We currently have the following Howa Rifles available:

Are you looking for a specific rifle which we currently don’t have in stock? Fill in the following and we will see if we can find one for you!

About Howa Rifles

Overview of Howa Rifles

Howa Machinery, Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturer of machinery, well-known throughout the world for producing military and civilian firearms.

Since its first shipment in 1967, Howa Machinery has been exporting sporting rifles for more than five decades. In terms of quality and design evolution, their Howa Model 1500 sporting rifle has consistently led the pack.

Sport shooters from all over the world use their rifles and experience the difference for themselves.

In 1967, they debuted the Howa Golden Bear bolt action rifle at the Chicago Shot Show and currently manufacture the Howa Model 1500 Rifle, which is used in many countries around the world, including the United States.

The History of Howa Rifles

Howa Machinery, Ltd. was established in the 1930s under the name of Toyoda’s Loom Works, Ltd. for producing textile machines but later accepted orders of weapons from the army in Nagoya. Its first product was a hand grenade.

Showa Heavy Industries, Ltd was established in 1936 and started producing rifles, cannonballs, and parts for airplanes and in 1941 the two merged and was renamed Howa Heavy Industries, Ltd.

During WW II Howa Heavy Industries, Ltd manufactured Arisaka Rifles Type 99, parts for infantry rifles type 38, artillery, machine guns, bullets, and airplanes parts.

From 1957 Howa started manufacturing 12.7mm Spotting rifles for a 106mm recoilless gun and by 1959 they entered the domestic hunting rifle market and Japan’s first tunnel type target shooting range was built.

By 1960 Howa produced the first mass produce hunting rifle in Japan, a semi-auto Model 300 carbine. It was well received by Japanese sportsman due to its compact and light design that fit their physique.

With sophisticated technology Howa developed the Type 64 rifle in 1964, for official equipment for the Japan Defense Agency.

Howa also established a firearms factory with ammunition storage and ancillary facilities. Thai Police also started to use the Model 300’s improved version and 10,000 rifles were exported to Thailand by 1966.

Howa introduced the Howa Golden Bear bolt action rifle at the Chicago Shot Show in 1967 after which was accepted in the US market and about 3000 golden bear rifles were exported to the U.S.A.

In 1968 a new tougher and more versatile Model 300 was developed and in 1977 they started developing a rifle that was able to use 5.56mm ammunition – the Type 89 rifle that was later also adopted and used by the Japan Defense Agency as official equipment.

Since 1979 Howa exported Howa Model 1500s, based on the Golden Bear rifle and in 2011 the M1500 was upgraded with the introduction of a new type trigger system which was known as HACT ™.

In 2015 they developed the M1500 Mini Action and started to produce small sized calibers that became more and more popular.

Today, the Firearms Department of Howa, which began with the manufacturing of weapons in the company’s early years, continues to design and build sporting and defense firearms that are revered in Japan and Internationally.

These firearms can be used for both sporting and defensive purposes.

Howa finds it feasible to design and produce firearms of exceptional quality that are guaranteed to entirely satisfy clients as a result of their years of experience and the engineering know-how that they have gathered over the course of many years.

Their labor force makes an effort each and every day to uphold this legacy.

Unique Features of Howa Rifles

From the firing pin to the barrel, every Howa rifle is perfectly designed, quality machined, fitted with exacting tolerances, and made of superior hammer forged pre-hardened steel.

All Howa Rifles are outfitted with cutting-edge technological features and innovations.

The 2-stage HACT Trigger has no creep, a crisp light trigger pull, and a consistent let-off. The new Howa HACT 2-Stage triggers give the shooter instant access to sub-moa accuracy right out of the box.

All Howa rifles have a three-position safety that allows the action to be locked down and unloaded while safe.

The receiver is machined, and the bolt is forged on the Barreled Action. The bolt has an integrated bolt handle as well as pressure vent holes.

The factory barrels are cold hammer forged steel and chambered symmetrically at the centre of the axis, with head space set to exacting specifications.

Bolt faces are square to the chamber and true.

Howa rifles come with the best stocks in the industry in terms of form, fit, function, and value.

HOWA 1500 barreled actions are legendary for their precision. Their cold hammer forged barrels are lightweight, durable, and remarkably accurate, with consistent bores and an incredibly smooth surface. Their one-piece receiver incorporates recoil lugs.

