Left handed vrs right

[Magungo1066]

Another lefty here. I only have one left-handed gun and I hardly ever shoot it. My righties have never bothered me. You don't get an explosion of flint in your face. Occasionally a slight powder burn on the arm but nothing to even consider as it is very rare. My favorite rifle is righty and I do not notice the difference between shooting that and my lefty rifle. It is equally as comfortable

 

[TFoley]

I'm ambidextrous, and do most everything equally ineptly with either hand.

I have no dominant eye, either, which is why, back in the day, I won almost five hundred medals pistol shooting in the Army. At one time in Germany in the 80's I was served a three-year ban in military comps, reduced to two if I taught a couple of other lefties like me to shoot like me. Odd, as I was already the team coach, but that's the military for ya.

 

[BJHabermehl]

I am new to the sport and a left handed shooter. Is there a Huge advantage to a left handed gun ? I am looking for a build kit, but I can’t decided left or right because of the ignition system side..Love to hear from lefty’s and everyone else...not to mention sweet place to purchase a build kit ....looking to do a colonial 1700 piece ....

When I was still building guns for customers, the number of left handed guns I built was way out of proportion the the proportion of the population of lefties to righthanded people. Probably over one third. That being said it is best to go with the dominant eye. You will shoot it better In my humble opinion. BJH

 

[Robby]

I'm left handed and right eyed. I shoot left handed. I don't see any great advantage in having a left handed flintlock, though I have many. It is your gun, make it your gun.
Robby

 

[BJHabermehl]

In my expierence coaching new shooters I get better results teaching new shooters to go with the dominant eye regardless of “ handednes”. Possibly due to them having no old habits to overcome. Most of the left eye dominant people I’ve run across are trained to be right handed by our right handed world, and are naturally ambidextrous due to their training and being naturally left handed. My granddaughter is a classic example. BJH

 

[appalichian hunter]

In years past a left handed rifle of any kind was a difficult thing to find, Seems now they can be had but at a cost more so than a right handed rifle, Being left handed and left eye dominate and over the years finances have improved I buy a lefty especially the non-mentionable, My first custom built flinter a Isaac Haines is right handed (the builder would not build a lefty) the others are left handed. I shot a few deer with the Haines but never was comfortable with it. I can shoot either very well but the comfort factor is very important.

 

[jdw276]

In years past a left handed rifle of any kind was a difficult thing to find, Seems now they can be had but at a cost more so than a right handed rifle, Being left handed and left eye dominate and over the years finances have improved I buy a lefty especially the non-mentionable, My first custom built flinter a Isaac Haines is right handed (the builder would not build a lefty) the others are left handed. I shot a few deer with the Haines but never was comfortable with it. I can shoot either very well but the comfort factor is very important.

So what do we call a builder who refuses to build a left handed gun? I am left handedn left eye and i know what i would call him. I know he has his rights and preferences but...........

 

[Bob McBride]

So what do we call a builder who refuses to build a left handed gun? I am left handedn left eye and i know what i would call him. I know he has his rights and preferences but...........

He’s probably right handed. I would never attempt building a mirror image gun either. I’m not sure I could do it without having a stroke.

 

[EC121]

Being a lefthanded shooter, I have built them both ways. The only difference is which way it points when put in the vise.

 

[Bob McBride]

Being a lefthanded shooter, I have built them both ways. The only difference is which way it points when put in the vise.

It’s the cast and other mirror imaging on the butt that gives me pause. Being a right handed shooter, and OCD, I’ll stick with it pointing it’s natural way....I can barely manage it that way as it is.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

The only advantage was sword fighting, as left handed unbalanced a right handed.

Um well..., after shields and/or bucklers were things of the past, it would not have mattered...,

But at an earlier time it would...,

But this was about left handed shooters....

Should you want to persist in your sinister affliction you might be best served building a sinister gun. Me thinks you will like it better.

Well one could build a flintlock that has a bent or cast stock that allows the use of the left eye while using the right shoulder....

It certainly would be unique, to say the least!

LD

 

[Artificer]

Im left handed and learn to shoot right handed in the millitary, that brass is a little warm goin down your shirt.

ROTFLMAO!!! Even though I'm right handed and shoot that way, that has happened a few times to me over the years shooting rifles and pistols. NOT fun at all when you are wearing a shooting coat!

Gus

 

[Flyingw56]

I am new to the sport and a left handed shooter. Is there a Huge advantage to a left handed gun ? I am looking for a build kit, but I can’t decided left or right because of the ignition system side..Love to hear from lefty’s and everyone else...not to mention sweet place to purchase a build kit ....looking to do a colonial 1700 piece ....

