SA80 - Left handed?

[ugly]

The Herb Woodend Building.
They should according to the ethos of the pattern room have an example of every production weapon sealed for type! Whether or not some of the wild and wonderful ones were kept, bearing in mind that the drg numbers are unknown, no production records of left handers in 5.56mm exist there could be about 3 or 4 of each. They may or may not be sat in the museums of the places they were sent for trials as if they were returned there is every chance they could have been cut up!

 

[spike7451]

I'm sure there was a conversion kit for left handed firers for the SLR, NI old & bold will be able to confirm, the MOD didn't want tp purchase LH firing SA80s as there wasn't a simple conversion available, so it is just a case of having to use your weak eye & be cack handed when it comes to drills just to pi55 the skillys off.

I never came across a conversion kit for the SLR in the armouries I worked in.(gotta be a wahh!)

 

[Henry_Tombs]

Thats another place on the list to visit, do they allow societies etc to do organised visits?

Yes, indeedy. I went with LERA, so HBSA would be a shoo-in, I imagine. Even my local shooting club has had more than one visit.

They prefer weekdays, mind, but turned out on a Sunday for us.

And they love it when you get hands on.

I recall that we (LERA) bung them something each time we visit, I dare say that the HBSA could put something together, UGLY do we mention it at the next IWM meeting? Assuming that is I can make it.

 

[ugly]

next was Monday gone, new year I'm afraid. I had a word with Mark H rhe range manager and he is keen on another one I am looking at. I'll float it next year!

 

[Jacques_Bustard]

the cockin handle will smash into your face

i seen it happen on the SAT range last week on parents day.. we tried tellin him it couldnt be fired from the left but he wouldnt have any of it

ended up with a bust lip lol

Yep I've seen it done too on a SAT range (RTMC), given that I didn't like the guy firing it I had a good laugh afterwards. The cocking handle split his top lip and off he went to hospital for some needlework.
About a year later I gave him the same injury playing football.

 

[Brew_Time]

Presumably if you turn the gas to 'off' the cocking handle won't move to the rear and you can then fire left-handed.

Am I right in saying that if you turn the gas off it won't reload with the next round. Not much good then eh.

BT

 

[DrStealth]

Presumably if you turn the gas to 'off' the cocking handle won't move to the rear and you can then fire left-handed.

Am I right in saying that if you turn the gas off it won't reload with the next round. Not much good then eh.

BT

correct, it has become a single action firearm, meaning you have to cock it manualy for every shot.

 

[Mag_to_grid]

Presumably if you turn the gas to 'off' the cocking handle won't move to the rear and you can then fire left-handed.

Am I right in saying that if you turn the gas off it won't reload with the next round. Not much good then eh.

BT

It could be of use if the situation required you to fire a shot from the left shoulder, ie firing around a wall without compromising cover. All it would take would be to re-cock the rifle after every shot, we were doing this anyway with .303 up until the SLR came into service.

 

[PassingBells]

Presumably if you turn the gas to 'off' the cocking handle won't move to the rear and you can then fire left-handed.

Am I right in saying that if you turn the gas off it won't reload with the next round. Not much good then eh.

BT

What do you want, the world?

You now have a weapon (albeit single action) that you can fire from your left shoulder at zero additional cost to anyone. Where do I collect my cheque?

I have not seen my 'solution' mentioned before, and was hoping that one of the gun bunnies here would pick up on it and either confirm that this would work / is impractical although theoretically correct / or just laugh at it.

PB (A frustrated engineer)

 

[EX_STAB]

Presumably if you turn the gas to 'off' the cocking handle won't move to the rear and you can then fire left-handed.

Am I right in saying that if you turn the gas off it won't reload with the next round. Not much good then eh.

BT

What do you want, the world?

You now have a weapon (albeit single action) that you can fire from your left shoulder at zero additional cost to anyone. Where do I collect my cheque?

I have not seen my 'solution' mentioned before, and was hoping that one of the gun bunnies here would pick up on it and either confirm that this would work / is impractical although theoretically correct / or just laugh at it.

PB (A frustrated engineer)

You could turn the gas right off on SLR. (wasn't the off position marked with a letter B for ballisite, the stuff that the grenade blanks were filled with or am I imagining that?)
Any way, can't recall if you could turn the gas completely off on SA80. Even if you could it's not an ideal solution!

 

[ugly]

Gas off? I vaguely remember cleaning mine!

 

[Mwardley]

This is an issue which I can never understand. I am left handed, and never found the SA80 a problem because while you pull the trigger with your right hand, you operate the cocking handle, change magazine etc etc with the left, and it is the left hand which is used to aim it. so while you might hold the weapon in your right hand, most actions with it are using the left...

I am lefty, never tried an sa-80, lot of time on the SLR. The SLR shoots both sides. Was always better on the left with my dominant eye.

Nice of the British government: we are not going to give u the best tool for the job and some of you maybe killed, but that is a risk we are prepared to take.

Around 15% are left handed, they need a left handed version

 

[Dreamseller]

I am lefty, never tried an sa-80, lot of time on the SLR. The SLR shoots both sides. Was always better on the left with my dominant eye.

Nice of the British government: we are not going to give u the best tool for the job and some of you maybe killed, but that is a risk we are prepared to take.

Around 15% are left handed, they need a left handed version

16 years is a hell of a resurrection.

 

[ugly]

I'm sure there was a conversion kit for left handed firers for the SLR, NI old & bold will be able to confirm, the MOD didn't want tp purchase LH firing SA80s as there wasn't a simple conversion available, so it is just a case of having to use your weak eye & be cack handed when it comes to drills just to pi55 the skillys off.

No