[larryw]

Planning on buying a HD shotgun. My first choice is an 870 with an 18" barrel and 7 round capacity, but I'm a left handed shooter (my duck gun is an 11/87 in LH). Any suggestions on a better choice for a southpaw?

thanks,
Larry

[Al Thompson]

If you can find one, an Ithaca 37 is ambi. Bottom eject and (IIRC) the safety switches over too.

[Navy joe]

Mossberg 500, safety on top easy to use with either thumb. I'm lefty, I have 870's, buy a lefty button and convert the safety. Ithaca also a good idea. I see nothing wrong with an 18" SxS SG for home defense either. Add a buttcuff or a two shell holder on the forened, they reload very quickly if they are auto-eject guns. Looks non-tactical, still a 12ga, probably find one cheap.

[Dave McCracken]

Those who use their portside hand the most have several choices, as well as the good shotguns mentioned in this thread.

In your shoes, first I'd find out if a short LH barrel is made for your 11-87.

If not, check on buying a longer barrel and bobbing it.

If neither is feasible, or you want another shotgun, try the Big Four pumps. The Mossy has safeties easy for either hand, but I see little trouble shooting an 870, etc, sinistrally.

If you do get a RH Remington, switch out the safety so it matches what you already have.

[Badger Arms]

While I second the Ithaca idea, it's a SHOTGUN!!! The pump handle is ambidexterous, you can actuate the safety with your thumb, and ejected cases clear your face by a long shot. This isn't a bolt action, it's practially ambidexterous as issued. Some lefties find it easier to drop rounds in the chamber with a Righty gun.

Another choice I haven't heard is the Browning BPS... That's a bottom eject too.

[larryw]

I understand its a shotgun and the advantages of having the action open on the weak side. However, there is one issue that many right-handed shooters never consider: keeping the operator's face away from the action in the event of a case failure or other catastrophic event (safety first!). As one who's picked metal shavings and burnt powder out of my cheek and forehead on one occasion and seen big parts of an AR go zinging past my nose on another, I'll continue shooting LH-safe actions whenever possible.

I'm checking into a replacement LH barrel for the 11-87 through Brownells, but looking at the available RH versions, the price of this is going to be pretty close to what I'd pay for a dedicated HD gun.

Thanks for all the suggestions, guess its time to go fondle some guns at the local shops. :D

[Detritus]

Another choice I haven't heard is the Browning BPS... That's a bottom eject too.

i always thought that the BPS and the Ithaca 37 were a case of "same design different maker" but of course i cold be wrong. i DO know that the 37 is the same design as the old Remington bottom eject SG that was around for a while during the first half of the 20th century. AND that the design is from the hand of JMB himself. (anyone know if this is the SG design that winchester missed out on b/c the guy JMB had an appointment with had a heart attack just prior to the appt.???)

so it follows, to me, that the BPS is the same as the m-37

again i could be wrong and other are HIGHLY welcome to correct me :)


as to the question asked, not left handed but i'd go with something like the Mossy 590, or a lefty 870.

and i agree with you about keeping the "failure debris escape route" (can you tell i was around engineering types alot as a kid...) AWAY from your face.

[Badger Arms]

i always thought that the BPS and the Ithaca 37 were a case of "same design different maker" but of course i cold be wrong. i DO know that the 37 is the same design as the old Remington bottom eject SG that was around for a while during the first half of the 20th century. AND that the design is from the hand of JMB himself.John Browning and John Pederson both developed the Remington Model 17. This was a very sound design but made only in 20ga. Remington felt that the bottom ejection was a liability and redesigned the gun to eject from the right side (Model 31). The only major differences were in the shell carrier which was closed at the front much like the Mossberg 500. That, and the extractors were on the sides of the bolt instead of the top and bottom.

Ithaca chomped at the bit for years to introduce their 12ga version on the expired patents. Being that Remington had abandoned the initial layout, Ithaca did very well and still manufactures the gun virtually unchanged from the Remington 17 of old.

Browning introduced their BPS which is merely an updated, larger, and heavier version of the Ithaca. Their trigger mechnism is different and it's essentially a different gun.
anyone know if this is the SG design that winchester missed out on b/c the guy JMB had an appointment with had a heart attack just prior to the appt.?Actually, it was Remington that missed out. JMB went to visit Remington because Winchester had refused what would later become the Browning Auto-5 shotgun:

Here's an excerpt from "Rock in a Hard Place."
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=422481

[Andrew Wyatt]

keeping the operator's face away from the action in the event of a case failure or other catastrophic event (safety first!).


This does not matter with non bullpup weapons. if a gun blows up that badly, the location of the ejection port matters not.

[larryw]

Andrew, if a gun blows up and peels the receiver apart, you may be right more often than not. However, of all the failures of this magnitude I've seen, the receiver peeled apart at the port, giving the LH shooter the additional benefit of the sharp edges as they rip up and over.

Keep in mind, for the vast majority of failures, those which leave receiver intact (and many of those that don't) keeping one's face away from the port ejecting hot gasses and fast-moving-small-sharp-hot-bits is a good thing.

[Andrew Wyatt]

how often to you blow up your guns, anyway?


as an aside, only steel recievered guns peel back like that, the mossberg reciever just shatters.

[larryw]

Often enough to want to avoid doing it again. :D

Seriously, had a 30-06 case come apart in a '03 and an AR upper go stupid. Adding to my first-hand experience is the time I've spent over a couple decades hanging around with other shooters and at shops/smiths, both of which has given me the opportunity to see a few more.

Regardless of what anyone says, I'll choose an action that doesn't open under my nose over one that does whenever possible.

[larryw]

http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=10692040

NOw where'd I put my hacksaw and ruler? :D

[Badger Arms]

WOWIE, that's a darn good price. Not much of a market for lefty barrels, I guess. I suppose you have a good use for the other things that come with it. What are you going to cut it to? 20" gives you room for one more round in an extended magazine tube!!!

[larryw]

Yes, it was a great price, especially considering Rem Chokes go for $25ea. Kinda funny how that happened: I stopped bidding on this when it looked like it was going over $150. Last night, the high-bidder retracted all his bids and my prior high bid reverted back to my opening bid, which was the final selling price. :D

Since its easier to remove material than add it, I'm going to start with 21" (IIRC, that's the LE model's length) and trim until I get a good pattern that hits POA (hoping I don't need to get it tapped to accept chokes) and swings well.

Good idea on the extended mag tube. I need to sort out sighting too, any suggestions for a ribbed barrel that's going to lose the bead?

[Badger Arms]

Does it have a mid-bead? If not, you could always just get a little square chunk of metal that's threaded and put your own ramp on with epoxy. I don't know, never chopped a ribbed barrel. I've looked specifically for plain barrels most of the time for this reason.