Most economical way to rebarrel a Howa 1500

groupofgiraffes · Sep 8, 2023

I've got a Howa 1500 in 6.5 creedmoor with about 3000 shots on it so I am starting to look into whether or not it is worth it to rebarrel it. The gun itself probaly would not be worth it except the fact I paid way too much for a fancy MDT chassis that would go to waste if I did not.

It seems like the two options are either a prefit barrel, or to have a shouldered barrel fit to the action.

To install a prefit barrel myself I would need to buy ~$200 in tools I don't have (barrel nut wrench, barrel vice, action wrench, torque wrench)to do it right, so now a $500 prefit is $700. I'd probably rather take it to a gunsmith, which should cost around the same as if I bought the tools.

If I sent it to LRI, it would be ~$800 for a barrel to be fitted to the action.

Are there any other options?

Is there a way to remove the existing barrel with only a standard bench vice? If so the prefit becomes much more reasonable.

PinesAndProjectiles · Sep 8, 2023

I would do a prefit.

Those tools will make the first barrel install more expensive, but the next time you’re saving that much by doing it yourself.

But don’t forget headspace gauges.

Hecouldgoalltheway · Sep 8, 2023

Send it to er shaw and order a custom barrel from them. It will be cheaper than you will believe, and it will shoot better than you will believe. They are spectacular and dirt cheap.

groupofgiraffes · Sep 8, 2023

Hecouldgoalltheway said:
Send it to er shaw and order a custom barrel from them. It will be cheaper than you will believe, and it will shoot better than you will believe. They are spectacular and dirt cheap.

That looks like it could be a good option. They are saying 4-5 month lead time, do you happen to know if they need the rifle the whole time or can you ship it to them closer to when they are ready to do the work?

A.Huggy · Sep 8, 2023

I went the pre-fit route on mine, I do not regret it. I like the Howa action a lot and I wouldn't feel right replacing it for no reason other than the fact it's not R700 pattern.

I got the barrel from preferred barrel blanks back in 2019. It shoots great, the machine work looks good on the borescope too.

Hecouldgoalltheway · Sep 8, 2023

I'm not certain about that. I can tell you that they generally under promise and over deliver. I've got a half dozen of their barrels or more, and none of them even approached their advertised wait times

Taylorbok · Sep 8, 2023

groupofgiraffes said:
Is there a way to remove the existing barrel with only a standard bench vice? If so the prefit becomes much more reasonable.

If you are turning it into a tomato stake anyways could grind some wrench flats in with a grinder and see if this works. Not sure how tight a factory howa barrel is.

spife7980 · Sep 8, 2023

Taylorbok said:
Not sure how tight a factory howa barrel is.

On the one I did... it was really friggin tight. Tightest for me so far. Took a 4' breaker bar pipe and a sledge to smack it with.

Hecouldgoalltheway · Sep 8, 2023

The gunsmith that I use told me that they are the tightest barrels he's ever messed with. He's had to cut relief cuts into a couple mine to get them off.

groupofgiraffes · Sep 8, 2023

A.Huggy said:
I went the pre-fit route on mine, I do not regret it. I like the Howa action a lot and I wouldn't feel right replacing it for no reason other than the fact it's not R700 pattern.

I got the barrel from preferred barrel blanks back in 2019. It shoots great, the machine work looks good on the borescope too.

Had you done this kind of work before or did you buy the barrel vise, etc?

Taylorbok · Sep 8, 2023

You could also pay a smith a couple bucks to take ur barrel off, or maybe someone local to you would lend you the tools.

fdkay · Sep 8, 2023

You could use a regular vise and a pair of the oak blocks from the wheeler vise. A wheeler action wrench with the side opposite the handle turned upside down to butt against the flat bottom.
You could go the short chambered route and rent the chamber reamer, go gage and reamer holder.

TwistedOneinSeven · Sep 8, 2023

Not sure what you're local gun laws are @groupofgiraffes but where I am we have a "like for like" law - you can just walk into a gun store and swap and old rifle for a new as long as it is the same cartridge.
I have done multiple "Howa rebarrels" as we jokingly call them when I have burnt out a 6.5or6Creed Howa.
Walk in, get appx $200 for the old Howa barrelled action, pay the $350 extra for a brand new one and walk out. No mucking around.
Note - keep your old Howa trigger if you have worked it with a spring kit or such.

If you do choose to remove a Howa barrel, as others say above, they are on VERY tight but you can get them off with a long bar.

