Left Hand Model 700 vs. Model 700LH

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Thegregtastic
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:45 am

Left Hand Model 700 vs. Model 700LH

Post by Thegregtastic »

Hello, all, first post here.


I have a left handed Model 700 in .30/06, OY barrel code (July '74, so early for a left handed 700). However, the receiver is marked "Remington" over "Model 700". I think this may just be an error, in that the incorrect die was used to mark this receiver, but I am not sure. I have seen other early lefty 700's, even first year models, marked "Remington" over "Model 700LH".

Does anyone have any information on this, how common it was, or any idea on what may have happened in the factory? I don't believe this to be a custom shop rifle, just a standard lefty BDL in .30/06.
Wulfman
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Location: N.W. Wyoming

Re: Left Hand Model 700 vs. Model 700LH

Post by Wulfman »

Thegregtastic wrote: Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:12 am Hello, all, first post here.


I have a left handed Model 700 in .30/06, OY barrel code (July '74, so early for a left handed 700). However, the receiver is marked "Remington" over "Model 700". I think this may just be an error, in that the incorrect die was used to mark this receiver, but I am not sure. I have seen other early lefty 700's, even first year models, marked "Remington" over "Model 700LH".

Does anyone have any information on this, how common it was, or any idea on what may have happened in the factory? I don't believe this to be a custom shop rifle, just a standard lefty BDL in .30/06.
I don't know what you mean by that statement. All of the Remington (right-handed) bolt action rifles I have or have seen have two lines stamped into the left side of the receiver/action. The top line says "Remington" and the lower line says "Model 700" (or "Model 721" or "Model 721" or "Model 722"......or whichever model it is). I haven't seen a left-handed model for many years, but the left-hand model should be the same, only on the other side.
The left-hand BDL 700s were introduced in 1973.

If yours is different, you might post a picture of it.

Den

.
Thegregtastic
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Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:45 am

Re: Left Hand Model 700 vs. Model 700LH

Post by Thegregtastic »

Thank you for the reply.

Here is the right side of my receiver.
Image

This is the right side of every other left handed model 700 I have ever seen.

Image
Thegregtastic
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Re: Left Hand Model 700 vs. Model 700LH

Post by Thegregtastic »

Sorry

Here's the other picture

Image
600RemGuy
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Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 10:29 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Left Hand Model 700 vs. Model 700LH

Post by 600RemGuy »

You are comparing apples to oranges with your pics. The second rifle you posted a pic of is a late model. I believe this came about in the mid 90s where LH was added to the model altho I can't find any substantiation.
Thegregtastic
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:45 am

Re: Left Hand Model 700 vs. Model 700LH

Post by Thegregtastic »

Thank you for your reply.

The second picture is not a direct comparison, but only an example (as stated).

All other left handed 700's I have seen, regardless of vintage, have been marked in the manner of the second picture.

If a closer-in-vintage comparison is needed, let me try again.


This is my rifle. It is SN 672xxxx, barrel code OY (July 1974). It is marked "Remington" over "Model 700" on the right side of the receiver.
Image

This is a picture of a rifle I found by Google searching '1974 Remington 700 left hand'. Its serial is 676xxxx, barrel code PY (June 1974, shown in other pictures on the website on which I found this picture). It is marked 'Remington' over 'Model 700LH' on the right side of the receiver; just like the first comparison I posted of the contemporary rifle, and just like all other left handed 700's I've seen.
Image
600RemGuy
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Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 10:29 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Left Hand Model 700 vs. Model 700LH

Post by 600RemGuy »

I digress. Never looked into these much. You have in fact brought up a valid point. I've now seen others of your vintage marked LH, many more marked than not. Didn't really know that was a thing. There is nothing stated that I can find in Lacy's book on the 700s. Maybe he'll step in and add his 2 cents
Thegregtastic
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:45 am

Re: Left Hand Model 700 vs. Model 700LH

Post by Thegregtastic »

Thank you for your reply.

I didn't notice the difference between my rifle and other left handed models until well after I bought it. I thought 'Maybe it has been re-blued, and the LH was buffed off', but after noting the positions of the words in each line relative to each other, and against pictures of other rifles, that is not the case.

I then thought, like you, older 700LH's were just stamped 700 until sometime later when it was changed to 700LH. But, that theory was debunked when I found similarly aged rifles marked 700LH.

This is the only left handed 700 I have seen marked 700 and not 700LH.

Granted, I have not seen all the left handed 700's produced by Remington. What I have done is use the internet to search for every available picture of left handed 700's to see how they are marked. To date I have yet to find one marked similarly, but I am still searching.
Thegregtastic
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Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:45 am

Re: Left Hand Model 700 vs. Model 700LH

Post by Thegregtastic »

Update:

I recently purchased another mis-marked rifle, this one serials 1,222 before the rifle I already had.

Also a 1974 rifle, this one from March (AY).

The above picture of the a correctly marked rifle serials some 40,000+/- after these two I have, though put together between.
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