this rifle “Very likely it was part of a modernization program to shorten the barrel and overall length of a very long type 97 rifle.” He relates that the original barrel was 31-1/4″. This rifle has had the muzzle end machined to accommodate the front sight and front band/bayonet lug. He also relates that a new bolt was installed with straight handle, replacing the bent bolt handle of the original type 97 since the straight handle would not interfere with the scope. He also relates that the stock on this rifle was originally made at Kokura Army Arsenal for the standard type 97, sniper rifle and was modified to fit the new barrel and hardware and refinished. Nagoya Arsenal was a major development center and was responsible for shortening of thousands of type 38 rifles into the shorter “Cavalry Rifles”. He further states that the scope and mount are marked with what are probably company logos and that likely the scope, mount and carrying case were made by Tokyo Kogaku Kikai Company which made rifle scopes for both the type 97 and type 99 sniper rifles. This scope resembles the later type 99 scope with external adjustments which have the adjustments in the front ring rather than the rear ring(possibly reversed Type 99 rings). Professor Libby addresses the marking on the brass plate of the rail and states that it is probably engraved in error and should read 3 X 20 (degrees), which would indicate a 3 power scope with 20 degree field of view. The reticle of this scope is a single pointed post at the 6 o’clock position, similar to German scopes of that era. Regarding the scope, base and rail, Professor Libby states that this is a substantially more simple system mounted directly to the receiver without an intermediate mounting bracket, such as would be found on regular production Japanese sniper systems. Neither does it have a safety lock spring as is common on standard Japanese sniper scope bases. Accompanied by its most unusual orig fitted aluminum carrying can, probably modified from a Model ‘93 Trench Periscope Can, which is 10-3/16″ long x 4″ wide x 1-15-16″ thick with hinged lid and sturdy latch that has a leather shoulder strap and is wrapped with 5 turns of jute string around the base, probably to dampen noise. Top of lid is engraved with the Kanji character “kai” and the Kana character “i” and the rifle’s matching SN. The markings translate “Modification i” or “Modification 1”. Interior is form fitted with wood rails and leather buffers which are screwed in place, along with a leather covered pad inside the lid which is riveted into place along with a leather weather seal. This may be a one of a kind prototype sniper rifle, certainly the only one ever encountered by Professor Libby and this cataloger. Mr. Shigeo Sugawa, an authority on Japanese Military equipment & arms, author of several books on the subject and presently the Director of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces Ordnance School Technical Museum of Tsuchiura, Japan, has stated that he has never seen any Japanese Sniper Rifle quite like this one either. He stated that it might be of Chinese origin, modified after WWII, which the Chinese were known to have done, some of which he has examined, although he knows of none quite like this one. That, however, still does not address the ground off Mum or the fine machine work, very dissimilar to other Chinese work of that era. Accompanied by a large packet of love letters and drawings from the Marine who allegedly brought it back from Japan, dated 1943 & 1944 and addressed to a lady who was probably his girl friend. Also included are 2 pencil sketches of the girl who was probably the addressee of the letters. Also accompanying is a photo of a young man in USMC uniform. There is also a pencil drawing of a Marine Staff Sergeant holding a 1911 pistol and Thompson submachine gun standing over falling soldiers with tanks and explosions in the background and artist signed. Additionally accompanied by 3 USMC SSGT chevrons. Finally a packet of Japanese materials which include photographs of a Japanese woman in beautiful kimono with 3 children. Another photograph of a Japanese man standing beside the same woman. Another photograph depicts another beautiful Japanese woman in kimono with umbrella. Additionally there are 7 black & white photographs of Japanese troops that appear to have been removed from an album, none of which are identified. Also there are 4 pieces of Japanese occupation currency. Additionally accompanying is a small pamphlet that appears to be a Japanese reading primer. There is also a large rice paper with several columns in Japanese writing. Finally there is a Japanese military postcard with the English notation on the back “Augusan, Mindanao / May 13, 1945”. Consignor states that he purchased this rifle from members of the Marine’s family at a gun show who told him that the Marine had fought through the Pacific Islands in WWII and wound up in the occupation of Japan. They related that while the Marine was in occupied Japan he went through factories there and that is where they believe he obtained the rifle. CONDITION: Fine to very fine, all matching including bolt. Bbl, receiver, bolt, bbl bands and buttplate retain most of their strong orig blue with light sharp edge wear and the ground area over the chamber a dark metal patina. Trigger guard retains strong orig blue and the floorplate thin blue. Scope rail retains about 50% dark anodize finish. Scope retains 65-70% black enamel with brass showing through. Brass plate on scope and rail are dark mustard patina. Stock is sound and retains most of its arsenal finish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore, optics are clear. Scope can retains about 60% orig Japanese olive drab paint with the balance aluminum colored. Strap is near new and probably a later replacement. Interior is fine. Accompanying paperwork is somewhat yellowed but intact. 4-47005 JR406 (8,000-12,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2012

