Nice! Prepare to be contacted by a lot of new friends.

 

I'd say it's worth about $200, but I'd give you $400! Just kidding. It looks like you found part of the Holy Grail. ePay would have it listed for $3500. Nice find

 

Thanks for the info

 

There should be a number on the inside plate of where it would attach to the rifle. That number should be to what rifle it was for originaly.

 

WoW !! Nice find, where / how did you locate it ? Tell us the story.....

 

That is a very nice looking scope for the T-99 "cutback" sniper. The case is dated Showa 18 (1943)

 

That is a beautiful scope and rig.

 

Hello MLM65 :

That is a nice find. It is a WW2 Type 99 sniper scope manufactured by Nippon Typewriter Company . This maker produced the first 2000 of the estimated 5500 scopes made in the 1941 - 42 period in Tokyo, the center of the optical industry.
It is a 2.5 power of magnification by 10 degree field of view, that is what is meant by the " 2.5 x 10° " on the scope tube, NTC Kogaku is the factory logo, and 99 No. 777 is the scope serial number.
As ' d - square ' mentions on thread #5, on the bright finish locking wedge on the dovetail ( on the reverse side of the locking lever ) there may be engraved a four digit number ( from 5000 to 7250, this is the rifle issue number ) or none. There may also be a one to two digit number stamped stamped inside one of those cavities, the middle of the lever shaft, the backside of the locking lever itself ( this is a production assembly number ).
Initially the scopes were mated with Kokura 99 snipers, these had the rifle number engraved on the outside of the mount area above the locking lever, so yours is definitely not one of those.
Many scopes in the No. 600 to 900 have been reported as "unissued", meaning that they were not mated to a specific rifle. Two such have surfaced in the past couple of days No. 707 and your 777.
Typically scopes in the No. 1000 to 1809 which is the highest serial number thus far recorded have engraved rifle issue numbers on the backside of the mount, these scopes were mated to Nagoya 99 sniper rifles in the 5000 to 7250 production block in late 1943 - 44. It is these issued scopes mated to Nagoya 99 rifles that should only be refer to as " Cutback " scopes .
The case itself is a canvas model of early shape same as the all leather ones of the 1930s, it is dated on the case opening as Showa 18 as arisakadogs and this translates to 1943. It appears to have the shoulder strap.
Regarding values, it depends on where the item is offered ( internet - auction - gunshow - trade papers ) and region of the country as well. The financial economy also enters the picture, if the scope is issued or not, and finally who is looking for one. Since only 1000 Kokura 99 rifles were scoped, these outside numbered scopes are the most desirable / holy grail. The 2250 scopes that were issued as cutbacks are the next wanted category. The other 2250 unissued scopes have value but are not as desirable as are the issued ones.
Once you let us know if there is a 4 digit rifle number on the backside of the mount, I will be able to tell you if the matching rifle exists or not in our files of known sniper rifles. If there is no issue number there then it is an unissued scope and it will be so recorded in the scope files.
Vicasoto

 

the number i found is either 600 or 60

 

okay i have found the number it is 60 i looked at the lenses again and didn't find any scratches or cracks and just cleaned so i"m now ready to sell

 

MLM, can you provide a close-up photo of the plate on the back side of the mount that shows the number "60?" I have a feeling the scope is unassigned to a rifle and that the "60" is a manufacturer's assy number. Whatever, a photo will save a thousand words. Thanks!

 

Here is a close up Fred.H

 

Hello MLM65 :

Thank you for the response, indeed as "fredh" states on #12 the small #60 is the maker assembly number during manufacture. Since there is no rifle number above the locking lever on on the locking plate, that makes this an unassigned / unissued scope that was probably found at the arsenal after the end of the war.
Nothing wrong with that. It can be displayed with any 97 or 99 sniper rifle that has the smaller 2.5x receiver base. Externally all " 2.5 x 10° " Type 97 & 99 scopes have the same external dimensions, they differ only the optic grid markings to compensate for the ballistic characteristics of the 6.5 and the 7.7 mm projectiles.
So desirability and value will depend upon the needs of collectors: (1) All are looking for the original matching issue number scope that the arsenal fitted to a particular rifle, these are the most desirable scope - rifle combinations, only a couple of dozen exist thus far. (2) The next desirable is to have a correct type and arsenal issue scope with a correct type rifle even though the scope issue number is not matching the rifle it is on. (3) The next level down is to have a correct type scope on a correct arsenal rifle. (4) And the final level on the desirability ladder is to have a scope that will fit the rifle regardless of rifle type or arsenal make.
So as you say:.... " I am now ready to sell ", do next expect to get to get top Dollar of a (1) (2) or (3) when all you have is a (4). So desirability, condition, completeness all will play a part on the value, my estimate is $ 2000 to 2500; but as it happens in auctions and sales it depends on who is there and how needy the buyers are as to what it will bring.
Good luck.
Vicasoto

 

I'd like to see a better photo of the brush. What I see in the case doesn't look like the scope brushes I've seen so far. Here are a couple of mine. The brush goes in that little pocket under the flap

 

Here's the brush. It looks similar to your top one.

 

I must be getting as out of it as Early Man. I didn't see the brush laying on the scope case in the first photo and in one of the later photos part of the wood inside the case looked kinda like an acid brush. My bad
Good thing I'm retiring in three months!

Did you buy it Charley?

 

Did you buy it Charley?

I did. I also picked up a previously unrecorded Nagoya cutback a little while ago. Its all matching and pretty respectible but has a ground mum - ack!!! Its my first (and hopefully only) ground mum but its not like these grown on trees. Victor has all the info on it and this scope looks great mated to it. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to take some good pics of it given a pretty busy work schedule, visiting family, etc. But when I get some time and the right lightening I take some.