Hows mini barrel rework?

[A5Blaster Number 2]

Let's here some opinions folks.

Is it possible to take off a factory howa mini barrel and have it sent out to be chopped down and reprofiled?

Here's what I'm 🤔🤔🤔🤔.
Go to 16.25 inch barrel.
Simple old school rounded muzzle, no threads, no recessed edge.
Reprofiled the entire length(minus the chamber area) down to .625/.650 dia out to the muzzle.

Also cutting down the forgrip length of the stock to match up with the looks of the shorter barrel.

Already planning on getting the hinged floor plate system for it and a timneny trigger.

Thinking a super light weight and compact treestand gun for my public land hunts way back when I'm in my climbing stand.

Optics would probably either be a fixed 4x scope or a red dot.

I'm talking deep public land hunts. 1.75 to 3 mile hike in the dark to get where I want to be and then climb 20+ foot up a tree and hunt for the day.

Short range rifle work, I'm talking tick tick cover like barely be able to shot 55 yards.

Loaded down with some sippy 85 to 100 grain all copper handloads and I'm 🤔🤔🤔 we got ourselfs a bad lil mamjama deer/hog slayer right dar baww.

Already got a 12 inch ar grendel. And it's great for this, but I'm me and I want me a stupid light weight and compact bolt grendel dang it 😂😂😂.

Yep BFT I'm still rocking the original 12 inch monster test barrel I got from you.

Yea I know I'm all over the place and type in a way that's hard to follow but hey to bad 😂😂😂

So what's y'all opinions?

[grayfox]

grendel ruger ranch rifle, put a thread protector on it...
probably less $$$ and besides I don't know how well and how true thinning down an existing barrel on a lathe would go.
If the mag is giving you problems I hear ruger will send you a mini-thirty bottom piece, those feed pretty well.

[A5Blaster Number 2]

grendel ruger ranch rifle, put a thread protector on it...
probably less $$$ and besides I don't know how well and how true thinning down an existing barrel on a lathe would go.
If the mag is giving you problems I hear ruger will send you a mini-thirty bottom piece, those feed pretty well.

No thank you.

I hate threaded barrels on bolt guns, unless it's a dedicated target/sniping/long range hunting gun.
I hate ar mags in bolt guns.
I severely dislike Ruger's actions,triggers,fit and feel.

I know I can have a custom barrel made to my spec's but thought since I have to remove the barrel anyways, might as well see if it's plausible to have the factory barrel done up to the way I want it.

[VASCAR2]

I would buy the thin profile 22” 6.5 Grendel action and have my Friend who is a gunsmith cut it at 16.5” and put a nice crown on the barrel. I’d look at a light weight stock, maybe carbon fiber. The action weighs less than 4 pounds and cutting 5.5” inches will get the action close to 3.5 pounds. Add a Jefferson Outdoors flush internal mag with floor plate and light scope rings. The barrel is pretty light and no need to re-profile or thread.


Sell or keep your other Howa, no need to remove the barrel or have the barrel sent off.

https://www.brownells.com/gun-parts/rifle-parts/rifle-receivers-parts/m1500-mini-6.5-grendel-barreled-action/?sku=430103509

[A5Blaster Number 2]

I would buy the thin profile 22” 6.5 Grendel action and have my Friend who is a gunsmith cut it at 16.5” and put a nice crown on the barrel. I’d look at a light weight stock, maybe carbon fiber. The action weighs less than 4 pounds and cutting 5.5” inches will get the action close to 3.5 pounds. Add a Jefferson Outdoors flush internal mag with floor plate and light scope rings. The barrel is pretty light and no need to re-profile or thread.


Sell or keep your other Howa, no need to remove the barrel or have the barrel sent off.

https://www.brownells.com/gun-parts/...?sku=430103509

That's what I have in my cart ready to order.

Barrel profile is still to heavy for my wants/needs.

May just go ahead and have a custom barrel spun up.

I'm looking at coming in in the 4.5 to 5lb range total weight, loaded and ready to kill.

I forgot to add, the action is getting sent off as well to have the bolt fluted and the action slabbed. Cutting the weight down even more.

Cutting down the carbon stock forend length and removing the standard 1 inch butt pad and replacing it with a 1/8 pad will take it from it's advertised weight of 18 onces to around 11 onces. Did one this summer for a friend of mine, came out great.

Would buy that gun from him and just build off of it what I want. But the big dummy lost it in a card game.

[VASCAR2]

Howa used to have a lighter weight barrel but I think it has been discontinued. I looked at the Howa 2024 Catalog and they only list the 20” HB and the 22” tapered barrel. Sounds like a neat project. Be sure to post pictures when you get it done.

[Oso Polaris]

Its a factory barrel... Getting a gunsmith to re-profile a barrel is not as popular as it once was. Most will say "No". More importantly the process may introduce variations in the barrel that adversely impact performance. Better to just buy a replacement barrel in the profile that you are wanting.

[A5Blaster Number 2]

Its a factory barrel... Getting a gunsmith to re-profile a barrel is not as popular as it once was. Most will say "No". More importantly the process may introduce variations in the barrel that adversely impact performance. Better to just buy a replacement barrel in the profile that you are wanting.

Found a few that said they would do it. Problem is the price is right in line with the price of a full on custom barrel.

So I ordered a 16.50 inch McGowen grendel barrel threaded for the mini action (no barrel nut).
Hunter muzzle profile
McGowen #1 barrel profile 8 twist 5r
Armor black coated

Barrel is going to be super light weight.

Got to go crunch some numbers right quick.

[A5Blaster Number 2]

Barrel weight should be right at 23 onces.

Stock once cut down and redid will be in the 10 to 11 onces.

I forget the weight of the action but slabbing it and doing the flutting to the bolt only removes around 2 to 2.5 onces
Haven't settled on a red dot yet so can't give a exact weight for that.

Still got to get the weight for the oregan smithing hndged floor plate and the timneny trigger.

Aslo got to find a Titanium foreign pin.

Going with standard run of the mill sling post's, but will be braiding up a Paracord sling for this gun.

[Oso Polaris]

That is what I have seen / experienced. Sometimes a "Yes" is actually a "No" when its is priced the same as buying a new one. The setup time, machining skill, and risk of warping the barrel makes most gunsmiths unwilling to risk the gamble. Glad you found a barrel that you liked. If you don't mind me asking, what did you pay to slab the receiver?

Oregunsmith bottom metal is nice! The Timney trigger also is a solid improvement to the rifle.

[A5Blaster Number 2]

50 bucks and a bottle of home made bourbon.

[Draftpick]

A howa mIni carbon elevate with carbon stock and barrel is 72 ounces

[A5Blaster Number 2]

A howa mIni carbon elevate with carbon stock and barrel is 72 ounces

And it's to dang long.

That and I don't trust their weight they say it is. Buddy's creedmoor was a good bit heavier then advertised.