It really comes down what you feel comfortable with. I'm extreme left handed, however I have owned right handed rifles most of my life, only until a few years ago did I purchase my first left handed rifle, I have to admit the first time I fired my left handed rifle and pulled the bolt back with my left hand my first thought was why didn't buy one years ago. I bought a left handed Thompson Renegade shortly after and it's now my preferred match rifle. Shot a right handed flint lock yesterday no issues at all, worked fine, however in the process of building a lefty. If you know someone with a lefty try that first, and yes we do pay a premium for anything left handed. btw- there are flash cups you can buy for right handed percussion rifles to keep from burning your arm, have them on all of my righties.
Happy Shooting!

 

[Sun City]

I shoot off my left shoulder and use a right handed flint rifle! Don't want a left-sided rifle as with a right.....everything I need to watch and do is right before me whereas if I had a left hand lock...I'd have to be turning the rifle over to do certain functions! I don't have any problem...as I wear glasses when I shoot and have fired thousands of rounds!

 

[Howard Pippin]

I am new to the sport and a left handed shooter. Is there a Huge advantage to a left handed gun ? I am looking for a build kit, but I can’t decided left or right because of the ignition system side..Love to hear from lefty’s and everyone else...not to mention sweet place to purchase a build kit ....looking to do a colonial 1700 piece ....

Well James, I'm left-handed shooter with a left-handed flintlock, left-handed percussion, and a right-handed percussion. I have no trouble with any of them, but I do think a flintlock that would be right-handed for me, with the fire right in front of my eye much more problematic and so and not a good thing. I don't really care what the old-timers had to put up with where they were left-handed with right-handed guns, my concern is for my own eyes safety and the ability to watch the target. I do use a flash guard on the left side to protect the guys shooting next to me at our club when we have shoots there. Some of them flintlock's put out quite a stream of fire, and I have bored my barrel insert to just about 5/64's to get positive ignition. I do not notice any difference in my percussions as far as being dangerous to my eye, but I do wear glasses. To me it would seem awkward to reach across the gun to prime the pan when getting ready to shoot, because if I'm holding the gun on the left side, the left-hand is the one that is available to prime the pan. I can guarantee you, as a kid you can readily learn to shoot a right-handed bolt because I did it for years before they came out with left-handed both actions. It would be hard making me switch at my age now.
Squint

 

[Sidney Smith]

Im leIft handed and left eye dominant. I have never shot a right handed muzzle loader and I never will. These guys can try to preach being able to adapt to a right handed gun all they want but it will never totally be comfortable to you.

You will hear the worn out line, " tney didnt have left handed guns back in the day". Well if they did, dont you think lefties of the time period wouldnt have taken advantage of it? I think they would have.

Be glad you live in an age where you can obtain a firearm that was actually designed to fit you. We arent living in the 18th century no matter how much some people try. I always say why adapt when you dont have to.

 

[stewart.leach]

Having coached junior shooters in the NRA/CMP Highpower Rifle Service Rifle game for over thirty years, I strongly advise aiming with your dominant eye and shooting from the dominant eye side.

Being cross dominant myself- right handed but left eye dominant- I can assure you it will only take a little training time for it to seem completely natural. Dry firing will help this. Use a chip of wood or a red gum eraser in place of the flint.

 

[Kansas Kid]

If you’re gonna shoot a RIFLE from the left shoulder then use a left handed one.

 

[kje54]

I think you should shoot based on your eye dominance as well. I takes about 50 shoulders from the opposite side for it to start feeling natural, but cross eye dominance is a handicap you’ll always deal with with a long gun. I’m a left handed, right eye dominant, right handed long gun shooter. If you find yourself putting the rifle on the wrong shoulder, and are closing one eye because your good eye is on the wrong side as well, it’s probably time to reevaluate your choices.

I'm a righty who's left eye dominant, tried firing an unmentionable long arm left handed and just couldn't get it comfortable. Now with a hand gun that's a different story, I'm much more accurate shooting lefty.

 

[Bob McBride]

I'm a righty who's left eye dominant, tried firing an unmentionable long arm left handed and just couldn't get it comfortable. Now with a hand gun that's a different story, I'm much more accurate shooting lefty.

I had the same problem but I’m the opposite. I can’t make shooting handguns comfortable right handed. For the rifle, I stood in the shop for a few days shouldering it from the ready whenever I thought about it. Maybe 50-100 times. It started to feel natural pretty quick. With a pistol in my right hand I feel like Don Knotts in ‘Shakiest Gun In The West’.