Hope I don't regret this...

turkeestalker · March 6, 2015, 10:01 PM

I was in one of the LGS yesterday and saw an old Winchester 1400 12 gauge in a lefty model. I never realized that they made a lefty model in the skeet version of the 1400. I own a 20 gauge 1400 right hand that has given me good service for 30 years and will continue to I'm sure. The lefty 12 was nothing spectacular but very clean, honest use but well cared for.
Once home I got curious and started researching it. Of the 1.5 million give or take 1400s that Winchester produced, about 1250 of them were made in a left hand version. That is a fairly limited number and though it will never be a collectors item, it could in fact wind up being a 'desirable oddity' so to speak.
I am a left eye dominant right hander, and I've never shot a long gun with both eyes open the way that you're supposed to. I simply can not focus that way. So I kind of found the shotgun 'oddly desirable' to me in order to be able to try for the first time in more than 50 years, shooting correctly. Not that I couldn't have ever tried that with a right handed long gun, but doing it with a left handed one just seems fun and fitting.
I stopped back in and picked it up this afternoon on the way home from work. With the break in the weather set for this weekend, I may just head out and try busting some clay birds with it and see how awkward or not it is for me. I did once have to swap hands to harvest a spring tom that was trying to skirt a half strut tom decoy I had out. He must've gotten his tail feathers kicked that spring. Harvesting him left handed was awkward but not terribly so.
I'm a little apprehensive. I mean what if things just click shooting left handed, and instead of being no slouch at clays, I'm suddenly a master?? :P Yeah RIGHT! Seriously though, I'm looking forward to trying this and seeing what could come of it. Just hope I don't suddenly decide I'm a lefty with a long gun and all of the money I've invested in the right handers over all these years has been like throwing it away!!
Wish me luck!

Husqvarna · March 7, 2015, 02:52 AM

I think it depends on your age how smoothly the transition will be

you always hear the number 10000 when it comes to sports/skills, be it hours or repition to master something, and it is 10000 of doing something correct aswell not just doing them.

if you have decent rifles they would have held value decently and you could swap your arsenal. there are lefthanded rifles out there nowadays, from cheap to high end. I have seen a big change in just 10 years, you hardly ever saw a LH bolt before now most dealers have a couple of examples and even some used ones.

then there is always levers and pump, they are ambi, semis it depends. I've had 2 that didn't bother me with the ejection and shoot a few that did

March 6, 2015, 10:01 PM	#1
turkeestalker Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2015 Location: Cottleville, Missouri Posts: 1,115	Hope I don't regret this... I was in one of the LGS yesterday and saw an old Winchester 1400 12 gauge in a lefty model. I never realized that they made a lefty model in the skeet version of the 1400. I own a 20 gauge 1400 right hand that has given me good service for 30 years and will continue to I'm sure. The lefty 12 was nothing spectacular but very clean, honest use but well cared for. Once home I got curious and started researching it. Of the 1.5 million give or take 1400s that Winchester produced, about 1250 of them were made in a left hand version. That is a fairly limited number and though it will never be a collectors item, it could in fact wind up being a 'desirable oddity' so to speak. I am a left eye dominant right hander, and I've never shot a long gun with both eyes open the way that you're supposed to. I simply can not focus that way. So I kind of found the shotgun 'oddly desirable' to me in order to be able to try for the first time in more than 50 years, shooting correctly. Not that I couldn't have ever tried that with a right handed long gun, but doing it with a left handed one just seems fun and fitting. I stopped back in and picked it up this afternoon on the way home from work. With the break in the weather set for this weekend, I may just head out and try busting some clay birds with it and see how awkward or not it is for me. I did once have to swap hands to harvest a spring tom that was trying to skirt a half strut tom decoy I had out. He must've gotten his tail feathers kicked that spring. Harvesting him left handed was awkward but not terribly so. I'm a little apprehensive. I mean what if things just click shooting left handed, and instead of being no slouch at clays, I'm suddenly a master?? :P Yeah RIGHT! Seriously though, I'm looking forward to trying this and seeing what could come of it. Just hope I don't suddenly decide I'm a lefty with a long gun and all of the money I've invested in the right handers over all these years has been like throwing it away!! Wish me luck! __________________ Vegetarian... primitive word for lousy hunter!

March 7, 2015, 02:52 AM	#2
Husqvarna Senior Member Join Date: May 7, 2012 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,000	I think it depends on your age how smoothly the transition will be you always hear the number 10000 when it comes to sports/skills, be it hours or repition to master something, and it is 10000 of doing something correct aswell not just doing them. if you have decent rifles they would have held value decently and you could swap your arsenal. there are lefthanded rifles out there nowadays, from cheap to high end. I have seen a big change in just 10 years, you hardly ever saw a LH bolt before now most dealers have a couple of examples and even some used ones. then there is always levers and pump, they are ambi, semis it depends. I've had 2 that didn't bother me with the ejection and shoot a few that did