Left side lock?

[Wolfgang4570]

Hi All,

Just a quick question, I am thinking about getting a flinter and I am a southpaw. Should I get one with a left side lock or would a right side lock work out for me? I had one years ago that I foolishly traded off for a caplock. That one was T/C 45 and had a right side lock but I only ever shot it once. I shoot caplocks some right handed and some left handed and it really does not make much difference with them to me. A flinter however might. What do you guys think?

Thanks,
Schutzenkette

 

[rabjr]

I know leftys that shoot right handed no problem but if your left handed and have a chance to get a left handed gun, why not?

 

[Macon Due]

Schutzenkette

Sir,If you have the chance......by all means get a Left handed one! Some guys will tell you it makes little to no difference.......well it does! You see very few right hand shooters going out and buying left handed guns. Cap guns no problem,flintlocks lock on correct side is a major benefit.
Macon

 

[Firelock937]

You may want to try one if possible and decide. I'm a lefty, and r/h flinters don't bother me at all. Others have a completely opposite view. If you find it really makes a difference for you, it would be worth getting a lefty.

 

[Tony Logan]

you see an occasional lefty flinter for sale, I had mine built and love them. Go with a lefty if you get the chance, of course that's coming from a guy that has never tried to shoot a right handed flinter, I have shot rh cappers.

 

[Wolfgang4570]

Ok, I am currently looking at a T/C but it is right handed and I am also watching a GPR flinter that is a lefty. I have a lefty GPR in .54 cal that is a caplock. My .50 caliber is a lefthand caplock as well but it is a Renegade. My .32 Cherokee, .50 New Englander, and T/C Hawken .45 are right hand caplocks. The double barrel 12 gauge has a lock for each side so its a win win! I think I'll concentrate on the GPR then. I like the caplock a lot is their flinter as good? I hear a lot about flintlocks being way more finicky that caplocks so are the Lymans decent ones? I cannot afford a high end custom job right now but if the flintlock bug bites hard enough I probably will.

Schutzenkette

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you don't shoot flinters, yet, you don't understand the problems you will have shooting a right-hand flint gun. Since LH components and guns are now available, I can't think of any reason for you not to buy a LH flinter. I am left handed, and decided many years ago that I would save my money and only buy guns that worked for ME. I have several LH guns, including a rifle and my Fowling piece in 20 gauge. My rifle was built for me more than 30 years ago, and wears a Cochran Lock- no longer in business. My fowling piece was made about 7 years ago, and wears a LH Siler large lock. I like them both.

I have noticed over the years that the SAME right- handed people who told me to " Just get a right-handed flintlock and shoot it off your left shoulder", DON'T like shooting my LH flintlock action off their right shoulders. HMMMMMmmmmmmmm. :hmm: :blah: :haha:

Seems they find it disrupting to have that "flash in their faces". How about that?????? :blah: :idunno: :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

 

[StewartLeach]

I stand with Paul V. on this one. Get a left handed rifle if at all possible. Firstly, there is a lot of activity when a flint lock goes into action- movement of the cock, movement of the frizzen, and of course the priming flash. The cock and frizzen are largish pieces, and thus very obvious even when you are well focused on the top of the front post. The flash speaks for itself. After 40 years of NRA Highpower competition I thought I was flinch and recoil proof, but when shooting a righthanded flinter from the left side I learned otherwise. Just too much going on right there in front of your face. That couple of inches of offset gained from the lock being outboard from the aiming eye makes a difference.

Beyond the lock question there is stock fit. While the factory guns have pretty straight stocks, the cheek piece being correctly located promotes good eye to sights alignment and NPA. On a custom or semi-custom rifle there will also likely be some cast-off to the buttstsock to help with alignment. A LH rifle will assist you in shooting.

White Fox

 

[Tony Logan]

there is one on the classifieds of this forum. I have no idea about the gun or seller. It might be a good project gun to play around with.

