Top Selling Guns | March 2024

If you regularly follow GunBroker.com's Top Selling Report, presented by GunGenius.com, you’ve likely noticed that many firearm models maintain their top-five sales position throughout the year. Occasionally, however, a firearm that hadn’t appeared on the previous month’s list works its way to a top-five finish, and that’s exactly what has happened with Howa’s Model 1500 rifle. The Howa 1500 ranks as the second best-selling bolt-action rifle for March, just behind the Ruger American Rifle. Rounding out this month’s list of best-selling new bolt-actions are the Remington Model 700 in third place, the Browning X-Bolt in fourth, and the CZ-USA 457 in fifth position.

If you’re familiar with the Howa 1500 you’re probably pleased to see that this rifle is getting the recognition that it deserves. Over the years I’d estimate that I’ve tested over a dozen rifles with Howa 1500 actions (which includes Weatherby’s Vanguard rifles) and I’ve always been very impressed with the design, function, and accuracy.

Despite its recent arrival on our best-seller list, Howa 1500 rifles have been around for many years. Howa was established in Japan in 1941, a result of a merger between Toyoda Loom Works, Limited and Showa Heavy Industries, Limited, and began manufacturing Arisaka Type 99 rifles and other military equipment. Following World War II the company was renamed Howa Machinery, Ltd and began manufacturing textile machinery. The Postdam Order of 1945 halted the production of military firearms in Japan, but the start of the Korean War resulted in an amendment that allowed Japan to begin producing grenades, bombs, and other weapons.

In 1959 Howa entered the sporting firearms market, and in 1960 they unveiled the Model 300 semiauto hunting rifle, and in 1967 the company unveiled their Golden Bear bolt-action hunting rifle at the SHOT Show in Chicago. Roughly 3,000 of these rifles were imported to the United States, and they were very similar in design to Sako’s Finnbear bolt-action.

In 1979 Howa released the Model 1500. The Howa’s dual-lug, push-feed design was similar to the Remington Model 700 and affordable Howa actions were used by gunsmiths to build custom rifles. Howa rifles and actions were imported to the United States through Interarmco, but in 2000 the company was sold to Legacy Sports International. Since then, Legacy Sports, which is based in Reno, Nevada, has been importing Howa rifles into the United States.

Since Legacy Sports began importing Howa rifles in 2000 they have expanded the catalog of options and features available on these rifles. In 2011 Howa began offering these rifles with H.A.C.T. triggers. The H.A.C.T. (Howa Actuator Controlled Trigger) features a two-stage design with light take-up and a crisp break. It’s a safe and reliable design that makes today’s Howa rifles capable of exceptional accuracy. In 2015 the company introduced their Mini Action which reduces the 1500 action’s size so that it is optimized for calibers like the .223 Remington and 6mm ARC. The Mini Action allows for a shorter bolt stroke, reduced weight, and a smaller footprint to maximize the benefits of smaller cartridges.

Today’s lineup of Howa rifles is robust and offers something for every hunter or shooter. The Howa Hogue rifle combines Howa’s Model 1500 barrel action with a pillar bedded Hogue stock, a durable and accurate combination. There’s also a Howa 1500 model with an H.S. Precision stock with your choice of a steel or carbon fiber barrel, and new this year is a Super Deluxe Walnut model with a classically styled walnut stock with orange recoil pad and rosewood fore end cap that will appeal to those who like the look and feel of a traditional wood-stocked rifle. For long-range target shooting Howa offers their Hera H7 rifle, TSP X, and other chassis rifles designed specifically for optimal accuracy at extended ranges.

Howa also offers one of the most robust lineups of mountain hunting rifles available today. The Superlite, which was introduced last year, combines a Model 1500 action with a thin barrel and a Stocky’s Stock to keep weight below four-and-a-half pounds while still maintaining an impressive level of accuracy at a price point that’s well below many competing (and heavier) mountain rifles from other manufacturers. Howa has added a version of the Superlite with a shortened barrel that works well with suppressors as well as a combo version with a Vortex scope. The company’s Carbon Stalker and Carbon Elevate rifles are almost as light, and the TSP H model features a folding stock and a shortened barrel that make it ideal for the backpacking hunter.

Of the Howa rifles I’ve tested, all have shot well, and that includes a range of guns chambered from .243 Winchester to .375 Ruger. Howa promises MOA accuracy from their rifles and none of the guns I’ve tested couldn’t manage that with at least one load while others performed far better than the inch-at-100-yards standard. The H.A.C.T. trigger, one of the rare two-stage designs on the market, is excellent, and these rifles come with a three-position rocker-type safety that allows you to load and unload the rifle with the safety engaged.

Legacy Sports International imports other firearms alongside Howa, too. Citadel, SCSA TAPIAN X, Pointer, Puma, and Nikko Sterling optics are among the other brands they offer. If you’re in a gun shop there’s a good chance one of the firearms on display was imported by Legacy Sports.

"Howa’s success comes down to building rifles that are accurate and affordable," says Andy McCormick, president of Legacy Sports International. 

I’m thrilled to see that Howa’s fabulous 1500 is finally getting the ATTENTION that it deserves. 45 years after the first Model 1500 rolled off the assembly line in Japan this brand is still offering excellent guns at a very competitive price. The Model 1500 line has grown to accommodate the needs of just about every hunter and shooter, and every time someone asks for recommendations for new rifles Howa is always on my list of suggested guns.

Top Selling Guns Sold in March 2024

Source: gungenius.com/top-selling/

To learn more or shop for any of the guns listed, visit Gun Genius at www.gungenius.com/top-selling.

Editor's note: In the report, guns are rated from one to five within each category, with the number one gun being the most popular that month. The numbers are color-coded to show any changes in the ranks from the previous report.

Black = Steady
Green = Up
Red = Down

Source: gungenius.com/top-selling/

To learn more or shop for any of the guns listed, visit Gun Genius at www.gungenius.com/top-selling.

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