I know the publishers behind this website are filthy rich. I've heard all the "behind the scene" stories at the SHOT shows about the wild Wolfe parties where they guzzle Andre Pink Champaign and stuff themselves with delacies such as Vienna Sausages on tooth picks.

Plus, they send everyone who is willing to go to Africa. Personally, I'd like to see them send two deserving African Americans to Africa to hunt Cape Buffalo; Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. In fact, I'd contribute a couple of .22 rifles for these genetlemen to use on their hunt.

BUT, that's not the purpose of this missive. I think Wolfe should take on the most daunting task in the firearms world: to hold a competition, with a cash prize, for the best looking sporting rifle made from an Arisaka or a Moison-Nagant.

At least 50% of the original parts should be required to be used. And, no Mum rifles...these are mostly captured rifles from WW II and don't deserve to be defaced.

I personally don't think it's possible to make a good looking sporting rifle from either of these, but I'd love to see someone else's opus.

How about it, Wolfe?

Now this is interesting. I wonder if it could be done?

I must have missed the part where Rick Bin bought Wolfe Publications.

This website and Wolfe are separate, and I don't know of any Wolfe staff (as opposed to some who write for them) who hang out on the campfire.

The Arisaka and the Moison-Nagant are so ... yesterday. How about a challenge for a stylin' rifle made on an action with a barrel nut? Winner must shoot better and be more attractive than a Savage Classic.

jim

ps try wolfepub (at) riflemag (dot) com to email your challenge

I took one of those Arisakas and turned it into a .270 fro asheep hunt om Pikes Peak.A Fter i got a nice ram, I sent it to my niece in PA for a deer rifle. I think it is in Las Vegas with her now

Arisakas have a very strong action (not the last ditch ones) and PO Ackley did most of his load development using one.

Getting one to shoot a sheep is not nearly as challenging as getting one to look good.

The Mosin Nagants are pretty tough also. A fellow did a blow-up test on one a couple of years ago. IIRC, a 200 grain lead alloy bullet was used as a stopper over a case full of Bullseye. No catastrophic failure only a swelled receiver but, bolt, receiver, and barrel remained whole.

Gene:

Years ago I saw a photo of a custom Arisaka, supposedly done for a rich client who just wanted to see if it was possible to make one look good.

Didn't keep the photo, and it's been so long, I can't remember where I saw it. The bolt handle was reworked, and the stock was deluxe. Rebarrelled, of course.

I'll just have to ask you to take my word for it that it looked good. (To me.)

- Tom

http://www.homegunsmith.com/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi?s=08e1534e62d37285bba1c898965ae8e6;act=ST;f=30;t=18615

This one is about the best looking one I'v seen. Not exactly a good looking rifle, but certainly not an eyesore.

That's kinda cool. . . . .

I LIKE mosins, they are REALLY TOUGH.

Pretty? Not so much, but TOUGH.

BMT

I have a MN sniper and it's fun. It really has no redeeming values...
Ugly stock, ghastly machining marks on receiver, not especially accurate (by today�s standards), horrible trigger. Stock�s too short, scope has insufficient eye relief, can�t get a good cheek weld etc. But I enjoy the nostalgia of shooting that rifle regardless.

The one I re did, about the only thing left original was the action.New barrel, I made the custom stock ,new trigger.Actualy it didn't look too bad IMO

Does Sherpa Kurt's deer soaked bayonet make a Mosin better looking?

Or merely "Sherpular"?

GE

I did see an arisaka redone in .300 savage that was none too shabby. Heck it was almost elegant looking. I believe it was a type 77.

Friend of mine once picked up a Finnish-made MN in great condition and was that an eye-opener. Beautifully machined and the action was silky-smooth. The stock, though short, sure enough (has to be when you're wearing enough wool to survive a fire fight in minus 20 degrees) was quite well made. Never got a chance to shoot it though. He traded things so darn fast.

I often thought it had the makings of an interesting sporter.

- Tom

Wow! Wouldn't this be akin to a contest for the most beautiful female Sumo wrestler?

Gene/Others,

How about entering these Mosins in the beauty contest? Would they be contenders?

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=9242&highlight=mosin+deer

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=9242&highlight=mosin+deer&page=4

http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/24002/t/Bubba-Angelo.html

These are the "goofy deer" Mosins that were purported to be converted and dolled up for GI's in post-war Japan. Using Korean War capture Mosins. They are characterized by the silver buck onlay on the barrel. Pretty enough? Don

Before I had a Rigby in my outhouse I had an Arisaka and one day during a spring hunt one of my guides and I had already filled out our clients and had hiked over to another guides camp to haul supplies to him. We found out his client had just wounded a big bear that morning and they asked for help tracking it. Since neither of us had carried a rifle I hiked three miles back to camp and picked up the Arisaka and flew back. The guys were already tracking the bear in pretty thick stuff so I dropped the rifle out of the plane ( I was sort of windy so I was 500-600 feet high) The guide without his rifle said that at that moment that Arisaka was the prettiest rifle he had ever seen.

I guess the moral is that maybe throwing Arisaka's and Mosin's out of aircraft might be the best way to beautify them ?