Bill at rifleshooter.com did an article on it (and many of his other rifle build pages are a really good read too)
here you go

Howa 1500 barrel removal

Howa 1500 barrel removal I’ve been asked by quite a few different shooters if Howa factory barrels are difficult to remove- the short answer is, no, they aren’t. You don’t even n…

rifleshooter.com

groupofgiraffes · Sep 8, 2023

TwistedOneinSeven said:
Not sure what you're local gun laws are @groupofgiraffes but where I am we have a "like for like" law - you can just walk into a gun store and swap and old rifle for a new as long as it is the same cartridge.
I have done multiple "Howa rebarrels" as we jokingly call them when I have burnt out a 6.5or6Creed Howa.
Walk in, get appx $200 for the old Howa barrelled action, pay the $350 extra for a brand new one and walk out. No mucking around.
Note - keep your old Howa trigger if you have worked it with a spring kit or such.

If you do choose to remove a Howa barrel, as others say above, they are on VERY tight but you can get them off with a long bar.

Bill at rifleshooter.com did an article on it (and many of his other rifle build pages are a really good read too)
here you go

Howa 1500 barrel removal

Howa 1500 barrel removal I’ve been asked by quite a few different shooters if Howa factory barrels are difficult to remove- the short answer is, no, they aren’t. You don’t even n…

rifleshooter.com

How is that different from doing a trade where the shop buys your gun and you get credit toward another?

A.Huggy · Sep 8, 2023

groupofgiraffes said:
Had you done this kind of work before or did you buy the barrel vise, etc?

At the time, I had not done this type of work before. So I bought all the tools for the job. I bought a brownells action wrench, got a cheap barrel vice from ebay, and bought a headspace gauge. I think the barrel nut wrench was an optional add on from PBB when I ordered the barrel from them.

If I did it again I would buy a quality barrel vice from a reputable company. I have used the tools several times since buying them. If you have suppressors you will use your barrel vice fairly often to install/swap muzzle devices.

groupofgiraffes · Sep 9, 2023

A.Huggy said:
At the time, I had not done this type of work before. So I bought all the tools for the job. I bought a brownells action wrench, got a cheap barrel vice from ebay, and bought a headspace gauge. I think the barrel nut wrench was an optional add on from PBB when I ordered the barrel from them.

If I did it again I would buy a quality barrel vice from a reputable company. I have used the tools several times since buying them. If you have suppressors you will use your barrel vice fairly often to install/swap muzzle devices.

I hadn't thought about the muzzle device thing, but you are right. I struggled with that earlier this year.

Part of the issue other than cost is i dont want to bolt one to my workbench, but maybe I can bolt it to a board and take off my bench vice to use its holes to temporarily mount the board to the bench.

spife7980 · Sep 9, 2023

groupofgiraffes said:
I hadn't thought about the muzzle device thing, but you are right. I struggled with that earlier this year.

Part of the issue other than cost is i dont want to bolt one to my workbench, but maybe I can bolt it to a board and take off my bench vice to use its holes to temporarily mount the board to the bench.

That’s what I do, old board with some holes for the vice bolts, clamp it wherever, usually it’s hot so I go outside and slap it on a trailer in the shade and breeze

308pirate · Sep 9, 2023

TwistedOneinSeven said:
Not sure what you're local gun laws are @groupofgiraffes but where I am we have a "like for like" law - you can just walk into a gun store and swap and old rifle for a new as long as it is the same cartridge.
I have done multiple "Howa rebarrels" as we jokingly call them when I have burnt out a 6.5or6Creed Howa.
Walk in, get appx $200 for the old Howa barrelled action, pay the $350 extra for a brand new one and walk out. No mucking around.
Note - keep your old Howa trigger if you have worked it with a spring kit or such.

If you do choose to remove a Howa barrel, as others say above, they are on VERY tight but you can get them off with a long bar.

Bill at rifleshooter.com did an article on it (and many of his other rifle build pages are a really good read too)
here you go

Howa 1500 barrel removal

Howa 1500 barrel removal I’ve been asked by quite a few different shooters if Howa factory barrels are difficult to remove- the short answer is, no, they aren’t. You don’t even n…

rifleshooter.com

We in the USA don't really need to worry about shit like that. We can buy as many rifles as we like and in almost all states the sales can be done person to person with zero government intervention or permission

srt-4_uk · Sep 9, 2023

The most economical was to rebarel a Howa is buy a new one. Under $500 for a new barreled action or $800 for a carbon barrel.

Howa Barreled Actions | Brownells

Experience top-tier precision with Howa Barreled Actions, exclusively from Brownells. Featuring cold hammer-forged barrels, guaranteed 1 MOA accuracy, and a crisp 2-stage trigger, these actions promise unrivaled performance for your custom rifle b...

www.brownells.com

Taylorbok · Sep 9, 2023

groupofgiraffes said:
I hadn't thought about the muzzle device thing, but you are right. I struggled with that earlier this year.

Part of the issue other than cost is i dont want to bolt one to my workbench, but maybe I can bolt it to a board and take off my bench vice to use its holes to temporarily mount the board to the bench.

