The project was handled by the Koishikawa Arsenal in Tokyo under the direction of Colonel Arisaka Nariakira,[3] and was the first in a series of rifles which would be used through World War II.

Besides the standard rifle, there was also a carbine version, 962 mm (37.9 in) long, which was intended for the cavalry and other troops who needed a shorter or lighter weapon.

Based on combat experience, an improved version, the Type 38 rifle, was introduced in 1905,[5] although not all units received the new version and, as a result, a mixture of models was retained by the Japanese Army into World War I[6] and later into World War II.

A number of these rifles ended up being left behind in Finland or captured from Red Finns in the Finnish Civil War as the Soviets armed them with Arisakas.

The Czechoslovak Legion fighting in the Russian Civil War was also armed with Japanese Arisakas, including the Type 30.

Differences other than the shorter barrel and stock from the standard infantry rifle is that it lacked a handguard over the barrel, the rear sight ladder only went up to 1,500 meters (compared to the rifles 2,000 meters), the front sight had protection guards on each side, and slight changes to the bolt stop latch and the sling swivels were moved to the left side of the gun to prevent the bolt from digging into the cavalry trooper's back.

Kuang-Hsū 32 year made rifles had the standard Type 30 rear sight ladder.

[12] A crude copy of the Japanese Type 30 carbine was made in China to arm puppet troops of Japan.

Believed to have been made mostly in the Chinese city of Tientsin, the main difference between this carbine and the Japanese Type 30 carbine is that the copy is made in 7.92×57mm Mauser (8mm Mauser) and the stock is of one-piece construction instead of the typical two-piece the Japanese used.

[1] They are rarely seen since the Type 38 is most commonly used weapon converted by China after World War II.