Howa 1500 APC
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 610 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.76 kg
- Introduced
- 2019
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Howa 1500 APC (Australian Precision Chassis) is a bolt-action precision rifle that mates the proven Howa 1500 barreled action with a modern aluminum chassis system designed in collaboration with the Australian company Accuracy International. Offering cold hammer-forged barrel quality from Japan's premier rifle manufacturer with AICS-compatible magazine feeding and fully adjustable ergonomics, the APC provides competition-grade precision at an accessible price point.
Howa Machinery has been manufacturing firearms since 1907 and was responsible for producing the Type 99 Arisaka rifle during World War II. After the war, the company transitioned to civilian sporting arms and industrial machinery. The Howa 1500 action has quietly become one of the most widely used bolt-action platforms in the world, serving as the foundation for rifles sold under multiple brand names across several continents.
The Howa 1500 action has been manufactured since 1967 and forms the basis for many OEM rifles including the Weatherby Vanguard series. The cold hammer forging process used for the barrel produces superior bore consistency compared to traditional cut or button rifling. The APC chassis accepts standard AICS-pattern magazines, giving users access to a wide range of aftermarket magazine options. The HACT (Howa Actuated Controlled Trigger) is a two-stage design adjustable down to approximately 2 pounds.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Howa Machinery
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- Japan
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2019
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 610 mm
- Overall length
- 1092 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.76 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 5.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Two stage
- Trigger pull
- 15.0 N
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum alloy
- Barrel
- Cold hammer forged steel
- Stock
- Aluminum chassis
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 850 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3515 J
- Effective range
- 800 m
- Maximum range
- 3700 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Free floating barrel
Adjustable cheek piece
Adjustable length of pull
Picatinny rail
M-lok handguard
Folding stock
Threaded muzzle
Hact two stage trigger
Aics magazine compatible
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 95 .308 Winchester sniper rifles | 4.76 kg | 5.20 kg | Lighter than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 95 .308 Winchester sniper rifles | 1092 mm | 1130 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 95 .308 Winchester sniper rifles | 610 mm | 610 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 95 .308 Winchester sniper rifles | 10 | 7 | Holds more rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the Howa 1500 APC
How much does the Howa 1500 APC weigh?
The Howa 1500 APC weighs 4.76 kg (10.49 lb) empty and 5.00 kg (11.02 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Howa 1500 APC?
The Howa 1500 APC is chambered in .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor.
How many rounds does the Howa 1500 APC hold?
The Howa 1500 APC holds 10 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Howa 1500 APC?
The Howa 1500 APC is 1092 mm (43.0 in) long overall, with a 610 mm (24.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Howa 1500 APC?
The Howa 1500 APC is made by Howa Machinery (Japan).
When was the Howa 1500 APC introduced?
The Howa 1500 APC was introduced in 2019.
How does the Howa 1500 APC operate?
The Howa 1500 APC uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Australian Police Forces
- Australia
- Civilian Competitive Shooters
- 2019
Provenance
Confidence in this record
80%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/howa-1500-apc' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "howa-1500-apc", "name": "Howa 1500 APC", "manufacturer": { "id": "howa", "name": "Howa Machinery", "countryCode": "JP", "foundedYear": 1907, "website": "https://www.howa.co.jp", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "92a63959c6eadbabe566297f6ef96a1554d837fd5792be753c7906ecdbc12361" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "JP", "year_introduced": 2019, "barrel_length_mm": 610, "weight_empty_g": 4760, "action_type": "bolt_action"}