lefties in the army

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f_soldaten04

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just a thought. were left handers back in WW1 and WW2 expected to fire right handed? I know in the age of massed square infantry, this was the case, so there could be total cohesion.
thanks in advance!
 
lefty

The US sniper in Saving Private Ryan was shooting his scoped 03 from the left.........

IIRC too Jim Clark noted US gunsmith and top notch competition shooter was also a southpaw.

I forgot to add that he was a sniper in WWII as well.
 
In those days, left handed people were forced to do every thing right handed. My ma used to tell me that she was not allowed to write left handed in grade school and was forced to do so right handed. Mind you, in her case, it was 20 years before W.W. II.
 
actually i'm left hand and was taught by my pa to right ..... "no rifle is made is made for a south paw he'd say" i get to the MIL and its like ?? whoa?
but I still shoot with my right.....but I have found out its more of a dominent eye thing which they never taught us.
 
My Granddad served with the Canadian Engineers overseas. He was a southpaw and shot his Lee-Enfield in a peculiar way. He would hold it against his right shoulder, but pull the trigger and operate the bolt with his left hand and support the forestock with his right. He was an avid hunter and quite a good shot, and he shot like this all the time, used a Remington 740 in .280 from about 1956 untilhis death in '84. He also used a K98k for most of his active service because it was easier for him to operate that way than the Lee-Enfield. That Mauser is now at the bottom of the Rhine, where he dumped it when facing capture. He didn't think it too wise to risk capture while holding a German weapon.
 
and i guess also its a problem in the british army. their main assault rifle (sa80?) can only eject brass from the right side. but because it is a bullpup design, a lefty would have brass shot into his face! The french have the right idea though, because the famas can be switched to eject on the opposite side. NO MORE DISCRIMINATION! :D And as for having a dominant eye, i get the feeling that my right eye is indeed dominant, but I am left handed. maby i have to get into shooting right handed. i just feels so damned awkward though!
 
I used to have an AR-15/A1 that I got rid of it in a hurry; It had a nasty habit of spitting brass down the collar of my jacket between my neck and shoulder.

I've talked to a southpaw U.S. Army vet who hates the M-16 because it used to pour hot brass against his face when he shot it during his time in service.

Even the AR-15/A2 is a nuisance for anyone sitting to your right on the firing line.

I love the old milsurp rifles, but I hate having to reach over with my left hand to work the bolt. I've thought of training myself to shoot right, but I'm just not as fast and smooth as I am on my left side.

One thing I don't like about righty rifles is the prospect of a case head split and having hot gas or metal flying back in my face.

It is funny, there is a large number of shooters I know who are left handed. We are definitely discriminated against.
 
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Yea lefty sucks. Shooting the C7 sometimes spits the shells down my shirt. I also find myself with my right hand/arm in front of the ejection port causing a stoppage.
 
lefties

Guys, If you have watched as much WWII documentary footage as I have you will find there was a heck of a lot of lefties out there who shot with their left hand and eye. I shoot left handed because of my eyesight and can handle all but the bullpups ( Steyr AUG excepted as you can change the bolt to left ejection ) regards Rigrat
 
I have been shooting the C7 and C8 as a lefty with no problems. My three ar15s have at least 5K through each with no problems as a lefty.....I have never had an failure due to being a lefty....

Jeff
 
Morpheus32 said:
I have been shooting the C7 and C8 as a lefty with no problems. My three ar15s have at least 5K through each with no problems as a lefty.....I have never had an failure due to being a lefty....

Jeff
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Oh no doubt its all me. Its cause I usually hold a rifle with my hands close to my body.
 
f_soldaten04 you can test your self for eye dominancy its a simple self test pm me and I will tell ya.

if you think about it a good soldier should be "good" with both hands, unless you have a FN MAG or a MINIMI,,,,, or what we call a c8 or a c9,
 
I'm right handed and left eye dominate for the most part, the moment I focus with my right eye on the iron sights I can shoot with both eyes open and my right eye becomes dominate and the left doesnt effect my shooting. :)

My brother is a Southpaw though and he is experimenting with different ways to hold the rifle. I think at this point he has decided to shoot left handed and handle the bolt with his right hand though. I'm going to forward this to him to see if he likes how it feels thought:

He was a southpaw and shot his Lee-Enfield in a peculiar way. He would hold it against his right shoulder, but pull the trigger and operate the bolt with his left hand and support the forestock with his right.
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Thanks for that tip! :D

Dimitri
 
I am a lefty served in the British Army, shot everything they had including the SA80, plus Soviet Weapons all shot left handed 1st right handed as back-up in training,never had a problem. A lot to be said about the dominant eye.
 
I remember a black plastic gadget that could be installed in the 16 that would deflect the cases away from your face. It just clipped on and was an issue item.
 
I think Rigrat's on to something... let's lobby the feds and put forth that the gun laws are discriminatory and that lefties NEED Steyr Augs because they can be shot left handed.
 
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