30-06 ID help?

[Medic124]

This is a rifle a friend brought over today that he got at a garage sale. It looks as if some of the stock has been re-worked and there is a plug in the bottom of the buttstock. I have not seen a bolt action/safety set up like this before so I am hoping someone here knows what make it is and roughly what year. There are no markings on the barrel. It is a 24" ported barrel and has a drop plate with a deer on it. Any help is appreciated.

[7.62 Nato]

Very interesting find. Definitely a custom. The back of the bolt reminds me of an Arisaka.

[pgaplayerless]

It's a butchered Japanese Arisaka

[Toledo Kid]

That is a 7.7 Jap conversion.

[Medic124]

Would it be safe to shoot? the 30-06 would be slightly smaller than the 7.7 correct?

[7.62 Nato]

Arisakas were pretty strong actions but the only safe answer to that ques. is to have it checked by a gunsmith, including headspace. Looks like he did a nice job on it.

[wombat12]

Yes, Arisaka, probably M99. Fairly common job in the late 40s and early 50s when 7.7 Japanese was unavailable. Most were simply rechambered for the 30-06 rather than replacing the barrel. Not terribly accurate since the 7.7 bullet is .311 diameter (as is the .303 British) rather than .308. I'd have a gunsmith check it for headspace before firing it. If a 30-06 round placed in the muzzle of the barrel goes in to the case, it's probably .311 diameter. You can improve accuracy greatly by using handloads with .311 bullets. Lee (and others) can provide 30-06 dies with a .311 expander for reasonable cost.

As far as strength goes, P.O. Ackley told of a customer bringing in an Arisaka that the customer complained kicked too hard. Turns out that a 6.5 Japanese rifle had been rechambered, but not rebored to 30-06. A .308 bullet going down a .264 bore had caused no damage, but did cause considerable recoil!