No different, outcome, except it might have been harder to extract the split shell. The Type 38 has top vent holes in the receiver, and an ingenious way to allow gases entering the bolt around the firing pin to travel backwards only to eventually be redirected forwards by the rear cap / palm safety. It effectively has four locking lugs, two primary, two secondary. In addition to two strong locking lugs, it also has (1) port side spare locking lug (hits against the bolt stop on port side, to avoid wearing the business surface of the port locking lug) and (2) the bolt handle on the starboard side, functioning as a rear locking lug.
Some additional protection to shooters eyes from the dust cover. It would stop direct debris from the top of the bolt travelling directly back, but might let some gases travel backwards underneath it. A really big bang up front would likely lift up the front of the dust cover, but it would stay attached at the rear and thus still deflect stuff from going straight back.
The thing is over engineered. Estonia even re-bored Type 38s from 6.5mmx51SR to 7.7x56R (.303 Brit).
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