[hogcoach]

I have purchased two type 99's that have the mum still on them but both have the wrong bolt (They need 755 and 766)( They have 498 and 873). If it is believed that these are non-surrender rifles is there a theory or reason for the bolts not to match?

 

[Pea Shooter]

One of the stories is the bolts were taken out on the way home so that the gun was non functioning. When they got home a soldier got his rifle and went to a pile of bolts and picked one up for his rifle. Vaughn

 

[hogcoach]

Thanks Vaughn, That makes sense. One other strange thing, my "last ditch" has a welded "last ditch" bolt.

 

[thefinfin]

Are you talking about the safety being welded? If so, that was one of the short-cuts to make production of the rifles faster. If not the safety, then you may want to post some pics.
fin

 

[CosmicCharlie24]

I think his point is if the bolts were removed prior to boarding a ship home and he was given a random bolt when he got stateside why would he have received the correct kind of bolt for his rifle? It seems odd that someone handing out bolts would either know what the correct type of bolt is or even care.

 

[03man]

I think his point is if the bolts were removed prior to boarding a ship home and he was given a random bolt when he got stateside why would he have received the correct kind of bolt for his rifle? It seems odd that someone handing out bolts would either know what the correct type of bolt is or even care.

He would have had about a 50/50 chance of getting the right type bolt; but why worrry about these "un-knowable" questions???

 

[hogcoach]

Yeah, I was wondering why he would get a welded bolt that would be correct for the rifle. I knew it was an un-knowable question for me but that's what newbies do, ask question to learn. Thanks, David

 

[CosmicCharlie24]

He would have had about a 50/50 chance of getting the right type bolt; but why worrry about these "un-knowable" questions???

Just because we don't know the answer today doesn't mean its un-knowable.

 

[03man]

Just because we don't know the answer today doesn't mean its un-knowable.

I must disagree on this question, "why" a particular mis-matched bolt is present in any given rifle is pretty much the ultimate "unknowable", of course JMHO.

It could have been switched in 1943, 1945, or 2011; absolutely no way to know for sure.

 

[Mike In memoriam]

He possibly said, "Hey! Mine had one of them sloppy welded knobs!" and they saw one and handed it to him.
They weren't complete morons. It was a pretty noticeable aspect.
Nobody ever will really know.
A broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[CW]

If they were all captured in a warehouse or arsenal, it would make sense that the rifles were from the same series, style and arsenal. Once they got home and grabbed a bolt out of the bucket and may not have received the same number, but same style.

 

[Ronin48]

Uncle Charles's job at the first of the occupation was to mismatch rifles. His fitness report depended on the number of matching rifles found when they were handed out to the vets at the end of the voyage. The more matching rifles found, the more black marks against him. That is the true and correct reason why they are are so many mismatched rifles. Unk. did a pretty good job and was awarded 20 points towards his early release from the Navy.