^Lot 495 Japanese Type 38 Training Rifle. "Tarawa"

Japanese WW2 Type 38 Arisaka Nippon Special Steel Training Rifle. (NON GUN). No serial number(correct). 31 1/2" smoothbore(correct) barrel. Nippon Special Steel mon on top of receiver. Smoothbore is dark/rough. Made for training with wood blanks. Bayonet attached, the right side of the bayonet's hand guard has a bullet impact mark which knocked of the wood grip. Old note is attached to the buttstock with twine which reads "Tarawa Nov. 1943 battle weary Jap rifle & bayonet. note the direct hit taken on the bayonet handguard which took out the grip on that side". One source states While no specific "Japanese training rifle" is prominently mentioned in relation to the Battle of Tarawa, It's likely that some soldiers in training or in less critical roles would have used these rifles, and that some would have been present at Tarawa". Could have been used in last ditch Banzai charges such as on 23 November, last day of the battle, a large Banzai charge was made at 03:00 and met with some success, killing 45 Americans and wounding 128, the Marines killed 325 Japanese attackers. An interesting rifle.
***Non Regulated Item***