Can a lefthand shooter use a righthand Browning Bar?

My BAR ejects out and forward from the shooter, and since the gas system vents at the front of the rifle you won't really get a snoot full of burned powder. Should be okay for a lefty.
 
A good friend of mine who is a southpaw has been using his dads BAR for years and has never had an issue. Still puts moose and deer on the ground.
 
RFB and RDB are lefty friendly BP's

Lefty friendly but malfunction unfriendly lol

OP I've never shot a BAR, but I shoot semi auto shotguns, 22s, and my sks without issue from the left.

Only thing I don't like is when a gun has a cross bolt safety that isn't reversible. Those are a pain for a lefty IMO.
 
Only thing I don't like is when a gun has a cross bolt safety that isn't reversible. Those are a pain for a lefty IMO.

I've been shooting my 870 for over 30 years. It never occurred to me that the safety was a problem. TBH I'm not sure how it is any different for right handed shooters?
 
I've been shooting my 870 for over 30 years. It never occurred to me that the safety was a problem. TBH I'm not sure how it is any different for right handed shooters?

Pushing the safety in with a finger on the trigger hand would normally take the safety off right handed, but it puts it on left handed. It also means that the safety sticks out of the side your hand is on when it's disengaged, increasing the likelihood of putting the safety on by accident.

Rem870 you can buy a left hand safety for, and some other guns they are reversible on. But if they're not you have to reach around to the other side of the gun to take the safety off and that's just a pain IMO.
 
Pushing the safety in with a finger on the trigger hand would normally take the safety off right handed, but it puts it on left handed. It also means that the safety sticks out of the side your hand is on when it's disengaged, increasing the likelihood of putting the safety on by accident.

Rem870 you can buy a left hand safety for, and some other guns they are reversible on. But if they're not you have to reach around to the other side of the gun to take the safety off and that's just a pain IMO.

I've got a Weatherby semi auto that I modified the trigger on, so the safety does function when reversed, but a tang safety is much preferred...
 
Pushing the safety in with a finger on the trigger hand would normally take the safety off right handed, but it puts it on left handed. It also means that the safety sticks out of the side your hand is on when it's disengaged, increasing the likelihood of putting the safety on by accident.

Rem870 you can buy a left hand safety for, and some other guns they are reversible on. But if they're not you have to reach around to the other side of the gun to take the safety off and that's just a pain IMO.

In 30+ years of using my 870, I have never accidentally put the safety on with my trigger finger. IMO this is a non-issue. I use my thumb to disengage the safety, which is the exact same way a right hander will engage the safety. This is a six and one half dozen sort of issue. Both righties and lefties have to use both a thumb and forefinger to manipulate the safety. The only difference is which digit goes with way w the safety. I seriously don't see how a cross bolt safety is any kind of issue for a leftie?

As lefties we spend our entire life learning to adapt to a right handed world. Guns are no different. I have never had any serious issue operating a right handed firearm of any kind. When I started shooting IPSC in the 80's, ambie safeties weren't exactly a thing. So I learned to adapt to a right handed safety and was able to operate that with very little difficulty. I never felt disadvantaged having to do so.



I've got a Weatherby semi auto that I modified the trigger on, so the safety does function when reversed, but a tang safety is much preferred...

I can't stand tang safeties. Not sure why, I just never liked them. Had a Mossberg 500 years ago and dropped that for an 870, which I've had for over 30 years. It never occurred to me to dislike the cross bolt safety. It has never caused me a problem.
 
Well a lefty would not want one of those oversized safety's on his 870 that's for sure... whether or not the protuding safety interferes with your trigger finger as a lefty would depend on the size and shape of the button and the size and shape of the finger.... someone with short fat fingers might have an issue where someone with long thing finger and a curved finger on the trigger might not even be close to touching the safety. A gun with no tang or cross bolt safety with just a hammer, half #### and possibly a trigger bar is about the best for ambi use.
 
I seriously don't see how a cross bolt safety is any kind of issue for a leftie?

I literally just explained it. The fact that YOU don't have an issue with cross bolt safeties doesn't mean nobody does. As an example I can't reach the safety on my Marlin 795 if the rifle is shouldered, I have to break my grip with my trigger hand or use my support hand to turn the safety off. IMO that's a pain in the ass when compared to my Winchester Wildcat that has a reversible safety, or my Mossberg with a tang safety.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom