OK, I am looking to get another AR for my left handed daughter.  What would you do?  Get a Stag Arms lefty, or just build another regular rifle?  Funds aren't a problem.  I am not left handed, so how about it out there?  

Is it too big of a pain to operate a regular AR from a southpaw's attitude?  Would it make spare parts a difficulty?  I have been weighing it out in my head, and lean toward the left handed AR, but she will shoot anything I put in her hands and not complain, so ????

Any input appreciated.

Doc

if money's not an object, i'd just go ahead and buy a stag arms complete lefty.

I shoot lefty and have three ARs. None have any left handed controls. Although, if money's not a factor, an ambidextrious selector might be convenient.

ETA: Might as well learn how to operate the rifle in the same setup as almost every other AR is in. That's why I don't bother with the lefty equipment--I want to be able to quickly manipulate the controls on any AR I pickup, not fumble around against muscle memory.

ETA: Might as well learn how to operate the rifle in the same setup as almost every other AR is in. That's why I don't bother with the lefty equipment--I want to be able to quickly manipulate the controls on any AR I pickup, not fumble around against muscle memory.

Good point.  Kind of like stringing a guitar 'upside down' for left handed, or you can just learn on a RH model and be able to play anyones.

Food for thought.

Thanks

There is a shell deflector built into the upper design for a reason.

buy both Moneybags

The AR is actually well suited to left handed operation.  I shoot lefty (but I'm right handed) and it takes just a few minor adjustments to shoot an AR left handed.  The two biggest issues are mag release and selector operation.  

For the Mag release, there are two options.  I generally use the thumb on my right hand the actuate the mag release (and full the mag out at the same time.)  My AR also has the Norgon Ambi-catch installed.  The only complaint I have about the Norgon is the fact you get very little leverage on the button.  If you have a magazine with some rounds left, the tension on the button is so high that you can't always make it work.  I might modify my Norgon to increase the lever arm, making it easier to use.

The second problem is the selector.  I've used ambi-selectors, and I've come to detest them.  The problem is the selector hits the top of my hand, because of the paddle on both sides.  It can slow down the selector, or even prevent it from moving entirely.  It isn't hard to manipulate a right handed selector via the left hand, it just takes a little practice.  I've also played with a lefty only selector, and it seems to be working fine.

Muscle memory will be the biggest issue in my opinion.  I say learn to use the righty AR as a lefty, and you'll be golden.  I think the Stag Lefty upper is completely the wrong idea.  It uses non-standard parts, and is a solution looking for a problem (in my opinion again.)  The basic AR platform is very lefty friendly as it is.  I'd almost say lefties have an advantage.  I can see into the ejection port easier (especially handy during a jam) and I can work the bolt release quite easily with my lefty trigger finger.

Finally, I recommend building a standard pattern AR for your daughter.  Maybe throw on a Norgon, but otherwise, leave it completely "stock" in terms of right/left controls.

Scott

I like the ambi selector. Oly makes one that is reversable. As often as not, I just flip it with my index finger on the left side. (old habit) Other than that, I just deal with right hand rifles. I can pick up any AR/M16 and my hand positions will be the same.

Forget the left handed rifle, just add the ambi controls.

To not add an ambi safety and mag release because standard ARs don't have them is just silly.

Of course, when she wants a second and third AR lower for her other uppers, the ambi controls can start to get a little expensive!

I am also left handed and had this same debate w/ myself.   Someone here made a great point....would a right handed person buy a left handed upper?  Would you buy yourself a left handed upper?  I say if this is exclusively for your daughter get her the equipment that suits her best.

Most people report great things about STAG. Personally I had an issue w/ my upper, however STAG's service was fantastic and they took care of me very quickly without question.  

It was bad enough she had to use right handed scissors in school

I find the hardest thing to do for a lefty like me is tactical reloads because of where the magazine release is.  

Otherwise I find a normal AR15 to be easy to operate left handed.  

A Stag Arms lefty AR uses several lefty only parts and also has the lefty magazine release and fire controls.  Your daughter may become used to lefty controls and have trouble transitioning back to a normal AR but its really not that big of a deal.  

You could always get a regular lower, so the ar-15 is like all the rest, with a left upper.  You can get a complete Stag Arms lower for $215 at Eagle Firearms and a complete lefty upper for $489 at Eagle Firearms.  I don't have any experience with Stag but I've read good things and I have had an excellent experience with Eagle Firearms so I can recommend them.

-swps

GEt a Stag Arms Lefty Rifle you will not be Disappointed

Quoted: buy both Moneybags

As much as I wish that money was THAT plentiful, at this time, that just isn't an option (not to mention, it I had that much, I'd get dad one too!!!)  

