Home Forums Hunting & Shooting The Lefty Forum A CONTROLLED-FEED ACTION FOR SALE????

Folks,

I'm seeking a "controlled feed" standard length LH action to build a .375 Whelen Improved rifle for my 2015 Africa trip.

IF any of you other southpaws has one that is surplus to your needs, please advise me by PM.
(CASH WAITING.)

NOTE: I am also interested in knowing about your "pet load" for the .375WI with a 270grain PJSP.

yours, satx

Seems like a lefty Ruger in 375Ruger would be an easier deal. If not, Ruger or Montana Rifle donor are best bests. The winnies seem a little rich for donors.

You might want to get in touch with KK Alaska on the Ruger SS 375 barreled action listed here. I'ts not quite what you want but pretty close.

I have a Zastavas Mauser 7x57 I'm planning on selling. It might be just the ticket for a Whelen build.

Mart

Unalakleet Yooper,

FYI,I've already spoken with KK. - Am awaiting photos from the owner. - I'll likely buy the BA if KK does NOT.

Nonetheless, I would like to have a .375WI, too.= As Robert Ruark said, "USE ENOUGH GUN!"
(ImVho, a .34WI is just about perfect as a "medium to large game rifle" at 9-10 pounds. - It's even OK for WTs & blackies with cast boolits out to 300M. Otoh, the .375 Ruger is superior to the .375 H&H but much more expensive to shoot than the WI & seems to be too much gun for a lot of game animals. - I haven't tried one with cast boolits though, so my mind is open on that score.)

Btw, I have a really nice hunk of TX Black Walnut to make a good stock out of, squirreled away.

yours, tn

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the .375WI a "load your own" prospect? So if you were to roll your own .375 Rugers, wouldn't they then be equaly expensive to shoot? Also, if you're loading, you can match the power level to the game and not be "overgunned". But, if you want a .375 Whelen Improved, far be it from me to say not to go for it!

There are a bunch of LH Zastava Mausers that were imported as part of a bulk purchase by a Nevada distributor in 2012 and several are being resold on the various mailing lists and via Gunbroker.com. Mine is in 9.3x62, as were many of the others. Mine is not for sale, but you can find one. Search the archives for Zastava and you can see the posts on that import.

Controlled feed, forged action and a readily available, well respected non-wildcat cartridge with long tradition throughout Africa, especially in German East Africa. I for one am persuaded that you can hardly do better than that. (Remember, among the Brits, Rigby had exclusive rights to Mauser actions, so that market never really appreciated the fantastic value of the controlled feed bolt action. Farmers and hunters on the ground did, though.)

The 9.3x62 (.366 diameter) is very similar in performance to the 35 Whelen, 35 WI and 375 H&H. Cartridges are conventional length and not belted. Loaded ammo is available from several manufacturers at a reasonable price.

Stand Watie sent you contact and posted pics.

tmitch,

FWIW, I get FREE once-fired 30.06 military cases off the range (I'm the secretary of our Garand club.), the .375WI is REALLY efficient on powder & bullets are the most expensive component.

OTOH, the .375 Ruger uses EXPENSIVE AMMO (over 4.ooUSD each), has no empty brass available for sale, uses nearly 3x the powder & is generally too powerful for smaller game, imVho.
OTOH, I wouldn't use the .375WI on Cape Buffalo, W/O a "back-up shooter.
(There ain't NO general purpose rifle.= With a .22LR, .243Win, a .375WI & the big Ruger, I figure a fellow would be set for anything on Planet Earth.)

yours, sw

AnjinSan,

AGREED, - My Husquvarna 9.3x62MM was stolen last year in a house burglary.
I loved that rifle & don't know of another one anyplace.

FYI, the .375WI actually hits harder than the 9.3x62MM & is cheap to load with converted cases.

yours, sw

Correct me if I'm wrong, anyone, but my understanding is that the 9.3x62 case is basically the .30-06 case "with the shoulder moved forward to increase powder capacity and necked-up to accept the largest diameter bullet (.366") suitable for the case," in the words of Chuck Hawks.

