S&W 1500 7X64

[Bonk]

I acquired an interesting rifle yesterday. It's a S&W 1500 Deluxe chambered in 7X64. Howa built these rifles for S&W in the early eighties. It's in 97-98% shape. Really nice deep bluing and a walnut Monte Carlo stock. There aren't any dings, nicks, mars or scratches on the wood or the metal. It has been shot but only very minimally. It has a S&W logo on the pistol grip cap and says built in Japan to S&W specs on the receiver. It came with four boxes of Remington factory ammo and I already have dies on the way from Midway.

S&W marketed three versions of this rifle. A standard with iron sights and a straight American style stock, a heavy barreled varmint version and a Deluxe version. The deluxe versions I've seen on the web and in old S&W catalogs all have white spacers on the pistol grip and the butt stock. This one is exactly like every pic I can find of the Deluxe model except for that one detail.

Here's where it gets interesting. It came with the original box and paperwork and the end cap on the box clearly shows it was a factory built 7x64 but I can't find a hint of anything on the web that says Howa built any 7x64's for S&W. AFAIK, they only chambered these in 223, 243, 22-250, 308, 30-06, 270 and 300Win.

I'll post pics when I can but does anyone have any more info or ideas about this particular rifle? Is it a factory custom build, a rebarrel or just one of a small production run? It has a model number of 16015. I'm going to reach out to S&W and see if they have any info.

Thanks

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Neat!

 

[Bonk]

Here’s a couple of pictures.

 

[ZG47]

Good find. Enjoy. Just to confuse you further, I know a guy with a Smith & Wesson 1500 which is chambered in 7x57 and has a 1-11” twist factory barrel. The twist rate was determined after he had accuracy issues with boat-tail ammo. Din Collings RIP measured the twist rate and told Chris to use 140 grain flat-base bullets. Accuracy is excellent and the rifle is a highly efficient freezer filler.

 

[Red Leg]

According to the current Blue Book, it indeed was not advertised as offered in 7x64. They were only imported in 1983 and 1984. If I remember correctly, the few I have seen had the usual high gloss finish put on many guns for the American market during this period. Your rifle seems to have a more subdued finish, and as you note, no hideous white line spacer. I wonder if they had Howa build a few in Euro chamberings to supply some effort where they were trying to gain a toehold in the European market?

 

[sestoppelman]

Most likely as above, Ruger did the same thing. They built a very few rifles in this caliber meant for Euro sales. I have owned a couple of them, good shooters.
You should like that round, treat it like a .270 or .280 Rem which it most resembles.

 

[leslie hetrick]

i have a howa 1500 sold by S&W in .223# pn 76368 with a heavy barrel parkerized metal finish and a oil finished dark walnut checkered stock and shoots as good as my rem 700 heavy barred .223. they are good rifles

 

[Ragman]

Very nice rifle! I had a S&W 1500 in 7mm Rem Mag for over 20 years. It had a plainer stock than yours and also came with iron sights. I let it go in a trade a few years ago and miss it badly. Enjoy yours!

 

[Scrumbag]

Good find. Enjoy. Just to confuse you further, I know a guy with a Smith & Wesson 1500 which is chambered in 7x57 and has a 1-11” twist factory barrel. The twist rate was determined after he had accuracy issues with boat-tail ammo. Din Collings RIP measured the twist rate and told Chris to use 140 grain flat-base bullets. Accuracy is excellent and the rifle is a highly efficient freezer filler.

Think that’s how Rigby set up the 275 Rigby

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I acquired an interesting rifle yesterday. It's a S&W 1500 Deluxe chambered in 7X64. Howa built these rifles for S&W in the early eighties. It's in 97-98% shape. Really nice deep bluing and a walnut Monte Carlo stock. There aren't any dings, nicks, mars or scratches on the wood or the metal. It has been shot but only very minimally. It has a S&W logo on the pistol grip cap and says built in Japan to S&W specs on the receiver. It came with four boxes of Remington factory ammo and I already have dies on the way from Midway.

S&W marketed three versions of this rifle. A standard with iron sights and a straight American style stock, a heavy barreled varmint version and a Deluxe version. The deluxe versions I've seen on the web and in old S&W catalogs all have white spacers on the pistol grip and the butt stock. This one is exactly like every pic I can find of the Deluxe model except for that one detail.

Here's where it gets interesting. It came with the original box and paperwork and the end cap on the box clearly shows it was a factory built 7x64 but I can't find a hint of anything on the web that says Howa built any 7x64's for S&W. AFAIK, they only chambered these in 223, 243, 22-250, 308, 30-06, 270 and 300Win.

I'll post pics when I can but does anyone have any more info or ideas about this particular rifle? Is it a factory custom build, a rebarrel or just one of a small production run? It has a model number of 16015. I'm going to reach out to S&W and see if they have any info.

Thanks

I think the original is a copy of the sako finbear as made by Howa. It went on to become the same action for the Howa 1500 and the weatherby vanguard, but I could be wrong.
Bob

 

[bruce moulds]

I think the original is a copy of the sako finbear as made by Howa. It went on to become the same action for the Howa 1500 and the weatherby vanguard, but I could be wrong.
Bob

the actions are certainly very similar.
which makes the howa action better than more modern sako actions.
bruce.

 

[Red Leg]

Think that’s how Rigby set up the 275 Rigby

The Rigby Stalker has a 1-8.66 twist rate in the .275. That is pretty traditional for the 7x57 and allows for accurate shooting of heavier for caliber bullets. My Rigby loves both the 156 and 170 gr Oryx.

100 meter 170 gr Oryx Hendershot Extreme Ammo loading that will accompany me to Zambia in August.

 

[Scrumbag]

Good stuff! I more meant the amount of lead etc. I have 156 Norma oryx to try

 

[Bonk]

A little update on what I found out about this rifle. Nothing. Zip. Nada. I spoke with S&W and they couldn't tell me anything. They barely acknowledged the serial number and couldn't even tell me what caliber it was or when it was built. They recommended I talk to Howa. I sent Howa (the company that sells/imports Howa rifles is called Legacy Sports International) an email and the response was "Sorry, it was built before we were the importers and the previous company didn't leave us any records".

I'm convinced it was originally manufactured as a 7x64 but I'm glad I have the original box otherwise I'd have a hard time documenting it.

On the plus side I mounted an older Leupold 3-9x40 I had laying around. I decided on that particular scope because it has the classic German #4 reticle. Seem to be the perfect reticle for an old classic German cartridge. Haven't had a chance to dial it in yet but I was pleasantly surprised at how mild it is to shoot even with the solid butt plate. So far I'm really liking this rifle.

 

[CBH Australia]

The rareity makes it unique.
It appears it was factory chambered. It would be nice to document but who knows if it was a special order or limited production run not advertised or promoted.
Howa must have made heaps of versions of models for at least 3 different companies or brand names.
In Australia there was a dream it, Build it program by Howa offering up stock and accessory options for new Howa assembled at the importer I guess.

I think Cleaver Firearms do Cleaver customs of Howa models by adding Boyd's stocks and others to Howa barrelled actions.