Howa M1500 Scout
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 470 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.17 kg
- Introduced
- 2016
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Howa M1500 Scout is a scout-configuration bolt-action rifle built on Howa Machinery's M1500 barreled action and imported to North America by Legacy Sports International. Chambered in .308 Winchester, it follows Jeff Cooper's scout-rifle concept with an 18.5-inch threaded barrel capped by an A2 flash hider, a forward-mounted Williams one-piece rail and peep sight for a long eye-relief 'scout' optic, and a Williams hooded fiber-optic front blade for backup iron sighting. The rifle uses Howa's forged one-piece bolt with two locking lugs, a three-position safety, and the two-stage HACT (Howa Actuator Controlled Trigger) for a clean, consistent break. It feeds from a detachable Ammo Boost box magazine and rides in a Hogue pillar-bedded overmolded stock with a recoil pad and sling swivel studs, making it a compact, general-purpose field rifle.
The Scout rifle concept was defined by Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper as a short, handy, general-purpose bolt gun with a forward-mounted low-power optic; Howa's M1500 Scout brings that formula to the affordable, sub-MOA M1500 action that also underpins the Weatherby Vanguard.
Marketed in the United States as the LSI/Howa Scout. The M1500 barreled action is the same platform sold internationally under names such as the Weatherby Vanguard. Detachable magazines are available in 5- and 10-round Ammo Boost configurations, and the rifle retains the standard M1500 steel floorplate hardware.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Howa Machinery
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Japan
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2016
- Variant of
- Scout
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 470 mm
- Overall length
- 1021 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.17 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
- Steel
- Barrel
- Chromoly steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 800 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3110 J
- Effective range
- 500 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.
Threaded barrel
A2 flash hider
Forward mounted scout rail
Williams peep sight
Fiber optic front sight
Hogue overmolded stock- Pillar bedded
Two stage hact trigger
Forged one piece bolt
Sling swivel studs
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 157 .308 Winchester rifles | 3.17 kg | 3.22 kg | Lighter than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 146 .308 Winchester rifles | 1021 mm | 1067 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 166 .308 Winchester rifles | 470 mm | 559 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 162 .308 Winchester rifles | 10 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Howa M1500 Scout
How much does the Howa M1500 Scout weigh?
The Howa M1500 Scout weighs 3.17 kg (7.00 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Howa M1500 Scout?
The Howa M1500 Scout is chambered in .308 Winchester.
How many rounds does the Howa M1500 Scout hold?
The Howa M1500 Scout holds 10 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Howa M1500 Scout?
The Howa M1500 Scout is 1021 mm (40.2 in) long overall, with a 470 mm (18.5 in) barrel.
Who makes the Howa M1500 Scout?
The Howa M1500 Scout is made by Howa Machinery (Japan).
When was the Howa M1500 Scout introduced?
The Howa M1500 Scout was introduced in 2016.
How does the Howa M1500 Scout operate?
The Howa M1500 Scout 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.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
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-m1500-scout' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "howa-m1500-scout", "name": "Howa M1500 Scout", "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": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "JP", "year_introduced": 2016, "barrel_length_mm": 470, "weight_empty_g": 3175, "action_type": "bolt_action"}