7.7 x 58 mm Arisaka Load Data

Caliber Overview

The 7.7×58mm Japanese, commonly known as the 7.7 Arisaka, is a rifle cartridge developed by Japan in the late 1930s for use in the Type 99 Arisaka rifle. It was introduced to replace earlier Japanese service cartridges such as the 6.5×50mm Arisaka and the semi-rimmed 7.7×58mm Type 92 used in machine guns. The new rimless 7.7×58mm cartridge offered improved feeding reliability in bolt-action rifles and greater ballistic performance suitable for modern infantry combat.

The cartridge typically fires .311–.312 inch (7.9 mm) bullets, similar in diameter to those used in the .303 British. Standard military loads used bullets weighing around 174–182 grains, producing muzzle velocities of roughly 730–760 m/s (2400–2500 fps) from the Type 99 rifle’s ~26-inch barrel. This performance placed the cartridge in the same general class as other full-power military cartridges of the era, such as the .303 British, 7.62×54R, and 8×57 Mauser.