Left handed smoothies

[FearNot]

Hopefully this is the correct place for this post. Two questions:
1) I'm a lefty! Shoot left handed, left eye dominant. Are there any sources for left handed smoothe bores? I've been bitten by the bug. I already have a TVM .50 cal rifle, so I can't be paying $$$$ for a custom job. I know that left handedness was very much discouraged in society even into the 20th century (my mom's left handed and was forced to learn to write right handed in school). So do you other sinister shooters shoot a right handed firearm left handed? or do you try to put it to your right eye, even though it feels rather awkward? ::

2) I'm looking for something circa F&I war period. I've pretty much resigned myself to buying a right handed piece and I've pretty much narrowed the choices down to the Loyalist Arms 1740-60 Officer's Fusil, an Early Rustic Arms Militia Smoothbore or an Early Rustic Arms Colonial Smoothebore. I really love the look of the Loyalist arms fusil and the 39 inch bbl. My main concern is the "correctness" of these arms for my persona - a farmer from the Albany area who, on occasion, guides the English up the Mohawk to Ft. Oswego. So the question is, how correct are these firearms for this time and place?
Yer help is greatly appreciated!

 

[musketman]

The Possible Shop offers a North West Trade gun in left hand at $30.00 over the cost of the right handed model...

I know its out of your time frame, but it is a left handed smoothbore...

http://www.possibleshop.com/nwtradegun.htm

 

[FearNot]

Oh, thanks alot musketman! :: Now I've got four to choose from. It's a bit more than I wanted to spend, but the Early English model looks like it might fit my personna, do you think?

Anyone out there have one of these? Do ya like it?

 

[Keith]

The Early English gun, second one done would probably fit your time period better. Otherwise the Rustic Arms guns are most likely closer. To be really PC of course you would just learn to be right handed. :haha:
The possible shop guns are from NorthStar West, are the prices the same? Might want to look just to be sure.

 

[FearNot]

I was wondering if other lefties shoot left handed or if they learn themselves to shoot right handed.

As an aside, isn't the picture you use in your description (your avatar?) from a Disney movie?

 

[musketman]

As an aside, isn't the picture you use in your description (your avatar?) from a Disney movie?

Yep, The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh... (1963)

Also know as Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow...

As for lefties shooting right handed, you could train yourself to do so, I'm sure before left handed models were made, many left handed people had to do this of not shoot at all...

Just don't shoot a right handed musket left handed, you will set your face on fire, I have seen this done first hand, we had to put the poor chap's beard out with a bombardment of snowballs... :winking:

 

[Stumpkiller]

. . . 1740-60 Officer's Fusil, an Early Rustic Arms Militia Smoothbore or an Early Rustic Arms Colonial Smoothebore. I really love the look of the Loyalist arms fusil and the 39 inch bbl. My main concern is the "correctness" of these arms for my persona - a farmer from the Albany area who, on occasion, guides the English up the Mohawk to Ft. Oswego.

Unless your farmer is a retired officer the Officer's Model would be a bit out of place. Officers made private purchases of these guns - generally lighter and fancier versions of the Bess - but they brought them over from British sources. A farmer would have been more limited to the militia type fowlers imported for trade. But you could always work it in. "I fished Col. Tusslepots of the Mohawk on his third time down and he was so grateful he helped me order up this piece from the Tower when he replaced his, which was lost in the river."

 

[Musketeer]

FearNot, I feel yer pain! Remember back in school, all the desks were made fer right-handed folks! :cry: Fortunately, I'm sorta ambidexterous (or as my teachers used to say: ambidisaterous :crackup. I write, smoke a pipe, and use a fork/spoon left-handed, but I do everything else right-handed. Shoot (long or handgun), golf, throw, bat, play my viola (pretty good) and my cello (not so good),
you name it. If you REALLY wanted to be period correct, you should probably try to learn to shoot right-handed, as left-handedness used to be ACTIVELY discouraged (read: beaten out of kids)! Considering that we live in more forgiving times (in some respects), I'd go ahead and shoot lefty if that's what's most comfortable for you. Unfortunately, I don't know offhand of any factory made lefty smoothbores. I don't know how much you're able to spend, but TOTW often has lefty guns for sale on their site. They also sell some locks for use on left-handed and double guns. www.trackofthewolf.com

 

[Keith]

If you REALLY wanted to be period correct, you should probably try to learn to shoot right-handed, as left-handedness used to be ACTIVELY discouraged (read: beaten out of kids)!

And not that long ago.
In the twenties my grandfather was placed in a sack with only a hole cut for his right arm to force him to be right handed. He learned to be right handed somewhat, some things he was ambixtrous, but mostly he was pretty uncoordinated.
In the seventies in the Army my father shot right handed, in his case he is right eye dominant.
IMHO, forget being that PC get a gun that is left handed and shoot it well. When you get your ne gun be sure to give us a range report. We haven't heard alot from those two companies and I think everyone would be interested of your impressions.
Good luck.

 

[FearNot]

In the seventies in the Army my father shot right handed, in his case he is right eye dominant.

I'm gonna date myself here, but in the 70s I got some strange looks in basic shooting left with an M-16 that flung spent cases out to the right - them there shells 'r hot when they come out!!

Haven't completely made up my mind, but I'm pretty sure I'll be getting something right handed. Let's see... The captain was so impressed with my skills and knowledge and so grateful for keeping his command out of trouble.... :thumbsup:

 

[Rocky Johnson]

FearNot I am right handed but shoot left,all my firearms are for right handed people, except my GPR flintlock and that was a mistake the lefthanded flinter is just a bit awkword for me but still fun to shoot. :winking: Rocky

 

[2172]

in the mid-1940's, the ever-charming (she'd have made a great gunnery sgt!) miss. Conroy prided herself on finding lefties who were just that way out of laziness, and making them write right handed...thanks to her, I had a stutter by the time I hit high school ...went back to being lefthanded, and lost the stutter with the help of another teacher...I think most lefties are at least a little ambidextrous as we are so often forced to use right handed tools, learn from right handed instructors...I shoot leftie, and finally got a couple of lefthanded flintlocks..Hank

 

[FearNot]

FearNot I am right handed but shoot left,all my firearms are for right handed people...

Glad to hear that... I was more than a bit nervous about shooting a right handed gun left handed - I flinch enough without a flash going off in my face!

 

[Rocky Johnson]

That flash won't help but wear your shooting glasses and you will get used to it. :winking: Rocky