How did lefties use bolt action rifles?

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Sgt.Bodin

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Aug 30, 2011
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I'm left handed and can shoot and cycle my k98 rather fast. It really isn't all that difficult... I usually keep my hand on the trigger area at all times and cycle with my right hand after the shot. Just need to make sure my hand is clear enough from the bolt. Also, I realize this is hollywood portrayal but the sniper in saving private ryan was a leftie. Sniper Part from Saving Private Ryan - YouTube

fun fact he shoots 7 times he is carrying a springfield m1903 rifle which has a capacity or 5 rounds and one in the chamber so you do the math 5
+1 is not 7 i think
 

Bowcaster

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Sep 2, 2011
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fun fact he shoots 7 times he is carrying a springfield m1903 rifle which has a capacity or 5 rounds and one in the chamber so you do the math 5
+1 is not 7 i think

Never noticed that before, and I think I just counted 8 shots. Silly Hollywood.
 

Peter.Steele

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Sep 6, 2006
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Foremost, this is more a matter of visual ability on each eye isn't it? I'm right handed but fire shouldered weapons left handed due to seeing better with my left eye. Took just a few hours to get comfortable with it.

This is absolutely the case. I am extremely left-eye dominant. When I can use my left eye for shooting, I can shoot equally well with either hand. (This only really comes into play with pistols or a long gun with long eye relief optics like an Eotech or Aimpoint.) Rifles with irons, it's left handed operation only, for me.


3. Keep left hand in place to hold rifle, operate bolt with right (rifle barrel will of course dip each time, but should be no problem when having something to support the weapon on).

This is exactly how I do it.




I disagree, i have a Mosin and have fired Mosins. They are renowned for their "sticky" bolts which a lot of the time is hard enough to do with the right hand, let alone the left.


Not a problem unless you use lacquered ammo with one of the heavily cosmolined rifles that wasn't cleaned properly.



From what I know about modern militaries, often they do not. You are just handed a right handed M16 and learn to use it. At least that's what i'm told it will be like for me in the IDF.

That is basicaly it. I know the M16 and its family of weapons can be operated left handed, I'v done it. The only real down side is the brass ejection is aimed more or less right at your face when you use the weapon left handed.

M-16 / AR-15 rifles are remarkably easy to use left handed straight out of the box. You can, however, get ambidextrous safeties, bolt releases and magazine releases.

If you contact the factory you can get an M16 or one of it's relatives to be made manufactured for left handed operation.

You can get lefty AR's from Stag as a normal-stock item in a lot of gun stores. Special order is an option, otherwise. The price difference is about $40, but frankly even speaking as a lefty I can't imagine using one. I'm so used to using a normal one left-handed that it just wouldn't work for me.



Keep your top button buttoned. Don't want to get a shell down you shirt. Heard that can happen quite often for lefties.

Not really that much of a problem, even with an AR that doesn't have the brass deflector. Mine is an A1, and I've never had a problem with brass. Now, my old Kimber 1911, that was a different story. Brass from that would go down my shirt all the time, but it didn't make a difference between left and right handed operation.
 

Beefmaker

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Aug 10, 2011
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What if one were conscripted and was a city boy and had no experience whatsoever with firearms? I'm not trying to be a troll here, I'm just really curious.

In school you were taught/forced to write the "proper" way, which is right handed. So everyone should be able to fire a rifle the "proper" way as well,
the experience with firearms doesnt really factor in that much.
 
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Comrade Kaizer

Grizzled Veteran
May 21, 2009
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Basically until 1950s (or 60s) people who were left handed were more or less forcefully trained to become ambidextreous or at least cross dominant.

Pretty much.

This has gone on for tradition even as far as the early 80's in some places. I am naturally left handed and was force and taught to use my right hand in school.

It was done unknowingly to my parents knowledge but now I use my right hand primarily. I can shoot guns (I hunt game), use pen/pencils to write and draw (I'm a talented artist), etc. with my right hand as good as anyone who was naturally born right handed.

