# Howa

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**Howa Machinery, Ltd.** (豊和工業株式会社, *Hōwa Kōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha*) (/ˈhoʊwɑː/ HO-wah) is a Japanese machinery manufacturer known internationally for their production of military and civilian [firearms](/source/Firearms).[1] They also manufacture products such as [machine tools](/source/Machine_tools), [sweeping vehicles](/source/Street_sweeper#Modern_sweepers_in_Asia), windows and doors.[2]

## History

**[Toyoda's Loom Works, Ltd.](/source/Toyota_Industries)** (豊田式織機株式会社) was established by [Sakichi Toyoda](/source/Sakichi_Toyoda) in February 1907.[3] In 1941, Toyoda's Loom Works merged with **Showa Heavy Industries** (昭和重工業株式会社, established in 1936 to produce rifles, artillery shells and airplane parts) and was renamed **Howa Heavy Industries, Ltd.** (豊和重工業株式会社).[4] The company was renamed to its current name at the end of [World War II](/source/World_War_II) and restarted manufacturing textile machinery.

### Weapon manufacturing

#### Military use

Toyoda's Loom Works began manufacturing armaments in 1932.[4]

#### During World War II

Since 1940, Howa has been heavily involved in the Japanese armaments industry, and was involved in manufacturing the famous [Arisaka](/source/Arisaka) rifle series including [Type 99 rifle](/source/Type_99_rifle), parts of [Type 38 rifle](/source/Type_38_rifle), artillery pieces, airplane parts, and ammunition.[4] Many of their World War II-era weapons are highly sought after collector's items.

#### Post WWII

Howa created copies of the US [M1 Garand](/source/M1_Garand_rifle) and the [M1 carbine](/source/M1_carbine) for the [Japanese Self Defense Forces](/source/Japan_Self-Defense_Forces) during the early days of the Cold War.[5][6]

Howa also designed and manufactured firearms for JGSDF use, including the following types (models):

- [Howa Type 64](/source/Howa_Type_64)[7][8]
- [Howa Type 89](/source/Howa_Type_89)[7][9]
- [AR-18](/source/AR-18) (licensed production for Armalite Inc.)[10][11]
- [Howa Type HR-13](/source/Howa_Type_89)
- [Howa Type 96](/source/Howa_Type_96)
- [Howa Type 20](/source/Howa_Type_20)
- Howa [84mm Recoilless Rifle](/source/Carl_Gustav_recoilless_rifle) (licensed copy of the Swedish [Carl Gustaf 84 mm Recoilless Rifle](/source/Carl_Gustaf_84mm_Anti-Armor_Weapon))[12]
- 12.7mm Spotting rifle mount for [Type 60 recoilless rifles](/source/Type_60_self-propelled_106_mm_recoilless_rifle).[13]
- Mortar mount for [Type 96 mortar carrier](/source/Type_96_120_mm_self-propelled_mortar)

During the early 1970s, Howa produced the [AR-18](/source/Armalite_AR-18) and AR-180 5.56mm assault rifle as a license from Armalite Inc. of Costa Mesa, California,[14] which marketed the rifle to various military forces. Japanese government restrictions on the sales of military small arms to foreign countries eventually forced Howa to cease production of the AR-18/AR-180, moving production back to Armalite.[15]

#### Civilian use

Howa has produced a long line of civilian hunting and target practice rifles in a range of calibers. Howa has also manufactured products or components for other firearm companies, such as [Mossberg](/source/O.F._Mossberg_%26_Sons), [Smith & Wesson](/source/Smith_%26_Wesson), and [Weatherby](/source/Weatherby). The [Smith & Wesson Model 1000](/source/Smith_%26_Wesson_Model_1000) shotgun of the 1970s and 1980s was designed and manufactured by Howa.[16]

- Howa M300: Based on the M1 / M2 carbine military automatic rifle designed in the United States, it was developed for hunting and sports. Produced between 1960-1996.
- [Howa Golden Bear](/source/Howa_Golden_Bear): A bolt-action rifle that was once manufactured by Howa Industries between 1967-1979.
- [Howa M1500](/source/Howa_M1500): A [bolt-action](/source/Bolt-action) rifle, is produced in [sporting](/source/Sport), [varmint](/source/Varmint) and [heavy barrel](/source/Heavy_barrel) configurations, which are sold in the U.S. via Legacy Sports International.[17] In Canada, various retailers stock Howa rifles, including [Prophet River](https://store.prophetriver.com/), [Cabela's](/source/Cabela's), and North Pro Sports. In the United Kingdom, Highland Outdoors imports the Howa rifles.

