Source: ATF P 5300.11 · Curios or Relics List · Jan 1972 – Apr 20253,573 entries · 4 sections
The C&R RegisterA finding aid to the ATF Curios or Relics List, for Type 03 collectors
C&R · IV · 129

Ho-103 12.7mm aircraft machinegun

Section IV: still an NFA firearm, also a curio or relic

Official wording

ATF P 5300.11 · APRIL 2025 EDITION · SECTION IV · VERBATIM · PDF P. 85 ↗

Japanese, cal. 12.7(13)mm Browning H0-103 Machineguns.

What this entry requires

  • INFOATF states no date; production was about 1941–1945.
  • INFOStill an NFA firearm; only registered examples transfer, with ATF approval (26 U.S.C. 5812, 5861).

Editorial facts · Our research

Country
Japan
Manufacturer
Chūō Kōgyō; Nagoya Army Arsenal¹
Type
Machinegun
Action
Select-fire / auto
Caliber
12.7mm
Made
1941–1945production; ATF states no date²
Service
Military
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Source

Official wording
ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section IV · PDF p. 85 ↗ · ATF original ↗
Entries
1 line
Verbatim check
Checked against the PDF text before every release
Editorial facts
Confidence: High · Last revised 18 October 2026 (Evidence pass) · How we rate confidence
References
  1. Wikipedia, “一式十二・七粍固定機関砲” ↗, maker: infobox 設計・製造: 中央工業 (development and manufacture), 名古屋陸軍造兵廠 (manufacture)
  2. Wikipedia, “Ho-103 machine gun” ↗, years: infobox production date 1941-1945; adopted in 1941
Fact tags
  • ATF the ATF wording states it.
  • REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
  • ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
  • NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
Source checked
20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
Corrections
1 change · see below

Correction history

  1. Evidence passMaker: Japanese Army arsenals → Chūō Kōgyō; Nagoya Army Arsenal. Japanese Wikipedia names Chūō Kōgyō (design and manufacture) and Nagoya Army Arsenal

All corrections · How corrections work

Historical context

Ho-103 12.7mm aircraft machinegun

Image: Wikimedia Commons, “12.7mmHo-103.jpg” by Sturmvogel 66, CC BY-SA 3.0. Retrieved October 2026.

Summary: Wikipedia, “Ho-103 machine gun”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.

FROM WIKIPEDIA

The Type 1 machine gun was a Japanese aircraft-mounted heavy machine gun widely used during World War II. It was also known as the Ho-103 in general use. The weapon itself was largely based on the American .50-caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning heavy machine gun, while the design of its ammunition was initially based on various Italian Breda-SAFAT 12.7 mm rounds. Japanese-designed and produced rounds eventually largely replaced these imported rounds.