Why Right hand ejection?

[Phil DeGraves]

Most autoloaders eject to the right. This doesn't make any sense to me. If pistols ejected to the left, then clearing a FTF malfunction (tap and rack) would be more positive. I seen so many people induce their own stovepipe or double feed by turning the gun sideways with their right hand and racking the slide ejecting the round straight up and back into the ejection port (especially with GLOCKS). The only handgun I know of with left handed ejection is the Walther P5.

 

[Cougfan2]

I believe most of it has to do with not ejecting towards your face or across your line of sight as the majority of shooters are right handed.

 

[OFT]

Because John Moses Browning raised his hand and declared it to be so.

 

[Phil DeGraves]

I believe most of it has to do with not ejecting towards your face or across your line of sight as the majority of shooters are right handed.

I suppose that might be true if you shot right hand unsupported. And since most current systems began back in the day of one handed shooting perhaps the gun industry just fell into that paradigm. With modern two handed shooting technique it wouldn't make any difference.

 

[cxg231]

The only handgun I know of with left handed ejection is the Walther P5.

And the P38/P1, the "father" of the P5, if you will. You can see the ejector on the left hand side of the slide:

 

[kd7nqb]

Not a bad idea. Once glock does it everybody else will.

 

[DZL HOG]

I would say it helps keep the spent brass off the shooter. I shoot left handed and occasionally get hit by empty casings, on the brim of my hat or my right shoulder.

 

[dfariswheel]

The early automatic pistols were often developed for use by the people who used more pistols than anyone....the cavalry.

It was felt that it was best if the gun ejected AWAY from the horse so as not to spook an already spooky horse in a battle by bouncing hot brass off him.

Another reason early automatic pistols inventors did it that way was to prevent disturbing the shooters vision by ejecting empties across his field of view.
In those days, the accepted pistol shooting form was the "duelist" or target form of standing angled to the target with the pistol held at arm's length in the classic pistols shooters stance.
Empties ejected to the left will cross directly in the shooters field of view which could be disturbing.

 

[Tribal]

Depending on how you grip the slide with your left hand while racking it, right-side ejection can be best in two possible grips:
1. When I use a slingshot grip, my middle knuckle of my left hand partially blocks where a left-side cut would cause the round to eject.
2. When grabbing the front, I can eject a cartridge into my hand if necessary when racking; it would be much harder to do this if it ejected to the left.

It's also slightly less likely to snag on the way out of a holster.

 

[FreeinAZ]

Like Tribal said, I think it has to do with clearing the gun, whether just to remove the round or to clear a malfunction. That being said, I have never seen a lefty unable to clear a malfunction because of this. May just be holdover from bolt gun days.

 

[jwr_747]

I have a 380 that ejects over my right shoulder.if it ejected to the left,I would have a snoot full of brass. jwr

 

[Thernlund]

I believe most of it has to do with not ejecting towards your face or across your line of sight

I have a 380 that ejects over my right shoulder.if it ejected to the left,I would have a snoot full of brass.

Thinking about it, shouldn't your face be directly behind the pistol? And as such, logically, brass ejecting either way shouldn't hit you in the face. But it still does sometimes. *heh*



Just sayin'.


-T.

 

[Prince Yamato]

Because John Moses Browning raised his hand and declared it to be so.

Really? Because his GI 1911 design has a habit of shooting brass on top of my head.

 

[makarovnik]

Don't try shooting a right hand formated AR-15 with a left handed hold. I think it would be quite painful and dangerous.

 

[jwr_747]

since I aim with my right eye,which on me is more toward the right side of my head,the brass has room to miss my head and go over my right shoulder.if I held the pistol in my left hand and aimed with my left eye,I would probably get a snoot full of brass. jwr

 

[rcmodel]

Don't try shooting a right hand formated AR-15 with a left handed hold. I think it would be quite painful and dangerous.

How do you suppose left-handed GI's manage to fight a war with them then?

The AR15/M16 has a case deflector built into the upper receiver that causes backward ejected brass to fly well foreword and to the right of the shooter.
Even a left-handed shooter.

rcmodel

 

[1KPerDay]

Don't try shooting a right hand formated AR-15 with a left handed hold. I think it would be quite painful and dangerous.

I shoot an SP-1 AR-15 (no bullet deflector) lefty all the time. No trouble. Ever.

 

[rcmodel]

Yep!

I have an SP-1 carbine too.
And even it throws the empties well clear of your head shooting left-handed.

rcmodel

 

[12Bravo20]

Don't try shooting a right hand formated AR-15 with a left handed hold. I think it would be quite painful and dangerous.

I shot both the M16A1 and A2 left hand while in the Army without any problems. I don't thing that any of my pistols eject the same, some eject to the right/rear, some right/forward, some straight up and over my head.

 

[Moonclip]

Randall made a left handed 1911 pattern as did some other company.

 

[DrLaw]

Actually

Most guns eject to the right because that works best with one of the properties of moving objects and gravitational forces. It has been a long time since I had physics, but the rotation of the earth affects proper ejection in the same fashion as it affects weather, huricane and tornado rotation, and believe it or not, the rotation that a toilet will flow. If anybody notices, a toilet will flush clockwise above the equator, while below it the flow will be counterclockwise.
In the same fashion, a left hand ejecting gun will work better south of the equator as opposed to north of the equator.
George Luger actually designed his gun while on a ship on the equator, thus the top extractor.

And if any of you believe all that, then I have a bridge or two I can sell you, too.

The Doc is out and having a little fun now.

 

[Claude Clay]

DrLaw

you are correct about water outgoing and what much of internet chatter belongs in............

walther model 4 ejects left and bothers me not. and as its been doing it for about 100 years i do not think its going to change anytime soon.

 

[SteveW-II]

The Webley and Scott .455/.38 semi autos have an ejection port in the center of the slide. Brass ejects up and backwards, over the top of your head and behind you. Works well outdoors, but is a royal PITA in indoor ranges.

 

[dagger dog]

The reason behind the right hand brass ejection is that the fellow at the bench on the left is too far away to be hit by hot brass!

 

[shep854]

The pistol designers most likely just went along with rifle designs which were for the right-handed majority--lefties were strongly discouraged; my Dad was born left-handed, but he was made to change over in school.

Catering to lefties has only caught on in relatively recent times.