The Arisaka Type 99 Short Rifle chambered in 7.7x58mm Japanese with a 25.9-inch barrel (universally cataloged as 26 inches in military surplus listings) is one of the most historically significant and technologically advanced firearms of World War II. Entering service in 1939, this rifle was designed to modernize the Imperial Japanese Army's infantry by packing the wallop of a heavy, full-power 7.7mm round into a fast-handling, standardized short-rifle layout. To survive the brutal humidity and corrosive salt environments of the Pacific Theater, early-to-mid war Type 99s featured full industrial chrome-plating inside the barrel bore and on the bolt face, a revolutionary manufacturing choice that prevented rust and pitting.