My barrel vice is bolted to a short chunk of 2x4 I just clamp the wood in my bench vice when needed. My presses are actually on a 4x4 that I also clamp in my vise

Taylorbok · Sep 9, 2023

Very universal this way

groupofgiraffes · Sep 9, 2023

spife7980 said:
That’s what I do, old board with some holes for the vice bolts, clamp it wherever, usually it’s hot so I go outside and slap it on a trailer in the shade and breeze
View attachment 8223416

Oh even better if clamps are enough to hold it on. I was thinking to use the bench vice holes to bolt the board to my bench, but clamps are even easier if they are strong enough.

srt-4_uk said:
The most economical was to rebarel a Howa is buy a new one. Under $500 for a new barreled action or $800 for a carbon barrel.

Howa Barreled Actions | Brownells

Experience top-tier precision with Howa Barreled Actions, exclusively from Brownells. Featuring cold hammer-forged barrels, guaranteed 1 MOA accuracy, and a crisp 2-stage trigger, these actions promise unrivaled performance for your custom rifle b...

www.brownells.com

Ha, yeah I think I paid $289 for the barreled action from Brownells so that would be an option.

Andrew863 · Sep 9, 2023

I just use c clamps to hold my barrel vise. It's worth buying the tools and got the prefit route. If your shooting enough to kill barrels, this won't be the last one you do.

308pirate · Sep 9, 2023

Andrew863 said:
It's worth buying the tools and got the prefit route. If your shooting enough to kill barrels, this won't be the last one you do.

This

Hopar · Sep 11, 2023

308pirate said:
We in the USA don't really need to worry about shit like that. We can buy as many rifles as we like and in almost all states the sales can be done person to person with zero government intervention or permission

Seriously??

Hopar · Sep 11, 2023

FWIW, If you do the barreled action way then you need to go through FFL and the government gets involved.

308pirate · Sep 11, 2023

Hopar said:
Seriously??

Yes. Seriously.

308pirate · Sep 11, 2023

Hopar said:
FWIW, If you do the barreled action way then you need to go through FFL and the government gets involved.

Not if you buy one face to face.

Hopar · Sep 12, 2023

308pirate said:
Not if you buy one face to face.

So FTF meaning from private party?
Even then, doesn't the serial # have to get transfered to new owner via a FFL?

Andrew863 · Sep 12, 2023

Hopar said:
So FTF meaning from private party?
Even then, doesn't the serial # have to get transfered to new owner via a FFL?

Not in the free states. I can go and sell my property to another person as long as I believe they can legally own a firearm.

308pirate · Sep 12, 2023

Hopar said:
So FTF meaning from private party?
Even then, doesn't the serial # have to get transfered to new owner via a FFL?

FTF = private party sale.

In most states there is no legal requirement to have the transfer done by an FFL. If the seller insists we do so, I move on.

What state do you live in?

iceng · Sep 12, 2023

Howa barrels are insanely tight. Well over 160ftlbs. Barrel vice, action wrench. When you undo it, you need to "snap" the action off. You can not slowly preload your socket / breaker bar. Keep adding weight and slowly bend things. You have to have a long extension bar (mines 4ft long), take up the slack, and just heave it with all you have. When it snaps off it will feel like a tooth popped out of your head.

Get a prefit. Buy the tools, dont look back.

Haney · Sep 12, 2023

308pirate said:
FTF = private party sale.

In most states there is no legal requirement to have the transfer done by an FFL. If the seller insists we do so, I move on.

What state do you live in?

Most economical way to rebarrel a Howa 1500

308pirate · Sep 12, 2023

Haney said:
Most economical way to rebarrel a Howa 1500

Don't you have a truck stop parking lot to service?

Haney · Sep 12, 2023

308pirate said:
Don't you have a truck stop parking lot to service?

Most economical way to rebarrel a Howa 1500, any ideas ?

308pirate · Sep 12, 2023

Haney said:
Most economical way to rebarrel a Howa 1500, any ideas ?

Adults are having a conversation. Be quiet and sit in the corner little man.

Hopar · Sep 12, 2023

308pirate said:
FTF = private party sale.

In most states there is no legal requirement to have the transfer done by an FFL. If the seller insists we do so, I move on.

What state do you live in?

Didn't know that.

I am from Comifonia.

308pirate · Sep 12, 2023

Hopar said:
Didn't know that.

I am from Comifonia.

Your state is an aberration.

Ohio
- Concealed carry doesn't need a license (though you can get one if you want)
- Private sales without FFL
- No waiting periods
- No magazine limits
- No bans of any kind
- No duty to retreat before using deadly force
- Intruders in your car or home are legally presumed to be there to cause death or severe injury (clearing the way for lawful use of deadly force)
- Very few places where we can't legally carry
- No approved pistol roster
- Buying ammo, powder, bullets, primers, whatever online and delivered to your house no hassle

DocRDS · Sep 12, 2023

Are those prefit barrels barrel nuts or shouldered?

