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Posted: 3/23/2016 1:38:22 AM EDT
| Being left handed in the gun world is difficult at times but it's a little easier when you build your own. Recently I received a right handed Anderson lower for pennies on the dollar. Now I'm working on selecting parts for the build. My main question is if it is possible to pair a right handed lower with a left handed upper. Secondly if so what issues may I run into if I go that route. The mag release and the safely are easily converted to ambidextrous, so I am more worried about the bolt assembly and the rest of the internal moving parts. |
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Quoted:
Being left handed in the gun world is difficult at times but it's a little easier when you build your own. Recently I received a right handed Anderson lower for pennies on the dollar. Now I'm working on selecting parts for the build. My main question is if it is possible to pair a right handed lower with a left handed upper. Secondly if so what issues may I run into if I go that route. The mag release and the safely are easily converted to ambidextrous, so I am more worried about the bolt assembly and the rest of the internal moving parts. No issues. Parts are the same in the lower and there are some mag release, safety and bolt release add ons on the market to make it more lefty friendly. |
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I generally don't recommend going to a fully left handed setup, instead I would go with a standard AR with a few lefty friendly upgrades to keep all the major components industry compatible.
Charging handle, safety selector, mag release, enhanced bolt catch, and reduced size forward assist are all that's really needed, no need for a special upper and bolt carrier group. |
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Personally, the one thing I always felt like I had an advantage with as a lefty, was always being able to more easily see the ejection port. No rotating the rifle or anything, just open my right eye and it's right there.
I've been shooting this platform as a lefty, beginning with the M16A1 (no brass deflector, triangle handguards, and FULL AUTO fun!!) in boot camp. They had a snap-in plastic brass deflector for us lefties, and the one time I had to shoot without one, I took a piece of brass to my right cheekbone. Thankfully, my first issued rifle was an A2 with the brass deflector. I embraced that improvement. Since I have been able to own/build my own, Ambi selectors and mag catches have made me feel completely comfortable with the platform. Each step along the way, I have embraced the left hand friendly improvements. Yet, despite the availability of completely left handed rifles now available, I don't want one. Going full lefty, usually means going proprietary and you lose the compatibility that makes the AR such an appealing tinker-toy. Just imagine that day you're on the range, and a lug breaks off of your proprietary lefty bolt. Five other guys have spares with them, but they're all standard bolts, that eject to the right, not to the left ..... Even as a fellow lefty, I would be one of those guys with the spare right eject bolt that would be unable to help you out. My personal preferences are a Norgon ambi mag catch, Raptor charging handle, and BAD Ambi Selectors. |
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Quoted:
I generally don't recommend going to a fully left handed setup, instead I would go with a standard AR with a few lefty friendly upgrades to keep all the major components industry compatible. Charging handle, safety selector, mag release, enhanced bolt catch, and reduced size forward assist are all that's really needed, no need for a special upper and bolt carrier group. The black rifle is already rather southpaw friendly. Even if you're doing speed reloads or precision work, the rifle is already set up rather well for either hand. I simply recommend an ambidextrous safety and a mag catch, I can recommend the Troy left-handed release. |
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Quoted:The black rifle is already rather southpaw friendly. Even if you're doing speed reloads or precision work, the rifle is already set up rather well for either hand.
I simply recommend an ambidextrous safety and a mag catch, I can recommend the Troy left-handed release. +1, except I prefer only the ambi safety. The existing bolt release or the Raptor handle are handy enough to drop the bolt, without the cost or additional complexity of a left-handed bolt release (or an extended through-the-trigger-guard arm operable by the right hand), and the mag release on the right is already positioned for right-hand (i.e., the free hand) mag release/insertion without shifting the left hand on the grip. |
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Quoted:
I've been shooting this platform as a lefty, beginning with the M16A1 (no brass deflector, triangle handguards, and FULL AUTO fun!!) in boot camp. They had a snap-in plastic brass deflector for us lefties, and the one time I had to shoot without one, I took a piece of brass to my right cheekbone. Quoted:
I've been shooting this platform as a lefty, beginning with the M16A1 (no brass deflector, triangle handguards, and FULL AUTO fun!!) in boot camp. They had a snap-in plastic brass deflector for us lefties, and the one time I had to shoot without one, I took a piece of brass to my right cheekbone. Same here, drove the DIs in boot camp nuts that I was a southpaw...and regularly would out-shoot them. Quoted:
Quoted:
I generally don't recommend going to a fully left handed setup, instead I would go with a standard AR with a few lefty friendly upgrades to keep all the major components industry compatible. Charging handle, safety selector, mag release, enhanced bolt catch, and reduced size forward assist are all that's really needed, no need for a special upper and bolt carrier group. The black rifle is already rather southpaw friendly. Even if you're doing speed reloads or precision work, the rifle is already set up rather well for either hand. I simply recommend an ambidextrous safety and a mag catch, I can recommend the Troy left-handed release. I've never seen it as lefty friendly, just lefty capable. It was clearly designed by and for right handed users, there is no way around that. For most civilian lefties, I even recommend building with an upper that does not have a forward assist as its dead weight in that application, and gets in the way at times when using the charging handle. |
| You really don't need the lefty upper. My first AR was a lefty Stag and while a fine rifle, I've made it into a hunting rifle and it stays in the safe most of the time. I build my ARs using normal uppers and just put ambi safety selectors and Norgon mag catches on the lowers and call it good. Never had any problems with brass hitting my face if you're concerned about that, and like someone mentioned above, it's nice being able to glance at the chamber with ease. |
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Quoted:
My personal preferences are a Norgon ambi mag catch, Raptor charging handle, and BAD Ambi Selectors. I am a lefty and I used all three of the parts that bbies1973 just mentioned for my build. Great minds think alike! All of these parts are of the highest quality and I will be using them again on my next build. I too was in the same boat as you OP and wanted a fully left-handed upper before I did my first build, but I actually prefer using a standard right-handed AR with just the couple lefty parts mentioned. And don't waste your time looking for an ambidextrous bolt catch/release. I just use the standard one and it's very easy to manipulate with my trigger finger. Good luck on your build brother! |
Hey Kahuna, I'm building a lefty gun presently. Like the others have said, it's not really necessary and makes the BCG non-interchangeable, but so what? Maybe if it's your only gun there might be some merit to keeping it all standard. Otherwise I say have some fun with it. It's not that hard to purchase an extra LH bolt in case of breakage. No matter what though I agree with those recommending the Norgon mag release and the Raptor CH. I even like the Phase 5 Tactical bolt release/lever because I can use my right thumb to close the bolt post-magazine insertion. Maybe checking the chamber is an advantage for lefties. Maybe there's less gas in your face if the ejection is LH? Who knows. In the end though I say build what you like. 
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