Left Hand Flintlock

[kenfoerst]

I have a question about the need for a left hand shooter to use a left handed flintlock. Do a lot of left hand shooters get along ok with right hand models? Or is this strongly discouraged?
PS - I have never posted a question on this site, but have sure learned a lot from the vast knowledge that is shared on the forum. Thanks, KF

 

[Java Man]

NWTF Longhunter shoots left, and at least two of his four flinters are right handed. :results:

 

[Tlukes]

Kenfoss
Welcome to the forum.
I am a left handed shooter. I do shoot a left handed gun the reason I shoot a lefty is I don't like the flash and hot gases in front of my face.
I know left handed shooters that shoot right handed guns.
The best advice would be to try shooting a right handed flinter from your left shoulder, but ware shooting glasses.
:imo:

 

[Ron LaClair]

I am a left handed shooter. I do shoot a left handed gun the reason I shoot a lefty is I don't like the flash and hot gases in front of my face.

Tlukes, you gotta close your eyes just as you squeeze the trigger :haha: :crackup:

Kenfoss, as JavaMan said, two of my four flinters have RH locks. I've never had a problem with them, in fact I don't even notice any difference. It's a little more awkard to prime the pan, but no big deal :m2c:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Though I'm a "righty", I have a couple friends who are left-hand shooters. They both use regular right-hand rifles and have both said they were more comfortable shooting as they do having shot that way for years. Neither likes to use guns with left-handed locks. Go figure!

 

[CG6018]

I'm a southpaw and for several years hunted with a Remington 700 with a left-handed bolt, but started out with black powder shooting a rh T/C Hawken. Then, I bought a rh Hatfield from Cabela's. I couldn't shoot either one of them for squat, and decided I was developing quite a flinch with the flash in front of my face.

Since then, I've gone with left-handed locks on my four flinters, and I feel I'm a much better shot. Now, is that because I've been shooting black powder for nearly 25 years, or I now have old eyes that don't flinch at much of anything anymore? Go figure. :thumbsup:

 

[djnye]

lefthanders are a very adaptable group of folks. we spend much time in our lives working with items designed for righthanders and hold our own quite well.

however, a well designed longrifle is most often an asymetrical object in more ways than just which side the lock is on. i can shoot anything and i have a friend who is a championship shooter who is a lefty and was raised on righthanded shooters. but i enjoy having the cheekpiece on the right side and the cast-off helping with the balance and 'throw'. that rifle and my bow are some of the few sanctuaries i have in an otherwise 'righthanded' world.

take care, daniel

 

[Birddog6]

:huh: You mean there is a flash ? :shocking: I build & shoot RH & LH rifles & when shooting either I never notice a flash on either one & I shoot them both right handed.
Wear safety glasses even when dryfiring the rifle & concentrate on the sights & target, the rifle will go off & you will not notice the flash if you have follow thru....

 

[papellet]

I started shooting with a RH flinter. Didnt like it at all. Now have 5 LH rifles from Lyman, Traditions and dixie Gun Works. There are a lot of rifles available for the LH shooter.

 

[Livbucks]

My left handed brother shoots my right handed flint. He says that he doesn't even notice the flash and it is no big deal. He shoots it pretty darn good too. More of a puff of smoke than a flash anyway....not too scary.

 

[amccall]

One question I have with left handed shooters is what eye is dominant? I have a budy in the reserves and he is left handed and shoots right handed, but his dominant eye is right dominant. I would think that if your left eye was dominant and you were shooting right handed that would be difficult to do. :hmm:

 

[FearNot]

You'll also want to consider your personna, if you're doing any reenacting. Left handed rifles, to my understanding, existed, but I'd think only the well-to-do could have afforded to have one built. Additionally, a sinister person, if they'd received any sort of schooling, would have had the lefthandedness pretty much beat out of them by the teacher or headmaster!

