Question for fellow left handers....

[pdblue]

I have the M&P 15-22 and changed the safety lever to the right side so it was more convenient for me to use with my thumb. Thinking now about an M&P 15 and wondering if the same thing can be done to the safety lever on these as well. Thanks for your help.

 

[hkcavalier]

I checked this out since I shoot long guns left handed (cross eye dominant). Not a gunsmith or military armorer, but I don't think AR safeties are reversible, there is only one detent hole and it would be on the wrong side if installed backwards. Decent ambi safeties are about $30 though, and not hard to install.

 

[AtomHeartMother]

I too, would recommend an ambi safety. I still flick the standard safety with left thumb. My work equipment is not ambi so I don't want to induce negative training.

 

[Rastoff]

The selector lever (safety) is not reversible on an AR. I have installed an ambidextrous lever and find it not tremendously better. I can operate the safety with the Metacarpophalangeal joint of my index finger on my left hand. That sounds like a mouthful, but it's basically the joint at the base of the index finger. It's hard to describe. If you look up that joint you'll see what I mean.

Anyway, save your money and learn to operate the safety lever this way. It's just as easy and costs nothing.

 

[boomshakalaka]

I bought a left handed safety and installed it, works perfectly. Stagarm $15. Didnt want an ambi. You can't just flip the stock selector.

 

[schgsd]

I guess I'm scratching my head. Mines on the left, I flip it with my left thumb, I bring it up with my right hand out on the handguard, left eye dominant being used for sighting.

I'm realizing I've never questioned it's location.

 

[Arik]

I don't bother using them.

 

[Simmer down]

I've found that I don't always adapt well to left-handed things after having learned the right hand set up.

I finally found a left bolt 30-06 and noticed I was reaching across with my right hand to use it. D'oh!

Short answer to your question- don't know.

 

[Little Creek]

I guess I'm scratching my head. Mines on the left, I flip it with my left thumb, I bring it up with my right hand out on the handguard, left eye dominant being used for sighting.

I'm realizing I've never questioned it's location.

I am a lefty. i use an ambi safety. I use the lever on the right side with my left thumb to go from safe to fire. I use my trigger finger on the left side to go from fire to safe. I recommend always going to safe when not shooting.

 

[schgsd]

I've found that I don't always adapt well to left-handed things after having learned the right hand set up.

I finally found a left bolt 30-06 and noticed I was reaching across with my right hand to use it. D'oh!

Short answer to your question- don't know.

Tough to learn the proper way when your first experience is with something designed by a righty.

 

[hkcavalier]

I am a lefty. i use an ambi safety. I use the lever on the right side with my left thumb to go from safe to fire. I use my trigger finger on the left side to go from fire to safe. I recommend always going to safe when not shooting.

Yeah I had too much time shooting Uncle Sam's decidedly non-ambi M16s. I still have to remember I can flip the safety with my thumb. It's not bad to be overtrained that way since 99.99% of all ARs will have a selector on the left side of the receiver.

 

[PERAZZI]

I have the same problems with 1911 mag releases. I learned on standard models, so any that have reversible just mess me up..

 

[GunarSailors]

Badger Ordnance makes one that is able to be changed from the right side to the left. But I don't think any mil spec safety lever is reversible like the Badger, the detention is cut only on one side on mil spec safety levers. As you can see, on the Badger the detent is cut on both sides.

 

[GunarSailors]

I thought I really didn't need a left handed safety on my 870 either. But when I bought a Fortmanns left handed safety and installed it, I realized how much easier it is to operate. I love it, took maybe 3 minutes to install. The 870 safety is held in by the same concept as the AR, with a detent. I think they sell for 16 bucks on Midway.

 

[AGoyette]

I put an ambi safety and an ambi mag release on my VTAC II as both my husband and I are left eye, right hand dominate. As a result we shoot rifles left handed. I am not good at quick reloads yet, still strange for me releasing the mag. The ambi safety was put on for the husband. I have no issues with it on the left. I just use my thumb, it seems very natural for me. It was suggested to me to also get an ambi charging handle. I kind of poo poo'ed that when it was suggested.. Now I am finding that an ambi charging handle would be a nice thing to have..

 

[Rastoff]

Actually, the ambi charging handle is good for everyone. There are times when you'll want to manipulate the charging handle with the other hand.

 

[WR Moore]

Left handed people using their left thumbs to operate the fire selector on ARs cause a disproportionate number of negligent discharges. The practice is discouraged with great vigor in many sources of instruction.

Rastoff's method works extremely well. I disovered the same method myself a few years ago and the lefties I've showed it to really like it.

 

[Mushki]

As a lefty who was sick and tired of hot brass hitting me, I switched to shooting all long guns right handed.

May not work for everyone but it works well for me. I'm not going to lie, learning to bird hunt right handed took some time but the rest actually came rather easy.

 

[MrG5122]

My AR's have the Stag left hand only selector, Troy lh mag release, BCM Gunfighter ambi charging handle, and BAD lever. I tried an ambi selector but the left hand side would grind into the first joint of my trigger finger during sustained fire to the point of being annoying. The BAD lever, while designed for righties, makes it easy to close the bolt with a brush of the right thumb after a mag change.

 

[MrG5122]

Left handed people using their left thumbs to operate the fire selector on ARs cause a disproportionate number of negligent discharges. The practice is discouraged with great vigor in many sources of instruction.

Rastoff's method works extremely well. I disovered the same method myself a few years ago and the lefties I've showed it to really like it.

Just curious. I'd like a little more explanation on this. My gut question is why would a lefty's thumb be any different, or dangerous, than a righty's through the same range of motion? Maybe I'm missing something?

Edited: Reread your post. Are you referring to the selector on the left side? That would make sense to me.