 

[Wolfgang4570]

Not real sure about that one. CVA? Not bad mouthing them but I have never handled one and not sure about the quality. Not a snob but I do want to start out with something that won't turn me against spark tossers right out of the gate. Any input on the CVA's is welcome though. The other thing is that it looks like the seller may have just joined to put that on the classified section. :idunno:

Schutzenkette

 

[nmdd]

Under members it shows he registered 8/25/08... :hmm:

 

[Firelock937]

As I posted earlier, I just don't notice all the movement and flash when concentrating on making a shot on the target/game. Other l/h shooters have indicated they very much do.
But I can give another reason to go l/h flintlock. When a lefty fires a r/h flintlock, the sleeve of your support hand is directly under the pan. If you happen to be wearing an old, frayed Carhart coat it can catch a spark and flame pretty good. Ask me how I know. :shocked2:

 

[54ball]

I am left handed and I shoot a right handed gun left handed with no problem. I can also shoot right handed. I just swap eyes. With that said I have a left handed fowler and that gun feels natural to me.
I had the chance to handle a fine smooth rifle made by Mike Brooks. This was a right handed gun. Naturally when I shouldered it it went to my left shoulder. It felt OK. The owner said try on your right, that gun has cast off. I shouldered on the right and Wow! I never have held a gun that felt so well. If I ever have a custom gun built it will be left handed.

 

[Keb]

Just make sure you get a lefty you like. Trying to sell a left handed gun is like trying to sell a used Yugo in Detroit.

 

[BrownBear]

I shoot caplocks some right handed and some left handed and it really does not make much difference with them to me. A flinter however might. What do you guys think?

I'm a lefty, and I have both versions. I started out with the righties and soldiered through with them, learning to shoot them to my satisfaction. Then I picked up a couple of lefties and shot them a bunch while leaving the righties idle. Pretty good test.

Now when I pick up a righty it takes a lot of shots and a lot of shooting sessions to get back in form. I can do it, but there's no such thing as grabbing one off the rack just for the heck of it and going on a hunt. It just takes several range sessions to get ready.

In contrast, I can grab a lefty and shoot it as well as a capper right out of the gate. Just grab and go, even after a couple of weeks or more without shooting.

And the point about sparks and clothes? Believe it! :grin:

 

[Macon Due]

Don't you believe it Sir! Generally the left handed guns go Quick! A quality left handed gun is good property as most of the rifles/fowling pieces for sale are 'wrong' handed.
Macon

 

[Wolfgang4570]

Ok, I think I am going to pull the trigger so to speak on a .50 Cal Lyman flinter that I have been watching on GB. I have had some back and forth conversation with the seller and he says the lock has been worked on/tuned and the frizzen hardened by Mike Lea out of Columbus Ohio if any of you know him. He has put on some classes at the Log Cabin Shop and Columbus is about an hour from my home. It also has the Lyman 57 Sight on it and comes with all of the original sights.

I can probably end up with the piece to my door for just under $500. That seems like a pretty good deal to me but I am new to flinters so I want to know what you guys think. :idunno:

Thanks again for all of the help and advice,

Schutzenkette

 

[nmdd]

Everyone has their own opinion about a fair price for used...I personally have never had good luck buying used.... but check out the price for new... http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000156031138

 

[Wolfgang4570]

I've bought a fair number of used guns both cartridge and muzzleloading and only once did I have an issue with one. Lucky I guess. As for this one it would seem at least the individual selling it has been around and using muzzleloaders for a while and speaking to that is the fact he used a trusted blackpowder smith like Mike Lea to do the work on the gun. Says he has issues with his shoulder and arms and the GPR is just too heavy for him to manage anymore. I can understand about the weight as the one I have is heavy.

Another pluse side to it is the Lyman 57 peep sight as I have been wanting to get one to use on my other ML's. Not real sure I would want it on a flinter or not but it's there and they are approaching that $100.00 mark if you go out to buy one new.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

Don't you believe it Sir! Generally the left handed guns go Quick! A quality left handed gun is good property as most of the rifles/fowling pieces for sale are 'wrong' handed.
Macon

:thumbsup:

Exactly, one of the main reasons why I started building, not enough "right" handed rifles avaliable for us lefties.