Doc

I have a DPMS lefty and it works for me. Everything is the same as a right handed rifle except the ejection is on the left side.

My 12 y/o stepson is a lefty and while both of his bolt action rifles (.22 and .243) are lefty versions, he has never had a problem shooting my AR's.  He isn't real interested in the whole tactical thing just yet, so we haven't tried reloading on the fly, but for general offhand shooting and plinking, he does just fine.

I am a lefty and I prefer a regular AR setup.  To me the AR seems to be made perfectly for a lefty.  Think about it, you can operate the forward assist with the thumb of your shooting hand without changing your grip.  You use your trigger finger to operate the safety assuring you will never have an AD.  You use your off hand thumb to activate the mag release and insert a fresh mag with your off hand, thus your shooting hand never changes it's grip and the charging handle is ambi so that doesn't make a difference.  I don't think left handed uppers are worth it especially when most uppers have brass deflectors so hot brass in your face is not an issue.

MadDog

As a left-handed shooter, I refuse to compromise.  Get her a left ejecting upper and outfit the lower with ambi controls.

This is an issue. I am left eye dominant but right handed. If I want to hit anything at all I have to shoot left handed. I am 44 years old and found this out last year when I got into the AR arena. Or I should say since I took up the gun arena once again since I was in my early twenties. Back then my eyes were fine but no more.

I thought long and hard about getting a lefty but came to this conclusion. Why?
In a right handed world so to speak why get an odd ball. If your daughter is young she can and will learn in no time at all. For older people like me it is a bit harder to do.

The thing is we all learn how to operate whatever machine we want to use the way the machine was made. If we were in England we would all be driving our cars from the right hand seat with the same proficiency as the ones we use now. It is how we learn that is all.

To me it is also an equipment issue, I feel that the market for left handed rifles is slim, therefore you may not be able to get parts or new weapons. Then like me be forced into using a different platform and more or less starting all over again.

So my advice is to keep everything right handed.

To me the only plus for a left handed upper is to keep your face away from the chamber.
I have never been worried about getting hit by the hot brass, but if there was a mishap your face is on the chamber side of the weapon. So safety glasses should be a must for sure. To me this is the only negative part of a lefty shooting a right handed weapon of any kind. This is seldom thought of or mentioned.    

I am also right handed and left eye dominant. I find the ar to be well suited to left handed shooting with exeption to the selecor switch, but for rapid fire or shooting with a suppressor it can be a little uncomfortable. The reason being that all of the unspent gass is blasting out righ where you breath.
So get the lefty you daughters lungs will thank you for it.

Lefty upper on a standard lower...no need for lefty controls, trigger finger and thumbs work just fine. However, I have spent about $5000 this year on two lefty uppered ar's and another $5000 on a lefty bolt gun. Why? because they're built for me, for my collection. I see these as an investment and one I want to keep. Dont care what the lefty upper market is, i'm not selling them. Worried about parts? buy a few bolts/carriers and there you go. These are top quality pieces and nothing I see going bad anytime soon. All they do is keep some gas away from my face and are suited to me. When I shoot at work pistols/AR's I shoot what they got. I learned to operate my duty pistol quicker than most righties with my trigger finger....slide release and mag release alike. No need of course to worry about the safety because their isnt one, but I dont have to pivot the gun in my hand to reach the mag release with my thumb. AR's are self explanatory....I have done nothing to the controls on my lefty ar's, weak thumb drops the mags and loads the mags. trigger finger flips the safety and pulls the trigger. Works out better for me in my opinion. Shoot righties at work for continuity with team members. But when i'm the only one shooting i.e. range or home defense it's me and me alone (shooting lefties I might add) If you bought your daughter a left handed upper she would feel as if it was HER gun because it would be. We lefties arent going away so I doubt companies like STAG are going to let things dry up. One last thing to remember, lefty uppers from STAG are built on ambidextrous barrel extensions. If the market ever really dropped out on lefties, you spend $200 get a right handed upper/bolt switch everything over and you've protected a multi thousand dollar investment. BUY A LEFTY!

i would go with the lefty stag just ask my 1 eyed left handed freind that was hit by part of shell when a duble charged case exploded shooting shapnel out the port of his right handed rifle . ah just kidding . but it really bugs me seeing guys put down the left handed uppers especially right handed shooters or guys who have never owned one. i like the comment of what if the shtf and you need replacment parts ok the  zombie vampires have taken over the wourld and your left handed upper was hit by shapnel and does not work oh hey look over there by the dumpster a new reciever and look over they a action block and barrel wrench aw no its a right handed reciever come on if the shtf and your lefty takes a dump youll be in the same situation as if you had a right handed one im sure if your weapon breaks down on a battle field you will be looking for parts as opposed to just grapping a whole weapon . i copied and pasted this from another lefty thread

i love my left handed uppers i have a dpms and a stag.  

