Arisaka 38 "Restoration"

[bratwurstdimsum]

Guys,

A real Beast becomes the beauty story...I hope.

Firstly I picked this horrible war injury from Sydney. You can just picture her being blown outa some IJA's hands in a banzai across Peleliu Airfield!

[bratwurstdimsum]

Bolt and tropical cover

[bratwurstdimsum]

I'm Hittttt!!!

[bratwurstdimsum]

Hole in one?

[bratwurstdimsum]

One way to reduce the weight of the stock?

[bratwurstdimsum]

[bratwurstdimsum]

I've been told this is the easiest way. Most risky too!

[bratwurstdimsum]

[bratwurstdimsum]

After 25 minutes, the oven cleaner has really done some good...

[Bob in OH]

I guess I fail to see the point. To me, you have just removed the patina and orig finish and destroyed most of the value that it had...

[robcox1]

What did you hope to gain?

The best thing I can say is that hopefully the day will come when you regret ruining this rifle because at least then you won't do it again. FWIW, many of us, including me, have made a similar mistake early in our collecting career, so you are not alone.

[bratwurstdimsum]

I haven't finished yet boys, don't get too upset, I'm going to linseed it to bring back some of the original grain. Before, it was rusty, dirty and greasy, impossible to shoot and probably not been touched since 1944.

While some of you like collecting things that look like that, I want my gun to look like I was about to present it for inspection to my superior officer. I plan to also use it for reenacting.

Besides if the value hadn't gone up in 60 years I wasn't going to stockpile this in the condition it was in until it did go up in value

[Alan Smith]

Yes, the stock sure had a nice 60+ years of patina on it, giving it that "untouched" look just like collectors desire.

I thought guns were illegal in Australia; at least that's what the National Rifle Association tells us here in the U.S. Is this some sort of deactivated firearm?

Too bad about the overcleaning of the stock. With a very gentle wipe down of the woodk, and a very moderate cleaning of the metal with 0000 steel wool soaked in machine oil, this Type 38 would have been presentable.

BTW: A few months ago I saw bring-back Type 38 carbine that is still in the hands of the veteran who combat-captured it in Burma. The guy was a U.S. officer who lived out "in the bush" and used native troops to fight the Japanese for control of rural parts of Burma. Anyway, the wood had the exact same dinged up look w/ dark patina that the above Type 38 rifle had (pre-cleaning). T

[bratwurstdimsum]

I thought guns were illegal in Australia; at least that's what the National Rifle Association tells us here in the U.S. Is this some sort of deactivated firearm?

Hee hee, Australia has got heaps of guns of all types, you just need the license to own it. Our licenses are harder to get than in the US or Canada and posession of guns is stricter

Yes, the stock sure had a nice 60+ years of patina on it, giving it that "untouched" look just like collectors desire.

Untouched is an interesting notion.

Would you "liberate" an Iron cross badge from a prisoner then let it deteriorate over the years so its a blackened rusted mess?

Having 60 years of 'patina' is good for some folks I guess, but personally I think the value is when the item is brought back to the condition it was when it was brought home. A vet leaving the gun in the attic for 60 years = neglect, to then acquire and display neglect is just a unrepresentative of the item in its heyday as stripping it with oven cleaner I guess.

With a very gentle wipe down of the woodk, and a very moderate cleaning of the metal with 0000 steel wool soaked in machine oil, this Type 38 would have been presentable.

I already tried that but it was bleeding oil...not a good feeling when you're trying to sight the gun down the range.

Thanks for your feedback.

[bratwurstdimsum]

ok I now apply 50% Boiled Linseed Oil and 50% mineral turpentine with my hands after buffing with 0000 steel wool