Left handed shotgun

Why a left handed gun? What advantage? I'm new at this shotgun game with a right handed 870 but shoot left most of the time. Seems to me the right handed gun should actually be a left handed one. My thoughts.....Trigger hand never moves. Loading directly into ejection port (?) requires less movement. Loading is faster in general because of the natural position you hold the gun and the fact you can see if there is any issues in an open bolt. Any extraction issue while firing is seen without any movement at all so the diagnosis and fix is faster. Does this make sense or am I missing something?

Only issue would be safety buttons at the rear trigger guard. I wish the 1100 would have put the spot in the button in the middle of it so it could be flipped.

Left hand safety conversion

Agree with the bad for left hand shooters safety design, but that is a very minor issue even if they didn't have conversions.

Yes, makes perfect sense. A very experienced, left-handed 3-gunner I know swears by running a right-hand gun.

I'm a lefty and have one of each. I used the lefty 870 for shooting skeet and like if for that purpose. I like the righty version for bump in the night stuff. I'm thinking about SBS'ing one of them into a 12" shorty, but which one...

Remington makes a left handed 870

Craig

Your observation about running a right handed gun left handed is correct. I believe gunsite at one time was using left handed 870's to build as tactical shotguns for right handed shooters for the same reason. With some proper training the safety should not slow you down at all.

Well thank you for that! My understanding was that it could not be flipped on an 1100.

I agree with you OP. Being a lefty, I find it very easy to run a right handed 870.

I'm left handed and prefer a right handed shotgun for the reasons you mentioned. Tried the left hand safety conversion mentioned and it didn't work well in my 870. YMMV.

Thanks for the replies fella's. But what advantage would a left handed gun have over a right handed for a lefty.

None. Some people just think they NEED a left handed gun since they are left handed.

Precisely. Unless, the firearm design has a known ejection problem with left handed shooters. ARs before having the deflector built into the side of the receiver can cause problems with brass hitting the shooter or catching on/in clothing causing burns. Otherwise, I find right handed guns to function better for me as a lefty, besides button safeties as mentioned before.

I'm left-handed and chose a Mossberg for it's ambidextrous safety. Other than that, it's a normal "right-handed" shotgun and works well for me.

There is a left handed trigger assembly available that will give you a left hand safety if its that important. The conversion safety simply didn't work well (stuck, hard to operate), so I just put the stock one back in.

There's no reason for lefty guns at all except for maybe bolt guns, but even then there are some advantages to running them left handed.

Being a lefty I buy all my guns left handed. I've found many advantages to shooting left handed despite many people ostracizing and ridiculing me for my views.

Well? What are the advantages?

As a right handed shooter, sometimes when I shoot the "dove flurry" events (random targets as fast as the puller can go) I use a left handed auto-loader so I can maintain control of the gun with my strong side and feed the open ejection port with my left hand if I run the tube dry.

I'll bring both kinds to your next lesson and you can see what you like best. Some people don't like an empty shell flying in front of them. Most people with good target focus never see that hull.

Another Team member from the AZ HTF is getting lessons now and he's left handed and shoots a right handed Beretta autoloader. A lot of it is preference and what feels natural to you.

Also, a "left hand" gun can refer to the bend of the stock. Not all stocks are straight like you'll find on off the shelf 11-87s. There is "cast off" for right handers and "cast on" for lefties. It basically refers to the direction that a stock is bent either away from or into your face so that it 1) fits in the natural pocket of your shoulder while 2) aligning your eye (your 'rear sight') in the correct position.

Guys with fat faces and no necks usually use these solutions in a custom stock, or for less money you can use an adjustable comb and butt plate to accomplish similar results. See here...this guy is a friend of mine - http://www.tronspace.com/Pages/Samples.aspx





Some guys with severe cross dominance issues have stocks like this made for them. It's rare (and expensive and prone to breakage) but they exist.

The only left handed firearms I've ever owned have been bolt actions.

If you don't like the safety on an 870, I recommend a Mossberg. The top mounted safety works great. For reloads, I keep my left hand on the grip, reload with the right. No problems.

I just bought a Browning BPS; it's fully ambidextrous with bottom load/eject and tang safety. Slide release is only on the left but easily hit with trigger finger.

The biggest reason is that its easier to see and diagnose malfunctions. Its also quite handy on certain long-guns so you don't ever have to take your hand off the trigger.

On AR15s a lefty has easy access to to the bolt release with the trigger finger which makes clearing double feeds easier. Right handed shooting (without the BAD lever) requires you to take the rifle off target and move your hands off the forearm and grip to lock the bolt.

Also, some older firearms like the M1 or AK47 require a right handed person to move their hand off the fire control to manipulate the bolt.

If you shoot off a ruck, table or bipod with a bolt action you can pull the trigger with your left hand and manipulate the bolt with your right. The advantage here is that you can work the bolt and shoot extremely quick.

On most handguns its easier for me to lock the slide back since my trigger finger pushes the slide release upward.

On shotguns the only advantage I know of is that its easier to diagnose short stroking the bolt and possibly to visualize slug changeovers.

Bottom line, don't discount lefties as handicapped, we can be quite creative and even find some advantages.

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