What are the thoughts on this Japanese maker of firearms? I've handled many of the Brownings, and know they are about to start making more traditionally American guns. Quality seems to be better than expected...

My earliest Miroku is a gun from the later 1960's or early 70's and I'm very impressed with it's overall quality.

Hear they may be making Winchesters soon...

Your thoughts?

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Non gratum anus rodentum

I've examined the Winchester M-12 and 28 ga. repros that they've done for Browning and Winchester, and they were fine guns. I'd have bought one, had I had the money.

And I am very particular about quality.

T-Star

I've got one of their 92's that were made for Winchester about 10 years ago. I'll say this, the fit and finish on it is better than anything that came out of New Haven in a long, long time.

Everything I have seen built by them is first rate.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

All the brownings I've shot or handled since I've been shooting were Miroku's and nothing short of amazing.

Start?
Miroku has been making good quality authorized copies of Winchesters for years, first under the Browning trademark and then Winchester.
I know of lever actions model 92, 53, 65, 86, 95, 71, and now the 94.
Plus the 78 and 1885 "highwalls." I have an 1885 BPCR .40-65 that is a very fine rifle. It has an American Badger barrel but the smokeless calibers have Japanese barrels and do quite well.
And also the model 12 pump shotguns mentioned above.

Oh, yeah, the Model 52 sporter .22 bolt action.

yessir, what Jim said above and we found to be true also, some very ,very nice stuff came from them over the years..........

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dan
NRA Benefactor,PMA

I have or have had several guns made by them and they are of good quality.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

They made the BSS one of the good for the money side by sides. Check to see what these are going for and you'll see what I mean. I believe they also made the Jap A-5's as well.

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Forum consigliere

I've got two of the M12 copies, one is a standard field grade and another is a DU dinner gun. Both are in 28 Ga. The DU gun is unfired and never been assembled. The field grade has been shucking shells for about the last 8-9 years during dove season and indeed is a fine firearm. Miroku also made some SxS and O/U's imported under the Charles Daly name for KBI. The M12 pictured below is of the DU dinner gun. It has a nickeled receiver with gold inlays. The wood is Browning Grade V.

Class III

Attached Images

Browning Mdl 12 003.JPG (194.4 KB, 193 views)

My Browning A-Bolt stainless .375 is marked "Made in Japan" and it's one of those guns I really love very well made and smooth.

I'd guess it's a Miroku,it's as well made as any American or European gun I've picked up and looked over.

ETA:

Here's a pic of it.

My little Browning .22 auto that I bought in the late '70s, I'm pretty sure was made in Japan. Is this the company that would have made it? No complaints.

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Don't need no stinkin' sigline

I have a Miroku USRAC Winchester 1886 takedown. Quality is excellent. Had my gunsmith eliminate the rebounding hammer, as I did not care for it.

Miroku quality is excellent.

I've got two, an SA-22 and an 1895 Winchester .405. Both are very high quality.

Yes, they do make very good quality guns, but I do have a complaint and gripe...

The price of these reproductions is mostly out of line for them to be sold as firearms to be used and shot.

I wanted one of the new model 52's that they came out with a few years ago to shoot in some competitions at the range- one of our local gunshops had one of the ones done with a maple stock that *I think* was done as an exclusive for a little distributor, but can't remember which one...but the price tag of $1100 or so (If i remember correctly) really got me so I never bought it. I remember seeing it sit in the store for some time after that, and have passed on some clean 52's for less that that too. I know that I may sound like a cheap son of a gun, but I just don't see the price justified.

Winchester has nearly always had to close out the remaining inventory of nearly every one of these "special edition" guns far below the original price to get rid of them. The first run of the Japanese 1895's I remember vividly being discounted heavily... Use extreme caution in the price department as these guns (the reproductions) typically lose value very fast if used at all- but the quality is great.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

The Browning and Weatherby rifles are made by Howa.

The Browning and Weatherby shotguns are made by Miroku.

Howa only makes the Vanguard series. The Mark V is made here stateside.

They made some really nice reproduction 1863 Springfield rifle muskets too.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Let's not forget what I believe was the first gun built for Browning by Miroku....the BT-99 single barrel trap.

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IYWTPTG, YBKTR. Dr

Got a call from a gunshop up my way. The owner wanted to let me know that they had bought a Brown Bess and it was in unfired condition. He also quoted me a cost slightly above what they paid. The gun had come in with a collection of TC Scouts ~ which was what they were really after.... What I found was a reproduction of a 2nd Model Land Pattern Brown Bess made 40 years ago in Japan.
First let's get the pics out of the way....




Here is the interesting part.. The gun company that made it was Miroku!

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Non gratum anus rodentum

I had a Citori upland hunter that was used for 3 seasons of sporting clays. It was a very well made gun and performed flawlessly while I owned it.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

They make a lot of things. They've made flintlocks, matchlocks, and percussion guns over the years. They've also made a copy of the Chief's Special for the local market and I think a couple of other handguns that aren't commonly seen in the United States. Japan is a first world nation and capable of excellent quality of manufacture.