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2615	$0.00	Revised: 9/29/2012 Additional Information: Dr. Libbey has continued to research this gun and discovered further very positive and interesting information. A) Translation on plate of scope interprets “High Altitude Range Finding System Telemeter Receiver”. B) It is known that the Japanese actually adapted an artillery scope to a rifle to experiment with higher power scope. C) This is similar to the Type 99 mount which has 3 adjustment screws in the front. However, on this example the 3 adjustment screws are on the rear. Extremely Important Additional Information regarding Lot #2615; Japanese Sniper Rifle. Dr. Edwin Libbey; noted Japanese Arms scholar has researched and found additional important information regarding this rare rifle: The Marine who reportedly brought this Sniper Rifle back from Japan is listed on the USMC Muster Rolls in July 1944 as a Corporal, assigned to Company “A” of the 5th Amphibious Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. His unit participated in the invasion and capture of Iwo Jima in February 1945 and later was part of the occupation army in Japan. They occupied Sasebo, Japan, where the Japanese Naval Arsenal was located, along with Kyushu and Honshu. Part of his unit’s duties was the destruction of Japanese arms and munitions which certainly would have afforded him opportunity to obtain this and other Japanese arms. This theory is supported by the fact that the rifle has ground “Mum” and is caliber 6.5mm, which was the cartridge used by Japanese Naval Army forces. This Marine unit is memorialized in the book Alligator Marines, A History of the 5th Tractor Battalion. We have not been able to obtain a copy of this book for review to see if the Staff Sergeant Marine who owned this rifle is mentioned. RARE AND UNIQUE JAPANESE SHORT SNIPER RIFLE WITH SCOPE AND CARRYING CAN. SN 13815. Cal. 6.5 mm Jap. Rare and unusual Japanese short sniper rifle with 23-1/2″ bbl, barleycorn front sight with protective ears and a ladder rear sight, graduated to 1900 meters, probably custom built to reflect the ballistics for the shorter bbl. Rifle has overall length of 42-1/4″ and is mounted in a 2-pc full length stock with handguard, 2 bbl bands and cleaning rod. Buttstock and lower band have sling wires. The front receiver ring mum is ground and it has a straight handled bolt matching numbered to this rifle. Left side of receiver is mounted with an aluminum dovetailed base by means of 4 screws into the left side of receiver. The inside face of the dovetail and lower outer face of the mount are stamped with the 16-petaled Chrysanthemum of Imperial Japan. Fitted into the dovetail of the base is a very unusual aluminum rail to which is mounted a 1-pc steel base with solid front ring and rear ring with 3 external adjustment screws. Mounted in these rings is a 6-1/2″ x 1″ scope with brass tube that has aluminum ends and is mounted in the center with a brass plate bearing a lengthy Japanese inscription that has yet to be translated although it appears that it is a type of scope made by a transit company. The rail is secured to the base by means of a cruciform shaped thumbscrew which fits into a dimple into the base. Left front of the rail is mounted with a 1-3/16″ square brass plate that is beautifully dovetailed into the rail and staked in place. This plate is hand engraved “20 X 3” with the tiny “0” behind “3” indicating degrees, over a triangle shaped Japanese character which has “TO” on the left side of the point and “KO” on the right side, which is over “No.171”. It also has the hand stamped matching SN. Base has the last 3 digits of matching SN. SN on receiver has been moved forward to accommodate the base and also has the Nagoya Arsenal cartouche of two small circles inside a larger circle. Top of the receiver ring has 3 Japanese characters that translates to Type 97 “i” series, manufactured at Nagoya Army Arsenal in late 1942 or early 1943. Accompanied by a 2 page letter from renowned Japanese arms researcher Edwin F. Libby wherein he identifies this rifle as “Japanese test type 97 short sniper rifle with prototype telescopic sight and mount.” He speculates that this rifle “Very likely it was part of a modernization program to shorten the barrel and overall length of a very long type 97 rifle.” He relates that the original barrel was 31-1/4″. This rifle has had the muzzle end machined to accommodate the front sight and front band/bayonet lug. He also relates that a new bolt was installed with straight handle, replacing the bent bolt handle of the original type 97 since the straight handle would not interfere with the scope. He also relates that the stock on this rifle was originally made at Kokura Army Arsenal for the standard type 97, sniper rifle and was modified to fit the new barrel and hardware and refinished. Nagoya Arsenal was