NO FREAKIN' WAY!!! How is it that this still has the mum on it?!

It's a bring back. I can say that for sure because it has no import marks. I don't know the back story on it so I don't know for sure how it came through unscathed although I can guess it was probably captured by a Chinese soldier or civilian. Beyond that, your guess it as good as mine.

I went to a gun show recently, and a guy who specialized in old surplus stuff told me that Arisakas had to have the mums removed or crossed out after the war, as part of the peace treaty. If you were a GI returning to the states after the war, and you had an Arisaka, they wouldn't let you off the ship unless the mum was ground off or crossed out. The rifles also had to have their cleaning rods removed and discarded.

The reason why the cleaning rods were removed, I believe, was because the soldiers could not bring back a fully functioning rifle. So to get around it, the military removed the cleaning rods and deemed them "non-functioning" since it was missing a part. Granted that part didn't hinder the rifle, it was still a part. At least that's what I heard.

oooo o3o ....?

Arrooo?

skeedoo