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If a RH flintlock rifle is fired LH is there a danger to the shooters eyes?
RH/LH
- Thread starter Captndan
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No more danger than when a person is shooting a SxS flint shotgun, and fires the lock on the same side as his head. 
I'd wear shooting glasses regardless of which side the lock is on, more for a concern of where tiny chips of flint might fly than for the ignition of the powder in the pan.
LD
I'd wear shooting glasses regardless of which side the lock is on, more for a concern of where tiny chips of flint might fly than for the ignition of the powder in the pan.LD
Potentially. Safety glasses/shooter glasses are a good idea with any muzzle-loader, but that is not really good enough in this case. People have fired "wroong handed" guns, but I personally would not fire a left-handed flintlock (I am right handed) from my right shoulder. That is why they make both left and right handed locks.
The problem is that the flash in the pan of a flintlock will quite possibly flash-burn your non-shooting eye if you are are firing a right-handed flintlock... and very probably the rest of your face as well.
You have two choices, really; learn to shoot right-handed or get yourself a left handed gun. In the old days, they used to cost a bit more than the right-handed guns because they didn't make as many of them in a production run, but most lefties found it to be worth the extra money.
Watch a few videos of someone firing a flintlock. Then ask yourself if you think you could tolerate that hell-storm flashing in front of your face.
The problem is that the flash in the pan of a flintlock will quite possibly flash-burn your non-shooting eye if you are are firing a right-handed flintlock... and very probably the rest of your face as well.
You have two choices, really; learn to shoot right-handed or get yourself a left handed gun. In the old days, they used to cost a bit more than the right-handed guns because they didn't make as many of them in a production run, but most lefties found it to be worth the extra money.
Watch a few videos of someone firing a flintlock. Then ask yourself if you think you could tolerate that hell-storm flashing in front of your face.
Gotta love a rhand shooter worried about us left handed shooters. For hundreds of years you burned us at the stake, said we were the devils creation and forced us to be right handed. It is a right handed world but you all have never succeeded in getting rid of us. Not even the nuns who tied my left hand behind my back. Yes wear eye and ear protection. In my experience as a lefty in a right handed world the biggest threat to your safety is flying brass out of a semi auto rifle at a 45 degree angle to the rear of the ejection port. Sorry to bring modern weapons into this post.
A suggestion from a right hand shooter when they have not tried my left hand flinters right handed and they cut out the premium I have to pay for a left hand anything is someone who has no experience in our world. Focus on the front sight and you will not even see the flash. Always wear eye and ear protection. Minimum eye for anything. We have adapted to this right hand world for hundreds of years and survived attempts to extinguish us from this world existence. A flash in a pan will not do it. Focus on the front sight, the lock even helps that as it is in the way of your right eye seeing anything.
Put a pair of left handed scissors or a cork screw in a righty's hand and ask em to make those work without telling them what they are. You will see confusion. Welcome to our world.
A suggestion from a right hand shooter when they have not tried my left hand flinters right handed and they cut out the premium I have to pay for a left hand anything is someone who has no experience in our world. Focus on the front sight and you will not even see the flash. Always wear eye and ear protection. Minimum eye for anything. We have adapted to this right hand world for hundreds of years and survived attempts to extinguish us from this world existence. A flash in a pan will not do it. Focus on the front sight, the lock even helps that as it is in the way of your right eye seeing anything.
Put a pair of left handed scissors or a cork screw in a righty's hand and ask em to make those work without telling them what they are. You will see confusion. Welcome to our world.
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There's a danger to your eyes any way you shoot.
I've been shooting multiple wrong-handed (LH shooting a RH rifle) rifles since 1978 without a bit of trouble. There isn't much difference as far as distance from your face. The only consideration is the castoff on the RH gun. It can make it awkward to aim the rifle, but with a decent amount of drop that isn't a big deal. A hat bill that deflects the particles to your face is more of a problem from either side.
When I shoot wrong-handed I usually see the muzzle flash, but the bridge of my nose blocks a lot of the pan flash.
I used to shoot matches with a young man who would get so close to the pan that his hair would be burnt at the end of the day. No glasses or anything. That wasn't smart, but I don't know that he ever had a problem.
I've been shooting multiple wrong-handed (LH shooting a RH rifle) rifles since 1978 without a bit of trouble. There isn't much difference as far as distance from your face. The only consideration is the castoff on the RH gun. It can make it awkward to aim the rifle, but with a decent amount of drop that isn't a big deal. A hat bill that deflects the particles to your face is more of a problem from either side.
When I shoot wrong-handed I usually see the muzzle flash, but the bridge of my nose blocks a lot of the pan flash.
