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Posted: 8/25/2025 5:13:04 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Banshee35][Edited]
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I’m not normally a fan of Jap guns but stumbled upon this one on Sturm. It’s a paratrooper model and was converted to 308 so that made it more interesting to me as I’m a shooter more than a collector. I am actually pretty impressed with it overall and it’s numbers matching and never dewat from what I can see. Attached File Mag is a converted MG13 mag and have a line on some others. As a paratrooper it breaks down to fit in a jump case like this. Attached File Stock comes off by pulling a pin, metal pistol grip folds over the trigger guard as well. So my question is who can tell me more about these markings? Anybody able to tell when it was made? Attached File |
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Thanks, I will have to take a closer look as well as break it down and check numbers. Just got it today and work tonight. It came from an estate so the guy helping liquidate it couldn’t really tell me much. I did notice there are no headspace shims on the barrel. Should this be something I should be worried about with it being rechambered and all? |
| Looked at my Type 99 LMG and it was made in December of 1941 in the same arsenal. There are about 3750 serial numbers before yours but my serial number does not have a stamp in front of the numbers so I'm not sure if it is a series type pf thing. Seems hard to believe that an arsenal would only make 3750 guns in 22 months. |
If God didn't want them sheared, he would not have made them sheep.
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You can get aftermarket shims for them. Jim Langley use to sell them, now days I think his son is still selling some. It all depends on who head spaced your gun. Given the barrel matches the gun I would think that it was head spaced to the receiver when it was converted. BTW if you use normal head space gauges they will show the gun has excessive head space, that's typical for them since they are a bit generous on head space to work with the ammo and dirt back then. I know Bob Naess has done other barrel conversions for the Type 99 LMGs to 308 (I have one of his barrels). You might want to check with him to see if your gun ever went through him for work. Years ago he talked about taking a paratrooper kit off an unregister type 99 LMG and converting a non paratrooper LMG with it. Makes me wonder if this could be that gun? Given your serial numbers match might not be it though. Bob's contact is: Black River Militaria Business Name :Black River Militaria License Name :Naess, Robert E City :Cavendish State :VT Email :[email protected] Phone Number :(802) 226-7204 I checked my gunners kit and scope and neither serial numbers on them match your gun. I don't remember the serial numbers on my magazines, if there are any, without pulling them out to look at them. |
If God didn't want them sheared, he would not have made them sheep.
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Originally Posted By sgthatred: You can get aftermarket shims for them. Jim Langley use to sell them, now days I think his son is still selling some. It all depends on who head spaced your gun. Given the barrel matches the gun I would think that it was head spaced to the receiver when it was converted. BTW if you use normal head space gauges they will show the gun has excessive head space, that's typical for them since they are a bit generous on head space to work with the ammo and dirt back then. I know Bob Naess has done other barrel conversions for the Type 99 LMGs to 308 (I have one of his barrels). You might want to check with him to see if your gun ever went through him for work. Years ago he talked about taking a paratrooper kit off an unregister type 99 LMG and converting a non paratrooper LMG with it. Makes me wonder if this could be that gun? Given your serial numbers match might not be it though. Bob's contact is: Black River Militaria Business Name :Black River Militaria License Name :Naess, Robert E City :Cavendish State :VT Email :[email protected] Phone Number :(802) 226-7204 I checked my gunners kit and scope and neither serial numbers on them match your gun. I don't remember the serial numbers on my magazines, if there are any, without pulling them out to look at them. Haha, that’s who I got it from and maybe I am remembering it wrong but thought he said it was from an estate he was helping liquidate. I do seem to recall him saying that he had done the conversion to 308 on the gun and then sold it to the guy who he was now helping sell the estate of. I will reach out to him, thanks |
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