Andrew863 · Sep 12, 2023

DocRDS said:
Are those prefit barrels barrel nuts or shouldered?

Barrel nut, u can't do a Howa prefit shouldered.

iceng · Sep 12, 2023

Andrew863 said:
Barrel nut, u can't do a Howa prefit shouldered.

You positive about that ?

Andrew863 · Sep 12, 2023

iceng said:
You positive about that ?

Absolutely ,u can have the action measured and have them made in the future but at the point its not a prefit. As far as I know Tikka is the only factory action that anyone makes a shouldered prefit for.

iceng · Sep 12, 2023

True. Ive measured lots of howa's, and LOTS of pulled barrels. You absolutely can CNC a prefit barrel for a howa 1500. Im not sure if anyone is doing it, but the tolerances are good enough for it to happen. True that tikka and rem700 clones get prefits (defiance, impact, terminus, etc) but none for howa, but absolutely possible.

Slides · Sep 13, 2023

iceng said:
True. Ive measured lots of howa's, and LOTS of pulled barrels. You absolutely can CNC a prefit barrel for a howa 1500. Im not sure if anyone is doing it, but the tolerances are good enough for it to happen. True that tikka and rem700 clones get prefits (defiance, impact, terminus, etc) but none for howa, but absolutely possible.

Aiming for a 7.5 or 8 twist 243 no turn chamber for my 1500 when I kill the factory varmint barrel so I can hand load circa 108gr stuff, is this something you are interested in doing?

I finally fitted the 40MOA rail to the LA105, ended up with shortened threads on I think a 10mm and two 12mm at the back and had to knock half a mm or so of the heads of the front two standard cap screws to sit below the rail slots. All seems to be working well with the Delta stryker, could have gone to 50MOA with the available internal elevation but that's asking a lot of a short action unless you went to 284 or 6.5PRC.

iceng · Sep 13, 2023

Slides said:
Aiming for a 7.5 or 8 twist 243 no turn chamber for my 1500 when I kill the factory varmint barrel so I can hand load circa 108gr stuff, is this something you are interested in doing?

I finally fitted the 40MOA rail to the LA105, ended up with shortened threads on I think a 10mm and two 12mm at the back and had to knock half a mm or so of the heads of the front two standard cap screws to sit below the rail slots. All seems to be working well with the Delta stryker, could have gone to 50MOA with the available internal elevation but that's asking a lot of a short action unless you went to 284 or 6.5PRC.

At the moment, no. We have a full plate with projects, however prefits is something we are interested in doing in the future.

308pirate · Sep 13, 2023

Andrew863 said:
Absolutely ,u can have the action measured and have them made in the future but at the point its not a prefit. As far as I know Tikka is the only factory action that anyone makes a shouldered prefit for.

So you have zero measurement data on Howa actions but are 100% sure they aren't consistent enough to pre chamber and pre-headspaced because no one else is doing it.

Got it

Have you ever thought no one does it because the market is either too small or has gone unnoticed?

Haney · Sep 13, 2023

308pirate said:
So you have zero measurement data on Howa actions but are 100% sure they aren't consistent enough to pre chamber and pre-headspaced because no one else is doing it.

Got it

Have you ever thought no one does it because the market is either too small or has gone unnoticed?

308pirate · Sep 13, 2023

Haney said:
View attachment 8226348

How many tricks did you turn at the truck stop last night?

Andrew863 · Sep 13, 2023

iceng said:
True. Ive measured lots of howa's, and LOTS of pulled barrels. You absolutely can CNC a prefit barrel for a howa 1500. Im not sure if anyone is doing it, but the tolerances are good enough for it to happen. True that tikka and rem700 clones get prefits (defiance, impact, terminus, etc) but none for howa, but absolutely possible.

I have personally only done 2 barrels for the Howa actions, but till I see one come to market I'll still consider it a barrel nut prefit only. I hope they do, as it would be another nice option. I hope u didn't take my post as argumentative, I try very hard to stay away from that garbage as we have enough people in this community that love to argue with like minded people. I'm not trying to muddy up the OP post but I would like to hear more about what tolerances you are seeing in PM.

spife7980 · Sep 13, 2023

Andrew863 said:
I have personally only done 2 barrels for the Howa actions, but till I see one come to market I'll still consider it a barrel nut prefit only. I hope they do, as it would be another nice option. I hope u didn't take my post as argumentative, I try very hard to stay away from that garbage as we have enough people in this community that love to argue with like minded people. I'm not trying to muddy up the OP post but I would like to hear more about what tolerances you are seeing in PM.

And if I told you mcgowen has offered them for a long time? And others have swapped factory barrels between receivers and they still headspaced correctly?

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