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Thread: Tips for Shooting AR left-handed?

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by HelloLarry View Post

    Better? Keep in mind that your right hand is still on the forearm, rotating the rifle about the grip.
    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?

  2. #12
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    I insert mags with my left hand too.
    Always keep my right hand on the forearm.

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by MistWolf View Post
    Just how likely are you to find yourself in a life & death struggle limited to a right hand only AR? I'm not a lefty, but I've been practicing manipulating my AR from the port side. I find ambidextrous controls very useful, regardless of which side I'm shooting from. For example, it's much easier to lock the bolt back without a magazine in the well if the bolt lock can be pressed with the trigger finger. I also favor a 45° ambi selector switch, even if I'm just shooting right handed. I don't think ambi controls are absolutely necessary, but they improve the shooting experience significantly.
    I dont know about life or death but there was a time where I had to demonstrate switching to weak side barricade drills with a random AR off the rack in front of 20 or so students on demand. Suffice to say there was thumbing of invisible safety levers and general cluster ****ery associated with my muscle memory and not having ambi controls installed. I immediately went back to all stock controls because I feel its more beneficial for me to be able to run an AR off the rack anywhere the world without training scars of ambi controls. What are the chances of that happening, probably pretty small but YMMV.

  4. #14
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    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!

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Sacamano View Post
    Only things beneficial are an ambi mag catch/selector.

    Obviously, sling mounts on the right side are a must.

    You may find yourself appreciating an upper without a FA and not having the charging handle latch rubbing against body. Do not get an ambi CH. That is one of the perks of using a standard AR left handed, well, in addition to being able to quickly look into the action. Standard CH and bolt catch seem like they were designed for left handed use.

    If you still shoot a pistol right handed, you may have some gear set up issues but transistions from rifle to pistol can be faster.

    Just wait until you start using shotguns left handed....
    I'm not following. I'm a lefty and I run my CH with my support hand only. Doing malfunction drills on the clock for work (double-feeds), I was much smoother with an ambi-handle, than without. With a standard CH I was having to reach over the top to run it with my support hand. It put a lot of torque on the CH as well.

    With an ambi CH, I just grab it and go, straight back and inline.

    Do you run yours with your support hand or primary hand?
    -Colt 6920 w/Aimpoint PRO

  6. #16
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    Short-arm/Small-hand Southpaw here. I'm only suggesting ideas to try, but these have worked for me in dry-fire tryouts.

    I am obliged to note that I use a rather odd technique - since I can't get a good stock-shoulder fit and usually build pistols, I usually chickenwing with stock/brace in the crook of my elbow. Looks funky, but seems to fit my particular body-shape and build problems well.

    Noting that, I'm a firm believer in "NEVER take your grip hand off the grip for ANY reason while in action," so...
    >Charging Handle: I use my right hand, index finger on latch. This is one of the few times when a right-side side-charger might be helpful.
    >Ejection: If you can get a small enough brasscatcher, by all means DO mount one. If you use a bladed stance like me, that means hot brass straight into face/chest where righties can get away with it.
    >Bolt Catch: Reacharound and slap with support hand--my stubby little baby trigger-finger can reach an ambi mag-catch fine, but can't get the leverage to work the BC.
    >Mag Catch: I like the Arms Unlimited ambi, and train to run it both right-thumb and left trigger-finger.
    >Safety: Ambi, definitely. If I can't get an Ambi and an stuck with normal, I carry off-safe with empty chamber and the CH is my safety lever.

    Short on AR experience, but long on left-hand LIFE experience.
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  7. #17
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    I’ve only ever shot lefty and just recently put kac selectors on my rifles. Rest is all standard parts.

    I’m not a fan of breaking the firing grip so I hit the mag release with right thumb and then bolt release with trigger finger.

  8. #18
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    I’m left handed and I don’t have ambi anything. I use my left index (trigger) finger for the selector and bolt release. I use BCM Mod 4’s and operate with left index and thumb. Mag release is right thumb.
    Last edited by Aetius; 06-14-18 at 20:19.

  9. #19
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    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.
    Last edited by Bob Sacamano; 03-22-18 at 19:36.

  10. #20
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    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.

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