Type 30 (rifle)

The Imperial Army of Japan began the development of a new rifle in December 1895 , with the aim of replacing the outdated Murat rifle , which has been in service since 1880. Colonel Nariake Arisaka was appointed responsible for the development of the new rifle, ^[2] who became in 1890 the new head of the rifle division of the Tokyo arsenal.

Type 30 was designed for a cartridge with a semi-flange caliber of 6.5 × 50 mm. The sight can be installed up to 2000 meters. In addition to the standard rifle, a 962 mm long carbine was produced, designed for cavalry and other troops that needed a shorter or lighter weapon. ^[3] A carbine sight that could be installed at 1,500 meters. The prototype of the rifle was called the “Type 29 rifle” and after improvements was renamed the “Type 30”. The approved sample was put into production in 1899. The rifle was equipped with a Type 30 bayonet.

Type 30 was used by first-line Japanese forces in the Russo-Japanese War . Although the Type 30 was significantly better compared to the Type 22 rifle (an upgraded Murat system with a tubular magazine), it had some problems with safety and reliability. Based on the combat experience gained, in 1905 an improved Type 38 rifle began to enter the army, although not all units received an upgraded version, and as a result both rifles were used in the First ^[4] and then in the Second World War .

In addition to Japan , Type 30 was widely used by other countries during and after World War I. One of the largest users was the Russian Empire , which ordered up to 600 thousand Arisak rifles, and at least half of them were Type 30 rifles and Type 38 rifles. ^[five]

At the beginning of World War I, Great Britain ordered Type 30, Type 38 rifles, and Type 38 rifles from Japan as a temporary measure, until a sufficient number of domestic Li-Anfield rifles arrived. Some of these rifles were handed over to the Royal Navy and the Arab forces fighting along with Lawrence of Arabia . Most of these rifles were transferred to Russia in 1916, which experienced a shortage of small arms. Russia, in turn, also purchased a large number of various types of Arisaka rifles. Many of these rifles were in Finland , where they were supplied by the RSFSR of the Finnish Red Guard during the civil war . Finland later provided some of these Estonian rifles. Subsequently, Estonians remade part of the rifles under the .303 British cartridge, since Great Britain supplied Estonia with Vickers machine guns and P14 rifles. The Czechoslovak Legion , who fought in the Civil War in Russia , was also armed with Japanese Arisaki, including Type 30. ^[6]

Type 30 training rifle

In 1905-1921 j About 10,000 rifles were redone for firing blank cartridges . The rifled gun barrel was bored to make the barrel smooth, and most of the marks on the receiver were removed, including the Imperial Chrysanthemum . In its place were the symbols 空 放 銃, which means "For shooting single."

Type 35 Navy Rifle

Type 35 rifle (三十 五年 式) - A modification of the Type 30 rifle, made in 1902 by order of the Japanese Imperial Navy. The Type 35 was equipped with a new sector sight and a long barrel cover. The rifle was equipped with a removable cover that closed the receiver window in the stowed position. During firing, the lid was removed. Before the advent of the Type 38 rifle, it was in service with the naval landing brigade. Length 1273 mm. Empty weight 4.2 kg. Barrel length 797 mm. ^[7]

Type 30 Cavalry Carabiner

Cavalry Carabiner Type 30 (三 十年 式 騎 銃 (三 十年 式 騎兵 銃) Sanjū-nen-shiki kijū (Sanjū-nen-shiki kiheijū)) - a modified version for the cavalry, shorter by 300 millimeters than the infantry model (length the carbine barrel is 480 mm versus 790 mm with a standard rifle). ^[8] Designed to equip cavalry troops with a modern carbine. The differences, except for a shorter barrel and stock from a standard infantry rifle, are that it lacked a barrel, the aiming range was limited to 1,500 meters (compared to 2,000 meters with a standard rifle), the front sight had protective barriers on each side, minor changes in the latch with a shutter lock, the swivel was moved to the left side of the weapon so that it did not rest against the cavalryman's back. There was no bayonet in the pre-production version. ^[9]

Manchurian Arisaka

The Manchurian Arisaka is a Type 30 rifle, supplied by order of China . Collectors call them "Manchurian Arisaka"; the actual military designation in China is unknown. It is known that there are two versions and they are named after the markings on the receiver, which are made in Chinese - Guangxu (the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty) 29 years (光绪 二十 九年 製) and Guangxu 31 years (光绪 三十 一年 製). Instead of the imperial chrysanthemum applied to the rifles for the Japanese army, the Chinese version had a curled dragon , which was a symbol of the Manchurian dynasty . Despite the fact that the rifle was the name of Guangxu, the real person who stood behind the contract for the supply of these rifles from Japan was General Yuan Shikai . Little is known about these rifles, except that a batch of 31,000 rifles has survived to this day, and most of them were brought into the United States from mainland China in the very worn condition in the 1980s. ^[ten]

North China Replica Type 30

A relatively crude copy of the Type 30 Japanese carbine was made in China to arm the troops of pro-Japanese puppet governments . It is believed that the production of rifles was carried out in the city of Tianjin . The main difference between the Chinese and Japanese versions of Type 30 is that the copy is made under the cartridge of 7.92 × 57 mm Mauser , and the box is made whole, while in the Japanese sample it is made of two parts. The receiver shows a cherry flower instead of the usual Japanese chrysanthemum, in addition, the Japanese characters 北 支 一九 式, which translate as "Northern China Type 19", are applied. 19 may mean the 19th year of the Showa era or 1944 . The true military designation is unknown. Presumably, there is another “Northern Chinese Type 19” based on Type 38. ^[11]

•   : A certain amount was captured from the Russian army during the First World War. When the stocks of captured ammunition were exhausted, some of the rifles were converted to a 6.5 × 54 mm cartridge by Manliher-Schönauer , and their pillars were replaced by those of the model Mannlicher M1895 ^[12]
•   : Used by the Czechoslovak Legion during the Civil War in Russia . ^[6]
•   : Most of the Type 30 that came from Finland was converted to the British .303 British cartridge. ^[13]
•   Empire of Japan ^{[14] [15]}
•   : A certain amount was in service with the Finnish army. ^[sixteen]
•   Kingdom of Hijaz : Delivered to the UK Naval Fleet by Lawrence of Arabia for Arab forces during the Arab Revolt . ^[6]
•   : Type 30 was armed with the army of the Feng Clique of General Zhang Zolin. ^[17] A unit was delivered from the Soviet Union . ^[18]
•   : Delivered from the UK as an aid and purchased directly from Japan. ^[nineteen]
•   : Purchased for the British Navy due to temporary disruptions in the supply of Lee-Enfield rifles . ^[20]

• Honeycutt Jr., Fred L. and Anthony, Patt F. Military Rifles of Japan. Fifth Edition, 2006. Julin Books, USA ISBN 0-9623208-7-0 .
• Allan, Francis C .; White, Doss H .; Zielinski, Dr. Stanley The Early Arisakas 2006. AK Enterprises, USA ISBN 0-9614814-5-5 .
• Kowner, Rotem. Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War. - The Scarecrow Press, 2006. - ISBN 0-8108-4927-5 .

• Pictures of a Type 30 rifle
• Pictures of a blank-firing Type 30 training rifle