I have asked this question over at Reloaders' nest forum, but I will ask again because I have not had any reply.

Before commercially available 'manufactured' left hand actions became available, people converted right hand rifles to left hand side bolts etc.

How did they do that?

The camming / gearing of the bolt and recesses are all wrong. It must have been a pig of a job.

To my knowledge, the conversion has been done on:

Occaisional web gun advert for an, old sporting Mauser rifle conversion;

Craig Boddington's pre 1964 Win Mod 70 in .375H&H mag;

Sedgley Springfields - seen in Guns & Ammo magazine, 2 -3 years ago.

I am just curious how it was done. Does anyone know?

The actions themselves are were not modified per se...just the bolt handle. The only one I ever saw had an attachment that clamped to the bolt handle and curved back over the top of the receiver so it could be easily reached with the left hand.

I am not familiar with the picture you speak of but be aware that it is not all that uncommon for Gun Mags to print pictures of rifles backwards in their articles. I have seen stories on both M14’s and M1’s with what appeared to be left handed actions, which to my knowledge were never manufactured.

Rick

If you ever get the chance to visit the Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in MD jump all over it. When I was there several years ago they had true left hand versions of all the main battle rifles that the US has issued from the 1903 through the M16A2. Plus they had lots of other really neat one of a kind firearms, including left hand Mausers.

I am sure that there are a lot of folks who would like to get their hands on a true left hand Springfield or Mauser.

I have seen one 98 Mauser that was converted to a true left hand action, but I have no clue how it was done. I would guess it would be a very time consuming process.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick 0311:
The actions themselves are were not modified per se...just the bolt handle. The only one I ever saw had an attachment that clamped to the bolt handle and curved back over the top of the receiver so it could be easily reached with the left hand.

I am not familiar with the picture you speak of but be aware that it is not all that uncommon for Gun Mags to print pictures of rifles backwards in their articles. I have seen stories on both M14’s and M1’s with what appeared to be left handed actions, which to my knowledge were never manufactured.

Rick

Never saw one of the type you mention.

I had a number of them over the years. Bob West did a lot of them, Tom Burgess some, Duane Wiebe at least one and modified another. Another I had in .375 was never indentified as to who did it it. Bolt release similar to burgess, bolt similar to West. These were Mod. 70's, all that I ever saw. A fellow whose name I cannot recall at the moment in Oregeon as I recall flopped 721 Remmies over as well.

All of the above require moving the bolt over to lefty, changing the camming in the rear bridge and a new bolt stop arrangement. West usually used a piece of steel in the bolt race anchored to the receiver sight mounting screw holes. A Wiebe .458 African has a lump on the outside anchored to the same holes and a sptring load push pin to allow the bolt to pass. Burgess had a pivoting lever with a head along side the tang to do the job. Besat of systems in my opinion. Sometimes the firing pin fall was shortened in the process and the spring then needed to be beefed up. They worked, that was the important thing.

Only handled one Mauser that had been converted until the Dallas SC show in January. It was represented to be an originalMauser LH, drove 500 miles to get to Tulsa the next day only to gind it had been smithed over to the left, right hand ejection. It was done similar to the Model 70's.

Other people, including Roy Gradle installed a gear arrangement on the bolt handle and bolt body that rotated the bolt. Not sure what held the handle and bolt in alignment when the bolt was open. I didn't inspect them closely as I was kinda turned off by the gears. Never saw a Mod 70 done this way, only Springields and Mausers. 721's were done similar to the 70s. Barber Southpaw Conversions was the guys name doing 721. Just looked it up in an old Gun Digest.

I's like to hear of others anyone has, has seen or know about.

AfricanHunter,

If I recall, there was a picture of one of the bolt attachments in Brophy’s book on the !903’s. It was pretty “Rube-Goldberg†looking but I guess it served some purpose for someone at the arsenal to play with.

Most left handed guys I have known don’t really seem to have all that much trouble operating a bolt on a right handed action, but the modifications you mentioned must mean that someone wanted it done pretty badly! Sounds like a hell-of-allot of work.

Maybe they should just make more ambidexterous people!!! I’d give my right arm to be ambidexterous.