The forged steel bolt has two locking lugs, a dependable M16-style ejector and extractor, and a tool-free take down design.

Pros & Cons of Howa Rifles
Pros
  • Cold hammer-forged barrels are more durable because they are produced under high pressure, increasing the density of the steel, with less copper fouling inside the barrel. The barrels are also threaded, allowing you to add suppressors or muzzle brakes.
  • The two-stage HACT trigger is comparable to that on some of the best production rifles.
  • The receiver is drilled and tapped to accept a scope rail. It is a one-piece steel forged receiver with an integral recoil lug that is noticeably bulkier than other rifles.
  • The rifle has a two-lug bolt with a case extractor, similar to semi-automatic rifles. It is more dependable than other bolt action extractors.
 
Cons
  • The Howa Hogue stock is soft and absorbs recoil making it more comfortable to shoot but it can make contact with the barrel in different ways that can influence accuracy.
  • The Howa 1500 comes with an internal magazine that holds only 5 rounds.
  • The bolt knob is small to get a good grip on, making it difficult to manipulate the action quickly.
Howa Rifle Models

Howa has a long history of producing civilian hunting and target practice rifles in a variety of calibers. Howa has also produced products or components for other firearm manufacturers, including Mossberg, Smith & Wesson, and Weatherby. Models include the following:

  • Howa M300 – or Howa Carbine, a small semi-automatic rifle for consumer use and based on the M1 / M2 carbine military automatic rifle was developed and produced for hunting and sports between 1960 and 1996.
  • The Howa Golden Bear is a bolt-action rifle that was manufactured between 1967 and 1979.
  • The Howa M1500 is a bolt-action rifle.


Other models:

  • APC Chassis Rifle
  • Carbon Flag Chassis
  • Carbon Elevate
  • Carbon Fiber
  • Carbon Stalker
  • Gamepro 2.0
  • Hogue Rifle
  • KUIU Rifle
  • HS Precision
  • Mini Action Full Dip
  • Mini Action Rifle
  • Mini EXCL Lite
  • M1100 Rimfire
  • ORYX by MDT
  • Super Lite
  • TSPX
  • Walnut Rifle
 
Common Uses of Howa Rifles

Howa rifles are mainly used for hunting and practice shooting.

The Best Gear for Howa Rifles

The most popular gear fitted onto a Howa rifle is a scope, while other merchandise used by hunters can also be bought from distributors.

Caring for Your Howa Rifles

The Howa rifle recommended break-in procedure suggests the following:

  • Using copper jacketed factory ammo for the first ten shots. Clean the oil and powder residue from the barrel before each shot with an ammonia-based commercial bore cleaner. After firing each cartridge, use a good bore cleaner (preferably one containing ammonia) to remove fouling from the barrel with a soaked patch.
  • For the first ten rounds, use only a patch and rod to clean and cool the barrel between each round fired.
  • After the first ten shots, you may shoot two rounds, cleaning between each pair of shots. This simply ensures that the burnishing process is complete. In theory, you are closing the pores of the barrel metal that have become open and exposed as a result of the manufacturing process.
  • Wait at least 5 minutes between break-in shots to keep the temperature in the barrel cool. Allowing the barrel to heat up during the break-in process will hinder the steel’s ability to develop a home registration point, or memory. If you take your time at first and do it correctly, you will be much happier with the performance of your barrel in the future.

FAQs

Is Howa a Japanese Brand?

Yes, Howa is a Japanese brand. Howa Machinery Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturer known for the production of military and civilian firearms.

What Trigger Does Howa Use?

Howa uses the Timney Rifle Trigger for the Howa 1500. The trigger is factory calibrated and ready to shoot.

What Action Does a Howa 1500 Rifle Have?

A Howa 1500 rifle has push feed, center fire rifle action. The 1500 is available as a complete rifle or just a barreled action.

How Many Rounds Does a Howa 1500 Magazine Hold?

A Howa 1500 magazine holds 4 plus one in the chamber.

What Scope Can Be Used with the Howa 1500?

A Nikko Stirling Gamepro 4-12X40 Scope and ZEROLOK base & ring can be used with a Howa M1500.

What Magazine Does Howa 1500 Use?

Howa 1500 uses a 5 round 300 WM magazine.

Does Howa Produce a Left-Handed Action?

No, Howa does not produce a left-handed action.