Howa Mini Rifles, Builds, and Upgrades

[UnckleBob]

Got this put together today. It’s a mini in 22 ARC. I bedded it in a VG stock and added some texture to the grip and forend. It’s got a UM Spartan/pic rail up front and a Spartan gunsmith adapter in front of the mag well. The factory bottom metal was replaced with Jefferson dbm and I chopped the mag down to be as flush as possible. It easily hold 3 rounds and feeds fine. I’m
partial to dbm’s, especially in a kids gun, though a flush floor plate would be nicer for hand carrying the rifle. I used Burris two piece pic scope bases with Warne mountain tech rings. Scope is an swfa 3-9 I snagged on Black Friday. My 7 year old son helped me paint it because it will likely be his in the future, so I thought it would be cool to involve him in the project. He did a good
job after I gave him some direction.

Should get to shoot it within a week or so. Thing feels like a toy how light it is. The LOP is definitely short for me.

I was thinking of installing a Spartan Precision gunsmith adapter in place of the front sling swivel n a Stocky's VG stock. Has anyone done this? I am concerned the forend might not be thick enough there.

I have the same question about mounting a flush cups to on the left side of the forend.

 

[Te Hopo]

I was thinking of installing a Spartan Precision gunsmith adapter in place of the front sling swivel n a Stocky's VG stock. Has anyone done this? I am concerned the forend might not be thick enough there.

I have the same question about mounting a flush cups to on the left side of the forend.

I've just done something like this with some MtnGear limited rotation cups and Hybrid ARCA/Pic rail.

The front is filled with a pretty solid material which worked great for a side sling cup glued in with JB Weld.


The butt is the issue for a sling cup, the carbon is extremely thin with a foam filler.
I removed some of the foam and installed the cup, then reinforced the area with a bunch of JB Weld

 

[JFK]

I was thinking of installing a Spartan Precision gunsmith adapter in place of the front sling swivel n a Stocky's VG stock. Has anyone done this? I am concerned the forend might not be thick enough there.

I have the same question about mounting a flush cups to on the left side of the forend.

The Spartan gunsmith adapters are meant to be set almost flush with the stock. I put one in front of the mag well, but used the UM Spartan/pic up front for a few reasons. It doesn’t recess all the way into the stock, so doesn’t protrude as far into the barrel channel. It also allows for a different bipod should i ever want one, and also allows a sling which I don’t use often but nice to have the option. After doing it I think you could use a gunsmith adapter in the forend so long as you didn’t put it at the very end where the stock gets pretty skinny. There is a bedded metal t nut under the sling stud, so I’d not drill there…go right in front of it.

Lastly, the fill of the stock is pretty stiff and might do fine without this step, but I drilled my 3/4” hole for the Spartan adapter, then dremeled out the back of the hole from the barrel channel side and created about a 1” wide reservoir and filled with JB weld to create some extra strength in that location.

 

[Stinky Coyote]

I've just done something like this with some MtnGear limited rotation cups and Hybrid ARCA/Pic rail.

The front is filled with a pretty solid material which worked great for a side sling cup glued in with JB Weld.
View attachment 1049255

The butt is the issue for a sling cup, the carbon is extremely thin with a foam filler.
I removed some of the foam and installed the cup, then reinforced the area with a bunch of JB Weld
View attachment 1049256

View attachment 1049257

View attachment 1049258

I see a little slabby slab goin on there.

I had that done to a very early on grendel, fluted and bolt knob hollowed also, 2.5-3 oz deduct. Playing around with scopes and ring currently on my money pit as kids still like to kill stuff with it. Without scope and rings it’s 4 lb 13 oz, but includes the Burris steel bases, a sheet of talon grip, and a single slot alum weaver ahead of front sling stud you can slap a little o-light on for bedtime, oh forgot, the 22" is chopped to 18.5". It’s not bedded and touching the front stock it rattles off the barrel but doesn’t seem to stop it from shooting annoyingly tiny groups with factory 123 eldm black box. Jefferson hinged, feeds a little smoother than the cz 527 kit I have for it also, and is lighter but kids can't lose a magazine this way. Love to hate on this thing, and it has only stuck around because it shoots so good, it’s the first one to be offered to kids when they move out lol, fuggin howa, get it out of my house

 

[Te Hopo]

I see a little slabby slab goin on there.

I had that done to a very early on grendel, fluted and bolt knob hollowed also, 2.5-3 oz deduct. Playing around with scopes and ring currently on my money pit as kids still like to kill stuff with it. Without scope and rings it’s 4 lb 13 oz, but includes the Burris steel bases, a sheet of talon grip, and a single slot alum weaver ahead of front sling stud you can slap a little o-light on for bedtime, oh forgot, the 22" is chopped to 18.5". It’s not bedded and touching the front stock it rattles off the barrel but doesn’t seem to stop it from shooting annoyingly tiny groups with factory 123 eldm black box. Jefferson hinged, feeds a little smoother than the cz 527 kit I have for it also, and is lighter but kids can't lose a magazine this way. Love to hate on this thing, and it has only stuck around because it shoots so good, it’s the first one to be offered to kids when they move out lol, fuggin howa, get it out of my house

Ha I have some pics saved of your rifle as I love that bolt fluting.
Thats on the to do list for mine sometime.
Mines running a 17.5" barrel, thats a Sonic 35 reflex suppressor that comes back roughly 5" over the barrel

 

[Stinky Coyote]

Ha I have some pics saved of your rifle as I love that bolt fluting.
Thats on the to do list for mine sometime.
Mines running a 17.5" barrel, thats a Sonic 35 reflex suppressor that comes back roughly 5" over the barrel

sure hope we get suppressors one day! my rar grendel's would be sweet with something like that! this 51st state thing is taking forever, sigh

having done that, I'd say leave the bolt/handle alone, I think it runs nicer stock...so hopefully that saves you the trouble, I wouldn't do it again, I wouldn't slab it either haha...I'm over the ounce counting, friggin things are light enough