Howa M1100 22LR Rimfire Rifle 18" Barrel Threaded

Hunters of small game have been waiting for Howa to bring out an inexpensive rimfire for the past four or five decades. Finally, it has happened.

The Model 1100 is outstanding, with a budget price and several attractive features not found in the majority of rimfire rifles.

Naturally, the Howa 1100 has a tubular receiver and the polishing and bluing on the metalwork is excellent for a rifle that is relatively inexpensive. At the rear, the bolt sleeve is contoured to match the shape of the receiver, giving it a streamlined appearance.

The Howa’s receiver is drilled and tapped to allow for mounting a scope, just one of several unusual refinements found on this economically priced rimfire.

The bolt is the typical half cutaway rimfire type with dual extractors and a round firing pin rather than one having a chisel nose. The rifle cocks on the uplift of the bolt handle, which has a large pear-shaped hollow handle. Lock-up is accomplished by the root of the bolt handle turning down into a matching square notch in the side of the receiver.

Another nice touch is having a bolt release catch on the left rear side of the receiver that runs in a slot in the bolt body, instead of using the sear as a bolt stop like most .22s.

The Howa has a 457mm (18.5”) barrel that’s pressed and pinned into the receiver. Much has been made of having rimfire barrels threaded into the receiver ring, but rather than being threaded for attachment to the action the barrel shank has a smooth surface and is force-fitted into the receiver, then pinned in place. This is nothing new. Anschutz, whose match-winning record is exemplary, attaches its barrels using the same method.

The barrel is medium sporter weight and straight tapered from 22mm at the receiver ring to 16mm at the threaded muzzle cap, which makes it pretty stiff — something conducive to fine accuracy. Twist rate is the standard 1:16 for .22LR.

The crisp, clean trigger pull helps maintain tight groups. When tested, and according to a RCBS Trigger Pull Scale, the trigger pull consistently broke at 3½lb (1.6kg). The trigger can be made lighter by turning the adjustment screw located in the front of the trigger housing.

The rifle’s accuracy was very consistent. Using 10 different .22 Long Rifle cartridges and the overall average group size was under an inch at 50 yards. The load that gave the tightest groups was Lapua Polar Biathlon, the best five-shot group with that cartridge measuring just .383.