My Story of When I was Shot, HELP AND OPIONS PLEASE!

[Ryanbo84]

This is really the first time I've ever told this story. I am a left handed person by nature, It is tough being a left-handed person in a Right-Handed World! For me It is considerably harder, since 04' when I was a victim of a Random "Drive-By" Shooting.The gun used was a .22 and the bullet which struck the right side of my rib cage bounced off and then went through and through my bicep/ right upper arm completly severing a blood vessel, artery and the main nerve in the process. A 10 hour surgery (in which I had to have a blood vessel taken from my right Calf and grafted to my right-arm and among other things) a week in the hospital and countless years of Re-hab and doctor visits later. I ended up with complete loss of the Feeling in my right hand along with limited movement.

Sorry if that sounded like a long drawn out attempt for symathy or something I was merely trying to give background of my certain circumstance to eventually get to my point which is.......

Being left handed in a Dominent Right world I feel that for me to coupe and adapt to Guns and other devices, is a little bit harder but def. possible. Should someone like me try to find or modify for the left or Ambitextrious? Anyone out there, I would love your opinion on whether you think for me with my situation it is better to use ambi or left handed made? Or your views and thoughts? thanks

 

[captsam54]

I feel for you Dude.... I know a few left handed shooters.. They usually have an ambi, or a pistol w/ trigger pull safety like a Glock or Ruger LCP, etc. with no external safety.. Usually a DA only pistol. You still have the ejected shell coming out of the right side.... I imagine someone does make a "Lefty" gun.. I am sure others here will chime in.. Good Luck..

 

[NavyLCDR]

For pistols, I would stick with guns that have ambidextrous safeties and reversible mag releases, or no manual safety. I am right handed and left eye dominate, which presents no problems with pistols. I would not try to shoot pistols right handed.

Being left handed will actually be a tactical advantage for you, I would think. I think someone would be less likely to notice you drawing a gun with your left hand from your left side.

As far as rifles go, how much are you right eye dominate? I have equal sight in my right eye, so it is no problem for me to sight with my right eye when shooting rifles. If you are severely right eye dominate, it my be of benefit to you to learn to shoot rifles right handed.

 

[Crazy bird]

A letter to Lefty !!

Sorry to hear about your situation ! I am a ambi-person that shoots left-handed because of left eye domanit but very comfortable shooting both.I'm better left-hand as the shooting goes , all my wepons are right hand except one my long gun witch I just got 2 yrs. ago , took some geting use to but I love it ! Charter arms makes a left-handed revolver last year , I was going to get one but I figured it would really screw me up having 3 revolvers already(right-handed) ! But the new auto's are helping the left-handed shooter as the options go check them out ! GOOD LUCK .

 

[father-of-three]

My brother, who is left handed, prefers glocks, and basically any gun that is safe-action/doubleaction only (less controls). Some companies have guns with safeties/controls on both sides.

 

[walt629]

I feel for ya...

Ryan, I feel for ya man.

Ambidextrous and left handers are out there. The specific left handers are going to be way more expensive than and ambi set up.

I set my Taurus 99 up with a left hand mag release (it's reversible with a little know how) and it already has an ambi safety.

I think just about every holster manufacturer makes a lefty. Going custom is going to be expensive, off the shelf lefty, not so much.

You know you have an impediment. Accepting it and working forward with the capabilities you have will be paramount to becoming an accurate left hand shot.

Hell man, I shoot "weak hand left" and sometimes I do it better than with my strong arm so I know you should be able to conquer the 'odds'. My Dad was a lefty, God rest his soul, and a lefty and he shot way better than a lot of 'righties' I know. And he did it with a GI .45 from a left hand belt slide Yaqui.

A little research should do the trick. The earlier comment about the DA / no safety, auto is a good one. More stack between reloads. Wheel guns, while a real good choice for lefties is definitely a two handed reload 2 or 3 times more often than a double stack auto.

Good luck with it all brother.

 

[walt629]

Hey I found this

Check this out. Maybe it can help steer you to a reliable source.

The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site - Left-handed Shooters Unite!

Good luck brother.

 

[vettefreak]

I hear ya. I am right handed and left eye dominate. I shoot rifle left handed and pistol right handed. For rifle, I have found that many of the ambi saftey are not very comfortable. There are left handed rifles and pistols out there, you just have to look. check manufacturer websites- the gun shop may or may not know that a given manufacturere even makes them.

 

[ArmyRanger]

After 4 combat tours, here is what I have learned: when the SHTF, you may not be able to use your dominant hand. The BG may have stabbed at you or you may have to fight before drawing you weapon, so train equally with both hands. Learn to shoot unsupported with each hand and to operate(load and rack) your pistol with one hand, it's tough but it just might save your life one day.

 

[Mobuck]

Obviously, your disability dictates you use your left hand. This is not nearly as big a problem as it was 20-30 years ago especially with handguns. Most training facilities teach quite a bit of left hand shooting for normally right handed people. Even left handed long guns are much more popular than previously.
I grew up in left handed house and my daughter is lefty so I have more than average knowledge of the problems. I learned a lot of actions left handed even though I'm right handed and this includes shooting. Three years ago I had surgery on my dominant hand resulting in being in a cast for 8 weeks. Before the surgery, I spent some time brushing up on my draw and shooting lefty and continued to carry concealed with a left handed holster with total confidence through the recovery of my right hand.

 

[kotaNsid]

Sorry about your situation. I know I am not an expert but I will tell you about my gun. I am left handed and left eye dominant. I carry a S&W M&P 9c. It is ambidextrious (or however you spell it.) It also has 3 different grip sizes. I don't know if that is a problem for you but I needed the smallest one. My husband switched the mag release for me, but I relized I liked it better in the other position. My thumb wasn't long enough to reach it. So he switched it back and I use my ring finger to release the mag. I know some people will fuss but it works for me and is the most comfortable. I looked at a lot of guns and there weren't many left handed or ambidextrious out there. I hope this may be helpful.:no: