Left Handed Shotguns

So… my son (7) is left-handed. I always envisioned handing him down my shotguns but not sure if that is going to work. Right now he is using a BB Gun and has to go across the trigger guard to get the safety (kinda backwards, but not a big deal). But I am thinking ahead….. I do have a single-shot 20 gauge that I started with. Guessing that would be similar with him just having or getting use to pushing the safety from the opposite side. But anything that ejects shells on the right would obviously be a problem.

Guess I’m wondering if I start him with some of my youth 20 gauges or buy specific left-handed shotguns. I’m assuming they make them?

Any thoughts?

I know they also make some that eject from the bottom, and they’re ambidextrous so someone else could use them as well.

Make sure you find out which is his dominant eye first, that should determine which side he should shoot from.
Its much easier to change hands than eye dominance.
went through this with my son. He’s right handed shoots left.

I second the bottom eject ambidextrous idea. I know the browning BPS and the older Ithaca shotguns were this style. If it were me I would NOT start him with a gun with the safety on the incorrect side. This is not the safest and a hard muscle memory to change if you switch to a LH gun in the future

Jeff Gilberg wrote:

Make sure you find out which is his dominant eye first, that should determine which side he should shoot from.
Its much easier to change hands than eye dominance.
went through this with my son. He’s right handed shoots left.

Good point. more than a few LH people are Right eye dominant

My wife is a lefty and shoots a righty Remington 1100. It’s not ideal, but I gave her the option of a hand-me-down 1100 or buying a new lefty for $1000+, and she chose the free option. It really doesn’t seem to bother her much (then again, I am pretty sure she’s never shot a lefty gun, so she doesn’t know any differently).

My BIL has a lefty Benelli SBE2.

fishthumper wrote:

If it were me I would NOT start him with a gun with the safety on the incorrect side.

For some reason, I think some guns have the option of reversing the safety, but I can’t think of a specific model.

My son (15 now) shoots left handed. He uses a right handed shotgun. The shell eject doesn’t bother him, the only issue is the safety. If the safety is on the top it’s no problem, but if it’s down by the trigger he has problems getting it on and off.

I shoot lefty, and it’s not a big deal to use a semi auto or pump action right handed gun. You quickly adapt to the safety, and would just want to wear eye protection as the shells eject across your face. Double barrels are a nice option too, as reasonably priced lefty guns seem to be few and far between. It is a pain to rechamber on a bolt action though, good thing I never need another shot! *pats self on back*

How about a double barrel? the safety is on top.

Keep your eye out for a Browning BPS. I shoot lefty, and they are bottom eject. Works wonders. When I was a kid, I had the youth 20ga. BPS model, worked excellent as a universal bird gun/slug gun. Turns out that gun is highly sought after.

I shoot left handed and have always used a right handed gun. Always just had them reverse the safety. Most gunsmiths can do it, usually cost about 20 bucks to have it done. Never been affected by the shells ejecting. Always shoot semi autos. Have reversed the safety on the following Remington 1100 20 gauge, Browning a500 12 gauge, browning auto 5 12 gauge, Remington 7400 30-06 and a few others I don’t recall. Have also had them re reverse the safety back to right handed.

Only safety issue is you need to remember if you grab the gun, that the safety is reversed.

Lefty here

I’ve only owned 1 left handed gun (11-87). I wasn’t my cup of tea, the charging handle on the left was awkward. Many newer guns have safety’s that can be flipped. My vote goes to the Winchester SX2/3/4 series for auto loaders and the SXP for pump(safety ahead of the trigger guard, non-reversible). I learned to shoot with a standard righty 870 and it works fine with the safety on the wrong side, until you start hunting with relatively thick gloves…Then the safety gets turned on almost immediately once your finger enters the trigger guard….

I also second eye protection if you use a semi-auto shotgun. It’s rare, but I have gotten powder in my eye on more than one occasion. Kent is notorious…Federal is much better. Talk about BURN!

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

My wife is a lefty and shoots a righty Remington 1100. It’s not ideal, but I gave her the option of a hand-me-down 1100 or buying a new lefty for $1000+, and she chose the free option. It really doesn’t seem to bother her much (then again, I am pretty sure she’s never shot a lefty gun, so she doesn’t know any differently).

My BIL has a lefty Benelli SBE2.

I don’t think she chose the free option she looked at as if I got a $1000 to spend on something else ????