Now if you want a see really pretty rifle you should see the SMLE that is now in our outhouse. I don't dare write about it.

Though Wolfe has nothing to do with this website (other than a few of their writers posting), I will decline the challenge. The reason: My first centerfire was a Mosin-Nagant that I personally "sporterized" at the age of 13. It was uglier when I got done than when I started.

A very fine answer my friend.....

I have had the same problem(S) in my past!

Pat

Is that actually possible?

You must've never been married.

On #2 right now.

When you put it that way, and I have to remember my ex, yeah, I can understand that....

Personally I think the stocks on both rifles look better than Remingtons white spacers on the 700.

(This is where I duck and cover.)

In WWI the Czarist goverment ordered two million Moisin Nagant rifles from Remington and Westinghouse, not all had been delivered by the time of the 1917 Russian Revolution and the US government ended up with the remainder. They were sold off very cheap to NRA members in the 1920s and 1930s and the American Rifleman was full of articles on sporterizing them. My recollection, for what it is worth, is that at least one was built by the famous Alvin Linden and it was a beauty. But apparently there was something wrong with the American bolts and the American expeditionary force that was sent to Russia in 1918 to fight the Reds and armed with Remington and Westinghouse MN rifles found the firing pins froze up in really cold weather. If you want to find one to sporterize today probably the best bet would be a Finnish rebuild job with a heavy Finnish barrel, these are extremely accurate

Usually it's bad form to resurrect old threads, but in a C&R forum I stumbled across a photo of an Arisaka conversion that nicely answers the "challenge". The original is a Japanese Paratroop Type 2. I've linked the photo with the owner's permission.

--Bob

Gene L: I have been to some pretty fancy parties in my time. I just wondered if Wolfe served the Vienna sausages on colored toothpicks or just the plain ole everyday ones? Most of the really high class events I went to had colored picks and little umbrellas on the drinks. You wanna talk about "High Class Parties"

Having begun collecting Japanese Rifles back when if you mentioned them you were suspect I am proud to say that I am Japanese Collector today. Events have changed and value of these grand old rifles is knocking on the heels of some of the European products. To me the T99 is the best of all WW11 bolt action rifles. Its simple to field strip and with a chrome bore cleaning is not the first item of the day. Except for a few imported from China, all the Japanese rifle here today were brought back by returning servicemen. Half of all rifles manufactured by the Japanese are in the bottom of the ocean and the other half are over here.

The rifle pictured in the case started as a stripped receiver and the side plates where the two halves join. All the rest is from parts. The barrel is from a 1903A3 Springfield with a 308 insert. Here are three more pictures. riceone.

That is truly a nice-looking rifle! I remember seeing ads in the Shotgun News offering 11 Japanese rifles with every case of 7.7mm Jap ammo.

That is a nice Arisaka!

Holy crap!

I have one of those take down Arisakas in all original condition.It's a surprisingly good shooter.Always creates a stir at the range.For the twenty plus years I've had it,the only other one I ever saw was in the original version of The Manchurian Candidate.
Last fall I saw three at the Middletown ,NY gunshow.None was in quite as good shape as mine.They were asking between $1400.00 and $1900.00 for them.Don't know if they sold any.A lot of interesting stuff is coming on the market with the passing of so many WWII vets.

riceone-
Thank you for taking the time to post your excellent photos on the campfire. (I got busy and could not post the ones you emailed to me.)

Welcome to the 'fire, and I hope you can add it to the list of forums to which you contribute.

--Bob

I remember the movie Manchurian Canidate and the rifle. About the time I started on this rifle there was one sold on Auction for $1600. The most difficult part making this rifle was finding a stock. Great American Stock Co. altered this stock by leaving full wood in the area of the divide for me and sent it to me with instruction if it did not work send it back. A WW11 Vet of Normandy did the engraving as a favor, gunsmith did the blue and another did the checkering. All wood and metal I did. It was a fun job. I have three T2's in original shape. One I gave $20 for second one $895 and the last one will be worth what I paid for in in a few more years - but is in very, very good shape. Its the header picture for this forum. riceone

http://www.guncollectorsforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=34

Riceone, that is by miles and miles the finest Arisaka sporter I have ever seen in the metal or in pictures. Let's just hope that .308 insert never works loose.

Reid Coffield is currently writing a series for Shotgun News about sporterizing a Nagant. I think when you see the finished product you will never look at that rifle the same again.

"When two opposing sides of an argument are presented, one by an honest man and the other by a liar, the liar usually wins, simply because he is not inhibited by the truth."

It seems to me people are no longer interested in truth of any sort. Honest men are hard to find so the vast majority beleive every one lies.

riceone

I seem to recall a picture of an Ackley sporter based on the Arisaka. With the bent down, swept-back bolt handle, a good polish and blue job and, a nice stock, it looked pretty good (IIRC).

Just got a catalog for a March 20 auction at Holt's in London, lot no. 4317 is an Arisaka 6.5mm sporter by the famous old firm of W.J. Jeffery, 20" barrel, pistol grip, horn forend tip. Estimate is $400-600. But as an ex-military rifle I don't know if it would be possible to import it. Almost worth getting it, let the auction house throw the metal away and just send you the stock .... and maybe the barrel with the Jeffery name and address on it.