Miroku also made the excellent Charles Daly double guns. I owned several O/U's that were built during the late 60's, bought through the PX system in Vietnam for about $200 and shipped back to the U.S. Excellent shotguns in every respect.

The Shotgunworld.com forum is an excellent source of information on all shotgun questions.

I guess you can call what they make reproductions. Kind of like calling the products made by Toyota and Honda and Kabota reproductions.

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- Change it back -

I'm a heretic who dares to say that his Miroku Brownings are every bit as good as their FN Belgian cousins - and I own and shoot both!

My first gun in 1972 was a Miroku Liberty Chief. Not exactly a copy of a Chief's Special, it was 6-shot .38 Spl, 2" brl, small round butt, IIRC the cylinder turned in the Colt direction...

A really solid and good looking gun, not a cheapo at all. I wish I'd never traded it off...

Miroku also makes wooden steering wheels for cars....

I called 'em up once. I was trying to eliminate the rebounding hammer in my USRAC Winny 1886 mentioned above and since the Browning '86 did not have the rebounding hammer asked if I could replace the part in question on my USRAC with the Browning part. They said it wouldn't fit. But, I've wondered whether they were just blowin' me off or whether that is true.

My gunsmith did eliminate the rebounding hammer, but downside is you can pull through halfcock. So I worry that someday if someone is dumb enough to use halfcock as a safety it coud lead to an ND....

Having shot literally 10's of 1000's of rounds through a Citori skeet gun using International (read HEAVY) loads, I can tell you they will hold up under some extreme use. I will say they aint too hip on rebuilding guns that have been shot loose though.

I have no complaints about my citori. A friend has a grade 5 model 42 repro from Miroku that is second to none!!!

I currently own a Win-52 and a Browning A-22 made by Miroku. I think that they are excellent guns and are worth their cost. I used to own a BT-99 made by them too. I wish that I still had that trap gun. -S2

I had the plain grade Repro Model 42 .410 shotgun. Bought it NOS a few years back. Used it caringly. It worked just perfectly. I sold it when I was offered way more than I paid and more than I figured it was worth.
Kind of missed it since then but recently found a decent real one (VR/Skeet)as a basis for an upgrade. So all is well again.
I wouldn't hesitate to get another though. Nice quality through out.

I did read from some users that pumping the action after the fired shot required the concious effort of a short forward push before the rearward motion. I never found that to be true.

The (very) short forward push is only required when dry firing model 12's (not sure about 42's). When firing loaded shells, your hand does it automatically due to recoil, without the shooter being aware of it.

I am a trap shooter. I shoot seven days a week for 7 months and five days a week for the other 5. In 3 day shoots (tournaments) we shoot three hundred on Friday, two hundred on Saturday and two hundred on Sunday plus a round or two before it starts in the morning and, if favored by skill or luck, a round or two in the shoot-offs to decide the winners. At the big shoots, Satellite Grands, we shoot two or three hundred a day for six days, at the Grand American, we shoot the same amount for 12 days.

Most days, for practice, I shoot 150-200 rounds, sometimes more. That's a lot in a year.

One of the most common guns we see is the Browning-either a BT-99 or one of the various Citori Trap models.

With that many rounds to shoot, the guns have to hold up and the Brownings do. They work and work and work. Many shooters are using the BT-99 they bought back in the 70s or 80s and it is still going strong.

No one who shoots trap seriously would have a gun that wasn't reliable.

The Mirokus are just fine.

I started with a Citori O/U that was owned by a man from the 70s till he died thirty years later. It had a lot of rounds through it. I bought it, used it for a year and shot about 7000 rounds through it and sold it to a friend who used it for another year and sold it to another guy-AFIK it's still breaking birds.

Bob

I have 2 Miroku M95s - a 30/06 and a 30/40 (converted to 405). Both are excellent rifles.

I especially like the coil hammer springs. I used to worry about the original Winchester springs breaking while I was out hunting.

My main dislike is the "Schnabel" (if I dare call it that) on the forearm. The original Winchester is aesthetically pleasing. Miroku's isn't.

My Browning (Miroku) BT-99+ single barrel trap has had over 70,000 rounds through it with no problems.

My Browning (Miroku) Citori Grade VI Trap is one of the prettiest guns I own (it shoots good, too).

My oldest Miroku is a Charles Daly Superior Grade Flat-Top Trap that was made in the mid-1960's. Fixed choke Full & Full that works perfectly in the game it was designed for.

Those people build good guns.

Buck

I've got a Browning BPS made in Japan which I believe qualifies.

Very nice workmanship. I've taken birds with it and it looks fantastic.

It's the same with the 42.
But some people swear that the reflex of the recoil does not unlock the repro 42, and that you have to manually do the forward action before pumping the action open.
Like I say,,I just never found that to be true with the one I had. Worked exactly the same as the other Winchester 42s I've had.
Very smooth action too.

They did do a bit of redesign inside on the repro. It does not have the so called 'slam-fire' capability that the original 42 does.
Actually the wrong name for it but everyone calls the feature that so it's easier to identify it by that term.
I'd guess the repro M12 were w/o it also,,but I've never had one so I don't know for sure.

