I'm another lefty with a problem. I really want a left-handed CRF .375 H&H, but don't want to wait for a year or so on Winchester to make me one. And the other "factory" choices (Dakota, etc.) are out of my price range. So I'm looking for suggestions. Anybody know of such a beast for sale? Alternately, anyone know of a 'smith that can put one together for me reasonably quickly, and for a reasonable price (under $2000, for stainless/synthetic)?

All suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

pertinax

Pertinax,

I see this is your first post, so I'd like to say "welcome to AccurateReloading".

The good news, is that many of the fine members here are also left-handed, or like me, they shoot left-handed.

I recently bought a Winchester M70 in 375H&H (lefty) from one of the guys here, but it is blued, not stainless. I gave up waiting for Winchester to make a stainless version again, at a reasonable price that is.

For me the blued rifle was not a problem, because I already have another stainless big bore Winchester, and I really like this blued rifle! (Thanks Spike!)

Anyhow, back to your question...

From what I have learned (mostly here) your best bet is probably to buy a left-handed stainless M70 "Classic" rifle, chambered in one of the stanard length cartridges (7mmRem Mag, 300 Win Mag, etc.) That will get you the proper action and bolt face.

Then send that rifle off to your favorite gunsmith to have the loading/ejection port machined a bit larger at the receiver bridge, the magazine spacer removed, replace the follower, the bolt stop altered, and the ejector altered also, and re-drill the scope mount holes in the bridge.

Oh! Of course he'll need to screw on a new barrel in .375"! Good time for some irons sights to be installed, and a barrel band front swivel mount.

Hopefully the gunsmith you chose is one who likes to work on "dangerous game rifles" and spends the time insuring the rifle feeds and ejects properly. This may require some feed rail work, which is always best left to the proffesionals!

Hope this helps! It's exactly the dilemma I faced recently, and all this advice stems directly from what I've learned here.

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Brian
The 416 Taylor WebPage!

Pertinax,
Contact me at the e-mail in my profile. I MAY be getting rid of my LH Model 70 Express in 7mmSTW.

I believe that all you'd need to do is re-barrel (and install iron sights if you want them) to .375H&H to have what you want. A .375H&H magazine box may be necessary, but that is an inexpensive part.

This rifle is built on the Express CRF action, so it doesn't require any opening of the ejection port.

George

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Shoot straight, shoot often, but by all means, use enough gun!