is a left handed flintlock necessary for a lefty?

[TheBigAR2003]

anybody a lefty that shoots flintlocks?
i want to get into flintlocks
specifically rifles because pistols are far enough away from your face
just worried about my face being so close to the flash
the right handed ones are easier to find and can be had for cheaper
i am not looking right now to buy a custom flintlock
my favorite flintlocks have always been the kentucky rifles and i havent seen any that are left handed
also does anybody know what the most common original calibers are for flintlocks?
i want a decent all around caliber that i could shoot deer and maybe some smaller stuff and i know that back in the frontier days they probably didnt have 3 or 4 different rifles one for squirrels one for deer and so on
so what was their go to caliber for everything?

 

[4v50 Gary]

You can have one made or make it yourself.

As a southpaw who on occasion shoots a right handed, I concentrate on the front sight and I don't notice the flash in the pan.

 

[TheBigAR2003]

ive heard people saying that they get shards of flint in their faces or powder burns and ive heard others say that the only thing they shoot is right handed flints shooting left handed and they have never had a problem so i just cant seem to find a good answer
Gary have you had any problems of burn or shards or anything shooting a right handed flint left handed?

 

[4v50 Gary]

Nope. Never had that. Then again, I wear sunglasses as eye protection.

 

[mykeal]

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000156033171

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

I always wear eye protection but still don't like shooting right handed flintlocks as a lefty.

Do you have access to a right handed rifle you can try out for a range session? I think yo uwould find out pretty fast if you liked it or not.

I have a left handed Lyman and like it. It's no custom rifle but it's not a piece of junk either.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

One question to ask..., what happens to the right handed shooter who is using a SxS flintlock shotgun, and fires the left barrel with the left lock?

The same thing that happens to a left handed shooter firing a rifle with a right handed lock.

I submit if it was a problem the SxS would not have been developed until the caplock was perfected.

You should wear eye protectection reagardless for the direction that the rare flint chip flying into the face is not influenced by what side the lock rests upon the gun.

LD

 

[Crawdad1]

Lyman has always made an excellent rifle (I always see at least a few guys using Lyman Great Plains Rifles out muzzleloading hunting and most of them are tack drivers) and their revolvers when they still sold them were also excellent.

 

[MattShlock]

I'd want all that stuff on the far side of my face...

 

[guido4198]

Everyone is different, but it hasn't been a problem for me. As previously suggested, if you want to know how it affects you...hold off buying a rifle until you've fired a few. Most of the flintlock shooters I know would be willing to let you take a couple of shots if you explained what you were trying to learn.

 

[desidog]

I'm a lefty, and I have and would recommend the Lyman GPR for you. You can buy them finished or in kit form.

If you're shooting a RH design with no lefty option available, I'd recommend shooting it righty.