10/19/2026
Today we have a very rare J*panese Arisaka Type 99, Paratrooper Type 2 chambered in 7.7 J*p. It is complete, including the cleaning rod, however is does have a ground mum. This is the only one I have ever seen in person, and feel very fortunate to have been able to acquire it! Currently a pending sale, call 304-834-4556 for details and availability. And now the history.
The J*panese Type 2 Paratrooper R***e (also known as the TERA, or Teikoku Rikugun Aviation / Army paratroop r***e) is a two-piece takedown variant of the standard Type 99 Arisaka bolt-action r***e, developed during World War II for Imperial J*panese Army airborne forces.
Origins and Development
The Problem: Early airborne operations—such as the 1942 attack on Sumatra—proved that jumping with a full-length 4+ foot Arisaka r***e was dangerous and impractical. Initially, troops jumped with only sidearms and grenades while r***es were dropped in separate supply canisters, often leaving soldiers stranded or separated from their weapons.
Early Failures: J*pan first experimented with folding-stock designs (the Type 1 carbine, which had a weak center hinge prone to cracking) and early interrupted-thread takedowns (the Type 100). The threads on the Type 100 tended to stretch and loosen with repeated firing.
The Type 2 Solution: Finalized and adopted around 1942–1943 (Year 2602 in the J*panese Imperial calendar), the Type 2 fixed the thread-wear problem by using an interrupted thread system paired with a self-adjusting locking wedge. This allowed the barrel and receiver halves to slide straight together and lock tightly without stretching.
Key Specifications & Features
• Caliber: 7.7×58mm Arisaka
• Action: Bolt-action, two-piece takedown
• Magazine: 5-round internal box magazine (loaded via st****er clips)
• Production: Built almost exclusively at the Nagoya Arsenal.
• Total Output: Roughly 20,000 to 21,200 units were manufactured between 1943 and 1945, making it rare and highly collectible today.
Modifications from Standard Type 99:
• It omitted the wire monopod and barrel dust cover found on many standard Type 99s to reduce rattling and snagging.
• It retained anti-aircraft sights and the chrome-lined bore.
• The r***e was typically carried into combat jumps with the bolt removed and stowed separately in a chest rig, then reassembled upon landing.
Operational History & Decline
• Deployment: Used in limited airborne actions, including operations in the Philippines (such as the 1944 raids), though large-scale J*panese paratrooper assaults had largely ceased by the time production ramped up.
End of Production:
Because machining the specialized interlocking joint was labor-intensive, the J*panese military later supplemented or shifted focus toward simplified field-converted Type 99 r***es rather than continuing high-volume Type 2 production.
