Original Item: Japanese machine guns rarely show up for sale, so we were especially excited when our man Chris found this and brought it back. The Type 99 was probably the most successful Japanese Army machine gun of the Second World War. It looks like and was used like the famous British Bren gun, including the top-mounted magazine, a folding bipod, and a quick-change barrel. Unlike the Bren gun, however, the Type 99 was equipped with a mount for the standard Japanese rifle bayonet.

This Type 99 has been correctly demilled to BATFE specs, with the receiver having been cut into four pieces. When we got it, it did not have either a magazine or a conical flash hider. We were able to fit a Vickers-Berthier magazine, which looks pretty good, but we could not find a suitable flash hider. It had obviously lain neglected for years, and the external surfaces had apparently rusted, although some previous owner bead-blasted the surfaces so that the gun is now a nice uniform steel gray. If you are into Japanese WW2 small arms, this is a rare opportunity to own a classic Japanese light machine gun for a fraction of the cost or hassle of a transferable full auto.