Question on flintlocks

[fraungie]

Can you shoot a right handed flintlock gun left handed?
I’m right handed in most life task but left eye dominant so I shoot left handed. I’ve always shot right handed percussion guns on my left shoulder but wondered how different a flintlock would be with the flash.

Just curious. Is a double barrel Flintlock shotgun right or left handed?

 

[SOLANCO]

Disease rendered my right eye down to 20/500. I don't have a choice. But adapting is not easy.

 

[ohio ramrod]

You can do it but I strongly recommend safety shooting glasses to protect your eyes from the flash!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Disease rendered my right eye down to 20/500. I don't have a choice. But adapting is not easy.

You are so right.

My dad has developed eye issues here in his later years. He had reached a point where he was about to give up shooting all together...and I have been working with him to find solutions.

He's such an avid outdoorsman, it’s been hard.

Change is not easy.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

You are so right.

My dad has developed eye issues here in his later years. He had reached a point where he was about to give up shooting all together...and I have been working with him to find solutions.

He's such an avid outdoorsman, it’s been hard.

Change is not easy.

Agreed
My dad had eye issues since he was a kid
Finally, although he did OK when shooting shotguns, an instructor tested him, and my dad had been shooting for years with his right eye... but was left-eye dominant. (My dad was likely left handed, but was of the generation where left-handed was a "no no" and teachers corrected this) . So it took him several years to relearn shooting from the left shoulder.

He became a better shot though, so it's worth the effort to use the proper eye...


LD

 

[Ridgerun]

The issue is probably eye safety. i have embedded either pieces of flint or steel in my eyeglasses shooting flint guns. Eye protection is a must, and shooting a right handed gun from the left shoulder might exacerbate the danger to your eyes.

 

[Vintagebpcs]

As the others have said yes. A few points to consider for determining if you should. Which eye dominate are you left or right. Left eye dominate is preferred to shooting lefty and both eyes open. With R guns, pan flash may be an issue. Easily over come with a blinder patch, darkened glasses, shut the right eye etc. I naturally shot lefty, and wear safety glasses (shooting glasses) with a disc of opaque scotch tape in the center of the R lens. I wear these glasses all the time whether using L or R sided guns especially with flinters. Have had an incident where a flint shard or powder spray gets caught in the eyes. Nasty business then.

 

[SOLANCO]

"

"My dad had eye issues since he was a kid "
I was in 4th grade before the nuns figured out i wasn't stupid. I just couldn't read the blackboard.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Agreed
My dad had eye issues since he was a kid
Finally, although he did OK when shooting shotguns, an instructor tested him, and my dad had been shooting for years with his right eye... but was left-eye dominant. (My dad was likely left handed, but was of the generation where left-handed was a "no no" and teachers corrected this) . So it took him several years to relearn shooting from the left shoulder.

He became a better shot though, so it's worth the effort to use the proper eye...


LD

Absolutely. He’s developed a detachment of the retina and sees….well, floaters in his vision. He’s also had eye surgery, and had complications from that procedure.

I’ve gone the smoothbore route with him and he’s now got several fine custom, semi-custom and commercial smoothbores. We hunt small game…rabbits and squirrels. He loves those hunts.

One of the members of our shooting club is a machinist, and he makes a real nice peep sight. I had one of those installed on one his T/C Senecas, as a test. He’s gone from barely being able to keep a group on paper at 50 yrds…to shooting consistently 2” to 3” groups….so progress.

 

[Redlemur60]

Left handed and eyed , lh guns screw me up.

 

[Fortescu]

Yes. As with any firearm, use eye projection that is form fitting to help close the gaps between the lenses and face. The only rifle that I have that is left handed is a .300 magnum. I shot crew served weapons left handed also. You’ll be fine.

 

[gustrolland]

Can you shoot a right handed flintlock gun left handed?
I’m right handed in most life task but left eye dominant so I shoot left handed. I’ve always shot right handed percussion guns on my left shoulder but wondered how different a flintlock would be with the flash.

You can shoot either, I am right handed and still have no trouble shooting a left hand flinter.

 

[Coinneach]

I'm a Lefty and used Right hand FL's since the 80's, the only 2 negatives you'll have to deal with are Cast-offs and the Cheek rest on Rifles, as for a burned arm well its never happened to me.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Can you shoot a right handed flintlock gun left handed?
I’m right handed in most life task but left eye dominant so I shoot left handed. I’ve always shot right handed percussion guns on my left shoulder but wondered how different a flintlock would be with the flash.

All my flintlock rifles are right handed. My double barrel 12 gauge flintlock shoots no different when the left lock goes bang. If you are a flinchlock shooter, yes it may bother you. If you are a flintlock shooter, no sweat! Just my two cents
Larry

 

[JBrandon]

Has anyone ever seen or tried mounting a lock backwards - so cock falls toward you? It would take some juggling with the trigger mechanism, and maybe not comfortable to cock, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Has anyone ever seen or tried mounting a lock backwards - so cock falls toward you? It would take some juggling with the trigger mechanism, and maybe not comfortable to cock, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Yes. I have seen several set-ups like that. I have seen heavy bench rest rifle with a 'backwards' flinlock. The theory is that the lock doesn't disrupt the movement of the rifle as much. I dunno if that is a fact. Also, have seen some fancy-dancy competitive pistols set-up that way. Supposedly for the same reason. I once posted a pic of one but the mods pulled it because it was not 'pc'.

 

[Coinneach]

Has anyone ever seen or tried mounting a lock backwards - so cock falls toward you? It would take some juggling with the trigger mechanism, and maybe not comfortable to cock, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

IMHO such a configuration would only contribute to the flinch factor when firing a long arm so close to ones face, and for what benefit ?

 

[Flintlock_bob]

So what is the issue shooting a RH rifle right handed when you are left eye dominant? When I was a kid I shot with right handed with my left eye and when I was older I switched to my right eye but when I did those little tests to see which eye was dominant I tended to the left eye. Currently I just use my right eye because it lines up with the sights and don't think about it, I always close my left eye when I shoot.

Some years ago at a rendezvous on a trial walk I noticed a teenage girl with her father, probably her first time. She was shooting right handed but I noticed she was shooting with her left eye. I mentioned it to her father who hadn't noticed. He told her to try using her right eye and she started shooting better.

Obviously if you have vision problems you gotta use your good eye of course.

 

[SOLANCO]

As mentioned earlier, eye disease turned this RH shooter to a southpaw. The best advice I received was to buy a whole lot of unmentionable .22 rimfire ammo to start the transition.
BTW: Shooting flying from the right shoulder is not a problem. Both eyes are open and you are pointing the shotgun. Not aiming it.

 

[Rigderunner]

As mentioned earlier, eye disease turned this RH shooter to a southpaw. The best advice I received was to buy a whole lot of unmentionable .22 rimfire ammo to start the transition.
BTW: Shooting flying from the right shoulder is not a problem. Both eyes are open and you are pointing the shotgun. Not aiming it.

My thing is I’ve always shot left handed, nothing wrong with my vision yet. I just seem to run across RH guns more often than I do LH.