I'm right handed in practicly every way...shoot hand guns right handed, golf/tennis right, write right handed.  I believe I am left eye dominent.  If I close an eye to aim, I'll close my right and leave my left open.  I shoot a rifle left handed though.  It just feels more natural to shoulder the stock on my left shoulder, hold the front of the rifle with my right hand and trigger with my left and use my left eye to aim.

Any experienced trainers out there that would discourage the use of a right handed AR15 for a left handed shooter?  This is purely civilian use...but lets say it leads to more serious AR15 training, 3 gun, etc.  If one shoots lefty, should one get a lefty AR15 rifle?  I've seen youtube videos where lefty shooters will use a righty rifle and some prefer to be able to see the ejection side instead of flipping the rifle sideways to see it.  Some of the buttons may be opposite side, but they don't seem to cause an issue, mag ejection feels natural done with the right hand on a righty rifle.  And others have said trying to train yourself to go right hand with the right eye is  not worth it...otherwords, don't fight it.

I could see with something like a bolt action, one would have to go lefty-lefty to keep it easy.  If buying a new AR15, should a lefty buy left handed AR or does it not really matter?

Sounds like we fish from the same waters.  I'm right handed, but left eye dominant, and have transitioned to shooting rifles left handed.  I have two "ambi controls" on my favorite rifle: the BAD ASS 45 degree selector, and the Rainier Arms Raptor charging handle.  I don't have an ambi bolt catch.  Set up this way, I am pretty happy with the "mirrorability" of my rifle.  If I was going to have only one ambi control, I would pick the BAD ASS 45 degree selector . . . or another ambi selector.  (For my use, BAD ASS 45, but as long as I had an ambi selector I'd be content.)

My advice?  Stick with the "right handed" rifle, modify it as needed to suit you.

I'm left eye dominant but, with an AR I tend to shoot right handed more often. Now if I'm at a bench or shooting prone, I find myself shooting left hand if room allows.



Never had an issue either way.

If you are really worried about it you can train your brain to be right eye dominate.  

Every morning and evening (and when ever suitable wear eye patch over left eye (for at least 28 days straight). This should be come a habit; and then your should become right dominate. You can see this training going on at skeet or other shotgun ranges. for more research contact shotgun coaches.

As a pure lefty I still built a "standard" right-handed gun, but with everything ambi.  Really with the Raptor, ambi safety, and BAD lever I don't feel any disadvantage at all.  If anything, in a SHTF scenario, I'd be better prepared to use someone else's weapon, or they mine, should I not have mine or it were to go down for some reason, or if a right-handed member of my family/group/squad/etc had to defend themselves with it they could.  GF, kids, parents, brother, most friends are all right handed, and I go shoot with all of them, so it only made sense to me to make the rifle useful to all.  Even my bolt guns are RH.

If you have someone to assist, here is a method to find out which eye is the dominant eye. The excerpt below is from chapter 4 of the field manual, FM 3-22.9.

I'm a southpaw and I've never had an issue.

It isn't anything I ever even think about.

I am left handed and left handed AR15s are stupid.

Ambi safety and mag catch will make it easier to use but are not mandatory.

Do not treat your left handedness as a handicap, view it as an advantage to see the state your rifle is in.

WOW!
That is one way to over complicate it
You can also make a diamond with your thumbs and pointer fingers, focus on something far away while looking through that diamond, then close one eye then the other, your dominate eye is the one you can the object with.



Also, as a lefty which side the gun throws the brass does not matter at all.
Having a forward assist on the correct side is more important to me, and an ambi mag release, safety, and charging handle are also important.

Get an ambi charging handle, safety selector, and maybe mag catch and you are good to go.

Being a righty, I wish semi auto rifles had left hand ejection but righty controls.

I called 2 local gun ranges today hoping to talk to experienced AR15 people to get thier advice also.

- First guy actually was a lefty and had the exact same Stag rifle model I'm eyeballing in a left hand model!  It was like a sign from the Gods.  Of course, he said he loved his lefty AR15 and recommended me going lefty.

- Second guy I talked to was a conceal and carry instructor and built his own AR's.  After much discussion, his final recommendation was to go with the right handed model, and if it didn't work out, he'd show me how to change the part of the upper to convert it to a lefty, for less then $200 if I did it myself.  Sounded reasonable.

I'm currently leaning to using right handed AR's for my left handed rifle shooting.  Thanks to everyone for chiming in.

Not worth the trouble or extra expense to use a lefty rifle. I am an LEO and a 3 gun shooter, none of the AR rifles I use have any accomodations for my "left handedness". I think I am better off learning to adapt to and use standard gear. My department recently added ambi safety selectors, but I still don't use them because I got so used to sweeping the safety off with my palm. I do not feel at a disadvantage, you just need to train with it.

im left handed also but do most things with my right (except for things that need dexterity, like writing). im glad im right eye dominate so i dont have to deal with this mess. anyway, i would go with a right handed one for the reasons mentioned above- easier to find parts and your familiarity would not be limited to left handed models.

I'm a lefty and don't really see the need to have a left hand specific AR.  Maybe it's because I was trained with a standard M16 in the military and just had to adapt to it.  I did just order a BAD-CASS ambi safety and BCM Mod 44 Ambi charging handles but haven't had a chance to try them out.

Bingo. The only ambi part I have on my rifle is the Raptor, but I could still run a stock right handed AR.

