Got this from someone who knew about as much as I did about. From looking around I'm pretty sure it's a arisaka. I want to know if I'm right and about what year it was. Thanks for any help guys.

To me it looks like a sporterized Arisaka Type 38. http://world.guns.ru/rifle/repeating-rifle/jap/arisaka-3-and-99-e.htm

That's what I was thinking it was. Any idea what it might be worth?

I think that's a type 99. It was pretty common postwar for them to be rechambered for .30-06 and placed in a monte carlo stock even though the 7.7 JAP bore was .311 rather than .308. There's another anecdote about a guy who rechambered his type 38 to .30-06 and shot .308 bullets down a .264 barrel - if that's true then the 38/99 action is pretty robust. Is there a chrysanthemum stamped in it? It was also common for those to be ground off.

Unfortunately, rechambering, grinding the imperial Japanese markings off, altering the bolt to be more intuitive for American shooters and placing the action in a monte carlo stock all serve to destroy the value. A good one is probably $250 give or take.

It's been rechambered in 257 Roberts and if u are talking about the little flower design beside the serial number? If so it's still there. No markings on top though.

Definitely a Type 38 then and a pretty cool, fairly unique little trophy rifle. The "real" chrysanthemum was on top of the action over the chamber. A friend of mine sold his grandfather's rechambered 99 that was very similar to yours after his dad passed away. He wasn't able to get much for it, but he was never going to shoot it either. It's kind of like trying to decide whether to sell an old 870 that you're never going to shoot.

EDIT: I'm just assuming you're thinking about selling it anyway.

Ya I don't have much use for it. Prolly put it in the forum see if I get a good trade.

So it started life as a 6.5? I had one of those once, and it was a nice shooting rifle. I heard that many were rechambered for 257 Roberts. I would think a 25-06 would be a better rifle. The chamber might not be capable of withstanding that load though.

Yours looks very clean. My Dad brought ours back from Europe, where he bought it with a 30" barrel, and had it cut down to about 22".

Ariska 38 has a very strong action, read some of Mr Ackley's writings about how hard it is to blow one u. I have worked up loads for one that was re chambered to a wildcat 6.5X57 great shooter and round. the 6.5X57 was a real common round for rechambering those rifles to since it just takes reaming the chamber to that without further work,

It says 6.5 x 257 on the barrel. It's in really good condition except the sights are missing. Is there any way to put a scope on it?

RCBS makes dies for that Caliber and Hornady reloading manual has data for it. Easy to make the cases for it, just lube the inside and outside of neck of new 257 Roberts brass through the full length sizing die. Only necking it up .007 inch.

there are ways to scope one but do not remember how the one I worked with was scoped just know it had an older redfield on it.