Affordable Lefty friendly options?

Suther

Suther

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So I'm looking for a new shotgun. Currently, I have a Mossberg Maverick 88 Field, 12ga with 28" barrel that takes choke tubes. My problem is I have decided to switch to left-handed, and the Maverick 88 has a cross-bolt safety that cannot be swapped to left handed (or at least thats what google told me).

So with that in mind, I am looking for a replacement. My budget is under $500. I don't need a specific left-handed model, I am fine with right handed as long as the controls are left-friendly. The obvious choice seems to be upgrading to a Moss 500 with the tang safety, and thats what I have been looking for thus far. As far as I know, the Ithaca 37 also has a tang safety, so that would be an option too.

What else is there though? I've looked at a few turkish pump guns, but the ones I've looked at all had crossbolt safeties and I'm not sure if they can be swapped to lefty or not. Any other affordable options I am overlooking? I don't NEED a 28" barrel, I have a semi for the duck blind, but I do want something with chokes. 14", 20", 28" are all possible options for me (14" would be nice for a bear defense/truck gun!), but I want something that takes choke tubes.

Thanks!
 
The Browning BPS is pretty ambidextrous. Top tang safety, loading/ejecting from the bottom of the receiver. A bit outside your price range though for a new gun.
 
I’m a south paw and all my shotguns have cross bolt safety’s, I’ve learned to reach under the trigger group with my middle finger to click off the safety. It’s not much more than a roll of the wrist and your index finger is still covering the trigger, if it’s a pistol gripped stock I rotate my wrist and use my thumb. A jumbo safety helps, but practice it enough and it becomes second nature.

Otherwise something with a tang safety would be your easiest route, I really like the 870’s ergos so I’ve just learned to work with the cross bolt safety. I also prefer side port loading/ejecting as a lefty over a bottom port like the Ithaca or BPS, port loading from the side is easy as a lefty as my right hand is right there at the port when the slide is back on an empty mag tube. I’ve shot a friends M37 and it’s a great gun but I prefer the ejection port to be on the side, if an 870 could slam fire like an Ithaca I’d have the perfect pump gun.
 
1963beretta said:
Look no further than the Armsan A612. For a lefty gun

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1503636-Review-of-Armsan-A612-left-hand

If you decide on a right gun, a Mossberg 930/935 because of the ambidextrous safety
Click to expand...

I'm more looking for a pump than a semi. I have an Asena ZR7 (turkish 12ga semi), I haven't looked into whether I can swap the safety on that gun or not but thats a problem for a different thread.

Right now I'm looking for a pump to replace the pump I have, I have a buddy that wants to buy the one I have but I don't want to sell it until I have at least lined up the replacement. I don't want to be without a pump gun, thats the whole reason I haven't already sold my Maverick 88. However, I have a full length barrel on my semi so I would entertain the idea of something more lefty friendly with a shorter barrel.

The current front runners are a used 500 off the EE or a new 500 deer/field combo, which can be had for ~$450+tax new from a few places, but I don't really need a rifled barrel... I would love to get one of those Mossy 500 Camo 3-barrel setups, but nobody seems to have 'em on sale right now. Anyone seeing the 500 3-barrel setup for a good price right now?
 
for a semi follow the advice given by 1963beretta. as a lefty i loved the bps but not easy to dissasemble and the cheap alloy used for the rib on top of the barrel but they re great shotgun,or clean so i went with the remington 870 in wingmaster for pump that works very well for me as a lefty.
 
Suther said:
So I'm looking for a new shotgun. Currently, I have a Mossberg Maverick 88 Field, 12ga with 28" barrel that takes choke tubes. My problem is I have decided to switch to left-handed, and the Maverick 88 has a cross-bolt safety that cannot be swapped to left handed (or at least thats what google told me).

So with that in mind, I am looking for a replacement. My budget is under $500. I don't need a specific left-handed model, I am fine with right handed as long as the controls are left-friendly. The obvious choice seems to be upgrading to a Moss 500 with the tang safety, and thats what I have been looking for thus far. As far as I know, the Ithaca 37 also has a tang safety, so that would be an option too.

What else is there though? I've looked at a few turkish pump guns, but the ones I've looked at all had crossbolt safeties and I'm not sure if they can be swapped to lefty or not. Any other affordable options I am overlooking? I don't NEED a 28" barrel, I have a semi for the duck blind, but I do want something with chokes. 14", 20", 28" are all possible options for me (14" would be nice for a bear defense/truck gun!), but I want something that takes choke tubes.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The Ithaca M37 has a crossbolt safety. As a south-paw myself, I can attest to and concur with what ButcherBill said. I love my Ithaca M37, except my son loves it more so the pump action I shoot is a right-handed 870 Wingmaster. No problem.
 
ninepointer said:
The Ithaca M37 has a crossbolt safety. As a south-paw myself, I can attest to and concur with what ButcherBill said. I love my Ithaca M37, except my son loves it more so the pump action I shoot is a right-handed 870 Wingmaster. No problem.
Click to expand...

Do some Ithacas have a tang safety? I'm sure I read something about a tang safety on an ad the other day...

With the remington the safety is on the back of the trigger guard right? That probably makes it easier to reach, the safety on the Mossberg is infront of the trigger guard.
 
For your budget, mirror-image LH Rem 870 or LH Mossberg 500, crossbolt and tang safety respectively. Cannot go wrong with the ambi BPS - as previously mentioned - either, that's my go-to lefty gun. For a little more money the Armsan is also a great deal.
 