Ya gotta have lefties to patrol the right side of the street.


ETA: I am also right-handed left eye dominant, I shoot all long guns left handed, pistols I shoot right handed with both eyes open.

im left handed, been shooting ar's since the mid 80s, its not a problem

I have both and I can not tell when shooting them. I always wear eye pro.

I'm a lefty, and shot for 4 years in the Marine Corps with a right handed rifle with no problems.

i have never had an issue.
only option i prefer is a norgon  ambi-mag catch

no need for a lefty rifle

never hit w/ brass

It does not matter.

God gives you 2 arms---learn to run that gun with both.

FWIW---I shoot with 2 strong hands---pistols are equally accurate whether I run that gun RH or LH.

Running a carbine with a shell deflector should be no problem for a LED shooter---but I tend to make people uncomfortable when I tell them it took me about 4000 rounds to get comfortable to run handguns and rifles with either arm.

It's nice not having any "support side."  They're both strong side

I put in an ambi safetly and I'm G2G.  Sometimes I eat gas when using a can, but it's not unbearable.

Left handed rifles are stupid.  Adapt and overcome ... it is a right handed world after all.

Mr Gene Stoner did a pretty good job of making the AR useable for us lefties.  Never felt the need to add any ambi controls.

I would pick the BAD ASS 45 degree selector . . . or another ambi selector.http://goo.gl/FD5Gqx

Left handed here as well. When I was looking into buying my Stag and shouldered the weapon the kid behind the counter says we have that in a left handed version. I tinkered with it for about 25 minutes and went right back to the right handed version. I grew up shooting right handed rifles left handed. It's kind of like a second nature to me. I say buy a right handed one..

Same here. The only time I ever had problems was with the M16A1 since it doesn't have a brass deflector.



 

I chuckled to myself while reading this. I am EXACTLY the same way you are. I play guitar left handed (mind you, not very well at all), shoot pool left handed, cut my steak left handed, and shoot shotguns and rifles lefty. However, I do nearly everything else right handed (including shooting my handguns).

I shopped around quite a bit for AR's before buying my first. I opted to go for a Rock River Arms LEF-T Elite Operator. I absolutely love the gun. I've always shot right handed bolt action rifles and bottom feeding browning shotguns. It was my first real "left handed" gun.

Although I don't dispute the arguments that a right handed platform is better if you are wanting to familiarize yourself with a standard equipment AR-15, M-16, or M-4 for a SHTF situation... I also don't buy into the whole logic that you'll be unable to adapt what you've learned while using a left handed rifle (especially if ambi controls are involved). What I DO know is that when I let several right handed shooters shoot my left handed RRA, they completely understood why a left handed shooter would prefer a left handed rifle. The versions from RRA are TRUE left handed rifles. Even the barrel has a left handed twist. The firearm actually cams into your shoulder in the correct manner just like a right handed rifle would do on a right handed shooter. Also, if you intend on plinking with any dirty discount ammo or like to keep your gun extra wet (lubed), you'll love the fact that with the ejection port on the opposite side, you won't have a nose full of black stuff after sending a few magazines downrange. Again, I do not want to discount or discredit what others have said before me, but since true left handed AR's have only recently become available, many of those that are saying "go right, or go home" may have a bit of a bias because that is the platform that they were forced to familiarize themselves on due to a lack of other viable options or standard issue from the military. When it comes to resale value, I have no intention to ever sell my AR so that argument is null and void. Take a serious look at the lefty versions from RRA. It is an excellent bang for your buck (pun intended).  Good luck on your decision! I'm sure you'll be happy with either choice!

Thanks to everyone for responding both lefties and righties.  I committed today.  I ordered a Stag 3g AR15...right handed version at a good price which I will be shooting left handed.   How I will slip this one in past the wifey, I have no idea!

What helped me decide?
- The many lefties that provided no issues to many years of shooting righty rifles...there were some exceptions, but many more positives.
- Youtube videos showing lefties shooting righty rifles and the modifications they made to make it easier which some of you noted here (I saved all those adjustments in a file which I will eventually be looking at closer).  They seemed to like some things about the right setup.
- I saw an actual video of a guy demo'ing the Stage 3g righty rifle as a lefty shooter as he ran a little 3 gun course...he seemed to love it.
- Local range training told me for <$200 he could help me convert it to a lefty if it didn't work out...so I wasn't stuck.

On to my next issue...scopes and optics.

Glad to hear it! Im tardy to the party here but ill spill anyway.

I was born righty and right eye dom. Only thing I do lefty is fish. In April 2012 I had an eye injury that left me virtually blind in my right eye (20/260 and -6 near sighted with a static dead spot in a pie shape from 9:30 to 11:30). Naturally I had to learn lefty and my carbine is righty with all ambi stuff on it. I love it. My old man always says I need to build a lefty but I say screw that. Youll get really comfortable with your controls real fast. Hardest thing for me was handguns

As for optics I love my acog with a green chevron reticle

I'm a natural lefty that switched over to righty back in the day, when I was in the military many moons ago, there were no shell deflectors( that's how old I am) and for my face preservation I switched over to righty, then it turned out I was right eyed dominant, so go figure. But I wouldn't recommend getting a lefty gun, it's nice that they have shell deflectors now.

Raptor charging handle, norgon mag release, badd ass selector.

Thats about all you need.

I'm Left handed and only shot right handed guns. Never a problem,in some cases is is an advantage.