doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Interesting article about Miroku

In the early 1970,s I attended a machine tool show in Chicago.At this show B.C. Miroku was an exhibitor. Their stand featured, hones & barrel boring machines.I picked up literature which unfortunately was only available in Japanese. The literature illustrates their manufacturing process for shotguns and rifles as well as their machine tools. The only item I can decipher is what appears to be a list of customers.It reads as follows:
Browning Arms Company, Fabrique Nationale Herstal S.A., J.G. Anchutz GMBH. ,Norma A/S, HDF-Bolagen AB, Osakeyhito Eloranta, Simonen and Nielseon A/S, Carm Espanol S.A., Goess&Co,GES,MBH., Fuller Firearms Group PTY,LTD., Douglas and Johnson & Co, Ltd. Browning France S.A. Borsumij Sports B.V., Afdeling Browning.
Browning guns and rifles are illustrated in the literature. Some of the companies listed are likely customers for their machine tools.

Yep Nikko means sunshine. Chris Showler will sell you Nikko o/u barrels that fit right on 101's . Nikko was selling to many of their own guns competing with Winchester that Winchester sold out to the Classic Doubles folks.Miroku let Browning have all the U.S. sale Nikko did not give Winchester that good of a deal. Nikko continued to sell guns in the states under Nikko,Golden Eagle Texas import and Shadow western import and I believe there are a few other names out their also.I guess its possiable the Olin Kodensha company tooled up two complettly different lines to build the small numbers of Parker Repos and 23's and if they did it probably helped them go broke. As for the Blue book you know how we all swear by it as fact.Miroku means My Luck hence the B.C. MyLuck guns for the English world

Isn't it the Win. M-201 that's a cosmetically different version of the Parker Repro? I recall an article about the M-23 that described the action as much like the M-101, reworked for SxS.

It's obvious just from looking at them that the M-23 and Parker Repro are entirely different.

You are correct about the Classic Doubles(not Winchester) M 201 being a cosmetically different version of the Parker Repro.

See with all this friendly back and forth things are being learned.I have nothing but respect for all of ya'll.

Had couple in the past. One was Model 500 BLNE (plebian ejectorless BSS) and the BSS. Both were quality guns, but neather had "Ghostie Value" or "Soul" as English would say. "Frigid" uninspiring guns boyz.

You got that right "Dr. Ithaca" -- Love your subtle play on words Walter- got to "Nip" that in the "Bud"- Niponese-and just before they caught us napping in Dec 1941- they had sent a team of Jap gardeners to D.C. to work on the cherry blossom trees- some hadn't budded properly that past Spring-Hell will freeze over and St. Pete will be passing out free Matzoa Balls and Michelob at them Pearly Gates before I'll ever drive a Japanese car, ride a Japanese "rice grinder bike" or own our shoot a Japanese mfg. firearm- Go to Japan and try to own a gun over there-RWTF!!

The 201 is cross between Winnie 21 and Parker Bros., so one can't simply drop Repro barrels into 201 frame or vice versa even with extensive modifications. The only similarity to Parker Repro is position of outside pins and Parker replaceable plate on single locking underbolt.
The 201 isn't simply yoemans Repro of "Ole' Trojan", Mod. 21 or Mod. 23, but new design borrowing features from it's predecessors.

There's another obvious similarity your "only similarity" statement misses. The 201 floorplate/screws also appear identical to the Parker Repro. This indicates still more in the way of identical interior works. I think they're the same gun except for exteriors.

There are certainly a significant number of similarities between the Parker Repro and the Classic Doubles Model 201. But--for example--I don't think the 201 has the famous "doll's head" rib extension you find on the Repro. The degree of similarity is probably something on the order of a Miroku-made Daly sxs to a Browning BSS--other than the obvious things, like most of the Miroku Dalys being nonejector guns with double triggers.

I think someone above reversed the "My Luck/Miroku" connection. Miroku is simply the Japanese phonetic version of "My Luck"--which was the name they first used for their guns. I once owned a Miroku that was also marked "Kawaguchiya Firearms Co"--which I think they may have eventually changed to Miroku once that name became better known.

As noted above, Mitsui did not make guns. In the 70's, the SKB's became too pricey for Ithaca. For a short period after Ithaca ceased importing SKB's, Mitsui became the importer. But you'll find a lot more Ithaca-marked SKB's than you will Mitsui. I think the Mitsui relationship only lasted a couple years, if that. And eventually, of course, SKB's were imported under their own name, through Guns Unlimited. This included an abortive return of the side by side, in the late 80's, but with choke tubes and other cosmetic differences. Then finally the 385/485 sxs that were imported until 2 or 3 years ago.