^^^ That’s definitely an option, they make a full left hand version of a couple shotguns. If I recall correctly from threads on here the LH 870 trigger groups have a true left hand safety cross bolt, the only real problem is I don’t think I’ve ever seen a LH barrel for sample on its own let alone an 18” or 14” length one. I guess you could have the 28” vent rib cut down to 18.5” and re threaded.

https://www.reliablegun.com/en/remi...ock-4rds-single-bead-sight-rem-choke-modified
 
New to long guns/shotguns. I'm a lefty too and am looking for a 12g pump. 28" preferred. Price under $600 -$700 hopefully. I read above that some lefty's are happy with the Wingmaster though it ejects to the right. I could probably get used to that but wonder where to find Ithaca 37's or Browning BPS. EE is great but limited in those areas. EE is likely my best bet?! Don't want composite if I have a choice.
I'll keep looking here and around.
 
Rem 870, 1100, 11-87 and their clones all can have the safety switched to left hand. Either DIY or factory.

w.ebay.com/itm/Remington-870-1100-760-742-LEFT-HAND-Safety-STEEL-/332539127500
w.midwayusa.com/product/1005272566/
w.brownells.com/shotgun-parts/trigger-group-parts/trigger-plate-parts/trigger-plates/trigger-plate-assembly-left-hand-safety-prod10354.aspx

Shawn
 
Northolme said:
New to long guns/shotguns. I'm a lefty too and am looking for a 12g pump. 28" preferred. Price under $600 -$700 hopefully. I read above that some lefty's are happy with the Wingmaster though it ejects to the right. I could probably get used to that but wonder where to find Ithaca 37's or Browning BPS. EE is great but limited in those areas. EE is likely my best bet?! Don't want composite if I have a choice.
I'll keep looking here and around.
Click to expand...

semi auto right hand for lefty are not good because of residues especially if it rains. pump are not that and bps is great if you do not need to clean and can handle some features that are fragile other than that they re lefty friendly for sure i had 3 of them and i do loved them.
 
Butcherbill said:
^^^ That’s definitely an option, they make a full left hand version of a couple shotguns. If I recall correctly from threads on here the LH 870 trigger groups have a true left hand safety cross bolt, the only real problem is I don’t think I’ve ever seen a LH barrel for sample on its own let alone an 18” or 14” length one. I guess you could have the 28” vent rib cut down to 18.5” and re threaded.

https://www.reliablegun.com/en/remi...ock-4rds-single-bead-sight-rem-choke-modified
Click to expand...

Sorry...my mistake, you are correct. I missed the shorty barrel requirement. There are no factory made LH barrels in a short configuration, I think 26" is the shortest I've seen.
 
I am a lefty and shoot all right handed guns except levers which I cannot cycle correctly on the left side
Been doing it for about 30 years when I was forced to switch side with zero issues. I wear glasses all the time I am shooting or hunting
Tons of semi's , pumps of all types and don't recall ever being hit with brass or a hull in the face
Cheers
 
shawn said:
Rem 870, 1100, 11-87 and their clones all can have the safety switched to left hand. Either DIY or factory.

w.ebay.com/itm/Remington-870-1100-760-742-LEFT-HAND-Safety-STEEL-/332539127500
w.midwayusa.com/product/1005272566/
w.brownells.com/shotgun-parts/trigger-group-parts/trigger-plate-parts/trigger-plates/trigger-plate-assembly-left-hand-safety-prod10354.aspx

Shawn
Click to expand...

The only real solution is the buy the left hand trigger group but for that price I won’t bother, I have jumbo LH safeties on a couple 870’s and it’s better but it doesn’t fix the real problem of the RH safety as a southpaw. The issue is your index finger will be engaging the safety and not disengaging it, from a ready position a right hander is always going to be quicker to click it off safe and be on the trigger quickly.

I’d love a couple LH trigger groups but at a $175usd plus shipping I think I’ll pass.
 
Butcherbill said:
The only real solution is the buy the left hand trigger group but for that price I won’t bother, I have jumbo LH safeties on a couple 870’s and it’s better but it doesn’t fix the real problem of the RH safety as a southpaw. The issue is your index finger will be engaging the safety and not disengaging it, from a ready position a right hander is always going to be quicker to click it off safe and be on the trigger quickly.

I’d love a couple LH trigger groups but at a $175usd plus shipping I think I’ll pass.
Click to expand...

Then buy the replacement LH cross bolt for $30. You can also DIY it with JB weld on a RH one. I ran a JB weld one on my 870 for years

Shawn
 
I know you're looking at other possibilities, but a lefty friendly shotgun under $500 to me still screams "mossy 500". Especially if you like the fit of your maverick....and you have extra choke tubes they'll swap right over. For that budget you can get a pretty nice 500.
 
shawn said:
Then buy the replacement LH cross bolt for $30. You can also DIY it with JB weld on a RH one. I ran a JB weld one on my 870 for years

Shawn
Click to expand...

I just looked at the Midway link you posted again, as well as the Fortmann’s install video. I’ve never seen that one for some reason, that’s the ticket and for $16. Thanks for posting that, I’m going to have to think about grabbing a couple of those.
 
Butcherbill said:
I just looked at the Midway link you posted again, as well as the Fortmann’s install video. I’ve never seen that one for some reason, that’s the ticket and for $16. Thanks for posting that, I’m going to have to think about grabbing a couple of those.
Click to expand...

NP :cheers:

Shawn
 
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