HOWA

HOWA RIFLES Howa Machinery has been exporting sporting rifles for more than five decades since its first unit shipped in 1967. The Howa M-1500 sporting rifle has continually led the pack in terms of quality and design evolution. This rifle has all the features that make Howa great, including a variety of stocks, barrel profiles and accessories to choose from. At present, the M-1500 is the only large caliber bolt action rifle produced in Japan, and is sold as Howa's representative rifle not only in Japan, but throughout the world. Howa has produced a long line of civilian hunting and target practice rifles in a range of calibers. Howa manufactures components for other firearm companies such as Mossberg, Smith & Wesson, and Weatherby. DESIGN Designed for function and value, the original Howa rifle blueprints were drawn up with a strong resemblance to the Sako L61 (FinnBear) and L579 (Forrester) centerfire bolt action rifles. MECHANISM The operating mechanism of the M-1500 series is based on the Sako FinnBear and Forrester controlled-feed bolt action system. For the M-1500 series the action is machined out of high-grade steel. The M-1500 system consists of a receiver with the top machined, drilled and tapped, with a flat bottom supported by a substantial integral recoil lug. This is where the strength of this action lies. Similarly to the old Sako’s, the bolt has simple twin locking lugs and a recessed face. The rear of the bolt is similar too, with an open shroud showing the cocking piece. Another distinctive feature of the M-1500 action is the controlled-feed mechanism, consisting of a large, sprung claw extractor that engages the cartridge case rim as soon as the round leaves the magazine and firmly holds the cartridge case until the round is ejected by the spring plunger ejector. The bolt houses the firing pin mechanism that visually protrudes from the rear of the bolt indicating if the action is cocked or not. A small disassembly button offers the possibility to access the firing pin and spring. INNOVATION Howa continuously develop and release new models like M-1500 Mini action in 2016 to better fit the .223 Remington, 6.5 Grendel, and 7.62 x 39.