Original Item: Only One Item Available. This is a very good condition Pre-WWII issue Japanese Model 30 Arisaka rifle bayonet, manufactured by Kokura Arsenal. It comes complete with an original steel scabbard, which is fitted in a very nice leather frog.

Condition of the bayonet is very good, with a great lightly worn look. The blade shows some staining and oxidation, though the bluing has been mostly retained. The hilt is in good shape as well, with very nice wooden grip scales, and a fully functional bayonet latch.

This bayonet was manufactured between 1935 and 1942 by Kokura Arsenal. The Kokura Military Arsenal, commonly known as the Kokura Arsenal, was a Japanese state owned-arsenal active from 1916 to 1945. The arsenal was established in 1916 as the Kokura Arms Factory as one of six arsenals under control of the government; the others were the Tokyo Arsenal, Nizō Arsenal (second Tokyo Arsenal), Nagoya Arsenal, Osaka Arsenal and the South Manchurian Arsenal. The arsenal manufactured various machine guns, cannons and rifles.

With the Great Kanto Earthquake damaging the Tokyo Arsenal, a decision was made to move the facilities of the Tokyo Arsenal over to the Kokura Arsenal in 1927; the move was made in 1935. The arsenal continued manufacturing arms throughout World War II, manufacturing Arisaka rifles for the Japanese Army.

The arsenal was the backup target of the US's first atomic bomb and the main target of the second; however, the arsenal could not be bombed as Kokura was being obscured by smoke and clouds from firebombing missions, so the US ended up bombing Nagasaki instead. Shortly after the Japanese surrender, the majority of the Japanese arsenals were forced to close; the arsenal was then sequestered by American forces.

Today, the arsenal buildings have been demolished, with the Kitakyushu Central Library standing in its place.

This bayonet is of the earliest Pre-WWII design, with a hooked quillon and a flat sided "bird's head" pommel. The rivet-retained wooden grips are not contoured and do not wrap around. The blade is fullered and is bright steel, and the crossguard is hooked and contoured on the side. The base of the bayonet is marked with a serial number 73738.

The scabbard and frog are in very nice service worn condition showing the typical wear and deterioration from service. The leather frog is still in good condition with the retaining strap missing.

A very hard to find Type 30 bayonet set, ready to fit to any early war Arisaka Rifle!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 15 3/4"
Blade Style: Single Edge Bayonet
Overall length: 20 1/8“
Crossguard: 3 3/4”
Scabbard Length: 16 1/4"

History of the Type 30 Bayonet-
The Type 30 bayonet (三十年式銃剣 sanjunen-shiki juken) was a bayonet designed for the Imperial Japanese Army to be used with the Arisaka Type 30 Rifle and was later used on the Type 38 and Type 99 rifles. Some 8.4 million were produced, and it remained in front-line use from the Russo-Japanese War to the end of World War II.

Type 30 Bayonet was a single-edged sword bayonet with a 400 millimetres (15.75 in) blade and an overall length of 514 millimetres (20.24 in) with a weight of approximately 700 grams. The Type 30 bayonet is also known as the "Pattern 1897 bayonet". Early Type 30 bayonets usually sported a hooked quillion guard that gave it a distinct look, but later models had a straight hand guard.

The design was intended to give the average Japanese infantryman a long enough reach to piece the abdomen of a cavalryman. However, the design had a number of drawbacks, some caused by the poor quality of forgings used, which tended to rust quickly and not hold an edge, and to break when bent.

These bayonets were manufactured from 1897 to 1945 at a number of locations, including the Kokura Arsenal, Koishikawa Arsenal (Tokyo) and Nagoya Arsenal, as well as under contract by private manufacturers including Matsushita, Toyoda Automatic Loom and many others, including Jinsen Arsenal in Occupied Korea.