Left handers

[David B]

I have often wondered if a person who was totally left handed, got to shoot a rifle, seeing that they all

seem to be equipped with right hand operated bolts. Did you just have to change. As a child I was left handed until the

"kind" teachers with a few swift rulers across the knuckles taught me that were other ways of doing things

David

[CT-Guards]

Good question to which I'm sure someone will give you the correct answer, but i've not come across a left handed WWI rifle.

Regards

[squirrel]

If you do a Forum search on left handers you will find plenty of information.

[TonyE]

There were no left handed rifles in service. It is perfectly possible for a left hander to fire and operate a right handed rifle by rolling the rifle to the left and operating the bolt.

However, I am sure that the army dissuaded men from doing this and expected them to shoot right handed. As previously posted, left handedness was considered as something that needed to be "cured".

Regards

TonyE

[ian turner]

I seem to remember my father mentioning watching a left-hander firing - he fired from his left shoulder and awkwardly used his left hand over the rifle to work the bolt.

[david murdoch]

I think the expectation was and still is to fire from the right regardless of handedness. Especially now with the SA80 bullpup design will give you a face full of hot brass. I think it's more a matter of training and just doing as your told!

My grandfather was a machine gunner in WW1. He was left handed, but was beaten right handed at school as was the custom. He must have done basic trianing with a rifle, but it obviously did not make so much difference with a Vickers, as he made instructor.

Interestingly I once took part in a survey of left handedness and it has varying degrees - I'm classed (uncurable) left handed as I write left handed, but in reality I'm predominantly right handed. I and probably a lot of other lefties are ambidextrous for a lot of things due to necessity, so for using tools I just swap hands to suit the situation. For sure I'd naturally pick up a gun or guitar as a left, but I've learned to use most power tools with both. I'm sure the army could quickly persuade most lads to fire right handed!

Interesting link to a thread on arrse forum (they who kno!)- hopefully not going too far off topic.!

http://www.arrse.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic/t=41603.html