Rick

African Hunter,

I went and pulled out Brophy’s book on the 1903’s and he has a picture and description of the left handed bolt attachment on page 376.

The damned thing even has a US patent ...No.1,886,925 in the name of H.E. Wales of Bremerton, Washington.

To operate the bolt is lowered, instead of lifted to open...and lifted, instead of lowered, to close!!

Rick

I saw a picture of the Boddington converted rifle, and I really like it. Wouldn't want the bolt handle in the air when closed/locked, like on the patented left-hand conversion. I still don't quite get the locking lugs to cam into battery without re-cutting the entire front bridge on the Burgess/Wiebe conversions, though.

I think I might actually prefer a conversion with a left-handed bolt handle and right side loading/ejection port to even the standard left-handed setup--I find that I prefer loading quickly on the right side of the gun when shooting lefty.

I really do prefer the bolt on the left side. I shoot a lot of right-handed guns, but the left side bolt is a little faster on second shots for me, and allows me to shoot with a tight or hasty sling.

Steve

Steve,

As they say...with enough time and money, ANYTHING is possible!!!

Rick

In the 1950s Pennsylvania gunsmith Dale Guise converted 721s and 722s to left hand. I owned several of the Wales bolt handles decades ago, he had two models, one for the straight bolt handle 1903 and the other for the swept back later style. They did work.

quote:

Originally posted by skl1:
I saw a picture of the Boddington converted rifle, and I really like it. Wouldn't want the bolt handle in the air when closed/locked, like on the patented left-hand conversion. I still don't quite get the locking lugs to cam into battery without re-cutting the entire front bridge on the Burgess/Wiebe conversions, though.

I think I might actually prefer a conversion with a left-handed bolt handle and right side loading/ejection port to even the standard left-handed setup--I find that I prefer loading quickly on the right side of the gun when shooting lefty.

I really do prefer the bolt on the left side. I shoot a lot of right-handed guns, but the left side bolt is a little faster on second shots for me, and allows me to shoot with a tight or hasty sling.

Steve

I really liked the right hand side ejection port and for loading as well.

Yea, there is some milling in the front ring for camming as well, forgot that in earlier post.

I have never read the book referred to, but the patent arrangement would "suck" compared to the ones I discussed.

You are right about sling use and you can watch the feeding if you desire.

quote:

Originally posted by vigillinus:
In the 1950s Pennsylvania gunsmith Dale Guise converted 721s and 722s to left hand. I owned several of the Wales bolt handles decades ago, he had two models, one for the straight bolt handle 1903 and the other for the swept back later style. They did work.

I forgot all about Dale's conversions. Now that you mention it I remeber seeing his name stamped on some.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick 0311:
Steve,

As they say...with enough time and money, ANYTHING is possible!!!

Rick

You're right. A dollar then bought a lot more, but it was harder to come by. I remember Duane W. quoted me either $150 or 175 to convert on in '75. (Before he hit the big time!) I found one already done form same money and we changed the bolt release. West was a lot less, but I don't remember how much. His bolt stop sure worked, but was inconvenient.

African Hunter,

On the topic of prices...

I have a couple of restored 1917 Enfields and was looking into getting the rear sights modified for windage adjustments.

In a Early (1950’s or so) American Rifleman article they talked about a guy who did that conversion for under $5 bucks!! Try getting that done nowadays for less than the cost of a new scope.

Rick

quote:

Originally posted by Rick 0311:
African Hunter,

On the topic of prices...

I have a couple of restored 1917 Enfields and was looking into getting the rear sights modified for windage adjustments.

In a Early (1950’s or so) American Rifleman article they talked about a guy who did that conversion for under $5 bucks!! Try getting that done nowadays for less than the cost of a new scope.

Rick

ou got that right!

I saw a photo of a rifle a number of years agol I believe it was a mauser and it had been modified to left hand. There was a gear ring near the cocking piece that changed the direction on the bolt, when the handle was lifted. The empties still came out on the right hand side. It was very well done and a real gem of ingenuity.

Thank you gentlemen for the information.

I am lefthanded, so this sort of thing intrigues me. Companies which make left handed fountain pen nibs, scissors and tin openers have my thanks. And money.

