34 http://www.riflemagazine.com Rifle 305
which results in adequate leverage
for easy operation. The bolt face is
countersunk with a plunger ejec-
tor. The barrel breech is recessed
to accommodate the bolt head,
which results in the cartridge
head being fully surrounded with
a ring of steel. The rotating ex-
tractor results in a push-feed de-
sign. The extractor measures 1.3
inches long and around .250 inch
wide, which is similar to the ex-
tractor used on AR-15 pattern
rifles. It is robust and has proven
to offer outstanding reliability. The
right locking lug is slotted to corre-
spond with an anti-bind full-length
rail that helps facilitate smooth, re-
liable function. The bolt body is a
one-piece solid forging that is du-
rable and effectively leaves noth-
ing to break or loosen. The base
of the solid bolt handle serves as a
third locking lug.The bolt body is well vented
with other design features that
adequately direct gases away from
the shooter in the event of a blown
primer or unlikely case failure.
The receiver is round, machined
from forged bar-stock and features
a flat bottom similar to the Win-
chester Model 70. A large integral
recoil lug is located just below the
receiver ring. Receiver rails are
comparatively thick, which serves
to increase rigidity and accuracy.
The steel floorplate is hinged
while the bottom metal and trig-
ger guard are constructed of one-
piece of aluminum. Receiver, stock
and bottom metal are secured via
two guard screws.
The three-position sliding safety
is located directly to the right of
the bolt sleeve body for intuitive
operation. As expected, whenLegacy
Sports
Howa 1500
The forged bolt is of one-piece construction with twin
locking lugs. The countersunk bolt face features a
large rotating extractor and plunger ejector.The recoil lug is integral to the flat bottom receiver.
The trigger
broke at
2.8 pounds.The Model 1500 is a simple but robust design.