Yessir, them Arisakas sure do have a reputation for bein’ built tough. My daddy had one of them 6.5 Arisakas too, and wouldn't ya know it, the mum was ground off—no big deal though, that rifle still shot straight as a line. The ol’ Arisaka could take a lickin' and keep on tickin’.
Now, I also got myself a 6.5 Swedish Mauser. I tell ya, that rifle is a real gem—smooth as butter and it hits right where you aim. Every time. If you’re lookin’ for accuracy, that Swedish Mauser’s the way to go. But then there's my 8mm German Mauser. Well, now, that’s a whole different animal. It shoots high—way too high.
I remember goin’ deer huntin’ with that ol’ 8mm. Had to aim way low, right near the bottom of the deer’s chest, just to get the shot right. The poor critter was maybe 40 yards out, but I didn’t let that stop me. I made the shot and dropped him clean—don’t get me wrong, I was happy with the result, but with all that German engineering, you'd think they could've made the sights a bit more reliable!
Oh, and speakin’ of them Arisakas, you know the Mexicans had a bit of a fascination with ‘em too before World War II. Turns out, they imported a whole mess of them Arisaka rifles from the Japanese—but here’s the twist, they didn’t get ‘em in the usual 6.5 caliber. Nah, these rifles were chambered in 7mm Mauser! That’s right, they took the strong ol’ Arisaka action, and chambered it for the same round the Mexican army used. It was a mighty good deal, especially since the 7mm Mauser was already a solid performer in military rifles.
And here’s a bit of history for ya: Mexico was goin’ through a time of reform and modernization under President Porfirio Diaz in the early 1900s. He needed to upgrade the army, and the standard issue was the 7x57mm Mauser. But even with local production and foreign imports, Mexico still needed more rifles. So, in 1910, Diaz looked to Japan for help. Now, Japan and Mexico had good relations back then, and Mexico even had military advisors in Japan.
With a little influence, Diaz managed to secure a contract with Japan for Type 38 Arisaka rifles. These were chambered in 7mm Mauser to match Mexico’s standard caliber, not the usual 6.5. The rifles were produced at the Koishikowa Arsenal, and each one had the Mexican crest and "Republica Mexicana" stamped right on the receiver. The rifles were made in 1910 but stamped 1913 to avoid confusion with Mexico’s own Mauser models.
Mexico ordered a whole batch of 40,000 of these rifles, but by the time they were delivered in 1911, the country was in the midst of a revolution. Diaz’s government collapsed, and the new leadership, under General Victoriano Huerta, found themselves with a bunch of surplus Japanese rifles. Out of the original 40,000, only 5,000 made it to the Mexican Army. The rest of ‘em? Well, the Japanese were left with a lot of rifles they couldn’t do much with. Eventually, during World War II, the surplus rifles were sold to Russia and used by the Russian Imperial Army.
So, when you talk about the Arisaka, it ain’t just about the 6.5. Those 7mm versions got their own story to tell too. You bet they’re built like a brick house, and I’m sure they did their job real well.
Now, I also got myself a 6.5 Swedish Mauser. I tell ya, that rifle is a real gem—smooth as butter and it hits right where you aim. Every time. If you’re lookin’ for accuracy, that Swedish Mauser’s the way to go. But then there's my 8mm German Mauser. Well, now, that’s a whole different animal. It shoots high—way too high.
I remember goin’ deer huntin’ with that ol’ 8mm. Had to aim way low, right near the bottom of the deer’s chest, just to get the shot right. The poor critter was maybe 40 yards out, but I didn’t let that stop me. I made the shot and dropped him clean—don’t get me wrong, I was happy with the result, but with all that German engineering, you'd think they could've made the sights a bit more reliable!
Oh, and speakin’ of them Arisakas, you know the Mexicans had a bit of a fascination with ‘em too before World War II. Turns out, they imported a whole mess of them Arisaka rifles from the Japanese—but here’s the twist, they didn’t get ‘em in the usual 6.5 caliber. Nah, these rifles were chambered in 7mm Mauser! That’s right, they took the strong ol’ Arisaka action, and chambered it for the same round the Mexican army used. It was a mighty good deal, especially since the 7mm Mauser was already a solid performer in military rifles.
And here’s a bit of history for ya: Mexico was goin’ through a time of reform and modernization under President Porfirio Diaz in the early 1900s. He needed to upgrade the army, and the standard issue was the 7x57mm Mauser. But even with local production and foreign imports, Mexico still needed more rifles. So, in 1910, Diaz looked to Japan for help. Now, Japan and Mexico had good relations back then, and Mexico even had military advisors in Japan.
With a little influence, Diaz managed to secure a contract with Japan for Type 38 Arisaka rifles. These were chambered in 7mm Mauser to match Mexico’s standard caliber, not the usual 6.5. The rifles were produced at the Koishikowa Arsenal, and each one had the Mexican crest and "Republica Mexicana" stamped right on the receiver. The rifles were made in 1910 but stamped 1913 to avoid confusion with Mexico’s own Mauser models.
Mexico ordered a whole batch of 40,000 of these rifles, but by the time they were delivered in 1911, the country was in the midst of a revolution. Diaz’s government collapsed, and the new leadership, under General Victoriano Huerta, found themselves with a bunch of surplus Japanese rifles. Out of the original 40,000, only 5,000 made it to the Mexican Army. The rest of ‘em? Well, the Japanese were left with a lot of rifles they couldn’t do much with. Eventually, during World War II, the surplus rifles were sold to Russia and used by the Russian Imperial Army.
So, when you talk about the Arisaka, it ain’t just about the 6.5. Those 7mm versions got their own story to tell too. You bet they’re built like a brick house, and I’m sure they did their job real well.
