Gunsmithing Howa 1500 bolt disassembly

[konjiki7]

I'm working on my first Howa build. After doing a few savages and old mil builds I'm up for trying something new. After prying the factory barrel from the howa1500 action.
( Me on an Action wrench w/ 6ft breaker and friend on a plumbers wrench w/6ft breaker. Barrel vice could not stop it from spinning even with cow hid or rosin...The factory cerakote finish is super slippery!) I have a feeling this going to be one of the more challenging builds...

I'm ready to lap the lugs and true the bolt face. I find myself with a few questions.

Started tapping on the pin for the ejector and it doesn't seem to want to budge.

I'm wondering if there is a specific direction the pins holding the ejector need to pushed out on?

Does the extractor need to be pressed in a certain amount to free the pin?

 

[308pirate]

Make sure you're compressing the ejector a bit to alleviate the drag/friction between the ejector and the pin. You can drive the pin out in either direction.

Same thing with the extractor, press it inwards a little to alleviate friction between it and the pin. No different than an AR15 really.

 

[konjiki7]

@ 308pirate thanks of the input.

I had the bolt in a fixture that applies pressure to the ejector as the bolt lugs lock. I tried adjusting the set screw that increases/reduces pressure on the ejector.(Its an old tool by Sinclair)

At the end of the day it was just a bitch to get out.

Things i tried w/ varying pressure on the ejector

1. Guys from Brownell's seemed to think it needs to be pushed from right to left. (made no difference)
2. Applied CLP cycled ejector several times let it soak for two days
3. Applied heat to the bolt heated to 160f
4. Putting small piece of metal between ejector and tool to push ejector below bolt-face surface
5. Used carpenter hammer (did not budge with armorers hammer.) - moved ever so slightly
6. carpenter hammer + heat
7. carpenter hammer + heat + ejector positioned below bolt face
8. 6lb blacksmith hammer pin began - moved a lot with light swings wheeler punch bent at the very end. Killed 2x wheeler punches( over hardened and way too brittle) and a very flexible homedepot punch (metals way to soft)

I didn't want to resort to more force however I exhausted all options I had or could think of so I grabbed my old Starrett punch set from my auto tool box. Drove the ejector pin the rest of the way out without issue and drove extractor pin too. The pin Bore on the bolt I have is extremely tight. I Will probably heat the bolt and freeze the pins to get them back in with minimal force.

Now off to true the bolt face and continue with the build.

 

[CheapBasterd]

Sorry to bring up and old thread but does the pin come out left to right? or its not tapered and doesnt matter? I read about it having splines on one side. If its got splines I'd hate to beat it down on that side of it and ruin the pin or the channel.

 

[308pirate]

Sorry to bring up and old thread but does the pin come out left to right? or its not tapered and doesnt matter? I read about it having splines on one side. If its got splines I'd hate to beat it down on that side of it and ruin the pin or the channel.

It does not matter which side you drive it out to. I don't understand why the OP had so much trouble.

None of my Howas (one 308 the other 223) have been that difficult.

 

[flatland1]

I've posted this before, mostly to relieve the stigma attached to barrel removal from Howa actions. All the newer actions with the HACT 2-stage triggers are quite easy to break the bbl loose with the use of a good bbl vise & action wrench.

On the extractor & ejector pins, if you look at them with a little magnification, you'll be able to see which end of the pin was hit when it was driven into the bolt. Usually a little easier to drive them out from the other end, as the driven end is sometimes mushroomed out just a tad bit.

 

[CheapBasterd]

can confirm here with the newer Howas. Pin came out and back in as easy as any other pin.