Arisaka Type 97 Sniper
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 797 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.95 kg
- Introduced
- 1937
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Arisaka Type 97 Sniper is a Japanese bolt-action sniper rifle adopted in 1937 as the standard precision weapon of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Built on the proven Type 38 infantry rifle action and chambered in the mild-recoiling 6.5x50mm Arisaka cartridge, it carried a 2.5x telescopic sight offset to the left of the receiver so the rifle could still be charged with standard stripper clips and use its iron sights. Its long barrel produced very little muzzle flash and smoke, making concealed shooters extremely difficult to locate.
Japanese snipers armed with the Type 97 earned a fearsome reputation across the Pacific, lashing themselves into treetops and spider holes and harassing advancing Allied units for hours. Because the long barrel and 6.5mm load gave off almost no muzzle flash or smoke, U.S. and Commonwealth troops often could not locate the shooter, forcing them to methodically clear every tree and bunker at great cost.
The 2.5x scope was permanently zeroed and offset-mounted to the left, leaving the top of the receiver clear for stripper-clip loading and backup iron sights. The optic had a simple wire-cross reticle, narrow field of view, and modest light transmission compared with contemporary Western sniper scopes. A folding wire monopod under the forend helped steady the rifle in prone positions. The mild 6.5mm recoil and low flash signature favored concealment over terminal performance; the limited range and stopping power later prompted the 7.7x58mm Type 99 sniper rifle.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kokura Arsenal
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- Japan
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1937 to 1945
- Variant of
- Sniper
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 797 mm
- Overall length
- 1280 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.95 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.25 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Trigger pull
- 25.0 N
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Internal
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 762 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2634 J
- Effective range
- 550 m
- Maximum range
- 1800 m
- Rate of fire
- 12 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Type 97 2-5x telescopic sight
Left offset scope mount
Monopod- Wire crosshair reticle
Bent bolt handle- Low muzzle flash
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 430 sniper rifles | 3.95 kg | 5.40 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 429 sniper rifles | 1280 mm | 1150 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 434 sniper rifles | 797 mm | 620 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 sniper rifles | 5 | 6 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Arisaka Type 97 Sniper
How much does the Arisaka Type 97 Sniper weigh?
The Arisaka Type 97 Sniper weighs 3.95 kg (8.71 lb) empty and 4.25 kg (9.37 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Arisaka Type 97 Sniper?
The Arisaka Type 97 Sniper is chambered in 6.5x50mm Arisaka.
How many rounds does the Arisaka Type 97 Sniper hold?
The Arisaka Type 97 Sniper holds 5 rounds, fed from an internal magazine.
How long is the Arisaka Type 97 Sniper?
The Arisaka Type 97 Sniper is 1280 mm (50.4 in) long overall, with a 797 mm (31.4 in) barrel.
Who makes the Arisaka Type 97 Sniper?
The Arisaka Type 97 Sniper is made by Kokura Arsenal (Japan). It was designed by Nariakira Arisaka.
When was the Arisaka Type 97 Sniper introduced?
The Arisaka Type 97 Sniper was introduced in 1937 and discontinued in 1945.
How does the Arisaka Type 97 Sniper operate?
The Arisaka Type 97 Sniper uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Imperial Japanese Army
- 1937
- Imperial Japanese Navy
- Japan
Provenance
Confidence in this record
80%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/arisaka-type-97-sniper' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "arisaka-type-97-sniper", "name": "Arisaka Type 97 Sniper", "manufacturer": { "id": "kokura-arsenal", "name": "Kokura Arsenal", "countryCode": "JP", "foundedYear": 1933, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "4fc0b3c5a8a1d21d1e7661dfc33f94c8da8ce9b1e3bcd75a196ccfadd98e7a3f" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "JP", "year_introduced": 1937, "barrel_length_mm": 797, "weight_empty_g": 3950, "action_type": "bolt_action"}