Howa Firing Pin & Small Primers

[Phil3]

I contacted a fairly well known gunsmith firm to see about truing up my Howa action (308 bolt face) and also asked whether the firing pin needed to bushed. The reply was that yes, I would need to have the pin bushed if I intended on using small rifle primer brass. I planned to use 6.5 x 47 (small rifle primer). I was told the Howa pin is .075" (not .062") and that will result in pierced small rifle primers. The gunsmith firm added they do not offer firing pin bushing services and do not know of anyone that does. I measured the Howa firing pin with a micrometer. At the tip, I measured .078", and no way it is less than that.

If all true, then the Howa action of no use to me. Especially since I had heard (but cannot confirm) that the firing pin is hardened steel and cannot be turned down on a lathe. If all true, this would seem to indicate that a Howa action firing a 6.5 x 47 (small rifle primer) is just not possible.

I would like opinions on what the gunsmith said from people here experienced in such matters.

Thank you,

Phil

 

[AlNyhus]

Is the pin diameter on Howa's with the .378 (223) bolt face smaller? I don't have one here now but I remember them being around .075 ish also. Also, all firing pins are hardened. That's no obstacle to reducing the pin tip diameter with the correct tooling. A bigger issue than the pin tip diameter is the clearance between the pin tip and the hole in the bolt face.

With all the Howas being used, there's surely someone that's doing this work. 'Carlsbad' on here does a lot of 700 bolt work...maybe contact him. -Al

 

[rjtfroggy]

I shoot a Kelby with a 0.073 firing pin. I shoot a 30x47 which is a 6.5x47 necked up to 30 and I have not pierced a primer yet going on 5 years now.
Me thinks you need to find a different gun smith.

 

[whatsupdoc]

I have fired thousands of small primer 6.5 creed and 6mm creed with a rifle that had a large firing pin. I used CCI 450 primers and although I did have some cratering I never pierced a single primer.

I am sure there are smiths that can bush your bolt even with the hardened pin.

In my opinion the best thing to do is get rid of that Howa and buy one of the
less expensive custom actions and you will be better off in the long run.

 

[SKWERLZ]

A friend shoots a howa in 6 arc, he had some loads that were excessively spicy and he didn’t blow any primers.