left hand vrs right hand

[The Appalachian]

Only partially. Production rifles are profiled with neither cast on, nor cast off, but are what I call straight. That is you can draw a center line from front sight to butt. With a straight stock one could put the cheek piece on the left side of the stock, & the patch box on the right, and the rifle could still be shot comfortably by a left handed person, provided the screws, patch box hinge etc. don't create distracting scratches on the shooter's cheek. OTH, perhaps there's enough drop that this will be of little or no concern.

Nope, still wrong sided for a lefty......

 

[Cruzatte]

Interesting. I'll have to test this out for myself. Maybe I can borrow a right handed rifle from a friend.

 

[The Appalachian]

Interesting. I'll have to test this out for myself. Maybe I can borrow a right handed rifle from a friend.

Wait, opinion without first hand experience.
Hmm, interesting.......

 

[Cruzatte]

Wait, opinion without first hand experience.
Hmm, interesting.......

Only observation, and logic based on empirical evidence. I've shot and presently own a RH trade gun. But we were talking about rifles, weren't we? Or are we conflating rifle guns and smooth guns?

 

[The Appalachian]

Only observation, and logic based on empirical evidence. I've shot and presently own a RH trade gun. But we were talking about rifles, weren't we? Or are we conflating rifle guns and smooth guns?

Just cut to the chase and tell us all what gives you the right to tell someone else what they need/want/like, consequently based solely on your inexperienced opinion........

 

[leadhoarder]

Well it's true that for a long time, folks thought left-handed-ness was a problem, and did things to "correct" the condition. In the era of flintlock muskets, as volley fire was the rule, they kept all of the locks to the right side. They expected most if not all soldiers to be right handed.

In your case, remember that SxS fowlers having two barrels would always have a lock that was on the same side as the shooter's face, no matter which shoulder the shooter shouldered the weapon upon. This wasn't a problem for the SxS shooters.

LD

LOL left handed folks had to stay in the closet so to speak.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Well today, August 13, is a day for left-handed persons to celebrate.

Happy International Left-Handers Day!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle...1&cvid=402ad42b95c547c0a63c658ed9894274&ei=52

 

[DementedMindOfJac]

I do not view being left handed as a handicap.

Good starting spot to ambidextrousness. I shoot my ML's right-handed because it's how the stock is carved. However. I won several local ("Smelly") SMLE competitions shooting leftie because those No. 4 Mk 1's have a stock that's same-side-all-side.
That happens when you're born in a Commonweath country at just the right time to take advantage of the government ditching Enfields for FALs. Got a Tower Arms one for the equivalent of around $15 when they cleared the arsenals back in the 70's - 80's.
My bucket-list flinter is a RH. It worked out much cheaper that way and everyone in my house shoots rightie. I'm the only one can hit aught shooting leftie.
The side the lock's on is immaterial. Too far to do aught to your face. It's traditionally the feller in the formation who stands directly to your left who blackens your face during volley-fire.

 

[The Appalachian]

A lefty shouldering, aiming, and shooting a right hand flintlock is only part of the equation, but that's all anyone here bothers to mention. The other aspect to this is everything else that goes on before and after taking a shot. What feels natural to a righty with a right hand gun just doesn't feel natural to a lefty, at least to me. To me, picking, priming, closing the frizzen, cocking, using the patch box, grease hole, returning to half ****, wiping the pan, etc., etc., is just weirdly wrong handed with a right hand gun. I myself appreciate having the mirror image of those functions feel just as natural to me as a righty feels with his rifle. So to justify a left handed flintlock to me, yes, that's a need, and I don't give rat's azz what anybody thinks about it.

 

[MRW]

As I said, there aren't any left handed M1s. So as a southpaw, I had no choice but to buy a right handed gun. I learned to load it right handed, however, since I'm left eye dominant amd left handed I shoot it from the left shoulder. I don't like doing it but I don't like the idea of not owning a piece of history more. I've got two left handed AR uppers, with ambidextrous controls on each. I was told by people not to buy them because they'll never sell! I don't buy guns only to sell them, so of course I didn't listen to those idiots.

I’m a lefty and have had a few mule ears. I’ve never noticed any bad splatter. The hammers have always had a good cup on them, but never an under-the-nipple flash cup.

Just shoot rightock on left hand stock or build a left hand lock

 

[MRW]

I’m a lefty and have had a few mule ears. I’ve never noticed any bad splatter. The hammers have always had a good cup on them, but never an under-the-nipple flash cup.