A custom that has been long stopped here in the States though.
 
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The_Cook

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May 10, 2006
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They would beat you like a red headed stepchild till you used your correct hand. This was done at a very early age.
 

Empty Box

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Sep 2, 2011
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How do people who drive from the right side of their car drive a manual? You are learning a new process (more than likely), therefore the muscle memory or habits have not built. If someone from the UK came here to the US and jumped in a LHD car w/ manual, they'd probably find it goofy as originally - even if they are right handed.

Unless your off hand is completely feeble and is incapable of holding up a simple weight or had a previous habit, I dont think they would have an issue. It's like a computer mouse - I've never seen one used left handed, even by lefties. Probably because by the time you can use a mouse, you have enough motor skills in both hands to learn - and you are taught righty because the majority is righty.

The eye thing is something worth noting, but something tells me no on gave a damn if you were blind before giving you a rifle and saying "Shoot that guy!" Don't think the Russians were big on vision correction. ;)
 

Coreldan

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Sep 1, 2011
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This is probably abit irrelevant for the discussion, but my father is right handed, but somewhy shoots from the left (I believe his left eye is dominant is the reason). This isn't applicable to WW2 rifles, but he has tuned his own rifles so that they are still right handed, but he has bent and/or welded the bolt so that he can operate it from the left. Naturally the bolting action is way different than it would be from the right, as the bolt isnt truely left handed, but just the same old right-hand bolt, but with the handle available to the left hand.

It's one weird modification, but it works :D
 

Vegard

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Jan 28, 2006
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I mean, did they have lefty manufactured rifles? I would guess not, as they we're produced in mass amounts. A lefty would have to take his right hand off the foregrip of the gun to eject the round or take his left hand off the trigger and go over the other side of the bolt to eject it. Both of those are a hassle. So what did they do with lefties?

I can shoot with both hands, I prefer to use my left with boltrifles because it lets me keep my rifle somewhat aimed while reloading the next round since I only remove the right hand from the foregrip to reload.
 

von luckner

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Sep 4, 2011
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I would guess that realistically, the lefties that couldn't figure out how to shoot a right handed rifle well were assigned other duties- drivers, stretcher bearers, radio operators etc.
 

rawgr

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Sep 3, 2011
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They made them learn from a young age to use their right hands. They did this in Germany at least.

This, and the thread somewhat ends right there.
I'm a kraut and even my uncle from the 60s was sort of forced to do everything with his right hand, etc. Don't think the Nazis where feeling warmer back then.
 

crockett

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Jun 7, 2008
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Not sure if it is the same for all left handers but I automatically learnt to do stuff like use a mouse and hold a rifle right handed :)

Same, I'm left handed but the only thing I do "left handed" is write/draw. I use my muse with my right hand, when I played sports I batted right handed but tossed a football with my left hand and caught with right for baseball. Hell even play the guitar right handed although I actually had to learn that as it felt more natural to play lefty but I only had a right handed guitar. Also shoot right handed.
 
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Lobo

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May 11, 2011
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I am not a lefty, but I am able to , play guitar/bass, drums and play baseball with my left.

My grandfather who was a lefty and fought in the Pacific has always fired right handed even as a child, it was how he learned, but everything else from pitching to batting was always left although as a pitcher he still used a right hand glove to catch with, so he would hold his glove, pitch, and put the glove back on, take the glove back off to throw. (being poor all he could get was a right hand glove, and it was how he learned).
 

Srinidhalaya

Active member
Jan 20, 2011
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I am left handed. I shoot right handed. It actually helps me to have my left hand holding the forward grip for better control and aim. Anybody can squeeze a trigger from either hand...
 

jergul

Member
Sep 19, 2009
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In relation to Kar-98.

Am left-handed and the first service rifle I was issued was that weapon.

You shoot exactly like a right-hander would and I actually never considered a reverse bolt to accommodate me.

Those days were not very sinister times :)