Thai T91 police carbine found!

[awo425]

Hello there!

Found that beauty at one of my dealers racks while lucking at his cool collection of handguns with shoulder stocks.

Seems like the perfect example of a T91 carbine, no wear, just some scratches from storage. Bolt is not matching, 8 numbers lower.

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/8066 ... inenk6.jpg[/pic]

Chris

[PeterN2]

I have not seen one of those before. It looks a very nice carbine. I have a Type 38 that was in Thai service, a series 25, but mine is still a long rifle, also with a mis-matched bolt.

Regards

Peter.

[awo425]

Hello Peter,

Thai/Siamese Arisakas are nearly the only ones, to be found in Germany.

I have also a thai used T38 (27th Nagoya) still ALL matching(including dustcover) but the cleaning rod was missing, made a repro for it.

You can stumble across the thai carbines here now and than, but mostly they are not in best shape, worn barrels, beat up wood, missing parts.

The import was late 60s, early 70s.

Thats why I looked somewhat suspiciuos on mine before buying it looked too good to be real.

But it is unmessed with!

Now to find a as nice army carbine, a real T38 carbine , and all the other types of arisakas...............

Chris

[PeterN2]

My Thai stamped Type 38 was imported to the UK from Germany. It has the 5 71 proof and calibre stamp the same as yours. Part of the same batch of imports perhaps?

Regards

Peter.

[1886lebel]

There were two different variations to these carbines

1. The Type 91 Royal Thai National Police

2. The Type 91 Royal Thai Army

I have got both variations of these ...

The RTNP were made from the rifles while the RTA were made from the Carbines ... You can tell the difference by the rear sights.

The Type 38 Japanese Rifles and Carbines that went to Thailand in 1940 were called the Type 81 by them.

BTW: Very nice find ... for some reason these weapons are hard to find here in the U.S.

Patrick

[awo425]

Patrick you are mostly right, but also the Army version is made from Type 38 rifles.

The rearsight has been heavily modified, ladder cut in 3 peices, middle part thrown away and the remainig two pieces weldet back together. Also the sightbase has been modified to fit the "new" ladder. So it looks like a T38 carbine sight, but the graduation of 24(00)m is still there.

I will keep looking for the Army versin too, or bette I will not look for it, that makes stumbling across one much easier

The US "missed" the surplussing of the Thai weapons, the import ban from 1968.

The batch was small, baut I spotted any known variation of Siamese/Thai Arisakas here over the years.

Chris

[riceone]

Patrick, I have an army carbine with the carbine rear sight. But its not an original carbine sight. The ladder and the base that goes around the barrel have had a peice cut out of the middle of both and welded back together so well that you have to look close and then you will see that the middle numbers on the ladder are not there and you can see the weld. Also my army carbine has the bolt handle and knob turned down to smaller diameter and bent down like a 98K mauser. Has anyone else had one like this? riceone.

[1886lebel]

What info I got was from Frank Allen regarding these ...

The easiest way to tell the difference if it went to the Army or Police is the Army version has the charka while the Police one has the Police Crest and is marked 91.

The Army front end of the stock is squared while the Police one is rounded like the M1 Carbine.

Patrick

[awo425]

In had several Police and Army Carbines in my hands over the last few years. All the Army Carbines had the boldhandle turned down like K98k and acorrespondig cutout in the stock.

All Police Carbines had straight bolt handles, but mine has the handle turned down almost 90 degree, like on some Brno made Mausers for Brasil.

The Army Carbine has the frontsight also further away from the muzzle, if I recall correctly.

Riceone, can you please measure than on your carbine????

Those carbines do turn up here in Germany now and then, same goes with the Thai used/stamped Type 38 and also some 8mm Siam rifles around.

I only saw one 30-06 conversion for sale, but there must be more.

Chris

[riceone]

The front sight on my original Siamese Army carbine is the same distance as on the regular Japanes 6.5 rifle. The barrel length and placement of front and rear sights are identical to a regular 38 carbine. But you can definetly see that the rear sight and ban has a peice cut out of the midde and expertly welded bact together. I wish i would weld that good. AWO the workmanship on your bolt handle doses not coincided with the other work on the metal and wood. I would bet someone has modified that handle after it was made. The turned down handles on the Army carbine are done very precise. riceone.