Lefty Help Please!

[TXBrewer]

Hey y'all,

This is my first post here and I need some fairly quick help.

I am planning on purchasing a 15-22 (serial DYX****) for $400 tomorrow. I have read multiple complaints on oob issues with earlier models, and in general it being an issue with 22lr. Being that I shoot left handed this is an obvious concern of mine. So... here are my questions.

1) Will a brass deflector "eradicate" this issue, or at least mitigate my facial deformity in the occurrence of an oob. This vs This?

2) Will religious cleaning of this rifle make a significant difference? I have seen a handful of opinions that the oob is solely caused from neglected cleaning.

3) Are there any other steps I can take to ensure that this is a safe rifle for me to operate, or am I SOL on this one?


Any quick response would be greatly appreciated!

[Muss Muggins]

If you're that worried about injury from a rifle, don't buy one . . .

That is all.

[TXBrewer]

Great advice.

[Someguyinseattle]

lefty shooter, couple thousand rounds, never had one hit my face.

[TXBrewer]

Not worried about the shells as much as I am gun powder. If an out of battery malfunction happens you can get some nasty **** on ya. But it's good to hear that you have had 1K's of rounds and no "uh oh's" yet. Thanks for the response.

[sithlord]

If you're that worried, get a brass catcher (good idea anyways).. I have the Caldwell brass catcher with picatinny rail mount on all my AR style platforms, including 2 15-22s. It will keep the brass away from your body and provide some protection.

Not sure how much of a pita it is to shoot lefty with the catcher tho...

[TXBrewer]

Never used them before on my other AR platforms, my only concern comes from the frequency of oob's that seem to be happening. I may try that out but it seems like it wouldn't be all that ergonomic for a lefty.

[Muss Muggins]

Originally Posted by TXBrewer

Great advice.

You're welcome. And I was serious. If you're that worried about an out of battery detonation, and you seem to consider it is a significant possibility, pick another rifle instead of trying figure out how to shield your face if/when it occurs. That's like buying a Corvair after Ralph Nader presented "Unsafe at any Speed" and looking for a fix to keep the engine out of your lap when/if you lose control . . .

[TXBrewer]

Picking another rifle is my entire problem. Show me a left handed 22lr AR < $800 and Ill buy it.

Converting this gun to left handed would cost another $300 at least, which is putting me back in the $800+ range.

So in short, its nothing like buying a Corvair. Its like having the option to buy a Corvair or a Corvette (while not having deep pockets). I need to drive. I want to be safe. What can I do?

Oh, Ill go online and ask for help. Nope that doesn't work either.

[Muss Muggins]

Originally Posted by TXBrewer

Picking another rifle is my entire problem. Show me a left handed 22lr AR < $800 and Ill buy it.

Converting this gun to left handed would cost another $300 at least, which is putting me back in the $800+ range.

So in short, its nothing like buying a Corvair. Its like having the option to buy a Corvair or a Corvette (while not having deep pockets). I need to drive. I want to be safe. What can I do?

Oh, Ill go online and ask for help. Nope that doesn't work either.

I'm confused. I thought you were worried about it blowing up in your face. I don't know of any .22 AR's that eject out the left side. . . .

[RedNeck Jim]

Originally Posted by TXBrewer

Never used them before on my other AR platforms, my only concern comes from the frequency of oob's that seem to be happening.

Where are you hearing about all the out of battery with the 15-22? I have been on this forum for a few years and it never comes up. I remember reading about it occasionally happening years ago but from what I remember, S&W modified the design to correct that. I would think if it was happening at all, much less to the extent you imply, that this forum would be full of such discussion. I shoot lefty and have no issues whatsoever.

For what it is worth, I have found the folks here very helpful. That being said, some of your comments are coming across as rather snarky, and that will sure limit the amount of help you will receive here.

[sithlord]

I've had one oob, but I honestly don't know what caused it. My son was shooting at the time, and I was to his right. I got hit by some shrapnel, but not hard enough to even draw blood.

There are also postings of blown extractors; this is basically all that happened in my case. I know it was an oob, though, because of the shell case.

[JessicaB]

First of all, chill. I have well over 2,000 + rounds through it and have had no major issues with the bolt.

Second of all IF you get brass to your arm which is inevitable it doesn't hurt much. Best bet is to get a brass catcher. I have tried a deflector however I had too much brass bounce back from the deflector. I would imagine someone can suggest something.

