#1939 type 99 arisaka markings series
Mid way through the Toyo Kogyo (Hiroshima) (33) series the type characters were omitted.
![1939 type 99 arisaka markings 1939 type 99 arisaka markings](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/0UIAAOSw0Udd9aBy/s-l300.jpg)
Regarding the missing "type 99" characters. One of the differences between the (32) series and the (33) series is the (32) series has a "three screw" front barrel band, and the (33) series marked the beginning use of the "two screw" front barrel band as shown on the OP's rifle. The mark to the right of the Toyo Kogyo (Hiroshima) marks is a Kokura Arsenal Inspection Group mark at the Toyo Kogyo arsenal. So if anyone in San Diego has a older lead 10 lb furnace I would like to buy/borrow it. Lead I can get from the many tire shops after I work through the 30-40 pounds of it that I have from making fishing weights with my Father when I was a kid. Will be much cheaper as the rounds will have to be loaded lighter to use the cast bullets. Looks like if I can purchase the PRVI brass for it I will be all set. I think I want to get into casting my own as it is a lot cheaper than purchasing finished bullets. So this rifle I will be looking to reload and make it a shooter. Now I don't have any family history in this rifle other than it was given to my Father for payment on a PRC-9. This rifle I have was given to my Father to help pay a debt many years ago. It seems the rifle my grandfather had was destroyed in a house fire a few years after he came back. I talked with my Father tonight at my family's weekly meal together. I'll bring ammo!! I would love to know the story of how your grandfather acquired it, or any unit info you might have. I might be down in San Diego around mid-July this year for business. Kokura Arsenal was tasked with making the changes to "Last Ditch" configuration. you asked why the Type 99 Kanji was left off. Really shiny with just a regular mag light. Is the bore chrome lined, or just plain steel? That would have been wiped first if markings were being removed. I am basing that on the fact that the "mum" is still there. My guess would be that the "Type 99" marks were omitted at the time of production, rather than scrubbed. The bolt handle still has the plum shape instead of looking like a bolt coming out of Frankenstein's neck. The safety still has an attempt at rings, but the finely cut checkering was not put on.
![1939 type 99 arisaka markings 1939 type 99 arisaka markings](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51t8o-9TapL.jpg)
The sights are still adjustable, but the aircraft sights and monopod are omitted. Somebody has turned the bolt handle down somewhere along the way, but aside from that, it looks fairly original. They made guns with series numbers 30-35, and that number would be in the middle, whichever one it is. It is a series 32 or 33 (I can't quite tell from the picture. It has many of the corners cut, but not all. That is probably a 1943-44 production gun.