Left handed guns are just goofy.

[54Ball]

 There, I said it. Left handed guns are just goofy, they are.
 
 This is not about the devils hand and all that baloney, it’s simply the observation that……
 Left handed guns are goofy.

 I know and I can safely say this because I’m left handed, left eye dominant and I’m goofy.

  I have seen guns at events and thought….
 “ There’s something really goofy about this gun?” “ Oh, it’s left handed.”

 Left handed guns are historically accurate, maybe so, but that does not change the fact that they are still goofy.

 There’s the Risingson Longrifle made about 1830 in possibly Kentucky.

 Oh, then there’s the French Trade gun dug up around New Orleans.
 What’s French for goofy?

 2 guns in 250 years, That’s goofy.

 Those right handed guns with left handed locks ( probably used from a double gun )…
 That’s really goofy.

 “Well the great John Phillip Beck built a left handed pistol, see?”
 “ Yep, but he was being goofy because he was building a mirror imaged matched set.”

 Do you think the 18th Century drill sergeant would let a person drill left handed?
 Absolutely not?
 One guy doing everything different is….goofy. It’s nothing personal, it’s just goofy.

 Blowing your left handed vent gas into a right handers face, while strangely satisfying, is still goofy.

 So you decide you want a goofy left handed gun. Other than the Siler family, your choice is goofy locks.

 A 18th Century Germanic Siler on a 1810s-30s Southern Mountain?
 That’s goofy.

 You can weld up a perfectly good Siler, grind it after hours and hours of filing it will kind of sort of look like a weird English lock, a goofy one.

 There’s one company that specializes left handed locks but…..they’re goofy.

 I have been around this a while I know of many builders over the years that specialized in left handed guns. None of them are still active that I know of.
 Now most builders can and will build you a left handed gun but it’s not their specialty.
 Why?
 Because they don’t specialize in goofy stuff.

 Despite all the fussing and crying, have you ever tried to sell a left handed gun?
 They don’t sell.
 They get a lot of attention and a lot of lip service but they don’t sell.
 That’s goofy.

  Yep, somebody tools up, offers a left handed gun or good lock for sale due to seemingly popular demand, When it comes time pay up….
 Crickets…..
 
 That’s just goofy. It’s fact, but it’s goofy.

 I love historical guns because I’m goofy. I’ve been planning a special historic left handed rifle for me for a very long time. I’ve gathered the parts up. Now it’s getting close to building it.

 I’m getting close to cutting wood with a chisel.

 I can’t do it. I’m going to build it right handed because left handed guns are goofy. I prefer right handed guns, I always have.

 How goofy is that?
 

[Daryl]

En Frances'- LA Goofie' - must be La feminine.

[Eric Kettenburg]

I have to shoot LH too because I'm about blind in my right eye.  But I would NEVER build a LH gun unless paid up front anymore.  Too hard to sell.  Did a couple well over 20 years ago on spec.  Sat on them for quite some time.

Anything I shoot myself, I just use RH guns and shoot LH.  Flint, percussion, unmentionables flinging brass across my face...  At least I know they're saleable!

[WalnutRed]

IK also shoot left handed and just completed a LH SMR. My current build is what people call an "Ohio"  rifle, although they were made other places as well. Half stock percussion small bore, right hand percussion lock with dual cheek rests. I'm npot sure why this style got started but they work for both right and left handed shooters and to my eye just look more symmetrical.

[Robby]

I make lots of left handed guns, both rifle and pistol.



Self portrait.
Robby

[Birddog6]

Well, I have dif. opinion/idea on it.  But it is prob Me that is goofy, not the rifle. 

1:  I don't care if it is LH or RH, they all shoot the same to me. Don't see the pan
     flash or any of that.
2:  Vent blowing in your face ?  I never had my face in front of the vent, plus
     the fact you should have safety glasses on anyway.
3:  The LH rifles I built sold Immediately.  And if I build one, as soon as it is on my
     web site, someone else wants one.  Why ?  Only reason I have is possibly
     because few guys build them ?  I don't know.  I get about 5 inquiries for a rifle a
     month and the ratio is bout 1 LH in 12 RH.  To me that is quite allot.

Now one may think, why not build more LH rifles. Mainly don't like the locks avail for
them & have to keep my mind set on LH all the time, or I will screw it up. Drilled a vent
liner hole & finished it all real pretty once.  Heck of a nice job, except it was a LH rifle.
SH$$  Now I have to get out another barrel, make it FIT the stock I already had inletted,
make the Tang Exactly the same, underlugs exactly the same, all from one lil flub. Little
flub of the vent liner on the Wrong Side, but a Major flub.   

[54Ball]

^^^^
Me being really goofy.

[bama]

I have built a few lefties over the years and while they are different to build than the usual right handed guns I find them gratifying to build. First you have to remember to do everything opposite hand right from the start of the project. This includes the stock selection process. Now, I'm not saying I want to build a steady diet of them but it's great knowing you can do it, and do it well.

Here is one I just finished around Thanksgiving. If you think it's goofy, that's OK. All I can tell you is it shot just as well as any right handed rifle I have built.

[Rolf]

I'm chronically lefthanded and strongly dislike shooting rigth-handed rifles.
The castoff is wrong, the cheek piece is on the wrong side. Priming and cocking is awkward when I have to use my right hand or reach over the rifle to use my left hand.

Every rifle I build for myself is lefthanded. If I can't find suitable lefthanded locks and other parts, I build them myself from scratch. I will not compromise on any rifle I build for myself.

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=81052.msg797102#msg797102

left-handed Alex Henry/Staton/Bob Roller lock. Part 1. Lock plate and Hammer
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=73225.0

left-handed Alex Henry/Staton/Bob Roller lock.Part2. Four post bridle and screws
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=73497.0

left-handed Alex Henry/Staton/Bob Roller lock. Part3 The tumbler.
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=73935.msg736278#msg736278

left-handed Alex Henry/Stanton/Bob Roller lock. Part4. The sear and searspring.
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=75495.msg750459#msg750459

left-handed Alex Henry/Stanton/Bob Roller lock. Part5. The fly.
 https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=77291.msg765744#msg765744

Left-handed Alex Henry/Stanton/Bob Roller lock. Part6 Main spring & link.
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=79419.msg782932#msg782932

Pistols have symmetrical stocks and are held at armlength. Only problem with right-handed pistol is awkward priming and cocking, but I can live with that.

Best regards
Rolf

[Steeltrap]

I'm currently building a left had English Sporter. I'm thinking the more :I move along the more I'm gonna like it. Even though I'm RH and will likely not shoot it much.....I have two grandkids who are lefties!