Type 30 rifle
| Type 30 rifle | |
|---|---|
Arisaka Type 30
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| Type | Service rifle |
| Place of origin |
 Empire of Japan
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| Service history | |
| In service | 1899–1945 (Japan) |
| Used by | Users |
| Wars |
Boxer Rebellion, Russo-Japanese War, World War I, Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II Chinese Civil War, Indonesian National Revolution, Malayan Emergency |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1897 |
| No. built | Rifles: 554,000 Carbines: 45,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.95 kilograms (8.7 lb) |
| Length | 1,280 millimetres (50 in) |
| Barrel length | 797 millimetres (31.4 in) |
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| Cartridge |
6.5×50mm Arisaka .303 British 6.5×54mm Mannlicher–Schönauer |
| Action | Bolt action |
| Rate of fire | 10–15 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 765 metres per second (2,510 ft/s) |
| Feed system | 5-round internal magazine |
The Type 30 rifle Arisaka (三十年式歩兵銃 Sanjū-nen-shiki hoheijū?, "year 30 type infantry firearm") was a box-fed bolt-action repeating rifle that was the standard infantry rifle of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1897 (the 30th year of the Meiji period, hence "Type 30") to 1905.
The Imperial Japanese Army began development of a new rifle in December 1895 to replace the Murata rifle, which had been in use since 1880. The project was handled by the Koishikawa arsenal in Tokyo under the direction of Colonel Arisaka Nariakira, and was the first in a series of rifles which would be used through World War II.
The Type 30 was first designed for the semi-rimmed 6.5×50mm Arisaka cartridge. The visor could be set up to 2,000 meters (2,200 yd). Besides the standard rifle, there was also a carbine version, 962 mm (37.9 in) long, which was intended for the cavalry and other troops who needed a shorter or lighter weapon. It had a visor that could be set up to 1,500 meters (1,600 yd). The prototype was called the "Type 29 rifle" and, after enhancements, was redesignated as the "Type 30". It went into production in 1899. This weapon could be equipped with the Type 30 bayonet.
The Type 30 was used by front-line Japanese forces in the Russo-Japanese War. Although it was a major improvement over the Type 22 rifle (also known as “Murata”), it had some reliability and safety issues. Based on combat experience, an improved version, the Type 38 rifle, was introduced in 1905, although not all units received the new version and, as a result, a mixture of models was retained by the Japanese Army into World War I and later into World War II.
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