Tips for Shooting AR left-handed?

[MegademiC]

Interesting.

Anybody have any thoughts on this method versus dropping the mag with your right thumb as you get ready to insert the new magazine with your right hand?

When shooting left handed, i use right hand to press mag release and strip the mag, then use right hand to insert fresh.
Run both ways on a timer and see which is more efficient. I have not tried the referenced method yet.

[Doc Safari]

Looks like everyone has you covered. Just make sure your future weapons have deflectors or kick the brass out to the left. My first issue M16 had no deflector and on multiple occasions I would catch one near the eye, down the shirt or one time I had one stick between my chin strap and neck. Burned like hell. I finally cagiwaed me one of those deflectors that had a detent mechanism which locked into the handle. Life saver.

I don't think I'd own an AR without the deflector.

As for other suggestions: I'll have to practice reaching over to charge the weapon with my right hand. I tend to agree that "never, ever, ever, never take your trigger hand off the pistol grip" should be taught as gospel; however, that might not always be possible.

[26 Inf]

Just as kind of a trivia "FYI", I noticed that a lot of the shooters on the Sportsman and/or Outdoor channel shooting shows use their AR's left-handed. I plan to watch what they do for tips as well. The percentage of southpaws seems way more than you'd expect, so there's never a deficit of shooters to watch!

That is because lefthanded people are inherently brighter and much more photogenic than your run of the mill right hander.

[26 Inf]

I'm a lefty and for the past year or so I have been busily putting ambi-controls on all the rifles I keep. That being said, a decade plus of learning work-arounds leaves most of them unused.

Safety - in today's world why would anyone not run an ambi-saefty? I use the thumb to disengage and the trigger finger to engage. That makes sure my booger-picker is off the trigger. I think using the trigger finger to engage is a remnant of being a lefty and using non-ambi selectors, engaging the safety with my trigger finger was the only part of the process I didn't cuss.

Charging handle - originally I learned to use my support hand to hold the rifle in my shoulder and run the charging handle with my strong hand. Then one day, all on my own, I went, duh, why not come over the top and get it with the knife-edge of your support hand trigger finger. Been doing it that way ever since, although I do have some nice ambi-charging handles. To lock the action to the rear I use my trigger-finger - I have slowly been replace bolt catches with the Geissele Mari-Time Catch which makes it effortless, but I could also reach the stock catch with my trigger finger.

Mag removal - right thumb depresses mag release and right hand strips mag, my KAC's and EMR-A's pretty much stay unused

Mag insertion and releasing bolt catch - use right hand, seat mag and tug, then make an 'L' with my thumb and index finger (basically spread them apart), run web of support hand up front of mag well to bottom of handguard/rail, rotate thumb up which places palm of hand against mag well, your index finger is properly positioned to press in to release bolt catch. Once again, I can release the bolt catch with my trigger finger, but have the workaround so ingrained that I usually don't give it a thought.

That is what works for me.

[czgunner]

I learned to use a righty only safety in the army and sure didn’t like it.
I run an ambi safety and ambi charging handles on everything.
I have no problem right thumb dropping mags and left index bolt releasing.
Granted I’m not running at competition speeds.

[Achilles11B]

I’ve been a life-long southpaw and have the benefit of receiving instruction by some fine Army 11B NCO’s who didn’t give one good damn about my handedness. They only cared about results and results came with lots and lots and lots of repetition. There’s a lot of good tips in this thread, find the ones that work and then work them to death.

That said, I’m a fan of BAD Levers. I know they don’t receive a lot of love around here and that’s ok. Try one out and see how it works for you.

[Savior 6]

Primary. Possible that is not the best way. Call it residual FAL behavior.

IMO, there are a few benefits to not having an ambi CH for a lefty. Movement, comfort, sling use, and no OOB issues.

Hard to use the suport hand if slung up which is why the preference for an ambi mag catch as well.

Seems like a brass catcher would block a lot of FOV. Never had an issue with brass.

Bolt catch can be operated with left index finger.

Standard mag catch with right thumb. Ambi mag catch with left index.

I have one AR with an ambi CH and two ARs w/o; neither have given me any problems however the ambi-CH is nice for locking the bolt open as you simply use your left trigger finger to press the bolt catch while pulling the CH to the rear with your right hand but I see the merit in avoiding the OOB issues. One caveat for this technique is to have a BUIS that has a low profile windage knob as a large/standard knob will get int the way of the charging handle and release lever on the right side.

I don't think I'd own an AR without the deflector.

As for other suggestions: I'll have to practice reaching over to charge the weapon with my right hand. I tend to agree that "never, ever, ever, never take your trigger hand off the pistol grip" should be taught as gospel; however, that might not always be possible.

I disagree with this as it seems easier to orient the weapon to fire on a target with the support (right) hand and simply grab the pistol grip to manipulate the trigger than it is to try to aim one-handed at a target while maintaining the fire control grip and bring your support hand up to properly aim the rifle. I can keep the rifle on target with my support hand an shoulder but cannot with my firing hand and shoulder. Perhaps I would feel different if I wouldn't have been handed a right-handers weapon from the get-go.

That is because lefthanded people are inherently brighter and much more photogenic than your run of the mill right hander.

Agreed!!!

Of course I'm speaking from the perspective of being blessed left handed but I find SPORTS/tap-rack-bang more beneficial from the left-handers side of things as you can keep good observation of the chamber to detect what stoppage drill is needed. I prefer the ambi safeties and mag release on my rifles but have been hindered when manipulating a standard AR; it doesn't add much time but it does add time. The non-ambi safety may take some getting used to. You can use your trigger finger to sweep the safety down and back or you can keep your left thumb on the left side of the weapon for faster safety manipulation up (trigger finger) and down (thumb). Welcome to the world of after thought because that's what most of the ambi controls started as.

[Tuukka]

I am left handed.

You can get by pretty well with standard AR controls.

But, I have chosen a long time ago to have

- Ambi safety
- Ambi mag release ( currently Norgon, with a larger paddle welded on )
- Ambi charging handle ( currently Raptor AXTS )

[HelloLarry]

Using the right hand to release the mag doesn't work very well when you are slung up, nor does it work well when you have front-heavy rifle, even if the balance point is at the D ring.

"Never take your hand off the pistol grip" - I have no idea where that came from, but for accuracy, you want to maintain your forward hand position. There could be other considerations but I don't know what they are.

At one time I had an ambi safety. Hated it. The standard controls are ambi enough for me. This isn't like a bolt action.

[Bob Sacamano]