Howa Mini actions, custom chamberings, max OAL?

[Justin Utherdude]

Howdy guys.

I'm mostly a long action guy, but a nifty howa mini build caught my eye and got me wondering. Does anyone know what the max OAL length is for the mini magazines, and maybe the max cartridge size/diameter? Could you get a barrel chambered in 223 wssm to fit, or something similar?

 

[Steel Mover]

Howa Min action:

• Mini Action Calibers: .223 REM, 6.5 GRENDEL, 7.62×39 & 350 Legend

So if you bought a mimi Action w bolt the AR-15 cartridges based on the 223 or 7.62x39 could be used with a rebarrel, like the 6mm TCU, 6mm Mongoose, 6.5 Grendel, etc.

 

[memilanuk]

So if you bought a mimi Action w bolt the AR-15 cartridges based on the 223 or 7.62x39 could be used with a rebarrel, like the 6mm TCU, 6mm Mongoose, 6.5 Grendel, etc.

...or .22 ARC or 6 ARC.

 

[ShaunBrady]

^^^^^^^^^^^

22mm, 0.866" barrel tenon, 0.616" bolt body, so 7.62X39 case heads are a good upper limit on diameter.

The Howa 7.62X39 magazine has an internal length of 2.35".

 

[Justin Utherdude]

Well the 7.62x39 is an 11.35mm/.447in case head... and the 223 wssm is 14.1/.555 . So that kind of squashes that plan. I guess that's why one of the chamberings was 22 ARC. I figured that it might be fun to build one of these with a 14in 224 barrel with a 1/7 twist. I thought bumping up from a 223 to something bigger would help regain some of the velocity lost by both shortening the barrel and going with heavy pills.

I may need to reconsider. I'm wondering how useful it would be to have a mini over just getting a normal action where I wouldn't be quite as limited. Still, I see the howa actions on sale every now and then, so they are tempting.

 

[ShaunBrady]

I bought a Howa Mini 7.62x39 barreled action several years ago when Brownell's was clearancing them for $125. Mostly because it amused me to buy something like that for such an absurd price.

A couple years later, I bought an MDT Oryx chassis for it during a Black Friday special.

The original idea was it'd become a 6.5 Grendel that wasn't constrained by bolt thrust or gas system timing.

 

[Justin Utherdude]

I mean, they're stupidly affordable. Maybe I'll just do 223 AI. I was looking at the jtac elf owl or something similar.