You can get a Remington 870 pump in LH. I’ve had my Wingmaster LH for over 30 years and it’s served me well.

I shoot an old Ithaca 37 and it’s bottom eject. Also, I shoot O/U when I’m feeling fancy. My semi auto is a SBEII and I don’t have any problems with it being right handed.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishthumper wrote:</div>
If it were me I would NOT start him with a gun with the safety on the incorrect side.

For some reason, I think some guns have the option of reversing the safety, but I can’t think of a specific model.

I know benelli can reverse the safety as my wife is a lefty and the safety on her ultra-lite was reversed. There are others that will do it. It’s probably a sure bet that Allmans gun shop will be able to switch just about any brand gun. I Too would not want someone shooting a gun with the safety on the wrong side!

BigWerm wrote:

I shoot lefty, and it’s not a big deal to use a semi auto or pump action right handed gun. You quickly adapt to the safety, and would just want to wear eye protection as the shells eject across your face. Double barrels are a nice option too, as reasonably priced lefty guns seem to be few and far between. It is a pain to rechamber on a bolt action though, good thing I never need another shot! *pats self on back*

X2 it’s not worth the extra money for a left handed gun and your options are limited I had a BPS for quite awhile and loved it but it is a heavy gun so I went to a sx3

I’m right handed but left eye dominant. I shoot left handed with a right handed gun. Its not an issue. The safety is sort of awkward but its not a huge deal

ryan hunt wrote:

I shoot left-handed and have always used a right-handed gun. Always just had them reverse the safety. Most gunsmiths can do it, usually cost about 20 bucks to have it done.

This ^^^. The safety can easily be reversed on many shotguns. For obvious reasons, I’m not going to get into how as this should only be done by a qualified gunsmith, but it’s a simple job on many common shotguns.

X2 to the suggestion to make sure the OP’s son has a left dominant eye. There is NO correlation between the dominant hand and dominant eye.

Before you go out and buy left-handed guns, I’d see if the ejection on the right even bothers him. Most autos and pumps sling the spent hull so far and so fast that it’s hardly noticeable to many shooters.

Grouse

I’m a eighty, super left eye dominate.
Eye dominance is everything in shotgun!
Right handed safety is awkward taking off, super easy putting back to safe!
Thumb safety’s are great.
Browning bps .

if you would go with the double gun option keep in mind that the stocks of most of them are cast [curved] to accommodate right handers. Some are straight stocked like the Browning Citori.

fishthumper wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jeff Gilberg wrote:</div>
Make sure you find out which is his dominant eye first, that should determine which side he should shoot from.
Its much easier to change hands than eye dominance.
went through this with my son. He’s right handed shoots left.

Good point. more than a few LH people are Right eye dominant

I shoot handgun left handed and long guns/archery right handed.
DT

Thanks guys. I did a couple eye tests with him this weekend and it appears he is left eye dominant. Whichever way I go, I just want the safety to be consistent during his early years.

Honestly, I’d never thought about the issue with the safety (and being right-handed, why would I?). Thanks to you guys, I ordered the LH safety for my wife’s 1100.

I just went through this with my 13 yo Lefty son. Wound up with the Franchi Affinity LH 3″ version. I didn’t want all the crap from a RH shotgun ejection port blowing in front of his face. It is also cast for a LH shooter. He started off with a OU 20 ga for a couple years but he is big enough to handle the 12 now. It is his first gun (that is his) and will hopefully perform perfectly for him for decades.

Benelli M2 comes in left hand it’s a really nice gun.

I vote for the Browning BPS. Bottom eject and safe on top. The perfect ambidextrous gun. I also think a kid should start with a pump gun not go right to an auto, but that’s just me. I am still shooting a pump since I was 10 and I am what we like to call approaching middle age.

Im 61 now, and have been shooting (and hunting) with a right handed 1100 my whole life. Starting out about 10 and then competitively thru my teen and early 20s so its alot of rounds. Ive never had an issue, and actually prefer the safety the way it is. I carry with my trigger finger in position outside the guard, and my second finger is wrapped around outside the guard, resting on the safety, which I press to on when its time to shoot.. Its not a factor, at least to me.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Thanks to you guys, I ordered the LH safety for my wife’s 1100.

Got the LH safety on Saturday, so I dropped the triggger assembly and thought, how in the heck do I do this???

A 2:00 minute YouTube video later, and I had it swapped out in less than 5 minutes. We’ll see how she shoots in a few days.