Type 99 rifle The was a bolt - action rifle of the Arisaka design used by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II . History . During the Second Sino - Japanese War in the 1930s , the Japanese soon found that the 8×57mm IS cartridge the Chinese used was superior to the 6 . 5×50mm cartridge of the Type 38 rifle , necessitating the development of a new weapon to replace the outclassed Type 38 . The Imperial Japanese Army ( IJA ) developed the Type 99 based on the Type 38 rifle but with a caliber of 7 . 7mm . The Type 99 was produced at nine different arsenals . Seven arsenals were located in Japan , with the other two located at Mukden in China and Jinsen in Korea . The IJA had intended to completely replace the Type 38 with the Type 99 by the end of the war . However , the outbreak of the Pacific war never allowed the army to completely replace the Type 38 and so the IJA used both rifles during the war . As the war progressed , more and more cost saving steps were introduced in order to speed up production . Late war rifles are often called " Last Ditch " or " Substitute Standard " due to their crudeness of finish . They are generally as crude as the 1945 dated Mauser K98k of Germany , or worse . The Type 99 was produced in four versions , the regular issue Type 99 Short Rifle , the Type 99 Long Rifle ( a limited production variant ) and takedown Type 2 Paratroop Rifle and the Sniper Rifle Type 99 . The standard rifle also came with a wire monopod and an anti - aircraft sighting device . The Type 99 was the first mass - produced infantry rifle to have a chrome lined bore to ease cleaning . All of these features were abandoned by mid - war . Other users . During the Korean War , approximately 126 , 500 short and 6650 long Type 99 Rifles were re - chambered under American supervision at the Tokyo arsenal to fire the then - standard . 30 - 06 Springfield cartridge . " Apparently " intended for the South Korean gendarmerie , few rifles appear to have been issued at the end of the war in 1953 . These rifles were fitted with a lengthened magazine well and had a small notch cut in the top of the receiver to accommodate the . 30 - 06 round ' s 1 / 3 inch greater length . Accuracy suffered , due to the difference in cartridges , rifling rate and characteristics , but they were nonetheless functional . Conversions to both . 30 - 06 and 7 . 62 NATO have also been performed by civilians , often along with sporterising modifications . After 1946 , the Republic of China re - chambered large amounts of Type 99 rifles to fire the 8×57 IS cartridge . Indonesian forces used a large amount of Type 99 rifles in the fighting against the Dutch during the Indonesian National Revolution ( 1945 – 1949 ) . The Royal Thai Army received Japanese rifles of all types after 1945 and converted some short Type 99 rifles to fire the U . S . . 30 - 06 cartridge during the early 1950s . Design . The Arisaka was based around the basic German Mauser design , albeit with some local alterations . It utilized a cock - on - closing action , which improved the rate of fire from the standard Mauser cock - on - open design . Also unique is the rifle ' s safety mechanism , operated by pressing in the large knurled disk at the rear of the bolt with the palm of the hand and rotating it in a 1 / 8 clockwise turn , which is often misunderstood by Western shooters who are used to the Mauser ' s thumb lever safety . It featured a quick - release bolt and antiaircraft sights , as well as a rotating bolt cover and monopod . The bolt cover , in particular , was highly problematic . Many soldiers simply discarded them due to excessive rattling . As a bolt action rifle , the Type 99 was a very solid weapon , but as with all manually operated rifles used during World War II , they were in most close combat situations outclassed by semi - automatic rifle s and submachine gun s . The Type 99 is one of the strongest military bolt rifles ever made , but many late - war ( " last ditch " ) rifles used lower quality parts , and a complete lack of finish , as well as shortcuts taken to ease production . The " last ditch " rifles are usually distinguished by their crudeness ; poorly finished stock , wood buttplate , very obvious tooling marks in the metal , rudimentary sights and an unfinished bolt knob and handle . Such late war rifles may be unsafe to fire . In some cases , these rifles may actually be training rifles intended for firing blank cartridges only . The training rifles were made of mild steel and were never intended for ball ammunition . It is possible that reports of Type 99 rifles blowing up were simply the results of soldiers testing captured weapons . Unaware that they were using drill rifles , they fired ball ammunition in them with poor results and possible injuries . It is possible that this may have unjustly led to the Arisaka having a reputation ( at least for the last ditch rifles ) for being of poor construction . The Type 99 ' s bayonet was in the form of a very long , slender blade , grooved to reduce weight . The early models featured a hooked quillion . These bayonets attached to a lug under the barrel and were further stabilized by a loop that fit around the muzzle . Unmounted , it handled like a machete . Availability . Though the Arisaka rifle was never exported to the USA in great numbers , there are many thousands available — most having been brought home by Marines and soldiers returning from the Pacific theater . In many cases , the imperial chrysanthemum atop the receiver has been defaced by the surrendering Japanese in order to preserve the Emperor ' s honor : the mark indicated that the rifle was the Emperor ' s personal property . Rifles with an intact chrysanthemum bring a premium on the collector market , sometimes almost double the price for a like model defaced rifle . Many have been rechambered to more common calibers , due to the relative scarceness of factory 7 . 7×58 Arisaka , unlike other rifles of the period , it is particularly suitable because of its strong , safe action .