I used to shoot matches with a young man who would get so close to the pan that his hair would be burnt at the end of the day. No glasses or anything. That wasn't smart, but I don't know that he ever had a problem.
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Notice that the first word of my post was "potentially".
I've had pieces of caps hit me when firing a right handed gun from the right shoulder. I can't imagine firing a left handed flintlock right handed would be any safer.
Yes, it can be done. I could probably use a scissors left-handed if I wanted to, but I see no reason to do so until or unless I lose my right hand.
They make left-handed locks for a reason. Shooting a right-handed gun off the left shoulder makes about as much sense as it would for me to fire a left-handed gun off the right shoulder. That said, to each his own.
I've had pieces of caps hit me when firing a right handed gun from the right shoulder. I can't imagine firing a left handed flintlock right handed would be any safer.
Yes, it can be done. I could probably use a scissors left-handed if I wanted to, but I see no reason to do so until or unless I lose my right hand.
They make left-handed locks for a reason. Shooting a right-handed gun off the left shoulder makes about as much sense as it would for me to fire a left-handed gun off the right shoulder. That said, to each his own.
Phil Coffins
69 Cal.
Hasn’t bothered me in the last sixty years shooting right hand guns left handed so the other side would be the same.
"I've had pieces of caps hit me when firing a right handed gun from the right shoulder. I can't imagine firing a left handed flintlock right handed would be any safer."
Stand at about a 45 degree angle on the right side of the flintlock when a righty is shooting. See if anything hits you anywhere. If the touchhole is correct it should push the debris out at a 90 degree angle and bot be even close. Just wear eye and ear protection.
Stand at about a 45 degree angle on the right side of the flintlock when a righty is shooting. See if anything hits you anywhere. If the touchhole is correct it should push the debris out at a 90 degree angle and bot be even close. Just wear eye and ear protection.
Justin.44
54 Cal.
When I finally got frustrated enough to order a left-handed pair of scissors my wife said I was being ridiculous. So I handed her the 2 righty ones we have and asked her to put them in her left hand and cut something. I actually won that argument (very rare!) after she tried it.
Cruzatte
50 Cal.
No. Because you should be wearing eye protection or safety glasses in the first place.
cositrike
40 Cal.
Not bothered me in 50 years. I’m a bit less confident with percussion, though I’ve shot those for years too, but always with glasses
I am a lefty. Many years I shot right-handed guns until could afford a proper fitting left one. Cap guns no problem and right-handed flinters are doable but annoying to me. Now, I only shoot left-handed rifles. It is a pain sometimes since everything is more expensive and certainly items are nowhere near as readily available. @Dusty_Traveler is a lefty and he shoots right-handed flint guns like he enjoys it or sump'n!!! 
RM
RM
The Appalachian
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I build lefties.....
^ For yourself or to sell? I have been looking for light trim short .40 for over a year now.
RM
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You build beautiful lefties.
user 48702
Richard Turner
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I'm left eye dominant, but pretty messed up otherwise. I write, use a hammer, handsaw, screwdriver left handed, and am most comfortable shooting left hand. I play guitar right handed, golf, bat and throw a ball right handed. In school, the band director said that if my Dad hadn't already bought an alto saxophone, he would have made me a drummer.
I don't own a left hand gun of any sort, and shoot both right hand percussion and flintlocks left handed, never had a problem. I'm just itching to bet one of the Pedersoli deluxe SXS 20 gauge double barrel shotguns. As soon as I sell a little acreage that's first on my list. For those who say a lefty shouldn't shoot a right hand flintlock left handed, if you had a flintlock double barrel, what would you do? Shoot the right barrel first and then do a border shift to the left shoulder to fire the left?
I don't own a left hand gun of any sort, and shoot both right hand percussion and flintlocks left handed, never had a problem. I'm just itching to bet one of the Pedersoli deluxe SXS 20 gauge double barrel shotguns. As soon as I sell a little acreage that's first on my list. For those who say a lefty shouldn't shoot a right hand flintlock left handed, if you had a flintlock double barrel, what would you do? Shoot the right barrel first and then do a border shift to the left shoulder to fire the left?
appalichian hunter
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I shoot both flintlock and percussion no problems.
I think a flint double rifle would be neat. As I said, it's certainly doable, just annoying to me. One thing about the SXS there is not necessarily any cast to work around either on production guns (usually). Definitely doable.
It is a pain sometimes since everything is more expensive and certainly items are nowhere near as readily available. @Dusty_Traveler is a lefty and he shoots right-handed flint guns like he enjoys it or sump'n!!!
RM
I'm not picky! I can't afford to be! I do have one LH piece. I'm not full heathen.
Captndan, no immediate danger unless you're right up on the vent, same as shooting a SxS flinter.
The Appalachian
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Thank you
