Anyone handled the new(ish) Empire rifle yet?

350JR

Handloader
Sep 21, 2012
339
1
Like the rest of the Legacy Sport rifles, it is (confirmed by LSI) a Howa 1500 action and while alien to ME, much is said online about successful builds on this action and I'm looking at rifles to choose one for a wildcat rebarreling.

I do have to chuckle about the "Webley and Scott" branding. I bet there are some W&S collectors out there grinding their dentures. Maybe it's just me though. :wink:

Much of the design of the stock I like as well as it's not a fly-weight rifle. Wildcat will be a bit of a stump-buster (IMO) in a bigger bore and the design/looks/weight got my attention......but I've never had a 1500 action in my hands, even though several rifles out there use them. While I'm sure I could find a Vanguard around but history has taught me that "the same thing" isn't always the same thing, if you know what I mean.

Just curious as to the first impression anyone has had if they had one of these in their hands as far as fit and finish and basic "feel" if they shouldered one.

So far, for the street price these can be had for, I couldn't pick up a used 700 BDL (not a synthetic stock lover.....at all) unless it was a beater, so very curious. I called around to stores up to 1.5 hours away here and no one has one in stock.

Any thoughts are welcome and appreciated.
God Bless

https://www.gunworld.com/guns/webley-sc ... ire-rifle/
 
The Howa 1500 is a fine rifle action. It's derived from the Sako L579 action that Howa built for Sake under license some time ago. Howa brands them to spec for Weatherby as the Vanguard and they've been sold as the Smith and Wesson rifles among others.

I've had several iterations of the 1500 action...all have been outstanding.
 
I’ve owned my first Howa for a year now. It’s the heavy barrel in 6.5 CM. It is a superb action that has a lot of features I like much better than other actions. Plus Howa machining is very well done, and the action is super smooth. It has a very large recoil lug that is machines into the receiver, and a flat bottom action that is very easy to bed if need be. The bolt is also machined into the action. The hammer forged barrel is very well done and copper fouling comes out in just a few patches. I honestly don’t know how they sell them so cheap. In my view it is the best value you can get in an action. Plus aftermarket is really starting to come around for them now. Mine has been the most accurate rifle I’ve ever owned.


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