Howa Type 64
Howa Machinery, Ltd. · Battle Rifle · In Service · 1964
Also known as: 64式7.62mm小銃, 64 Shiki 7.62mm Shoju, Type 64 Rifle
Overview
The Howa Type 64 is a Japanese select-fire battle rifle chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, developed by Howa Machinery and adopted by the Japan Self-Defense Forces in 1964 as their first domestically designed postwar service rifle. It uses a short-stroke gas piston with a tilting-bolt action and a manual gas regulator, and was deliberately tuned to fire a reduced-charge 7.62mm load so that the relatively heavy battle-rifle cartridge would be more controllable for the smaller-statured soldiers of the era. The rifle feeds from a 20-round detachable box magazine, mounts an integral folding bipod, and incorporates a mechanical rate-reducer in the trigger group to keep its cyclic rate around 500 rounds per minute during automatic fire. Built around a heavy steel receiver with a wooden stock, it served as the JSDF's standard infantry rifle for over two decades before being gradually replaced by the 5.56mm Type 89.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4400 g (155.2 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 4900 g (172.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 990 mm (38.98") |
| Barrel Length | 450 mm (17.72") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 700 m/s (2297 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2333 J (1721 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 500 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Parkerized |
Calibers
- 7.62x51mm NATO · primary · 7.62mm NATO — also known as 7.62x51mm, 7.62 NATO, .308 Winchester
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Fire Selector
- Features: Select Fire, Rate Reducer Mechanism, Hinged Buttplate, Integral Bipod, Bayonet Mount, Reduced Charge Ammunition, Short Stroke Gas Piston, Manual Gas Regulator, Folding Carry Handle
Variants
- Howa Type 64 (Sniper) — Marksman
Service history
Operators
- Japan Ground Self-Defense Force · adopted 1964 · as 64式7.62mm小銃
- Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force · adopted 1964 · as Type 64
- Japan Air Self-Defense Force · adopted 1964 · as Type 64
- Japan Coast Guard · as Type 64
Production
Estimated total produced: 230,000 · Production years: 1964-1988
Roughly 230,000 units produced exclusively for the Japan Self-Defense Forces; never offered for export.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Kijiro Nambu design lineage / Howa Machinery
Discontinued: 1988
Notes
The Type 64 was never exported, owing to Japan's strict postwar arms-export policy, making it an exclusively JSDF weapon. Its reduced-charge 7.62mm ammunition is not freely interchangeable with full-power NATO rounds without adjusting the gas regulator. The hinged buttplate and integral bipod were intended to improve stability during automatic fire, and the rifle famously disassembles easily but is criticized for a multitude of small springs and parts that are easy to lose during field stripping. Replacement by the Type 89 began in 1989, though many Type 64s remained in reserve and second-line service for decades afterward.
Background
Japanese ordnance officials judged the standard full-power 7.62x51mm NATO load too punishing for their conscripts, so the Type 64 was engineered around a domestically loaded cartridge with a reduced powder charge, trading some range for controllability in full-auto. The fire selector carries an unusual layout, and the rifle's gas regulator lets it switch between the soft service load and full-power NATO ammunition by hand. Despite being a 1960s design, the Type 64 soldiered on in JSDF reserve units well into the 21st century.