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The guy at the gun store looked like I had 2 heads when I asked about left handed guns.
If you only pump the shotgun with your arms down, and the gun away from your face, does it really matter if the shell goes towards your feet or to the side?
On most shotguns, it doesn't matter. A semi-auto will eject empty shells to the right, but a left-handed gun will shoot them to the left and many lefties prefer that. Also, on some more expensive guns made for trap or skeet, the guns will have custom stocks with palm swells made for either right or left-handed shooters.
But for most guns, esp. an inexpensive pump shotgun, there is no difference. BTW, ALWAYS place the gun against your face. Pretty hard to be accurate otherwise. You will barely feel it, I promise you. And a lefty should keep their left elbow up when shooting for better control.
Some lefthanders complain about the ejected shell crossing their field of vision. Also, with a safety on the trigger guard (Remington for example) it's built for a right hander thumbing it off. There are kits to reverse that for a left hander.
Mossberg and Browning BPS both have tang safeties so they are ambidextrous. The BPS is a bottom eject so it takes care of the field of view ejection issue. A BPS will be a bit more expensive than either a Mossberg or Remington 870 Express but comparable to a Remington 870 Wingmaster. A Wingmaster may even be more than a BPS, I haven't looked at pricing lately.
Most Remingtons have left hander models but they are hard to find and more expensive.
To establish my credentials, let me state that I am a true Lefty. This means that I do very, very little with my right hand. I am also left-eyed and left-footed.
With that said, I have used right-handed rifles and shotguns all of my life. Until fairly recently, the only other choices were single-shot (non-bolt-action) rifles and shotguns, and double-barreled shotguns -- or not to shoot at all. In my decidedly personal experience, it is fairly easy to get used to the empties (whether from a pump or semi-auto) flying across the visual field of your non-dominant eye. Your dominant eye, you understand, is lined up with the sights and as such isn't really affected. It is also fairly easy to adapt to the "right-handed" safeties.
The other thing you have to get used to -- something that Righties never experience -- is occasionally having the empty ejected STRAIGHT BACK into your face, usually impacting on your forehead or your shooting glasses.
Now, in recent years some firearms manufacturers have responded to the plight of Southpaw shooters by offering left-handed rifles. Most notable among these are Savage (bolt-action rifles) and Stag Arms (AR-15 clones).
There are also some shotuns that are designed to eject downwards rather than to the right. These include Ithaca Model 37s and Savage/Stevens Model 350s.
Now, in recent years some firearms manufacturers have responded to the plight of Southpaw shooters by offering left-handed rifles. Most notable among these are Savage (bolt-action rifles) and Stag Arms (AR-15 clones).
Post-Script: Neither Savage nor Stag Arms charges even one cent extra for left-handed rifles. Other rifle manufacturers, whose names have been witheld to protect the greedy, charge exhorbitant prices for left-handed ones. Since all Ithaca Model 37 and Savage/Stevens 350 shotguns eject downward, there is no left/right issue and therefore no opportunity for price differential.
-- Nighteyes
Last edited by Nighteyes; 11-26-2011 at 06:26 PM..
The other thing you have to get used to -- something that Righties never experience -- is occasionally having the empty ejected STRAIGHT BACK into your face, usually impacting on your forehead or your shooting glasses.
Oooo, Nighteyes, I take that challenge, I'm a righty I also make sure to train offhand. Which is why I'll never again use a bullpup that has side ejection.
But yes depending on your ejection angle you can get hot brass in your face, even on a non-bullpup.
Oooo, Nighteyes, I take that challenge, I'm a righty I also make sure to train offhand. Which is why I'll never again use a bullpup that has side ejection.
Guess I shoulda been more specific, huh? To revise, it never happens to Righties who keep their faces on the left side of the rifle or shotgun.
Sorry to hear of your bullpup experience. That had to be a really rude awakening.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gungnir
But yes depending on your ejection angle you can get hot brass in your face, even on a non-bullpup.
I've had empties (including shotshell hulls) ejected into my face from nearly every right-ejecting long gun I've ever shot, even those that are designed to eject at a forward angle. Seems that every now and then, something just happens. The worst were (a) two consecutive pieces of .30 carbine brass that actually cut me right between the eyebrows, and (b) a piece of 7.62x51mm brass from an M1A that lodged between my glasses and eyelid.
Another issue for us lefties (yes I'm also left eye/left hand dominant, I can't even hold my right eye steady enough on one spot to maintain a sight picture) who have respiratory issues, such as Asthma is that the gas, potential residual powder and smoke ejecting right into your mouth and nostrils can be very uncomfortable.
I fired a friends SKS and I wiped black residue out of my nose for well over a week and could instantly tell my breathing was significantly affected... and I'm not even that much of an Asthmatic.
Guess I shoulda been more specific, huh? To revise, it never happens to Righties who keep their faces on the left side of the rifle or shotgun.
Sorry to hear of your bullpup experience. That had to be a really rude awakening.
LOL, nothing "bad" happened, but in my time with the British Army, I was in a situation where I was forced to be more exposed than I'd have liked while some IRA idjit was shooting at me, since I couldn't fire offhand.
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To revise, it never happens to Righties who keep their faces on the left side of the rifle or shotgun. 
