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Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 04 4:01 pm Post subject:

Lindsay wrote:

Treacodactyl, can you let me know what you find out? I'm a while off applying for my FAC but I'm left handed as well - didn't even know you could get left handed guns!

A bolt action rifle will have the bolt on the right hand side for right handers and on the left for us more intelligent (

) left handers. I think it's important if you shoot live animals to have it on the correct side so you can quickly load another round if you have only wounded an animal.

More specialised rifles have a stock that has a raised cheek piece that can be on either side. So if you have a RH gun it's not easy to shoot LH (especially if you use a scope). You can get stocks that have a raised cheek piece on both sides and this is referred as an ambidextrous stock.

You can then get thumbhole stocks etc which can be handed.

Shot guns can also be left handed, but all I know is the opening catch is reversed and makes reloading quicker.

Know I know I'm not alone I'll post any details I find. It's surprising that more rifles are not made LH as there is fair number of us around.

sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 04 8:26 pm Post subject:
Does anyone still make Martini (I think) action rifles? I would have thought that was the obvious answer for ambidextrous use. Though I await an explanation as to why I'm wrong......

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
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Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 04 8:43 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

Does anyone still make Martini (I think) action rifles? I would have thought that was the obvious answer for ambidextrous use. Though I await an explanation as to why I'm wrong......

What is a Martini action (shaken, not stirred; shoots anytime anywhere?)

anneka

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 158

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 04 8:44 pm Post subject:
Lever opening the barrel - sorry not a very good description ! Anneka

sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 04 8:50 pm Post subject:

If I've got the name right and my memory serves correctly (this is looking increasingly implausible isn't it?): What it has is a centrally mounted lever, behind the trigger guard, which lies flush with the lower side of the stock when the rifle is loaded. You push this forwards, and a block drops down, ejecting the spent round and revealing the chamber. I hope this description is some use because it's a very long time since I saw one. My guess is that they're not up to dealing with the pressures generated by modern propellants in anything much bigger than a .22 short, but I'm sure DS or Legion will be along soon.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 04 8:54 pm Post subject:
Like an underlever rifle? As in a Winchester .38 special? (The type of rifle you see in a Western). If so, I do know you can get .22s but I'm not sure how accurate they are. More a fun rifle. The .38s are very nice to use on a target and are very easy shooting.

sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 04 8:58 pm Post subject:
Bit like that. You certainly used to be able to get decent ones for small-bore target shooting, though I think they were on their way out even when I was young.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
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Posted: Sat Dec 04, 04 9:04 pm Post subject:
I've seen second hand underlever .22s on sale at a very reasonable price. The .38s are easy to use, you can load a single round direct or fill the inbuilt magazine. I don't know how they would compare to a modern rifle.

Joey

Joined: 03 Nov 2004
Posts: 191

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 04 10:15 am Post subject:

There is more to a left handed shotgun than just the top lever being reversed. The stock of a shotgun has a cast in it(a bend). This goes to the right on a right handed gun and to the left on a left handed gun. This is to throw the line of the barrels closer to the line of sight as governed by your master eye.
This is not found on a rifle stock.
The winchester repeater rifles (cowboy films etc.) are under lever repeaters with a tubular magazine under the barrel. They eject from the side.
A martini action is a single shot top loading and top ejecting action operated with an underlever

Gervase

Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 8655

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 04 10:26 am Post subject:

Greener used to make a nice s/b shotgun with the Martini-style falling block mechanism. I remember a day on clays with a friend with one as a youngster where we pretended we were in 'Zulu'! Bloody irresponsible un-PC hooligans (mutter, mutter...)!
Underlever .22 rimfires are pretty effective for closer-range rabbitting and squirrel shooting, but I don't think you can beat the bolt action for it's firmness, stability and resulting accuracy.

Joey

Joined: 03 Nov 2004
Posts: 191

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 04 10:27 am Post subject:
The martini action is a very strong action and was made in large calibres and was the British Army rifle for 30 years of the 19th century. (It is the martini henry rifle that you see used in the Zulu films, Michael caine, Rorkes Drift and all that.)

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 04 7:01 pm Post subject:

Joey wrote:

Thanks Joey, that must explain why I miss a few clays then as I've only used RH shot guns.

Although would a cheap gun have cast to its stock?

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 04 8:18 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

that must explain why I miss a few clays then as I've only used RH shot guns.

Yes. That'll be it. Not lack of experience, practice or training.

(Not that I can talk, as I still jump when it goes bang

)

Joey

Joined: 03 Nov 2004
Posts: 191

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 04 10:27 am Post subject:
All the guns I have ever seen had a cast stock. That being said, my brother is a southpaw and he shoots vey well with RH guns off his left shoulder. He closes one eye to help with the line of sight .

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