[GhostMutt]

First off i shoot righty so i shouldn't probably be making a comment.
You can google image a lot of brass catchers, a brass deflector i would not really trust, there is always the 1 in a million chance that a casing could be sent back into the chamber and cause the problem you are trying to avoid. You could easily fashion a brass catcher of your own with a 45' angle mount and a pipe cleaner and a piece of net. But seriously unless you suffer from a serious bad back or are on some kind of covert mission where 'policing your brass for a quick getaway' is essential then i wouldn't bother.

Get yourself a good pair of shooting glasses, a nice pair of shooting gloves. They will stop most of the damage that could be caused by an OOB as rare as they are.

I remember once, a casing left my 15-22 hit the booth wall came flying back and landed between the arm of my glasses and my temple...hot hot hot....life threatening. NO. The number of times i have had them land in the crook of my elbow...yeah it stings a little but i wouldn't want the manly men at the range to see me cry.

A casing down the blouse has happened to the wife before....i'm always way more concerned than she is.

[oloung1]

Originally Posted by GhostMutt

Get yourself a good pair of shooting glasses, a nice pair of shooting gloves. They will stop most of the damage that could be caused by an OOB as rare as they are.

I remember once, a casing left my 15-22 hit the booth wall came flying back and landed between the arm of my glasses and my temple...hot hot hot....life threatening.

i just received my new 1522 last week and had the chance to take it to the range this weekend (only 1 ftf out of 300 rounds). when i first started shooting pistols, ive always been told to wear "eyes + hat" from an emergency room physician who said another doctor had hot brass slip between their eye protection and burned their cornea.. im sure it all depends on how your glasses fits your face, what you shoot and where you shoot. but that story was enough of a warning to me.

a cheap $10.00 shooting hat is reasonable insurance to me. i have a mid-crown $7.00 condor cap that has breathable material and buttonless top so it doesn't interfere with my "ears". the backstrap is velcro so it can easily adjust for wind or hair. tons of other brands and styles out there.

[lrrifleman]

Originally Posted by TXBrewer

Hey y'all,

This is my first post here and I need some fairly quick help.

I am planning on purchasing a 15-22 (serial DYX****) for $400 tomorrow. I have read multiple complaints on oob issues with earlier models, and in general it being an issue with 22lr. Being that I shoot left handed this is an obvious concern of mine. So... here are my questions.

1) Will a brass deflector "eradicate" this issue, or at least mitigate my facial deformity in the occurrence of an oob. This vs This?

2) Will religious cleaning of this rifle make a significant difference? I have seen a handful of opinions that the oob is solely caused from neglected cleaning.

3) Are there any other steps I can take to ensure that this is a safe rifle for me to operate, or am I SOL on this one?


Any quick response would be greatly appreciated!

Hello. I hope I don't muddy the waters. When you are saying an OOB, I gather that you are concerned that the round will fire out of battery?

You have a number of possible fixes, but no guarantee that they will all work, just as we can't guarantee that you will have an OOB firing!

Forget a brass catcher. If a round fires out of battery, the debris will probably penetrate the netting used to catch the brass.

You could try a GI style case deflector, which would redirect debris away from your eyes. The biggest concern would be that the M&P22-15 upper is at the same scale as an AR15A3 or A4.

Locate a different brand of AR15-22 that doesn't have the reputation that is driving your concerns.

Purchase a 22 conversion upper to fit an existing AR that you own, then fit a deflector on the upper.

Stag Arms makes a left handed 22 conversion kit. You should be able to build your own dedicated left handed 22 upper for an existing AR that would eliminate your concerns.

[trebor127]

Well TXBrewer taking this one step further, some of us patriotic

shooters across the great pond use these for protection,

just remember to keep your bolt clean and shoot safe

18MM Tactical Airsoft Full Face Protection Mask Hunting Shooting UK Design: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

 

18MM Tactical Airsoft Full Face Protection Mask Hunting Shooting UK Design: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

Keith

[gks6419]

I've shot 1000's of rounds lefty with my 15-22 over the past year and have not been hit by any brass. Same with 5.56 and 300 Blackout over the years, just few hit to the right arm, no big deal. Naturally born lefthanders we adapted quit well to a backwards world

[TXBrewer]

I greatly appreciate all of the replies, it wasn't the brass that I was concerned about, but more so the gun powder in the case of an out of battery malfunction. Although I have read a good amount about this happening (and again not with just this model, but with any .22 chambered semi) I think I now feel a bit better. I know it doesn't happen all of the time. But it happens none the less and I was only looking for a way to mitigate damages in the case of it happening.