 

[MRW]

Just shoot right lock on left hand stock or build a left hand lock

 

[flintlock00]

I'll weigh in too as a LH flint shooter for 50 years. My first rifle was a DGW Numrich Minuteman rifle- piece of junk! RH was all that was available. Built my first rifle in 1985- RH, due to a good kit deal on $ from mentor Vaughn Goodwin (previous NMLRA Pres). So, shot RH guns left handed for 30+ years. Only problem was RH cast off which slapped my face. Never had issues with the lock on same side as my face, or any loading / priming problems. Now I build all my long guns LH, mostly using LH Siler locks. There are LH kits available from Chambers, TVM, and Pecatonica. Pre-Covid, TOW had some, but presently no offerings. While limited, there are LH options for kit builders, and beyond that, one can go the profiled butt option on a blank from folks like Dave Keck at Knob Mtn, who will do LH offset. I won many matches shooting my RH guns left handed. If the gun fits- RH is fine. Just watch the offset. I get quite a few comments about those "backwards guns", but if you don't try, you'll never know how well you can do with a perceived shortcoming that is probably not significant. Sure is nice to have a cheek piece on the preferred side, without PB screws digging into your face! So, no fear about shooting an opposite hand gun as long as it doesn't bruise up your face. At least on a kit you can remove more wood if needed due to cast on if it's not too much. So try it before you let bias win! We lefties have had to adopt to a RH world all our lives. I remember doing the M-16 Hoochie-couchie "the shell goes down your shirt" dance
and adapted by buttoning the collar button. We can overcome!

 

[Coinneach]

"You’ve heard the testimonies of a number of left-handers that shoot right handed flintlocks without issue."

And yet when I offer a righty to shoot my lefty customs I hear I cannot shoot that THING and will not even touch it like they will get the plague. Why is it that a righty will refuse to try to shoot a high quality lefty when many times we are forced to shoot a lowly righty? Why is my rifle called a thing? So many questions about this and so little time left that we will never know. And this is on more than one occasion.

About time we Left handed shooters start to wear a yellow star of David on our ***** so we can be identified, over to you "flamers".

 

[Cayman like]

Nice.

 

[TexiKan]

The other aspect to this is everything else that goes on before and after taking a shot. What feels natural to a righty with a right hand gun just doesn't feel natural to a lefty, at least to me.

Yes, like using left handed desks, writing in spiral notebooks and more, we have had to adapt to a variety of right handed products made specifically for ease of right handed people. I should be able to use a different lead dipper when I cast but it has such a neat pouring spout and I have to pour the hot lead backwards. Then, when I cut the sprue, it, too, is backwards. Having doe this so much, I have managed to do pretty well, but like you, I always wondered how easy it would be to have a left handed pouring dipper and casting blocks. It begs the question, what is advantageous for left handers more so than those who are right handed? For me, the only one I can think of is being able to learn to play the guitar. Since the left hand plays the neck of the guitar, we are a bit more coordinated. But it is still not a inconvenience like so many other options. Ha!

 

[smokepolehall]

After giving this a few days of thought. I have a good solid plan of action to take. My only LH'd ML is my Tn. Poor Boy .40 cal. My Under-Hammer is a great style for South-paws. Has no patch-box, has no cheek piece, has no patient breech. My barrel is a .40 cal.

 

[Warren whitley]

I'll weigh in too as a LH flint shooter for 50 years. My first rifle was a DGW Numrich Minuteman rifle- piece of junk! RH was all that was available. Built my first rifle in 1985- RH, due to a good kit deal on $ from mentor Vaughn Goodwin (previous NMLRA Pres). So, shot RH guns left handed for 30+ years. Only problem was RH cast off which slapped my face. Never had issues with the lock on same side as my face, or any loading / priming problems. Now I build all my long guns LH, mostly using LH Siler locks. There are LH kits available from Chambers, TVM, and Pecatonica. Pre-Covid, TOW had some, but presently no offerings. While limited, there are LH options for kit builders, and beyond that, one can go the profiled butt option on a blank from folks like Dave Keck at Knob Mtn, who will do LH offset. I won many matches shooting my RH guns left handed. If the gun fits- RH is fine. Just watch the offset. I get quite a few comments about those "backwards guns", but if you don't try, you'll never know how well you can do with a perceived shortcoming that is probably not significant. Sure is nice to have a cheek piece on the preferred side, without PB screws digging into your face! So, no fear about shooting an opposite hand gun as long as it doesn't bruise up your face. At least on a kit you can remove more wood if needed due to cast on if it's not too much. So try it before you let bias win! We lefties have had to adopt to a RH world all our lives. I remember doing the M-16 Hoochie-couchie "the shell goes down your shirt" dance
and adapted by buttoning the collar button. We can overcome!

 

[The Appalachian]

Nope, nope, nope.......

 

[Cayman like]

Nope, nope, nope.......

My first m.l. was a Numerich arms plainsman half stock 50. It was accurate as heck. Shot l.h.,wish I still had it.