A type 30 carbine for identification

[haibin]

Here is a Japanese Type 30 carbine all right. The characters are barely but positively seeable. And it has no dust cover. The bolt head is missing. What really puzzles me is the series number, which reads 1244570, and the rear sight graduated for 2000 meters.. However, reference tolds me that only about 554000 rifles and 45000 carbines were built. In addition, the carbine has a rear sight graduated at 1500m. Is something wrong with my rifle and did I miss something? Haibin
Photos: the rifle showing the belt swivel on the left side; comparison with a type 99 short rifle (top); serial number; rear sight; characters of Type 30; charactes of Type 30.

the rifle

[Akira Takizawa]

I think that it is not Type 30 Carbine, but Type 30 Rifle. Type 30 Carbine is shorter than Type 99 Short Rifle. But, it is longer. And the max range of the sight is 2,000m. It is Type 30 Rifle.

Taki

[haibin]

Thanks, Taki. It is suggested by others that it is a cut-off rifle.

[Akira Takizawa]

It has no front sight. Probably, it was cut off.

Taki

[haibin]

Any comments on the unusually big serial number?

[Akira Takizawa]

I have no idea. I am not familiar with rifles.

Taki

[Wellgunde]

My understanding is that there were several manufacturers of this weapon. Each of which was assigned several blocks of serial numbers from one consecutive series. The blocks of serial numbers were large enough to ensure that each maker would not run out of numbers. Hence, it happens that a large serial number may have been produced prior to a smaller serial number and that the highest serial number actually used does not correctly reflect the total number of weapons produced.

Many Type 30's have passed through a variety of owners resulting in many parts being replacements, not all of Japanese manufacture. The rifle has also frequently been rechambered to take a different size ammunition. You might want to check the specifications of your rifle to see if it matches the original. Also, I didn't notice a chrysanthemum seal on your rifle. If it does not have one and it appears not to have been ground off, your rifle was probably one of those manufactured by the Japanese for sale to Great Britain and other foreign countries.

[haibin]

If you hard, you will find the outline of the "mum". the three petals on the top are quite visiable.