Howa Firearms | Howa Rifles Reviews

The Howa Machinery Company Ltd. was founded in 1907 and starting with the 1940s, it has been involved in the Japanese armaments industry. In the 1970s, the company manufactured the AR-180 5.56mm and the AR-18 for Armalite Inc. of Costa Mesa, CA which marketed the rifle to several military forces. Besides the famous Howa guns, the company also manufactures machine tools, accessories, windows, doors, electronic machines as well as sweepers and road rollers.

The company produces all kinds of rifles, starting with varmint, small game and rifles for big game like bear, elk, mouse and other large sized animals. Their latest development was realized with the assistance of Hogue, creating the Howa/Hogue .375 Ruger Rifles which has a cartridge case that is slightly larger in diameter than a .30-06, but shares the same overall case length. The Howa rifles selection continues with the Howa/Axiom Heavy Barrel Varminter which features a 70% recoil reduction. As far as the Howa shotguns offerings are concerned, the HWB20001 features a .223 Rem caliber with a magazine capacity of 5+1 in chamber. It has an overall length of 27.25” and a weight of only 4.85 lbs.

Howa Rifles

Howa hunting rifles are divided into multiple categories so that the client will find exactly what he is looking for with no effort. They offer .375 Ruger rifles, ranchland compact rifles, varminter rifles, barreled shotguns and others as well. Their most important centerfire rifles have to be the Howa/Hogue .375 Ruger Rifles, Howa/Hogue Ranchland Compact Rifles, Howa/Hogue 20” Heavy Barrel Varminter, Howa Thumbhole Sporter and the Howa Talon Thumbhole Varminter. The Talon mixes the performance features of a thumbhole stock with the Axiom Rifle Stock design which won several awards. Utilizing the new two-stage dual Knoxx recoil compensating systems, the Axiom TH has the ability to reduce felt recoil of even the most potent rifle rounds by up to 70%. Besides their listings of a Howa rifle, their rimfire selection is also quite rich, starting with the Puma M-1911-22 which is a replica of the M-1911 designed by John Browning. Other rimfire models are the Citadel Full Size series, the Puma .22 Revolver, the Puma Westerner and the Single Action Army mode, also known as the “Peacemaker”. It features a .22 caliber and loads from a single gate from the half-clock position.

Howa Shotguns

The Howa shotguns are offered into two distinct categories: heavy barrel, blued and standard barrel, stainless. All major caliber options are included here, the .223 Rem, the .204 Ruger, the .308 Win and others as well. Magazine capacity is mostly 5+1 and the action type depends on the model, but most of them are short. The HWB21213 Howa shotgun comes with a .22-250 Rem. caliber and features a 5+1 in chamber magazine capacity. It has a short action type and a muzzle diameter of .825”. With an overall length of 31.25” it has a weight of only 6.25 lbs.

The 1500 model has to be the best Howa rifle ever produced. It has a simple yet very solid design and the bolt features traditional twin opposing locking lugs and a large M-16 style extractor with plunger. The 1500 also features a very useful 3-position safety. Just like other similar designs, this allows the hunter to set the safety lever in its middle-most position and unload the rifle without the chance of accidental discharge. Forward is "fire," fully rearward is "safe" with the bolt locked into position. The best Howa shotgun in the opinion of many users is the Escort AimGuard Shotgun. The model has a 12 gauge caliber and a 5 rounds capacity. Finished in blue, it has a 20 inch barrel with a synthetic stock. Weight is only 6.9 pounds. For its price range, it is by far the best shotgun money can buy.

Howa Hunting Scopes

Howa scopesare sold in association with Nikko and they offer a special Scope Packages Combo which includes the Nikko Stirling Nighteater 3-10x42 Scope, Rings & One-Piece Base. A Howa rifle scope wears the name Nikko, which is one of the most important players in the hunting rifle scope business today. Offered in association with various rifles, the package offers a complete bundle for the end user.

The Howa firearms have a long history of over a century and produce some of the best rifles and shotguns in the world, at a very affordable price without compromising quality. Their continuous research in the firearms development has lead to many innovations that were later on implemented by other companies.