Cheers,
TxBrewer

[Majorlk]

Originally Posted by TXBrewer

I greatly appreciate all of the replies, it wasn't the brass that I was concerned about, but more so the gun powder in the case of an out of battery malfunction. Although I have read a good amount about this happening (and again not with just this model, but with any .22 chambered semi) I think I now feel a bit better. I know it doesn't happen all of the time. But it happens none the less and I was only looking for a way to mitigate damages in the case of it happening.

Cheers,
TxBrewer

FWIW, in something over a million rounds of .22LR through a variety of semi-autos, I have never experienced a so-called OOB event. Indeed, I am only personally familiar with three incidents in the past 40+ years of shooting. All three were eventually traced to dirty actions and gunked up chambers - IOW, operator error.

IMHO, a worry in search of a problem.

[stones]

I got the PC 15-22 this year and haven't had any issues with the brass and I am a lefty, but TC-Accessories makes a brass deflector that clamps to the top rail. I used one on my Colt 22 after it popped hot empty brass straight up and down my neck.

[Little Creek]

Originally Posted by TXBrewer

Hey y'all,

This is my first post here and I need some fairly quick help.

I am planning on purchasing a 15-22 (serial DYX****) for $400 tomorrow. I have read multiple complaints on oob issues with earlier models, and in general it being an issue with 22lr. Being that I shoot left handed this is an obvious concern of mine. So... here are my questions.

1) Will a brass deflector "eradicate" this issue, or at least mitigate my facial deformity in the occurrence of an oob. This vs This?

2) Will religious cleaning of this rifle make a significant difference? I have seen a handful of opinions that the oob is solely caused from neglected cleaning.

3) Are there any other steps I can take to ensure that this is a safe rifle for me to operate, or am I SOL on this one?


Any quick response would be greatly appreciated!

I am LH and have 2 M&P15-22 carbines, in case one breaks or I wear it out. The brass has never hit me in the face. The brass does sometimes land in the crook of my right arm. I could just always wear a long sleave shirt, but it gets hot in the deep south). I put a brass deflector on mine for that reason. I have the solid one. I would suggest the vented one, makes it easier to look into the chamber.

[mark32812]

As a left handed shooter, I have not had any trouble with my M&P 15-22, I have owned it for over 2 years and put close to 2K rounds down range with it.

[TheMaineEvent]

Lefty shooter with zero issues shooting any AR-type rifle. Buy it, shoot it, and have fun. Easy peasy.

[apstang50]

Lefty here. I just got my 15-22 a few weeks ago, and have only put about 300 rounds through it so far. Only issue I've had was one stove pipe. Other then that it has been flawless, and no brass has even come close to my face. I've also shot my stepdads, PX4 storm? 9mm rifle. The only brass that came at me was, what bounced off the wall beside me at the range. If you haven't bought it already. Buy it, shoot it, have fun. It's a great gun!

[Targets Guy]

I am a left handed shooter and just want to welcome you to the board.

[gman51]

I am a lefty and I also never had a problem with a right hand gun.
Also from what I have read in several reports a cartridge out of chamber has practically no power to it. There is a video showing ammo being run over with a bull dozer and also ammo going off in a fire. Again being out of battery the ammo was not really any concern of being powerful enough to severely hurt someone. Granted anyone shooting should wear good wrap around eye protection as even a spec of material of any kind can cause eye damage.

[bobknn]

Originally Posted by TXBrewer

Hey y'all,

This is my first post here and I need some fairly quick help.

I am planning on purchasing a 15-22 (serial DYX****) for $400 tomorrow. I have read multiple complaints on oob issues with earlier models, and in general it being an issue with 22lr. Being that I shoot left handed this is an obvious concern of mine. So... here are my questions.

1) Will a brass deflector "eradicate" this issue, or at least mitigate my facial deformity in the occurrence of an oob. This vs This?

2) Will religious cleaning of this rifle make a significant difference? I have seen a handful of opinions that the oob is solely caused from neglected cleaning.

3) Are there any other steps I can take to ensure that this is a safe rifle for me to operate, or am I SOL on this one?


Any quick response would be greatly appreciated!

Welcome to the forum. As another left handed shooter I sympathize. I wouldn't expect too many right handed people to understand what it's like to have every tool, every device, work wrong for you. I still hate 3 ring binders 50 years after high school, and scissors are just plain evil. Even my CCP instructor just told me to reverse everything he said. Really helpful(sarcasm intended).
Unfortunately I can't be of any help, except moral support. I'm left handed with right eye dominant. Shooting a rifle for me is embarrassingly comical.
In a left handed world I think right handed people would have the same concerns as you do now.