[arisakadogs]

Very interesting. Sure was tempted on this one!
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=81769286

 

[JarrodM]

i saw it too and i was really tempted to throw a bid on it just because of the overstamp! i have never seen it before but i thought it was neat looking and it looks original!

 

[03man]

Well, that makes three of us. Never seen one or heard of it.

I meant to send the link to Frank Allen and forgot. He'll probably see it here and comment.

 

[BIG ED]

That makes 4 of us, I saw it and thought it was 1st Tokyo arsenal mark like on the ammo boxes. Maybe its a ammo plant guard rifle or property mark (removed from military service.)

 

[seinen]

I'd been watching this one all week. Frankly, I thought it would sell for a lot more than it did.

C/

 

[CW]

I had been talking to Edokko about it and here is what he had to say:

"...no it's not the Jinsen mark but the "Tokyo Dai-ichi Rikugun Zohieisho (The 1st Tokyo Amry Arsenal)" mark, so it was a later cancellation, when the 1st Tokyo had started using this logo. But very unusual, never seen anything like this."

The seller said the bolt was mis-matched, but I wonder if he knew about matching on the assembly. I'm suprised it didn't go for more either.

 

[03man]

Why

I'd been watching this one all week. Frankly, I thought it would sell for a lot more than it did.

C/

Pretty simple, at least 5 of us here didn't bid on it! It may have been a scarce miss, but not having heard of such a cancellation, I was 'saving' up for something really goood.

 

[Francis C. Allan]

I was informed that this is an Indonesian over stamp. Unfortuneately, no documentation.

Frank

 

[arisakadogs]

Hmmm, sure looks like the Tokyo 1st arsenal mark to me.

 

[JarrodM]

wow! cant believe we all slept on this one!

 

[Ithaca]

Had one just like it.

In March of 2006 I picked up a T38 rifle with the star on the mum, just like the picture above. E.mailed Fred Allan and he thought it might be Indonesian. It had the finest bore of any T38 that I ever had. The stock was sporterized, but all metal was ex. The # was 1696572. Very close to the one above. Bob in Maine

 

[Rampage19]

In March, I sold #1668161 (78xx away from this one) with the identical mum overstamp. There must me more of them out there.

 

[Franchi]

In 1989 I was in Pacific International / Federal Ordnance in El Monte CA. They probably had 100 Chinese import T38 rifles in their racks and I looked at them all. There were three with the star-circles overstamp, serial numbers: 1918193, 1926842, & 1948116 and also an "M" on receiver marked T38. I thought there might be something special about these rifles since the serials were fairly close together so I bought two of them. I reported them in "Banzai" and a few more were reported, I think the serial numbers weren't in any specific range. I have seen 2 or 3 more over the years. Condition of these rifles was a little better than the typical Chinese import.
I don't know if rifles from Indonesia were being imported in 1989. This store also carried many other imported rifles such as Enfields, Finnish Moisin Nagants, Swedish Mausers and Austrian M95s. Gary

Auction picture of overstamp

 

[03man]

Gary,
thanks for the great info on the source, date, and serial numbers.