Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Howa Mini Stainless

Let us know when someone sees one in person to verify mag or hinged floor plate, thanks... Joe

Tuesday.

Mine should be delivered Saturday...but from noon today through end of the weekend I'll be hunting...unless THE ONE shows up earlier.

The 'fire should be one in spirit towards the goal of willing THE ONE to sacrifice himself to me this evening for the good of the forum, thus allowing me to pick up the rifle Saturday and report back here. I will selflessly take the task of accepting his sacrifice upon myself,...again...for the good of the 'fire.

Anyone live near the Brownell's store that could go take a look in person?

I have a couple of the blued metal Mini's, and have been mulling over whether I want one of the new stainless versions. Anyway, checked on Brownells site, and found out that my neighbor the gunsmith is listed as one the FFL's they ship to. Called him up and asked him if he would accept one for me, and he said yes, but after listening to me tell him why I wanted one, he said his understanding was that all the Howa Mini's, stainless and blued, had the same detachable magazine. Which would leave me to believe that the stainless version does not a factory bottom metal like the standard Howa 1500's do. I hope I'm wrong about that, and will wait until some of the posters here recieve their's and can confirm it.

Pears and spirits sent!!!

That’s my guess as well, but we’ll have to see. It will determine what I do with the one I have.

I chatted with Brownells customer service and they couldn't give me a definitive answer, they said to contact Legacy Sports. So I emailed them this morning and they said to contact Brownell's!
Guess we will have to wait until someone opens a box to find out. Mine won't arrive at the FFL until Tuesday. The anticipation is killing me!

EDIT - Legacy Sports just emailed me back again and said that the image that Brownell's is using is incorrect. All Howa Mini's come with detachable magazine.

"Willing THE ONE" to show up for you . Have fun and shoot straight... Joe

Bummer … (as he picks up the phone and rings hokeypokeykid!)

As much as I'd like to own a Mini stainless, I'll not buy one with that awful azz plastic magazine setup. Howa puts a very nice stainless bottom metal on their full size rifle models, and there is absolutely no reason for not doing so on the Minis.

That will save me some money as I can give the old one and the new mag stuff to my son who has an extra stock and mag(s?) from the one I bought my grandson. He can pony up for the JO parts if he wants them; I’m on a fixed income…

If it comes with a floorplate, I’ll feel pressure to buy a stock etc etc for the old one and add it to the clutter.

Actually, it’s aluminum, but you make an excellent point. It doesn’t however, keep me from spending another $175 to get a rifle that suits me. That’s barely the cost of a night out.

20 bucks is a good night out for me.......I'm tight


Yeah, it's aluminum, but still is a lot better and nicer looking than that plastic crap on the Minis.

When I buy one it’s with the intent of replacing it with something else, at least the guard anyway. The factory mags with one of the alloy guards might be okay for something that might be kept empty but need to be loaded quickly. They are at least commonly available. The CZ mags make for a slimmer and classier appearance, but are on borrowed time. I have three, probably enough, but might toss another one in my cart if I buy something else from the CZ store. They are very slim and tidy compared to the factory ones.

I only paid $359 for my original Grendel, so can’t fuss over the cost of a better mag, although a simple blind setup would’ve been fine. JO makes a guard for that too.

You think you’re cheap? We might eat out one night a year. Movies- never. Bars-ditto. We’ve both been some places, and don’t need to go back…..

Good info, thanks! If a guy really had trouble with stability, the 170 SubX bullets for the 30-30 would certainly be an option.

Appreciated! However, your pair of pears were fruitless... I still have Fri and Sat this so hope remains.

Just picked mine up, it’s standard detachable magazine…if that wasn’t already confirmed.

Detachable mag. No floor plate

Bummer about the lack of a proper floorplate. Fit and finish look good? I pick mine up on Wednesday.