## Sources

1. Stephen Martin (July 16, 2014). *The Economics of Offsets: Defence Procurement and Coutertrade*. [Taylor & Francis](/source/Taylor_%26_Francis). p. 192. ISBN 978-1-317-83665-0.

1. ["Company Profile"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190528195850/https://asia.nikkei.com/Companies/Howa-Machinery-Ltd). *[Nikkei Asian Review](/source/Nikkei_Asian_Review)*. [Nikkei Inc.](/source/Nikkei_Inc.). Archived from [the original](https://asia.nikkei.com/Companies/Howa-Machinery-Ltd) on May 28, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.

1. ["TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION GLOBAL WEBSITE | 75 Years of TOYOTA | Part1 Chapter1 Section2 | Item 1. Establishment of Toyoda Loom Company"](https://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75years/text/taking_on_the_automotive_business/chapter1/section2/item1.html)

1. ["Our History (Howa Machinery Firearms Dept.)"](http://www.howa.co.jp/en/products/firer/history.html)

1. ["Howa Machinery LTD. M1 Carbine"](http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_howa.html)

1. ["The National Interest: Blog"](https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/howa-1500-may-be-most-underrated-rifle-you%E2%80%99ve-never-heard-165775)

1. David Westwood (2005). *Rifles: An Illustrated History of Their Impact*. [ABC-CLIO](/source/ABC-CLIO). pp. 369–370. ISBN 978-1-85109-401-1.

1. ["Howa Type 64 7.62 mm automatic rifle (Japan), RIFLES"](http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jiw/jiw_0395.html). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080916185242/http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jiw/jiw_0395.html) September 16, 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 29, 2008.

1. ["Howa Type 89 - Infantry Weapons"](http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=213). Retrieved July 29, 2008.

1. ["Armalite AR-18"](https://modernfirearms.net/en/assault-rifles/u-s-a-assault-rifles/armalite-ar-18-eng/). October 27, 2010.

1. ["A Historical Review of ArmaLite"](https://static.secure.website/wscfus/9015682/uploads/ArmaLite_History_.pdf). 2010-01-04.

1. ["Exhibision (sic) of Equipments"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120313105118/http://www13.plala.or.jp/aconit/e-nerima_soubi.html). Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces. Archived from [the original](http://www13.plala.or.jp/aconit/e-nerima_soubi.html) on March 13, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2012.

1. ["60式 106mm無反動砲"](http://rightwing.sakura.ne.jp/equipment/jgsdf/firearms/type60-106mm-rcl/type60-106mm-rcl.html). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190401035314/http://rightwing.sakura.ne.jp/equipment/jgsdf/firearms/type60-106mm-rcl/type60-106mm-rcl.html) 2019-04-01 at the Wayback Machine.

1. ["The 5.56 X 45mm: 1967"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081010203513/http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-4.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-4.html) on October 10, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.

1. ["The 5.56 X 45mm: 1968-1969"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081010201853/http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-5.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-5.html) on October 10, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.

1. ["Smith & Wesson Model 1000 Shotgun"](https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2010/7/19/smith-wesson-model-1000-shotgun/). *[American Rifleman](/source/American_Rifleman)*. July 19, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2020.

1. ["Legacy Sports' Howa Page"](http://www.legacysports.com/products/howa/). Legacy Sports. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20081226213400/http://www.legacysports.com/products/howa/howa_baractions.html) December 26, 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 27, 2009.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Howa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howa) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howa?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.