Howa Type HR-13
Howa Machinery, Ltd. · Assault Rifle · Prototype
Also known as: HR-13
Overview
The Howa Type HR-13 was an experimental 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifle prototype built by Howa Machinery during the development of Japan's next-generation service rifle in the 1980s. Derived from the ArmaLite AR-18, it used a short-stroke gas piston and a multi-lug rotating bolt in a stamped sheet-metal receiver. The HR-13 was one of a numbered series of test rifles (HR-10, HR-11, HR-13, HR-15 and HR-16) evaluated by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, a program that culminated in the adoption of the Howa Type 89.
Specifications
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56x45mm NATO — also known as 5.56mm NATO, 5.56x45mm, .223 Remington
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Ar18 Derived Action, Short Stroke Gas Piston, Multi Lug Rotating Bolt, Stamped Sheet Metal Receiver
Production
Production years: 1980s
Experimental prototype series only; never mass-produced. Superseded by the production Type 89.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Notes
One of several intermediate prototypes in the Type 89 development line; the HR-16 configuration was ultimately selected and standardized as the Type 89 in 1989. Prototype-specific dimensions and ballistics are not publicly documented.
Background
The HR-series prototypes trace their lineage to the ArmaLite AR-18, which Howa had manufactured under license in Japan during the 1960s and 1970s - so when Japan needed a home-grown replacement for the Type 64, the design team already knew the AR-18's stamped-steel action intimately.