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Posted: 1/5/2008 9:14:04 PM EDT
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Part of it matters on how you like to control the weapon when using the charging handle and changing mags. As a lefty, my lefthand is always maintaining control of the weapon by my grip with my left around the pistol grip or stock. My right does all the control function separate from controlling the trigger and the safety. In that context a charging handle on the left side of the weapon is basically a no go for me (with exception with the HK's variant as it's up front) because it makes it a bad discomfort and inconvience to me to shift around and tilt the weapon to get to it. A good weapon to me needs to let me quickly and smoothly change mags and use the charging handle with my right hand. Having a bolt hold/release reachable with my lefthand fingers while not hampering weapon control on the grip is a definite plus and I prefer it even though I can get around it with using the rightside charging handle. I also need to have good right side sling attachment points for a side slung 2 point. An AR atleast has some good ambi control options and I do need and want them. The safety on the leftside it too long that it gets in the way of my trigger finger rubbing it, but it's workable. Out of those choices an AR which I have and the Masada which is not out yet are the best to me with the SIG 556 coming into play also even though I don't like it enough to buy one right now. The Masada has what looks to be excellent ambi features in mind with a switchable charging handle as one and nice ambi safeties besides other features. If it lives up to the hype, it should be one of the best. The VZ-58 might not be bad, but I don't like Ak variants so I won't go into it. If you can wait for the Masada than I'd say it looks worth waiting for, but for now a good ambi setup AR with a Badger ambi charging handle, a Norgon ambi mag release, an ambi safety and good sling setup is a pretty solid choice.  Going piston of course.  POF |
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Neither of the AUG clones are very good lefty. Even with the left handed bolt, the charging handle is on the wrong side and awkward to work. With the MSAR the forward assist and bolt hold open catch would also be on the wrong side and awkward to use. The XCR doesn't seem like it would work very well either, with the charging handle on the wrong side. Not sure if you can use ambi safety/mag release from an ar15 with it. The PS90 is very good for left handed, as it has identical controls from both sides and ejects out the bottom. As does the FS2000, which has ejection out the front, not bottom like the PS90. |
Is this a common problem or it happened once like the Weatherby MK V that will shoot the bolt through your head if you don't press the bolt handle all the way down. 
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Badger Ordnance has their dealer list and PK Firearms a ARFCom dealer sells them as one. PK Firearms Badger dealer list Badger ambi charging handle |
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I shoot lefty (right handed but left eye dominant), and have experience with (owned and shot) these modern rifles (I fire all off the left as Achilles described): Stag lefty AR: I never use the Norgon ambi mag release, the right hand side works good for that control. I just installed a badger tactical latch (ordered online) and it slightly interferes w/the bolt assist. Rather, the bolt assist interferes W/ the badger. (I never use the bolt assist). A normal righty AR would work fine for me, with the addition of an ambi safety. Mine has left handed ejection. AK variant: Just as good, lefty functionally, as an AR--actually, better; as the charging handle is on the right side! Very good platform for us lefties. Right hand ejection. FS2000: This is the one I would keep of all I have listed here. Forward eject, great ambi safety. Bad part is that the charging handle is on the left side.  On this rifle I shift my grip to charge it. I should actually practice reaching over the top like I do on my bolt guns.PS90: Perfect, totally ambi gun. Bottom eject. Best of the bull pups. Even the back up irons are on both sides of the receiver, as is the mag release button. MSAR STG 556: I have the left hand bolt in mine, which is a necessity for left hand shooting of this platform. Charging handle is EXTREMELY difficult to work as a lefty. Safety is OK. This is the least friendly of the bull pups I am experienced with. The TPD AXR looks to be the same (it is not released yet but they have a few left hand bolts and will modify your NATO stock to take it. When they start using their own stocks they will have lefty variants from the factory). I would take my FS2000 over the AUG platform any day. Mine has left hand ejection. SIG 556: One of my favorite rifles and VERY lefty friendly...charging handle on right; mag release on right; ambi safety; bolt release on left within long reach of shooting hand. Right hand ejection. XCR: Left hand charging handle/bolt assist; ambi bolt release; not sure if they have released the proprietary ambi mag release yet, but the right handed one works fine for me; ambi safety; right hand eject. M1A: As stated above, a good condidate--as would be a Garand. I find the Garnad/M1A design's op rod tends to pinch my support hand thumb when firing lefty. Not always, but if you forget for even one round that you need to be concious of keeping your support hand free of that op rod, you will be reminded. And it just is not natural for my stance to put it anywhere else, so I am always paranoid when firing these weapons. There is also a Walther pistol in 9mm that has left hand eject. |
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I didn't go into the M1A/M14 because it seemed mainly .223/5.56's were of interest, but I agree the M1A/M14 is an extremely lefty friendly platform and my favorite. I'd grab one first before anything because the ergo's, overall feel and handling are better for me than anything else. The safety is a straight push pull ambi trigger guard safety that's a quick push forward with the trigger finger to switch it off. The charging handle of the op rod is right there for your righthand and well designed for comfort while today you also have the option to add on a Smith quick bolt release on the leftside in replacement of the standard designed bolt stop too. Ejection is normally up and out at 2 o'clock and the action runs well away from your face all the while being piston and very clean running. The action in general is very robust of high strength carbon steel and stainless for gas system parts with lots of great stock choices and different optic platforms these days. If a 7.62x51mm battlerifle is an option, it's one of the best there is for a lefty as it is one of the best there is period. |
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Awesome!! Thanks!! The Masada is still on top for me, but past a Stag, I didn't quite know which direction to turn. This is very helpful and useful information. As I was killing a Sunday afternoon, I bumped into the Beretta Cx4 Storm. Although the calibers are pistol only, it sure makes a lefty feel welcome to come in and try it. I'm excited to dig into the M1A as well. |
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I use to own a CX4. It's a very nice lefty pistol caliber carbine, but yeh it is pistol caliber. Just the same if you accepts it's range and power limits and run it with quality HP or EFMJ defensive rounds when you want to have it for defense than it's a good little carbine. I don't like as much polymer as they used, but mine was very reliable and easy to take care of. I broke a guide rod as there too thin and polymer, but that's about it and there easy enough to keep a few spares around. If I had kept it I would have had a machine shop make me a steel one and replacement buffer most likely.
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Too much polymer for my tastes and I have been going through a few firearms in the last few years refining my choices. It was a fun gun to shoot at times, but I got bored with it and didn't want to accept it's range and power anymore for what I wanted so I sold it. I decided I saw it basically as more of a fun gun, not multi purpose enough for me and too much polymer in key componets like the op rod and trigger assembly. I'm not a collector either like some of these guys. I only want a select small personal armory of defensive/shtf/hunting rifles and pistols of choices that fit my tastes. |
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