Arisaka Type 97

Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle

Imperial Japan | 1937

"The Arisaka Type 97 was based upon the established framework provided by the earlier Type 38 infantry rifle series."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/22/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Taking a page from European battlefield doctrine, the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) finally moved to adopt a standardized sniper rifle. This came in the form of the Type 38 bolt-action infantry service rifle which, when a 2.5x scope and monopod was added and the stock reduced in weight, became the "Type 97". The series was introduced during 1937 in time for the bulk of the fighting in World War 2 (1939-1945).

The Type 97 differed little from its Type 38 origins beyond the aforementioned changes and modifications. One of the key limiting factors was its continued reliance on the 6.5x50mm Arisaka rifle cartridge which fared somewhat poorly when compared to its European counterparts. The rest of the rifle was conventional in that a manually-actuated bolt-action system was used and feeding was from a 5-round internal magazine (stocked by way of "stripper" clips). Overall weight was 8.7lb with an overall length of 50" and barrel assembly measuring 31.4" long.

Production of the Type 97 spanned from 1937 until the end of World War 2 in 1945 and the series saw additional combat action in the Chinese Civil War (1927-1936) (where the need for dedicated Japanese sniper elements was impressed upon authorities after facing German-trained Chinese snipers in the field), the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953).

In practice, the rifles proved their worth. Even though the 6.5mm Arisaka rifle cartridge was relatively underpowered in its man-stopping capabilities, it was lethal nonetheless and the added inherent benefit was that little muzzle flash was encountered at range, making the sniper's position hard to identify particularly in deep brush or in the jungle environment.

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Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Arisaka Type 97. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

2,500 ft
762.0 m | 833.3 yds
Max.Eff.Range

12
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire

2,500 ft/sec
762 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity

Physical
The physical qualities of the Arisaka Type 97. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

1,280 mm
50.39 in
O/A Length

797 mm
31.38 in
Barrel Length

8.71 lb
3.95 kg
Weight

Manually-Actuated Bolt-Action System; Repeat-Fire.
Action

6.5x50mm Arisaka
Caliber(s)

5-round internal magazine (stripper clip-loaded).
Feed

2.5x Telescopic Sighting Device.
Sights

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Arisaka Type 97 Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle family line.

Type 97 - Base Series Designation.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Arisaka Type 97. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): State Factories / Arisaka - Empire of Japan

[ Imperial Japan ]

Going Further...
The Arisaka Type 97 Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle appears in the following collections:

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