I am not normally a gadget type person and not being practically minded, have difficulty in visualising the conversion work needed. A picture here is definitely worth a thousand words.

Even with my limited mechanical knowledge, I think the camming action / cuts needed in the receiver would be the main awkward part.

Occasionally you see left hand conversions on the various gunsamerica type web pages offering these vintage rifles converted to lefthand. There is no reason to follow them up now that true lefthand CRF actions are available, even Mausers, to suit everyones' pocket.

I agree with the comments about left bolt, right port ejection. I read about tests in Steve Hanson's book The Varmint Hunters' Odyssey. This configuration is more ergonomic / efficient. I read it is used in bench rest rifles / target type rifles?

Not so sure about the safety aspect if a case lets go. I would like the gasses vented as far away from my face as possible.

quote:

Originally posted by robthom:
Thank you gentlemen for the information.

I am lefthanded, so this sort of thing intrigues me. Companies which make left handed fountain pen nibs, scissors and tin openers have my thanks. And money.

We need more left handed fountain pens..

Robthom,

I can identify with your left-handed “problems.â€

My left-handed son is in the Army serving in Iraq and I have had to buy him ambi-parts for his M4 because the Army doesn’t seem to have them in the supply system.

They can pay for “boob-jobs†for female soldiers but the left handed grunts have to write home to get the parts for their rifles! Somewhere there is some logic in that...but I’m afraid I don’t see it.

Rick

I think I still may have one of the few Lefty Mausers made in Japan many years ago for PO Ackley. They are[Were?] a true left-handed version all the way to the the bolt release etc. My dad got it for me in the fifties and I used it for a few years until hooking up with a 700 BDL [L]in 30-06 that still shoots like a house afire. Since then there have been a few Weatherbys, some Mauser Bauers and Heyms [great little 222 Rem]to name a few. The next time I`m in the lock-up I`ll get the Ackley out and take a few pictures if anyone is interested.

Aloha, Mark

Okay.....

Unless you are left handed and write using a 'real' ink pen, the type with a nib and not a ball point etc, you may not realise that you are dragging your hand over the sentence just written and thereby smudging it.

In fact, it would be better to write Arabic script if you are left handed because they write right hand side of page to left, the opposite of Roman script.

You can just about use the old style right handed tin openers left handed. But here is the funny part, you have to work it upside down. And what happens when you have punctured the tin which is upside down....

Scissors tend to twist / fold and crease the piece of paper if I use right handed scissors in my left hand.

For these reasons, I went to the trouble to find left handed scissors and tin openers etc.

Back to shooting.

Rick 0311, be grateful your son is in the American armed forces as, to my knowledge, the British army does not recognise left handedness with respect to rifles. Officially, everyone gets the standard issue British rifle, which is right handed / cartridge eject. I have fired an early Israeli semi auto service rifle many years ago. It was some kind of FN FAL type early derivative. I have also fired, about the same time the UK FN FAL service rifle.

I had brass whizzing past my nose. Most uncomfortable. I would never touch that type of rifle again. I believe the Austrian Styer-Aug has the ability, with a change out receiver unit, to be used left handed / for left handed soldiers.

Bohica, I would be interested in seeing a photo of your father's P O Ackley left handed Mauser action rifle. The only picture I have seen of an Ackley Mauser is in the De Haas / Van Zwolle book on bolt action rifles. And that rifle is right handed.

Sure there are some lefties that I don't have, but do have many.

Including left-hand converted Mausers and old pre-Garcia Sako Vixens.

Have a left-hand Matheiu magnum action in the white like Weatherby used pre-Mark V.

Also have true left-hand Randall and Safari Arms 1911 handguns.

One of these days will learn how to post pictures again if anyone is interested in seeing them.

Hammer

Customstox, the geared left hand conversion was probably by Roy Gradle. I never had one, but did own a Mauser made by him for the .348 with rim cut off, extractor groove turned in, and necked to 7mm, forget what he called it, had a huge high cheekpiece, first class workmanship but odd appearance.

Anyone remember Col. Charles Askins? He had many rifles converted to the other side by several smiths. Always liked 25" barrels too!
FWIW..... I own several left hand tools
hammer, several screw drivers,etc.