Type 99 sniper rifle
| Type 99 sniper rifle | |
|---|---|
 CG picture of Type 99 sniper rifle | |
| Type | Sniper rifle |
| Place of origin | Empire of Japan |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Empire of Japan |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| No. built | 11,000[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 1,100 millimetres (45 in)[2] |
| Barrel length | 660 millimetres (25.8 in)[2] |
| Cartridge | 7.7×58mm Arisaka |
| Action | Bolt action |
| Muzzle velocity | 700 metres per second (2,300 ft/s)[2] |
| Effective firing range | 550 metres (600 yd) (without scope)[2] |
| Maximum firing range | 2,700 metres (3,000 yd)[2] |
| Feed system | 5-round internal box magazine, stripper clip loaded |
| Sights | 2.5x or 4x telescopic sight |
The Type 99 sniper rifle (九九式狙撃銃, Kyūkyū-shiki sogeki-jū) was a Japanese sniper rifle used during the Second World War. It was a sniper version of the Type 99 rifle, chambered in the 7.7×58mm round. Although it was intended to replace the Type 97 sniper rifle, the production rate was never able to meet wartime demands, and as result the Japanese used both the Type 97 and Type 99 sniper rifles until the end of the war.
Background
[edit]In 1937, the Japanese adopted the Type 97 sniper rifle, which was a standard issue Type 38 rifle with a 2.5x telescopic sight fitted and a bent down bolt handle. The 6.5 mm round lacked power and accuracy at long ranges, so when the 7.7 mm Type 99 rifle was adopted, the Japanese conducted trials with long and short Type 99s modified as sniper rifles in 1941. Both models showed a substantial increase in accuracy (about 35%) in comparison to the standard infantry rifle while the difference in performance between the long and short rifles wasn't significant, so the latter was adopted for service. The rifle never received an official designation, being simply called as the Type 99 Sniper Rifle.[3]
Design
[edit]The Type 99 sniper rifle was largely identical to the Type 99 infantry rifle, with the main difference being the bent down bolt handle to avoid hitting the scope when open.[4] The Type 99 sniper rifle was purpose-built by the factory, with each sight being adjusted for a specific rifle and marked with the rifle's serial number, though manufacturing tolerances weren't any more demanding than the regular infantry rifles.[5]
Smith notes that the sniper rifle featured a somewhat better finish and a telescopic sight fitted to left side of the receiver. The scope had a fixed sight, a 2.5 magnification power, a 10° degree field of vision and weighted about 480 grams (17 oz).[6] Since the sights could not be adjusted, the rifleman used reticule marks to compensate for range and drift instead. About half of the rifles produced received 4x power scopes instead of 2.5x scopes.[7]
The Type 99 was considered as a rugged rifle, with Smith declaring that it was one of the "simplest and most efficient of all the Mauser rifle variants".[8]
History
[edit]The Type 99 sniper rifle was intended to replace the Type 97 sniper rifle, but the Japanese never managed to produce enough rifles to meet wartime demand, and as a result both the Type 97 and Type 99 sniper rifles were used until the end the war.[9]
According to Ness, the Nagoya Arsenal built around 10,000 rifles while the Kokura Arsenal built around 1,000.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Ness 2014, p. 33.
- ^ a b c d e War Department General Staff, United States (1943). Japanese Infantry Weapons. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 42. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Ness 2014, pp. 32−33.
- ^ Ness 2014, p. 38.
- ^ Ness 2014, pp. 33, 39.
- ^ Smith 1948, p. 265.
- ^ Ness 2014, p. 39.
- ^ Smith 1948, p. 266.
- ^ Cloe & National Park Service 2017, p. 169.
Bibliography
[edit]- Cloe, John Haile; National Park Service, United States (2017). Attu: The Forgotten Battle. Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0-9965837-3-2.
- Ness, Leland (2014). Rikugun: Volume 2 - Weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces. Helion. ISBN 978-1-912174-58-4.
- Smith, Walter Harold Black (1948). Rifles Volume Two of The N. R. A. Book of Small Arms. National Rifle Association of America. Retrieved 25 September 2024.