Browning vs Miroku - which should you choose?

What’s the difference between a Browning and a Miroku? It sounds like the start to a joke, but quite what the punchline would be is beyond me. Answers on a postcard please. Humour aside, the question is a pertinent one. Browning are the UK’s second most popular gunmaker, while Miroku are fourth on the list, according to the 2021 Game Shooting Census by GunsOnPegs and sponsored by Lycetts. 

But did you know that nearly all of the Browning models sold in the UK are made in the Miroku factory in Japan, rather than Browning’s facility in Belgium? Or that most of Miroku’s guns are built on Browning’s designs? Perhaps you did, but are confused as to what the difference between the two are?

The History of Browning and Miroku

Let’s begin with a quick history lesson. How is it that a gunmaker that began in the USA now has its main centre of production in Japan? The story begins in the 1950s when the post-war restrictions on Japan were eased and the production of sporting guns was once again permitted. 

The B.C Miroku Company was incorporated in 1951, arising from the ashes of the previous incarnation which had produced handmade hunting guns as well as harpoon guns for the whaling industry. In the late 50s Bukichi Miroku, son of the original founder Karaji Miroku, was looking to begin production of an over-and-under shotgun and found, in the Browning B25, the perfect model to work from. 

While the Miroku version was not an exact copy, the story, according to David Stapley of International Sports Brands, the UK distributors of both Browning and Miroku, is that by the mid-to-late 60s the popularity of the Miroku version was such that it worried the bigwigs at Browning. 

“They actually went to Japan with a view to shutting Miroku down on the grounds of copyright infringement,” said David. “But when they saw the factory they realised the quality, which resulted in a license agreement being made instead, and by 1969 the first major shipments were en route to Browning from Japan. Subsequently Browning bought a percentage of Miroku and the exclusive licence lasts to this day.

So, is a Miroku just a knock-off Browning?

Well… yes and no. David explained: “While it may once have been true that Mirokus were cheap copies of Brownings, that is certainly no longer the case.” He adds that today, the internal workings of the two brands are identical. “They literally come off the same production line. In terms of the parts, the barrels, the action, the choke system, they’re the same. A Browning 525 is equivalent to a Miroku MK70, for example.”

Top: Miroku MK70
Bottom: Browning B525

So what’s the difference?

Simply put, the key differences between a Miroku and a Browning are largely down to the wood. Typically, the comb on a Miroku stock is a bit lower, while Brownings have a higher stock. The wood itself is also different; guns with a Miroku mark are made with American walnut, which is a bit darker than the European walnut used on Browning guns. 

There are also differences in the engraving patterns, and, perhaps counter-intuitively, for the same money you get a better quality of engraving on a Miroku, which is features hand-finished engraving on a Grade 5. “For equivalent quality of engraving on a Browning, you’re looking at about an additional £1- 2K,” says David. 

Top: Miroku
Bottom: Browning

The exception to the rule is the Miroku MK 11, their sideplated offering - there is no equivalent Browning as this is a unique action frame to Miroku.

Should you buy a Browning or a Miroku?

Well, this comes down to a number of things. First, as should be the case with any off-the-peg gun, is gun fit. The differences in stock dimensions between the two brands means that for some people one or the other brand will just be a better fit.

Then there comes the price factor - a Miroku will typically be £800-£2000 cheaper than the Browning equivalent. For example a Browning 525 Crown Grade 5 game gun - will typically cost around £4800; the Miroku Grade 5, on the other hand, will cost from around £3400, earning Miroku the sobriquet “the wise man’s Browning.” 

Then of course, there’s the ever-thorny issue of prestige. Browning undoubtedly has the stronger brand when it comes to heritage, something UK game shots in particular value. “Browning is, and will remain, the flagship brand,” says David. “There’s a brand recognition and cachet that goes with the name, especially when it comes to the hand-made Custom Shop products.”

A top shot’s view

On the other hand, there are many noted shots who swear by Miroku. Dave Carrie, for example, has a sizable collection of Mirokus in his cabinet. He told me he chose Miroku for a variety of reasons. 

“I’ve used Miroku for so long because it was the first gun that I ever used, but I’ve stuck with them because they’re also versatile - they’re good for both clays and game shooting. Also because they’re so hardy - they’re more or less unbreakable. I like the pointability of them, the balance and the way they handle, but the number one thing is the reliability - you don’t want to be on the peg and have your gun break down on you.” 

That being said, Dave isn’t a one-brand-man. “I also love Browning,” he tells me. “I’ve got a 525 .410 and a B15 20 bore, and I’ve got a 12 bore 525 Crown which I use more and more for my game shooting and sometimes for clay shooting too - it's a beautiful handling gun with a very narrow rib and a very small bead - great for pointability and what I look for in a game gun.”

In fact, Dave tells me that he’s awaiting delivery of a second 525 Crown and that when that arrives he thinks he might even start to use the pair more frequently on the peg, because it combines the handling characteristics of the Mirokus with great aesthetics. “It's nice to have something beautiful to use game shooting,” he adds.

Browning 525 "The Crown" 

When I ask him which brand he would choose if he was forced to make the choice, if he could only use one of them for the rest of his life, there is a long pause. “I think at the moment I would say Browning, because I’m loving The Crown, but ask me again in a month when I’ve had a chance to shoot the Miroku MK High Pheasant II and I might tell you the opposite!”

Miroku MK High Pheasant II 

That reliability that Dave Carrie talks about has won Miroku many loyal followers: “Miroku have a strong following in the UK and Europe,” says David Stapely, “especially with the type of people who shoot 40+ days a season. They’re one of the only guns that will take big cartridges all day long, several days a year.” 

The Japanese brand’s popularity with high bird shots perhaps stems from the early days of ‘extreme’ high bird shooting, says David. “People would use Miroku MK Trap gun, with its 32” barrels and full and ¾ chokes, and then turn it into a sporter by putting a sporting stock and a schnabel fore-end on them.” He adds that the MK High Pheasant was one of the first guns made specifically with high bird shots in mind.

Ultimately, says David, the choice is a bit like choosing between an Audi and a VW - you know that under the bonnet they’re pretty much the same, so it comes down to other factors to choose between them.