Howa

File:Power Loom by Howa Machinery.jpg on display at Tokyo Institute of Technology' museum]]

{{nihongo|Toyoda's Loom Works, Ltd.|豊田式織機株式会社}} was established by Sakichi Toyoda in February 1907.{{cite web | url=https://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75years/text/taking_on_the_automotive_business/chapter1/section2/item1.html | title=TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION GLOBAL WEBSITE | 75 Years of TOYOTA | Part1 Chapter1 Section2 | Item 1. Establishment of Toyoda Loom Company }} In 1941, Toyoda's Loom Works merged with {{nihongo|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 {{nihongo|Howa Heavy Industries, Ltd.|豊和重工業株式会社}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.howa.co.jp/en/products/firer/history.html|title=Our History (Howa Machinery Firearms Dept.)}} The company was renamed to its current name at the end of World War II and restarted manufacturing textile machinery.

Toyoda's Loom Works began manufacturing armaments in 1932.

Since 1940, Howa has been heavily involved in the Japanese armaments industry, and was involved in manufacturing the famous Arisaka rifle series including Type 99 rifle, parts of Type 38 rifle, artillery pieces, airplane parts, and ammunition. Many of their World War II-era weapons are highly sought after collectors' items.

Howa created copies of the US M1 Garand and the M1 carbine for the Japanese Self Defense Forces during the early days of the Cold War.{{cite web | url=http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_howa.html | title=Howa Machinery LTD. M1 Carbine }}{{cite web | url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/howa-1500-may-be-most-underrated-rifle-you%E2%80%99ve-never-heard-165775 | title=The National Interest: Blog }}

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

• Howa Type 64{{cite book |author=David Westwood |title=Rifles: An Illustrated History of Their Impact |year=2005 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-85109-401-1 |pages=369–370}}{{cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jiw/jiw_0395.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916185242/http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jiw/jiw_0395.html|title=Howa Type 64 7.62 mm automatic rifle (Japan), RIFLES|accessdate=July 29, 2008 |archivedate=September 16, 2008}}
• Howa Type 89{{cite web|url=http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=213|title=Howa Type 89 - Infantry Weapons |accessdate=July 29, 2008}}
• AR-18 (licensed production for Armalite Inc.){{cite web | url=https://modernfirearms.net/en/assault-rifles/u-s-a-assault-rifles/armalite-ar-18-eng/ | title=Armalite AR-18 | date=October 27, 2010 }}
• Howa Type 96
• Howa Type 20
• Howa 84mm Recoilless Rifle (licensed copy of the Swedish Carl Gustaf 84 mm Recoilless Rifle){{cite web|url=http://www13.plala.or.jp/aconit/e-nerima_soubi.html |title=Exhibision (sic) of Equipments |accessdate=February 16, 2012 |publisher=Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313105118/http://www13.plala.or.jp/aconit/e-nerima_soubi.html |archivedate=March 13, 2012 }}
• 12.7mm Spotting rifle mount for Type 60 recoilless rifles.{{Cite web|url=http://rightwing.sakura.ne.jp/equipment/jgsdf/firearms/type60-106mm-rcl/type60-106mm-rcl.html|title=60式 106mm無反動砲}}
• Mortar mount for Type 96 mortar carrier

During the early 1970s, Howa produced the AR-18 and AR-180 5.56mm assault rifle as a license from Armalite Inc. of Costa Mesa, California,{{cite web|url=http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-4.html|title=The 5.56 X 45mm: 1967|accessdate=January 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010203513/http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-4.html |archivedate=October 10, 2008 }} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-5.html|title=The 5.56 X 45mm: 1968-1969|accessdate=January 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010201853/http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-5.html |archivedate=October 10, 2008 }}

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, Smith & Wesson, and Weatherby. The Smith & Wesson Model 1000 shotgun of the 1970s and 1980s was designed and manufactured by Howa.{{cite web |url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2010/7/19/smith-wesson-model-1000-shotgun/ |title=Smith & Wesson Model 1000 Shotgun |website=American Rifleman |date=July 19, 2010 |accessdate=June 19, 2020}}

• 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: A bolt-action rifle that was once manufactured by Howa Industries between 1967-1979.
• Howa M1500: A bolt-action rifle, is produced in sporting, varmint and heavy barrel configurations, which are sold in the U.S. via Legacy Sports International.{{cite web|url=http://www.legacysports.com/products/howa/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226213400/http://www.legacysports.com/products/howa/howa_baractions.html|title=Legacy Sports' Howa Page|accessdate=January 27, 2009 |archivedate=December 26, 2008 |publisher=Legacy Sports}} In Canada, various retailers stock Howa rifles, including [https://store.prophetriver.com/ Prophet River], Cabela's, and North Pro Sports. In the United Kingdom, Highland Outdoors imports the Howa rifles.

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Category:Firearm manufacturers of Japan

Category:Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange

Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1907

Category:Companies based in Aichi Prefecture

Category:Machine tool builders

Category:Japanese companies established in 1907

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