Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Howa Mini, MtnBoomer stock, Oregunsmithing Bottom Metal

My Howa Mini is coming together. The factory stock was transformed by MtnBoomer. I finally received the bottom metal from Oregunsmithing.

That is a sharp looking rig Keith. Bet it is a joy to carry.

That bottom metal looks great! Hope you get much satisfaction from the rifle.

Here's a few action shots.

That looks nice. The Howa's are neat rifles, but they're such a project to really get right in terms of how most guys would like them. Legacy sports must be a real clown show given their resistance to stainless steel and attachment to protruding trinkets.

Very cool. Boomer are you taking a few of these on again?

I have a fat assed CZ 452 stock about to get the same treatment

How is the bottom metal working and what caliber?

Sorry man, I decided I can't in the near-term. Day job gets in the way, wayyyy too much. I would like to get ahold of a Boyd's Heritage though.

Hey what are you up to these days boomer

Work is darn near all there is to mention. Driving, generally on a fairly aggressive schedule. Tired.

I just put everything together yesterday. The bottom metal fit snuggly. I ran several cartridges through the rifle and it feeds very well. The rifle is chambered for .223. I would like to find one in 350 Legend.

Very nicely done.
Whoever designed that stock and the Hogues that came with the Ruger Alaskans needs to be sent back to ergonomics school, much less aesthetics school.
Great job on the stock reshape and finish, Boomer.

I have a Howa Mini 6.5 Grendel. I cannot understand why Howa took what could have been a very nice little gun, and handicapped it with a plastic triggerguard and magazine, with a release button that is an accident just waiting to happen. Add to that the heavy and clunky stock, and you have a rifle that begs for changes. I put the Oregon Gunsmithing bottom metal on mine, and that's solved part of the problem. But, I still hate the stock. However, I don't hate it enough to pay what OG wants for one of their stocks.

I have not handled a Bell and Carlson stock for the Howa Mini but most of the B&C stocks are thick. I also have not handled the Carbon Stalker Mini action rifle yet but that looks like a good stock. I do wish that Howa would offer a floorplate option and stainless.

I like the modification to the stock. Son has one in 223 with a slim 1-8 twist barrel. I need to talk him into ordering the bottom metal and I will look into doing the mods to the stock.

Anything I need to know about painting the plastic, once I make the mods?

Same rifle in .223......I solved the stock problem with a Bell &Carlson..... Like the way it works/handles better than any other B&C I have used.
Went with the same bottom metal from Oregon, and a timney trigger....HANDY rig, lays in the front seat of one of the ranch trucks as I write this....One holes Hornady 55 gr. V-Max factory. Strange, but it has kinda gone to the front of the line in my .223 lineup.

Would you mind posting a picture of your Bell and Carlson stocked rifle?

Wow. That’s so sweet. Great work.

Have had some requests for "tips" . Basically take it on like wood, but, it's prone to melt and smear when sanding. I use files, belt, pneumatic drum and orbital sanders. The material has plenty of pinholes too. Sand to 220.

Things I know works:
Devcon Platic Steel is the only sure bet for adhesion I can recommend for these stocks. Many other epoxies simply do not adher. No, JB Quick doesn't work. Repeat that, JB Quick does not work.

I use high build sanding primer and a bit of glazing putty. Not using primer? Plastic adhesion promoter or Krylon would be a good idea. Mostly I have used Duracoat and Cerakote products on top for chemical resistance. Pretty easy to use spray webbing for a texture.

On an adult stock, cut for 13" LOP, a Hogue EZG size small pad is near perfect. They're US made... I also fit a wooden block in the ass-end on Keith's to eliminate in/out flex as I ended up very thin on the wall. Easier to eliminate the comb flutes, however, they can be maintained. You can most-easily just use the original butt pad, they're clunky and cannot be slimmed...

Forearm chop? Adds significant work. Devcon and a couple of small wood screws countersunk from the sides. To each his own, I think it is worth the effort. There's a rib of material in there where you can relocate the swivel stud as seen above. Seems to hold.

How to tell how far to go without breaking through? Look at the pics, look at the stock, go like heck. It's not a $500 piece of walnut. LOL

YMMV

Some previous projects. (note the longggg forearms)