I have had a B-92 .44 over 25 years and I have no complaints.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

You are surprised by quality production from a
Japanese company? You been in a coma for 50 years?

Joe

I was told that Miroku were making unauthorised copies of Brownings or Winchesters and were about to be taken to court. But the parent company realised the guns were of such good quality they signed them up instead. Don't know how true this is. Anyone else heard this?

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Kill it, cook it, eat it.

I forgot to say my first ever shotgun was a Miroku. Still have it. Was out hunting with it at the week-end. Only problem is, the shooter is no way as good as the shotgun.

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Kill it, cook it, eat it.

Interesting thread. My first "purchased by me, for me" gun was a Browning Tbolt (T2). Still got it, and love it. I have no idea who made it, but it came from Japan. And Cajun Lawyer has a BSS? I bought one about 1974 for $274, thought I was breaking the bank. Still have it, too. Saw one last weekend at the gunshow and the seller wanted $2 grand for it!

I wasn't aware different companies made the rifles and shotguns. They look alike. I have a B78 in .45-70, the BiCentennial edition. Its got a wood case, a knife (made by Browning). Its also got the prettiest wood of any gun I've ever owned. Its a keeper. I shoot a more mundane B78 that is a tack driver. You never think of a .45-70 as being accurate. I never think of me as being accurate (a different problem.) But the gun can come out of hiding, get tossed over a jeep or pickup truck hood on a blanket. Then put 3 shots into the "shield" of a miller lite can at 100 yards. Again and again. Funny how that works.

Somewhere I've held on to a Montana Centennial version of the 1886, of course in .45-70 caliber. Yes, gold inlay and all, I've shot it. I liked it enough I sold the short version of the 1886. And about 12 years ago I was looking to treat myself to a new rifle. I found an A bolt in 7mm Rem. Again, it was the wood that sealed the deal.

Metal work may be great. But the wood is just spectacular. I have no idea where they find and buy the quality. But they do. And its shipped to Japan.

I hate these threads when they come up. Next thing you know, I'll be looking at long guns at the next two gun shows.

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Dick Burg

This talk made me curious, so I went and checked all my
Brownings. My first surprise is that I have 5 of them.
Didn't realize that!

Here's list:

Citori -- Japan
A-bolt Stainless Stalker -- Japan/Miroku
A-5 Light Twelve -- Belgium
T-bolt -- Belgium
Medalist -- Belgium

Only way I could tell they were made in Japan is that it
says so on the barrels; the Citori and A-bolt are top
notch guns.

Joe

I think Miroku's guns rank among some of the finest sporting guns sold in America over the last 30 years (maybe more). I have a number of the Browning (Winchester) re-issues, and a couple of BSS shotguns (the BSS 20ga with oil finished English stock and 26" IC/Mod barrels I bought new has out performed nearly any other 'investment' I own!...but it ain't for sale). Wood to metal fit, machining & finish, and wood quality are all top notch.

I also have one of their 1861 Springfield repros, often called one of most accurate to the originals production repros to be had. And I sure would like one of their Brown Besses but they don't come to market often. If Gizamo keeps posting that photo of his it is gonna drive me nuts and wreck my savings account! . (btw, Colonial Williamsburg has a bunch of them and they have received pretty hard use there over a few decades)

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" I said, good DAY! "

Shortly after Browning transferred mfg. to Miroku the same plant was turning out the same Superposed as Browning under the Charles Daly stamp. Browning convinced Miroku to desist. Pretty sure it was under threat of suit.
I have one of those early Daly Superior Grade 12 ga. guns. My favorite field gun and it shows it.

Seems like Miroku has been a premier go to contractor for higher end long guns for nie on 40 years. Weatherby has used them often. I have a 70's vintage Miroku built MarkXXII. Simply a finely crafted rifle. Some folks tout the earlier Italian built versions for collectability, but if you compare them side by side, the Japanese version is much more nicely done.

Not my gun, but a nice example of a Miroku Liberty Chief.

Attached Images

Miroku1.jpg (25.2 KB, 107 views)

Don't have photos of all my Miroku Brownchesters, but here's some:
Citori Superlight 12:



Model 12 copy in 20 gauge - picked it up to look at the pup, bought it because it fit so well:



Low Wall in .22 Hornet, a really fun gun:



Model 53 in .32-20



And last, a model 92 in .357 - this is my favorite centerfire rifle:



I can't believe I don't have a picture of my BSS 20 Sporter, must be too busy using it take a photo!

rburg, if you have a 70's or earlier T-Bolt, it was made in Belgium.

Although Weatherby did have several guns made in Japan, and made well, I'm fairly sure none of them were made by Miroku. I believe their rifles were made by Howa.

Anyone ever been to the Miroku factory...?

I had a military friend that went. Talk about otherworldly...

Anyone been or care to share the experience? I hear that high security is a understatement....

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Non gratum anus rodentum

I have a Miroku BSS in 20ga.Nice little gun.It needs a left hand extractor.I have been unable to find any source for this part.