Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Howa 1500 action pros/cons

I have a Howa 1500 6.5x55 Swede that is very accurate and seems to be well-made.
From a gunsmith's point of view, is the action a durable and strong design, or, not-so-much?

Trying to educate myself.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, and have a great weekend!

The Howa is the epitome of a simply designed, well made, action. Nothing special, nothing flashy, nothing revolutionary, but solid. In many respects, similar to the Sako L61 or AV series but with a better trigger. I wish they had copied Sako's bottom metal. GD

I agree with the positive points, but I like the bottom metal. It is better than any other factory job, imo.

To the negative, it is heavy and the lightweight loses weight in the barrel only. The action stays heavy.

Con: the bolt stop fastener/bolt is not robust. Repeat rear action bolt movement against that bolt stop bolt can cause it to shear.

Pro. Just about everything else, especially the s2 version. I like the Hact trigger.
Forged one piece bolt and bolt handle ( strong). Good gas venting on bolt. Massive integral recoil lug.

Overall a well-designed and well-made action ( except for the bolt stop bolt. It needs to be stronger).

Is there a preventative measure that can be taken on the bolt stop, or do you just live with it and carry an additional bolt stop on hand?

As said the bolt stop screw is probably the only weak point. It’s the only thing I’ve ever seen break.
The only other con, that really isn’t a big deal, is the metric barrel threads. Makes it a little more of a job to rebarrel one, but not too bad on most lathes these days.

Many thanks to you folks for your information.
Very good to know!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The bolt stop issue is one which can occur (breaking the screw) but is actually rare under normal use. There are numerous options. One is to make an oversized screw. Another is to throw the stop away and replace it with a Ruger 77 stop which is a really excellent bolt stop system. This requires some alteration to the receiver, of course. GD

Hi Greydog-
I am looking for a gunsmith in the Cranbrook area who can help me identify an inherited rifle. It’s a Mauser 98 and been passed down to me from a few generations ago. I’m unsure of the caliber and history of the gun. My google searching has been mostly unsuccessful and it has some markings on it that I need help interpreting. It’s at least 70 years old and I suspect even older. I’d love to pay you for your time if you can help me piece together the details of this gun.
Please let me know if you’re willing or available.
Thanks

I was going to send you a PM but could not. PM me and I'll try to help. GD

Thank you! It will not let me send a PM, I think because I’m a new user. Is there another way I can reach you to discuss in private?

The Howa was first developed as the Howa Dickson. Model name was a Golden Bear. It was a Sako clone that was so close that Sako sued over it. I can't recall all the details, but changes were made. It was produced as a Smith & Wesson and Mossberg rifle. Weatherby used them for their less expensive production rifles. The Nosler rifle is basically a Howa clone. So yes it's a great rifle with a few flaws, however no more than a Winchester, or Remington rifle has. I only wish them came with steel bottom metal.