What's a good rifle for a one handed shooter

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That might be a little difficult as my left side is paralyzed. Only the right arm works. On another note, the lever action makes me uncomfortable when chambering a round as the muzzle is pointed directly back at me in the spin process. Nice idea though.
 
I agree with the bullpup option. Even an AR is going to get front-heavy quickly. You may do better with the weight back towards your chest, since you'll have no off-hand support. The cost is a major factor though since they tend to be pretty pricey.

A cheap option would be a "Y" topped walking stick with a spiked end you could plunge into the ground and use as a rest.
 
Byrd666 said:
What about converting a Ruger Charger .22lr to a .223? Is it possible?
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It would be so impractical as to be about the same as impossible--beginning with throwing away the receiver, which is a simple blowback unit designed for a shorter & narrower cartridge with lower pressure. So, I would think that one's a non-starter.
 
They won't let you view that page without signing up Sin City.
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Sorry about that, I forgot the thread was moved to an account area. The original thread was in a different area open to everyone. If I had known that I would of just posted the pic. Sorry guys.
 
Byrd666 said:
What about converting a Ruger Charger .22lr to a .223? Is it possible?
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There are a number of AR-15 or other styles of .223 that would make sense here, rather than trying to convert a .22LR, which is an impractical idea at best. The AR pistols are pricey and the AK ones are heavy, but a Kel Tec PLR-16 with a low-power scope would do well out to at least 100 yards. It only weights 3.2 lbs.

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You might want to Google Tim Farmer, host of the television show Kentucky Afield. He is an avid sportsman who has the use of just one arm. He shoots a bow with his teeth, fishes with one hand, and uses a shotgun and rifle as well as most two-armed men. He has little tricks, such as a fishing reel with a thumb device that he flicks to take up slack. Seems like the nicest guy you'd ever wanna meet and I bet he'd be glad to give you his insights on rifles and whatever else you have questions about. He seems very diligent and innovative in how he tackles the outdoors.
 
I kinda figured a conversion like that was an improbable or impractical idea at best but I had to ask.

Just watched a couple take down vids on the Kel-Tec, and while I like the looks, style, and accessories available for it, that process is almost impossible one handed with only 85-90% usage in the good hand. I mean I have a good dog, but not near good enough to help with that.

Maybe I'll just give up on the idea of a rifle and just focus on long shots with my pistols.

Thanx guys and girls for the input.
 
Most people have recommended an AR type platform for the longer shots. Which I agree as long as you purchase a sporter type rifle without a heavy barrel.

You could also consider a Thompson center handgun chambered in a 223, or something larger that will get you out there. My crazy brother had an encore chambered in 45 -70. You purchase several barrels for different calibers which I beleive would be better suited for your particular needs.
 
I just picked up a Bushmaster M4gery that has a carbon fiber receiver that weighs 6 lbs that came with a red dot scope. It's a light weight gun that is very accurate and it only cost $699 at Gander Mountain. I've been very happy with it so far. It only has about 500 rounds through it, but so far it has never jammed on me or had any failures to feed. I bought it for my daughter for deer hunting. She can put 4" groups together at 100 yards with 6 M.O.A. red dot on it. I would recommend this gun to anyone, especially someone who has limits on weight for their weapon. With a pair of shooting sticks or a good bench rest this gun would be ideal. The gun comes with the red dot on it also; pretty good bargain.
 
I know you said that you wanted more than one shot, but if ease of takedown for one-handed cleaning is a prime consideration then I don't see how you could do any better than an H&R Handi Rifle. The Survivor in .223 or .308 and the new Handi-Grip In .223, .243, .308 and other calibers are all pistol-grip stock models. If they are too front-heavy, you could go with a Superlight Handi-Rifle Compact in .223 or .243 to get the lighter barrel contour and a rifle that weighs just over 5 lbs. You could also buy either of the thumbhole stocks and switch it out later.

photo_survivor.jpg
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You could always keep one of you pistols near for a "New York reload" if you need a second shot in a hurry.

Cheers,

Matthew

PS--For something really handy (pun intended) you could get a local gunsmith to cut and crown the barrel of a Handi Grip or Survivor model down to 16.5 inches. That ought to be quite easy to maneuver one-handed and would still be inexpensive.
 
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Steyr AUG : very light bulpup in 223 or some SMG, with the magazine in the grip for balance, think Uzi or Brüger &Thomet MP9, wich are basicaly semi-autos with a colapsible stock.
 
Have you considered using a 1X scope or red-dot on a handgun? They significantly increase accuracy. You could also get a sling arrangement attached to the left side of a revolver, just above your thumb, that would go around your neck and provide both shooting support and aid in loading/unloading.

