There is a topic in the gunsmithing forum talking about converting a Right hand (rem 700) to a left hand bolt. While that conversion does not make much sense due to to availability of true LH M700s, I thought you guys might like to see this one. It is by a gun smith here in PA who is doing my LH mauser (true left hand zastava action) 35 whelen. He has converted many springfields & mausers to be true left hand guns. Changing the ejection port & everything. Not like some of the other conversions I've seen where just the bolt is changed.


Here is a picture of a conversion he did. This is an original mauser action (I think 1909 arg.) With his full blown conversion. It is chambered for the 6.5x55 mauser. A beautiful gun.



Mauser 98 converted to left hand
Rebarreled to 6.5 X 55 and restocked

Stiles Custom Guns

nice gun any more pictures of the action right and left side

This is the only picture I have. I got it from his web site. I will be seeing Gary sometime after Christmas to look at the stock he is making for my rifle. And to give him action & blank for rifle #2 I will ask him if he has any pictures of the other side that he can scan & send to me. If he does I will post them.

He has done all kinds of intersting rifles, including building a double rifle 45-70 for bear hunting here in PA. And a 22 long rifle mauser 98 where he cut the back off a mauser 98 action & welded it to the front half of a 22 long rifle springfield trainer. Creating a truly custom 98 22 LR. I have pictures of bothe these guns from a gun show I was at last year



45-70 double rifle-made from a Win model 21 sxs shotgun



Bottom rifle is the 98 22LR

I am always amazed by the true talent some of the gunsmiths have in this country. It is a wonder to actually see & hold work like this.

What did he charge for the 45-70 Double?

I am not sure what he would charge to make another. He made that one for himself.

The conversion in the first rifle looks better than any other one I've seen. Usually, it isn't pretty when someone decides to convert from RH to LH...

About ten years ago I was visiting Jaqua's in Findlay, Ohio. They had just taken in a pre-64 Model 70 in .243 that had been converted over to left hand. They priced it at $700 and laid it out. I coon-fingered it a couple minutes and was really impressed with the amount of work that a very good 'smith put into it. As my oldest son shoots LH I was seriously considering it. Two more people checked it out in the next ten minutes and one of them bought it.

Don't know how it shot or functioned but I should have took a chance and bought that rifle. I've never seen many conversions but that one sure looked impressive.

Iron Buck...

what is this gunsmith's name, address, and phone number......

Here is his contact info:

Gary L. Stiles
76 Cherry Run Road
Homer City, PA 15748
glstiles@yourinter.net

Phone: 724.479.9945 evening
Phone: 724.479.8666 daytime

Being left handed, I would beinterested to know how the right to left conversion was performed on bolt action rifles.

The bit which intrigues me is the camming action.... Did they cut that part of the bolt and rear part of action off and weld on a new part with appropriate 'bumps' and recesses?

I have only ever seen the following with this conversion:

Mauser 8x57js

Mauser 8x60s

Czech Mauser - 30/06

Springield - 30/06

These were on the Guns America pages over the last three or four years, ?Guns Auction and one of the carriage trade American gun / rifle dealer web pages.

To satisfy my curiosity, I would love to know how this was done.

Could anyone point me towards a godd 1950s era gunsmithing book?