SOLD – VERY RARE JAPANESE NAVY ISSUE LAST DITCH 02/45 RIFLE……ASSEMBLED USING THE TYPE 35 ACTION…..NAVY MARKED

This is an extremely rare and seldom seen Japanese Navy Issued end of war last ditch rifle.  Collectors refer to this as the 02/45 Last Ditch Rifle.  The 02 represents the year of adoption of the original rifle, the very rare Type 35 (1902) Naval Rifle.  As best we know, spare receivers and other obsolete parts housed in Naval Stores were assembled into Substitute Emergency use Rifles in 1945, hence the 45 portion of the nomenclature.  These rifles were strictly Naval Infantry issue weapons and this one is marked to a petty officer on the butt stock.  Today, these rifles are extremely scare and rarely encountered, if you are a serious and advanced collector of Japanese Military Long arms you will certainly have a strong interest in this fine example.