A timeless classic

The gunmaking lineage of the Miroku MK 6000 SP-1 can still be seen in today’s models produced by the Japanese manufacturer, says Charles Smith-jones

Visit any clay shooting lines or look more closely at the guns being used in international competitions and you will almost inevitably encounter the name of Miroku.

This should not come as a surprise as it is one of the undisputed world leaders in firearms manufacturing. That the company would achieve such exalted status was not apparent from its humble beginnings. Its founder Karaji Miroku originally operated a small blacksmithing business making farming implements and it was only in 1893 that he diversified into producing small numbers of handmade guns for hunting deer and boar on his small home island of Shikoku in Japan. Today, over 125 years on, the company has a deserved reputation for high quality guns and an attention to fine detail.

Partnership

It was at the beginning of the 1970s that its reputation was enhanced by a partnership with Browning, the renowned American firearms manufacturer. The greater part of the production of Browning guns had evolved into being split between Japan and Belgium, with Miroku producing the majority of over-and-under guns. An important development was the creation of a new gun based on Browning’s original Superposed model, then built in Belgium, which was eventually named the Citori. It proved possible to produce the new Citori for half the Superposed’s price while retaining comparable performance and quality. This was thanks to Miroku’s build processes, although even then half of the work still needed to be done by hand.

The development of the hugely popular Citori over-and-under is important because the design has formed the basis of most

The barrel selector toggle and safety is on the back strap The Miroku shares Browning’s famous and durable lock- up system and this MK 6000 has an extended trigger tang

CHARLES SMITH-JONES SAYS: “It’s the kind of gun that handles naturally and comes with an enviable reputation for reliability”