Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles Arisaka Type 38 - Flaig Sporterized

I’ve come across a few threads here on Flaig sporters, mainly all Mausers - haven’t seen anything posted on Flaig Sporterized Arisaka’s. Came across a Type 38, marked Flaig Ace in 220 Swift, a HB. I probably would have looked the other way, but it’s a Swift and holding hope it might be a Douglas barrel Flaig mated to the Arisaka action. Until I can check personally for throat erosion and barrel condition - any of y’all have thoughts on the Arisaka and Flaig’s work which from all indications was top notch?

Thanks in advance for your help.

I’ve heard they made nice rifles, never seen a jap before

All of the rifles i have seen have been done good for their time.

A cousin of the wife had a 243 that i would have liked to have and i don't really care for the 243.

Arisaka Type 38s make better looking sporters than the Type 99 in my opinion. I owned a couple of custom Type 38s still in 6.5MM over the years, and Im always on the lookout for others

Appreciate the input here from fellow members, thanks for your time.

I have handled a few Flaig rifles and have always impressed with the workmanship of them. Please post photos if you buy the Arisaka

P.O. Ackley proved the Arisakas were stronger than other actions available at the time.

I don't know if it's a "story" but, I've heard the one about a guy that bought what he thought was a Jap rebarreled .30-06. It turned out to be a 6.5-06 with original barrel and rechambered. He shot it several times with .30-06 ammo. Didn't hurt it at all.

No idea about Flaig's, but a buddy of mine went through a phase where he was seeing how much powder it would take to blow up mil-surp rifles. He said that SMLES were the first to go and Arisakas were the last.


Okie John

I owned one in .243 which I gave my oldest son, he loves it and wouldn't take a new Kimber for it. I also have one in .22-250 , it kills stuff just fine . Neither rifle cost me more than $100.00 when I bought them about 20 years ago.

I'm curious, what's the price on the rifle?

Great help from everyone’s comments about the Arisaka action and those who commented on Flaig’s work. I’m having a heck of a time trying to schedule time to see this in person, get better pictures and see just how good the bore is. These are only pictures I have available - asking price is $550.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/6yKFK52

May be my computer, but looks like some bluing loss on the barrel. I'm not real familiar with Flaig rifles, but $550 seems a bit high for a sporterized Arisaka...any chance the mum is still intact?

Definite bluing loss, not just your computer. Too hard to tell from these photos I have for top of the receiver to know whether the mum is or is not there. If I get a chance to ever see this in person (scheduling with seller hasn’t worked out) and get better pictures I will certainly post.

To me it looks like a rifle that you better love if you buy it because it will be difficult to sell something like that, the day of the sporterized military rifles has come and gone.
I do not see any relevance as to whether it has the mum or not because it is already bastardized.

drover

$550 ? You're talking a decent ADL.

Never ever said I’d give asking price or even come close to it - why I’m getting some help and feedback.

Nonsense, sporterized rifles are as popular today as ever. Now, people actually converting older unmolested mil surp rifles are a lot fewer, but that's simply because prices on original guns have skyrocketed. But sporterized rifles still sell pretty well. That being said, converted Arisakas are still probably some of the least desirable.

I built a 22-250 50 years ago on a 6.5 Arisaka, Douglas bbl and Herters stock. Wore a K-10 and Timney trigger. 250 bucks all done. Shot one hole groups and killed 100s of chucks and crows.
Better lock time than an 03, way more gasproof than 03 or Mauser, far stronger than any military action.

Silly to consider today but back then --------

how did he get a 30-06 to chamber in a 6.5-06??????

Flaigs was a highly respected gunsmith located just north of Pgh. Pa. I have seen there work at various gun shows in the area and it was always high quality and commanded a premium price. In western Pa. owning a Flaigs built rifle was a sign of wealth, their work wasn't cheap. I once owned a sporterized Arisaka 38 re-barreled to 257 Roberts, not by Flaigs, it was a well built rifle that was very accurate. I just never could get used to the awkward safety, it was hard for me to operate. If you could handle one before buying I would recommend it.

Don't know. Maybe it's just a wild story.

I recall Flaig's Lodge of Millvale, Pa from the myriad full page ads in such prominent publications as American Rifleman, Guns Magazine, etc from Fifties to ???. Them and Paul Jager No direct business with them, but all inferences accrued over some decades of quality rifle making. I have one of theirs likely was shipped out as a barreled action and stocked later as it's serviceable but bit clunky.
A medium weight barreled FN Mauser in 7x61 Sharpe & Hart. Bought it really cheap as by the era I picked it up, that chambering was largely history and sustained primarily by a small group of Schultz & Larsen rifle enthusiasts - including me - of which it reflected was a principal chambering and I was 'long on such ammo. The era of mine was almost surely early Sixties also dated by proclivity for that chambering which never reached 'rotation speed' to get off the ground. Pix below. Also here, result of Googling: https://www.ebay.com/itm/155164519951 No advertising intent but good ad visualization of Flaig's ads.

Best!
John

Some of Flaig’s stuff was top of the line, other stuff not so much. I think your seller is trying to sell the name on this one - personally I’d pass on that one unless you could get it for much less…..and I like Arisakas. I have two sporters in 6.5x257, with Timney triggers and safeties installed they are very accurate with Hornady 129s.

Just my two cents so take it FWIW!

PennDog