A Super Blackhawk can be had in 7 1/2" and may still be available in 10". Either are very accurate .44 magnums. Recoil is pleasant with that style grip, more like a .357 mag in a double-action grip design. (Noise is less bothersome to me than with a .357 for some reason.)

Others have mentioned the NEC Handi-Rifle an that's also a good one-shot option, especially with a sling that goes around the neck and under the left armpit. Barrels are short and not very heavy.
 
I briefly considered a small scope for my Taurus 66 4.5" but I just figured the added weight would throw me off even more.

Guess I'll just keep my eyes open for the right rig when and if it ever crosses my path.

Thanx for all the ideas and suggestions.
 
Byrd666 said:
Guess I'll just keep my eyes open for the right rig when and if it ever crosses my path.
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I always keep my eyes open for rigs that tickle my fancy..

When I posted way back and a page or two ago I listed pros and cons for an AR.. and although my post might have seemed a bit biased against an AR for a one armed shooter, theoretically speaking, it's possible (along with any long rifle). If you did it though, the best bet for you no matter what is benchrest/supported shooting.. reloading, charging, etc, you're going to be more efficient shooting supported..

The biggest problem in your case is going to be weight (and not overall weight). As I said before, even the lightest rifle out there, the business end is going to be heavy and you're going to have to compensate for the unsupported weight that far away from your body. Lots of practice and lots of building muscle memory.
 
Byrd666 - do you know anyone who has any of the guns that have been suggested here? I think you could probably do a pretty decent job of cleaning an AR pistol with only the use of one hand. There isn't any spring pressure that you'd have to deal with anywhere other than the magazine and buffer tube for normal cleaning. The magazine could be tricky - you might have to build something to help you reassemble, but I think you could probably clean and reassemble the buffer, tube, and spring without too much trouble.
Also, Rock River Arms offers a version with a long buffer tube. It's not a stock per se, but you could brace it against your shoulder and use it like a stock.
http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=231
 
No, not really. I've got a bud that built a 15 for his self. We see each other like every other third blue moon. And most guys and or girls have more handguns and shotguns than anything else. And the range I'm a member at is really geared more to shotguns than rifles and pistols, but it's close so...

As far as cleaning goes, I could figure it out, after a cussing and moaning tirade just for kicks. And a few gizmos here and there for good measure. It's a deterrent, not kryptonite. Though the cost factor for some of these ideas is. Rock River and Armalite on top of the list but, so is the cost factor. If I do it piece meal, it'll take years, I know that. So cost, caliber, breakdown, and .... are all factors. I'm not in a hurry for this rifle but, yes, I would like to have one.
 
I wonder if given your situation, maybe a true registered short-barreled rifle might be a good solution. Have to say though, I'm just visualizing myself trying to manipulate, fire, and clean some of the guns I've owned with only one hand. I think if I had to I could run a standard M-4 well enough to at least keep an attacker at bay, but I doubt I'd make the best hits. But if you're used to relying on one hand anyhow, your proficiency would naturally be higher than my own.

I'm not sure if you think you could run a lever action just by holding it at the shoulder and quickly working the lever, but I just looked at a Henry .22LR carbine today that was pretty handy. I don't need another .22 AT ALL, but I still liked it. You might check one of them out - I think it might be easier to use and especially to clean than a 10/22. I really do love the 10/22, but I'm not sure how you'd get the guide rod and recoil spring back in with only one hand... but necessity might just reveal something that works. I know that carbine models with shorter stocks are made and so are some very lightweight barrels. One of them might serve your purpose.
Come to think of it, if you could get hold of an old Winchester Trapper or a Marlin 1894 Carbine you might be able to handle that well enough one-handed. There was also a hammerless Ruger lever action, the 96/44 and 96/22, a couple years ago that's been discontinued. I'm imagining working the lever from the shoulder, not with the John Wayne type twirling, but I admit I've never tried it.
Also, what about the FN PS90?
 
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Byrd666,

Thinking about this from the care and maintenance angle, a revolver carbine might be about right. Supposedly, Alfa Proj .357 Magnum carbines are going to be coming in from their Czech makers; I haven't seen one yet. http://www.alfa-proj.cz/en/products/firearms/licensed-arms/carbines/revolver-carbines-and-rifles/

Someone already mentioned the Circuit Judge. I don't think the .410/.45 combo would be very good for the uses you've outlined, but the web site lists this .44 Magnum model, which would be a good deal better: http://www.rossiusa.com/product-details.cfm?id=221&category=15&toggle=&breadcrumbseries=

What I'm thinking here is a DA revolver is operable with one hand and you don't have to take it apart to clean it. It is "field stripped" sufficiently when you swing out the cylinder.

.357 & .44 mag are going to move a little faster out of the longer barrels of these carbines than what you get from a revolver. http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/results.html
 
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