 

[kenfoerst]

Thanks to all for your great feedback! I am really green when it comes to flintlocks. However, I have been shooting a right hand TC Hawken Percussion for about 30 years without a problem. It is the only muzzle-loader that I have ever owned. I want to get a flintlock, but didn't want to make a big mistake if it was going to be a problem or safety consideration to shoot a right hand flintlock left handed. As a followup question, have any of you been injured or seen any serious injuries when touching off your weapon.

Thanks, Ken

 

[Ron LaClair]

Ken, if you're going to get a flintlock why not just get a lefty, they're not hard to get nowaday's. When I got my first flinter 30 years ago you could buy LH locks from Siler but you didn't see as many LH guns as you do today.

As for injurys, I had my hammer slip once while I was standing on the firing line. The muzzle was pointed downrange but I had my right hand covering the lock as the gun was cradled in my right arm. The flash from the pan sent ffffg powder into the meaty part of my thumb. It looked like black pepper under the skin. Over the years it has faded away but I'm got black powder in my blood for sure :thumbsup:

A friend of mine lost a finger when his gun went off when his hand was over the muzzle. This also happened at a shoot as he was shooting on the line.

BP guns are as dangerous as any other kind of gun and should be handled with the same respect.

 

There are several origional flint guns set up for left handed shooters but using right handed locks. Cheekpiece is on the lock-side of the gun.

Or build a gun with no cheekpiece or patchbox in right hand and shoot it left handed.

As far as persona goes, every pre-1800 rifle was hand built, (even military guns) so if you were too poor to afford a hand built gun you had no gun!

The big problem with building or buying LH guns is that they have no trade or resale value if you decide to make a switch.

1. there were left hand guns, we have example of them in museums.

2 there were LH guns with RH parts used for convinience. We also have examples of them in collections.

3. Some leftys just shoot RH guns, it works for them.

All this being said you can pretty much do what you feel like doing!

:thumbsup:

Advice from a lefty that shoots RH guns in right hand fasion!

 

[Darkhorse]

If you are planning on buying or building a flinter for your own use and you are left handed, left eye dominant, then by all means get a LH Flintlock!
I have two LH flintlocks and wouldn't consider a righty.
As others have mentioned most if not all flintlocks today have a cheekpiece and perhaps castoff. If you shoot wrong handed the cheekpiece will just be a useless ornament but the cast off could work against you. And until you try it you won't know if the flash will be even more distracting from the right (wrong) side.
The only accident I have had (yet) was shooting a flintlock offhand in the classic offhand position with the elbow against the chest and the rifle resting on the hand. My fingers were curled and I didn't realize until too late that one of them was over the frizzen.
OUCH!!! Those flints are sharp! Another shooter saw the blood and thought I'd shot myself.
I can relate to the scene in Master and Commander where the guy puts his palm between the flint and frizzen on that cannon to stop it from firing. The grimace he makes is very realistic.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

**SNIP** I would think that if your left eye was dominant and you were shooting right handed that would be difficult to do. :hmm:

I shoot right handed and eye dominance can change from shot to shot for me. It's a disaster when shooting a shotgun because you'll shoot behind your target everytime if your left eye takes over. I put a smudge of Blistex on my glasses over my left eye when using a shotgun just to stop that from happening. You still get decent depth perception and can follow a crossing shot well, but it forces your right eye to be dominant because the middle of the left eye is blurred. Some of the folks I work with are right handed, but shoot a shotgun left handed specifically because they are left eye dominant.

With a rifle, where you usually close one eye and aim, it's never made a difference to me. I'll shoot a scoped rifle with both eyes open, but with open sights I always close my left eye.

 

[montanadan]

Kenfoss, I am glad you did this post. Iam left handed shooter, and left eye dominate. I would like to shoot flintlocks always worried about the flash pan, everything I own is for right handed shooters. So my thinking was why change now. Second worry is the knapping thing, I read this forum daily to learn all that I can, before I make the plunge. Thanks again to everyone for sharing their knowledge...Respectfully Montanadan.

 

[Kaw Trooper]

Ken, thanks for turning me on to this black powder site.