Changing from right handed action to left handed.

[LeftHandGuy]

I know it doesn’t help. I’m left eye dominant and ambidextrous. I made the decision 20 years to go to left handed guns. Sold all my right handed guns and got a left handed Blaser R93. Unfortunately left handed guns are never cheap how every you try to get there.

I feel your pain! BUT, sometimes LH guns can be had on the cheap. In 2014 I paid £295 for my LH Rem 700, and that included a scope and bipod (neither very high quality, but they did work). I was very lucky to get that in 308, but I've seen lefty rifles in less fashionable chamberings (7x57, 7x64, 25-06) hang around for a couple of years or more at attractive prices. It's taking the thread slightly OT, for which I apologize, but it's a good argument for reloading, and I think it's connected that sometimes a rifle being both left hand configuration and in an unusual chambering means that dealers lower the price just to try and shift it.

 

[gixer1]

Buy a Beretta BRX1 then you can swap between right and wrong handed!

 

[LeftHandGuy]

Buy a Beretta BRX1 then you can swap between right and wrong handed!

I think you can do the same with the Savage Impulse, but I don't know if any are imported into the UK, or are going to be.

 

[opticron1]

I feel I already know what the answe will be, but going to ask it anyway.

Does anyone know the ball park figure to change a right hand action rem 700 to left handed?
If I can avoid having to give my current rifle away and the lengthy wait for a variation along with then having to find a left hand rifle it would be ideal.

Thanks

As someone who had to change from right hand to left hand due to eye sight issues, I would be tempted to keep your right handed Rem and buy a dedicated left hand. I use both left and right (estate rifles) and to be honest I am ok with either (off the left shoulder). The only thing is having to be a bit careful with the spent case flying out - he said meaningfully! I would love to get a left hand thumbhole rifle at some stage, but selling on left handers is a smaller market than for right handers.

 

[pbear94]

As someone who had to change from right hand to left hand due to eye sight issues, I would be tempted to keep your right handed Rem and buy a dedicated left hand. I use both left and right (estate rifles) and to be honest I am ok with either (off the left shoulder). The only thing is having to be a bit careful with the spent case flying out - he said meaningfully! I would love to get a left hand thumbhole rifle at some stage, but selling on left handers is a smaller market than for right handers.

I think this is what will end up happening.

 

[Heym SR20]

And the best reason for having a proper left handed bolt action is to hand it to a right handed shot and watch him try and use it.

 

[MAH]

lengthy wait for a variation

Even if it was a viable modification, surely the wait for the gunsmith to complete ithe work would be longer than for a 1for1 variation.

A quick goole brings up 55 results on gunstar

M

 

[pbear94]

Shockingly I think the work would take less than the variation! I have searched and found 3 that would be suitable. 1 is on the caliber I would want and the other 2 would need to be rebarreled.

 

[webley701]

Pbear94,
I wouldn’t consider having a bolt action converted from right to left. Aside from the considerable cost, the conversion at best never ends up as good as a true left handed rifle, then factor in the delay for the work to be done (far longer than even a slow 1 for 1 variation - as has been mentioned above) - then add in the chance the gunsmith doing the work won’t get it ‘right’ - it all adds up to a non-starter. Even more so when the couple of hundred true left handed centre-fire rifles of all qualities & prices which are currently on Guntrader alone are considered. You can haggle hard when buying a S/H rifle from a trader as they won’t have paid very much at all for it.

 

[webley701]

Shockingly I think the work would take less than the variation! I have searched and found 3 that would be suitable. 1 is on the caliber I would want and the other 2 would need to be rebarreled.

Do you appreciate what is involved in doing the work?

 

[gonzo]

For the 30quid fee, just put in for a variation for anothe rifle, right away. Explain why and that you will be selling your existing one. I'd be surprised if it were to be refused.
Then you get to keep your existing rifle whilst you locate a replacement and get used to it.

When you do then sell your existing, you can ask them to do a one-for-one for a different calibre. Which is then in the bag for future.

 

[pbear94]

Do you appreciate what is involved in doing the work?

Yes. I've had rifles rebarrelled before. One of them was also to a different caliber.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

Shockingly I think the work would take less than the variation! I have searched and found 3 that would be suitable. 1 is on the caliber I would want and the other 2 would need to be rebarreled.

How desperately attached to your existing chambering are you? I mean, I am all for providing British gunsmiths with the work, and you would very likely get a superior product having a new barrel fitted, but it unless you are getting a big discount for buying a rifle with a shot out barrel then it seems to Ike a very expensive way to go?

What are you currently shooting?

 

[pbear94]

Fairly attatched. Seen a fair few left hand in 308, but i dont really want 308 as i have bigger rifles anyway. Wanting to keep the 260 as its good for pretty much everything without being over kill.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

Fairly attatched. Seen a fair few left hand in 308, but i dont really want 308 as i have bigger rifles anyway. Wanting to keep the 260 as its good for pretty much everything without being over kill.

Fair enough - gives you a huge variety of potential donor rifles to choose from, especially as the future of 243 in Scotland is a little questionable...

Not that I believe 308 is overkill! But that's a different story.

Now I am not 100% on all the rules, but I would bet that if you got a gunsmith lined up for the rebarrel and found a donor rifle you liked you could get the RFD to get the rifle to the smith irrespective of the complications of getting the 1-for-1 on your FAC, so that the work could go ahead whilst the paperwork was being processed. Just had a look on guntrader and there some really nice looking older Tikas and Sakos for what seems like very fair money...

Please do update the thread if you do go ahead with a rebarrel!