Were Type 38 rifle stocks finished with urushi or BLO? I have read conflicting reports.
Type 38 stock finish question
Abacab
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The finish on Type 38 rifles will depend on the era in which the rifle was made. Pre 1930's era Type 38's were finished with boiled linseed oil (BLO). Later Type 38 rifles, had a lacquer type (urushi) finish applied. I am not at all sure when that transition took place. Be forewarned; Urushi contains the compound urushiol which is distilled from the sap of the Kiurushi tree. It is the "active" ingredient in poison ivy. Messing with it can lead to a very upsetting skin experience.
John in Charlotte, NC
My gun is an 800k serial number A barrel Type 38. Likely BLO.
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So now I know the Japanese used BLO and I knew that they used urushi. What was the reason for the change?
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Perhaps it (urushi) was more cheaply and readily available; linseed oil comes from flax, and urushi comes from the sap of a tree. Economics? Urushi is a really tough polymer and has been used for many years in the Orient for wood finishing. My hypothesis is that urushi was a cheaper material to obtain and use than linseed oil and was used because it served the same purpose for military rifle stocks; water proofing and wood expansion control (warping).
John in Charlotte, NC
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I was surprised to learn that BLO was used on the early Tokyo rifles.
I don't know if they were waxed to a gloss but my example from the 500K range has a fairly glossy finish
I don't know if they were waxed to a gloss but my example from the 500K range has a fairly glossy finish
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I remember reading years ago about G.I. refinishing the stocks on their souvenir rifles on the ship home and developing a skin rash. They blamed it on the wood, "Japanese rifle stocks are made from poison wood!" Think this was in an American Rifleman?
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Frank Allan's book doesn't mention the serial number range but says it was used into the 1930s when it was replaced by urushi.
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I don't know if you can go by the color to determine this. My 3rd series Nagoya T-99 has a yellowish colored stock
Variations in the kind and amount of stain added to the finish will result in different shades of stocks
Variations in the kind and amount of stain added to the finish will result in different shades of stocks
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The 1930s saw slow production of the T 38; serial number 2 million was reached in the mid 1920s, so maybe anything around 2 million or lower would be "pre-urushi".
I find the early 38s are frequently dark/dirty in color, due to long use; a really "clean" one, like A'dogs is a rare find.
I find the early 38s are frequently dark/dirty in color, due to long use; a really "clean" one, like A'dogs is a rare find.
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Indeed. When I saw this listed on Gunbroker in '02 I knew I had to have it. I put a crazy bid on it and got for, actually, less than I was willing to pay. Totally matching with an untouched mum. It will probably be one of the last pieces I ever let go of
Like you said, most of the early T-38s have that (what I call) soggy looking stock and are well used. How this one survived in this condition is something I wish I knew.
In this case the condition, alone, makes this one a rare piece.
G
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·Gorgeous rifle, I've been looking for one like it for years with no luck....I'll be missing a Type 38 rifle for a while until I can find one in that condition
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Thanks, what's most remarkable is that it is from so early in Tokyo production. Wish this one could talk - it probably wouldn't have much to say except that it hung around in a warehouse or some other area well away from any hard use. There are a few rust spots here and there, but most of the metal is like new.
It took me almost as long to find one nice Papa Nambu for my collection as it did for me to find this.
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I know, I just can't help it
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