just last weekend i was up in the snow shooting i took my colt M4 upper and my stag.

i was wearing a coat with a hood i shot the stag no problem i shot the colt i had a couple of hot pcs
of brass hit my hood a couple caught and one feel down my shirt it did not hurt but i had to stop down
and fish out the brass and pull it out .

in the past ive also had grit shoot out onto my glasses from shooting a right handed upper which would have been my eye .

funny story i let my cousins right handed teenage daughter shoot my left handed dpms and she had brass fall down
shirt i had to catch my rifle since she just about dropped it not to mention a momment of concern to what made her
freek out which tuned to laughs when we found out what happened.

its really not that big of deal to shoot right handed rifles being left handed but givin the option why not own a rifle
designed for the way you shoot guys are spending over $200 for a flashlight guys will pay over $150 for a stock that will do the same as a $45 stock its all about personal preferance and getting the edge and the cool factor.

guys will spend hundreds even thousands for the right optics and the right stock and the right handgaurds the right
laser the right flip up sights the right ammo all due to preferance of all the gidgets and gadgets and upgrades float tubes all to get that minor advantage when all they may have really needed was what was included in the box my
favorite was getting a left handed upper

What i still dont understand  why some guys still put down and question the left handed uppers?

dpms only the upper recevier and bolt
stag only the upper receiver and bolt and carrier and barrle

the stag is better made though



my 2.5 cents

I'm a lefty, I use a standard RH AR. I would stick to that, since parts are more common. She needs to learn to shoot offhand anyway.

I shoot left handed and have always used a standard M16/M4 type.

Selector, I use the thump of my left hand..

Mag catch, use my right hand to hit the mag release and pull the mag out of the mag well. Going to have to put it back in the mag pouch anyway.

Been doing that so long, I think a left handed AR would feel retarded.

Quoted: I shoot lefty and have three ARs. None have any left handed controls. Although, if money's not a factor, an ambidextrious selector might be convenient. ETA: Might as well learn how to operate the rifle in the same setup as almost every other AR is in. That's why I don't bother with the lefty equipment--I want to be able to quickly manipulate the controls on any AR I pickup, not fumble around against muscle memory.

So if you come to my house you'll be out of luck.

Seriously, what do you really think is going to happen in your neighborhood, that you are going to lose your rfle and have to pick up another rifle that is laying on the street? I think maybe you should consider moving.

Quoted: Your daughter may become used to lefty controls and have trouble transitioning back to a normal AR but its really not that big of a deal.

Sort of like Hi-cap mags vs. standard cap mags, eh.

A left hand AR is a left hand AR. A right hand AR is a right hand AR

Why would anyone "transition" to a right hand AR?

Quoted: ETA: Might as well learn how to operate the rifle in the same setup as almost every other AR is in. That's why I don't bother with the lefty equipment--I want to be able to quickly manipulate the controls on any AR I pickup, not fumble around against muscle memory.

One other question. What is with this muscle memory thing? You talk about manipulating the controls. Let's see, on a left hand rifle-the safety is on the left side, the mag release is on the left side, the charging handle is at the rear, the sights are on top, bolt release on the left and magazines load from the bottom. Which controls are different? Am I missing something as far as placement?

I am LH and use a standard AR. How much is your daughter going to shoot this gun? If a lot, perhaps a LH upper might be a nicer way to go, but I don't feel it is nessesary for use.

Have you checked her eye dominance?

I just recieved a DPMS southpaw for Christmas.  I love it.  It shoots great and there is no worries about brass or blowback hitting me in the face.  I have only shot about 200 rounds through it so far, but absolutely no issues and I cant wait to get out and shoot more.

I am right handed but left eye dominant and I shoot left handed just because I can see quite a bit better. I use a right handed AR and think that  left handed AR would just be kinda silly.  Just teach her to shoot left handed.  She will be able to handle it.

James

Lefty myself, have to agree with a standard upper.....more cost effective, and will retain resale value IMO ( a plus if you need to sell it down the road...)....as far as controls, I've added a Tac-Latch and an extended bolt-catch...makes it easier for me to lock the bolt back. I tried an ambi safety, but personally, didn't like it.

They have the same resale value as any right handed rifle if dpms and stag went out business tomarrow the value of them would actully go up.

take it from some one who has shot both left and right handed uppers you really dont know the differance until you actully shoot bolt side by side.

the interresting thing is when your shooting a right handed one all your shooting life and suddenly get a left handed one and shoot it with out shooting a right handed model for a while and then you pick up a right handed one and shoot it then you will notice the differance.