When I went to Trinidad in the early 50's Arisaka's were the cheapest action around and I have seen quite a few made into very nice rifles. The 6.5's were more popular than the 7.7's and the real drawback was the odd safety which was actually a rotating bolt sleeve as I remember. The bottom metal on the 7.7's was pretty ugly but the 6.5's were'nt too bad. I remember one in 257 with a Maple stock as being particularly nice. As a student on a budget they were popular.

Its been awhile since I posted on this thread but I have lately completed two very nice sporters made on Japanese actions The one in the maple stock is a T38 action with a 6.5 Japanese barrel that has been bored and rechambered to a 7x57 Mauser cartridge. The one in the walnut stock is fitted with a custom 22-250 barrel. I did all the fitting modification to the rifles except the bluing - a local gunsmith did this for me.



Can't seem to post another picture here but will do on next page.

Second Picture

Beautiful rifle!

Ed

If Mosin Nagant married Arisaka, it would look like this...

you are really hard up for a rifle if you custom build off these actions

Haters are gonna hate. They would go great with a restored Ford Pinto

Roy-
The two rifles are really attractive. The combination of the basic color and finish of the walnut stock and the blued steel is particularly fine looking. Other than redoing the bolt handle, were any other modifications made to the actions?

Your choice of chamberings is interesting. The 7x57 brings to mind the Mexican Arisakas. I'm curious about your rationale for selection of 22-250 for the other rifle.

(With his arisaka-mosin image, I'm not sure where shrapnel is coming from. Given the gun-destroying activities from which his nickname is derived, perhaps he's envious of your methodology &/or choice of test weaponry. Good grief--it took a compressed charge of Bullseye to make the M99 come apart : http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/3503943/all/Blow_Up_Test_On_T99)

--Bob

I had a 1974 blue Pinto wagon.

I'd take any of the Finnish Mosin Nagants. I'm partial to M39s. They certainly are not compact, but they are great shooters. I have an M24 Lotta that's wonderfully accurate.

The Finns employed action shims in their stocks for help with bedding, long before it was fashionable or wide spread.

They tossed the Russian stocks and barrels and refitted them with their own.

BullShooter, Thanks for the nice thing you said. First I am an 81 year old farmer in the Mississippi Delta and I have my own machine shop for my hobby of tinkering with guns. I stated collecting WW11 rifles when I was in highschool. Had a few from every nation till about 20 years ago when I decided I needed to specialize in one type or nationality of rifles. Some where on this web site is a pretty good rendition of the rifles I own.

This is a hobby that I have enjoyed for a long time. Putting these two rifles together gave me a lot of pleasure and relaxation and I had fun doing it.

Why the 7x57 - In my parts barrel I found this very nice T38 barrel that had been bored and rechambered and rifled in 7x57. How do I know it was a T38 barrel instead of one off a Mexican t38 - The cone over the cylinder is much longer on the Mexican rifle than the regular T38. It screwed up tight and the extractor notch was where it should be and the headspace was correct.

Why the 22-250 in a T99 - Back to my barrel I found this barrel and it too looked unused and the bore is beautiful and... it was threaded for a T99. It was a bull barrel and I turned it down to a sporter configuration of my liking. This was a short chambered barrel and I had to buy a reamer to headspace it, that and buying the walnut stock was all the cost except for the bluing. The maple stock was in my stock pile also.

These two rifles make 9 Japanese rifles I have sported and no serviceable rifle was used. Almost forgot I did a Swed 94 with a mannlicher stock just before these two. And I have all of them here with me, never sell one. Its all good clean recoration.

Last the butter knife bolt handles. While in Germany in 1955 I got hold of a butchered 98 mauser and carried it to German gunsmith and he put a nice mannlicher stock on it. Also put a butter knife handle on it with express sights. That has always been my pride. So I ham emulated it 5 times. Thanks for listening. Roy

bea175 I sure would like to have your dog. I showed it to my wife and she said I could keep in inside the house if I got it.

Roy

Roy-
Thank you for the detailed reply.

You posted photos of a couple of your rarer Arisaka military rifles at the tail end of this thread: Military Gun Info. They may be the ones that you're referring to.

I think forum member Hatari had the best response to critics of selecting an Arisaka acton as the basis for a sporting rifle:
The Arisaka is not a slick action for a custom rifle, but it is as reliable as an anvil. It is also a piece of history. Use it and have fun with it. Makes the best foul weather rifle I can think of. It sure is a conversation starter. (Link to thread: Anyone with 6.5 Arisaka experience).

--Bob
edited to repairr formating

Well I have an action. What caliber to build? I am thinking 7X57. Or a 257 Roberts.

But, I hesitate when comparing it to the Argentine above. Maybe I will just keep the Arisaka action for a paper weight. Or turn it into a hog shooter in 35 Rem or something.

The good thing about those Pintos……………?


They weren't:










Hey, nobody's family is perfect. Condolences sent anyway.

It's no more a an eyesore than your filthy communist ass, which doesn't say much.