Thus if you have a set of 9.3x62 dies (I do) and some .30-06 brass, you can reload the former just as cheaply as a 35 or 375 Whelen Improved �� plus have commercial ammo always available, which is not true of the WI designs. I believe that Nosler sources its brass from Norma or possibly Lapua, so that may be a little thicker than some and thus it would be even better for this cartridge.

I do not have my loading manuals with me here in Japan, but there are other benefits to having a cartridge design that goes back about 110 years. As much respect as I have for P. O. Ackley, blown out cases, minimal taper and sharp shoulders do not necessarily please us all. Smooth, reliable cycling, a relative push in terms of recoil and modest cost commercial ammo suit me in my "senior" years. When I was 40, I was all over wildcats, but now I do not have the patience for them. As they say, though, others may think differently and that's fine.

To the OP, I second the suggestion of looking for one of the Zastava M70 Mausers that were imported last year. Several of those are starting to turn up on GB and the boards as the original owners begin to churn them. If all you want is a donor action, the LH Zastava's are definitely less expensive than a LH Winchester M70. Especially with a .473 (.30-06, et al) bolt face. The prices have been in the $600 to $800 range.


This is the thought that went thru my mind when I read the original post yesterday. If I didn't already have a .375H&H and a bunch of component bullets and brass, this is where I would be going with a LH Sako AV I just picked up...

Hi SW, as a gun looney I understand fully the "want" vs "need". And I did see that you had a 9.3x62, as do I!

But seriously, loaded to equal pressure with comparable bullets, I would bet a large chunk of change that not one game animal in 10,000 would ever notice a difference and neither could the shooter!

But no doubt, if it makes you all warm and fuzzy inside, go for it! Life is too short not to attain something as simple as this if it makes you all giddy!

Oops, you caught most of us on that one. Logic, like my negative comment about wildcats, has nothing to do with it.

Of course, as my gun shop owner buddy points out, the way to cut value in a rifle is to convert it to a wildcat cartridge, but some have higher priorities.

Personally, I'm looking for LH Model 70s in 416 Rem Mag, 375 Weatherby Mag and 340 Weatherby Mag. I know the Winchester Custom Shop made a few of them, since I've seen them and let them get away earlier. As some have said, you regret the ones that got away more than the mistaken purchases.

My apologies to all... Meant to send this as a pm....

Orion2000; All,

Didn't receive anything from you as a PM. - Would you care to try again?

NOTE to ALL: Somebody IS loading the .375WI as a "factory load" & peddling them. - I saw some for sale at the last big SA show but cannot remember the "brand name". - There was a picture of a stylized leopard on the box & that's ALL that I remember, except that the load was a 270 grain JSP.
(I reload, so I wasn't very interested & "I've slept since then".)

One wonders what exactly removes a load from "wildcat status"????

yours, tn46

I failed to mention it was left handed.

Mart

Like I said, I won't argue with what someone wants, especialy when it comes to a new rifle! I agree the 375WI is more efficient, however your info on 375Ruger ammo is stretching it a bit. Loaded ammo is $55 per 20 at Natchez and new cases are readily available for around $80 per 100 (can't compete with free though). 3x the powder? From the load data I've seen using IMR4064, 57gr will send a 270gr out at 2380fps from the .375WI, 67gr will get 2600fps from the Ruger. 17% more powder, but a 12% increase in fps. I'm sure using different powders that ratio can go up and down a bit.
BTW, Imo you need many more than 4 rifles to be set for everything.....at least that's what I tell the wife!!
Good luck on your build, TM

tmitch,

At one of our local SA gunshops, .375 Ruger is 89.oo per TWENTY, plus tax. - THANKS for the better deal, elsewhere.

Tell your wife that the "one gun a month" law REQUIRES you to purchase one gun a month. = This may work if she's BLOND.

yours, sw

Stand watie PM sent