a major development center and was responsible for shortening of thousands of type 38 rifles into the shorter “Cavalry Rifles”. He further states that the scope and mount are marked with what are probably company logos and that likely the scope, mount and carrying case were made by Tokyo Kogaku Kikai Company which made rifle scopes for both the type 97 and type 99 sniper rifles. This scope resembles the later type 99 scope with external adjustments which have the adjustments in the front ring rather than the rear ring(possibly reversed Type 99 rings). Professor Libby addresses the marking on the brass plate of the rail and states that it is probably engraved in error and should read 3 X 20 (degrees), which would indicate a 3 power scope with 20 degree field of view. The reticle of this scope is a single pointed post at the 6 o’clock position, similar to German scopes of that era. Regarding the scope, base and rail, Professor Libby states that this is a substantially more simple system mounted directly to the receiver without an intermediate mounting bracket, such as would be found on regular production Japanese sniper systems. Neither does it have a safety lock spring as is common on standard Japanese sniper scope bases. Accompanied by its most unusual orig fitted aluminum carrying can, probably modified from a Model ‘93 Trench Periscope Can, which is 10-3/16″ long x 4″ wide x 1-15-16″ thick with hinged lid and sturdy latch that has a leather shoulder strap and is wrapped with 5 turns of jute string around the base, probably to dampen noise. Top of lid is engraved with the Kanji character “kai” and the Kana character “i” and the rifle’s matching SN. The markings translate “Modification i” or “Modification 1”. Interior is form fitted with wood rails and leather buffers which are screwed in place, along with a leather covered pad inside the lid which is riveted into place along with a leather weather seal. This may be a one of a kind prototype sniper rifle, certainly the only one ever encountered by Professor Libby and this cataloger. Mr. Shigeo Sugawa, an authority on Japanese Military equipment & arms, author of several books on the subject and presently the Director of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces Ordnance School Technical Museum of Tsuchiura, Japan, has stated that he has never seen any Japanese Sniper Rifle quite like this one either. He stated that it might be of Chinese origin, modified after WWII, which the Chinese were known to have done, some of which he has examined, although he knows of none quite like this one. That, however, still does not address the ground off Mum or the fine machine work, very dissimilar to other Chinese work of that era. Accompanied by a large packet of love letters and drawings from the Marine who allegedly brought it back from Japan, dated 1943 & 1944 and addressed to a lady who was probably his girl friend. Also included are 2 pencil sketches of the girl who was probably the addressee of the letters. Also accompanying is a photo of a young man in USMC uniform. There is also a pencil drawing of a Marine Staff Sergeant holding a 1911 pistol and Thompson submachine gun standing over falling soldiers with tanks and explosions in the background and artist signed. Additionally accompanied by 3 USMC SSGT chevrons. Finally a packet of Japanese materials which include photographs of a Japanese woman in beautiful kimono with 3 children. Another photograph of a Japanese man standing beside the same woman. Another photograph depicts another beautiful Japanese woman in kimono with umbrella. Additionally there are 7 black & white photographs of Japanese troops that appear to have been removed from an album, none of which are identified. Also there are 4 pieces of Japanese occupation currency. Additionally accompanying is a small pamphlet that appears to be a Japanese reading primer. There is also a large rice paper with several columns in Japanese writing. Finally there is a Japanese military postcard with the English notation on the back “Augusan, Mindanao / May 13, 1945”. Consignor states that he purchased this rifle from members of the Marine’s family at a gun show who told him that the Marine had fought through the Pacific Islands in WWII and wound up in the occupation of Japan. They related that while the Marine was in occupied Japan he went through factories there and that is where they believe he obtained the rifle. CONDITION: Fine to very fine, all matching including bolt. Bbl, receiver, bolt, bbl bands and buttplate retain most of their strong orig blue with light sharp edge wear and the ground area over the chamber a dark metal patina. Trigger guard retains strong orig blue and the floorplate thin blue. Scope rail retains about 50% dark anodize finish. Scope retains 65-70% black enamel with brass showing through. Brass plate on scope and rail are dark mustard patina. Stock is sound and retains most of its arsenal finish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore, optics are clear. Scope can retains about 60% orig Japanese olive drab paint with the balance aluminum colored. Strap is near new and probably a later replacement. Interior is fine. Accompanying paperwork is somewhat yellowed but intact. 4-47005 JR406 (8,000-12,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2012 Please Note:* All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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