Custom Left Hand Rifles - 4 to 6 week completion times on left hand rifles

Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

Being a lefty, I am biased. I got my first left handed rifle 39 years ago thanks to my dad knowing that teaching me to hunt would be better if I didn't have to struggle with a right handed gun. My first rifle was a Savage 110 3006 that I used for many years until I bought my first left hand remington 7 mm. Followed by a remington 700 338 wm and then when remington introduced the 338 ultra in left hand, I had to have one and traded in my 3006 and my 7mm. They were grabbed up in less than a week. If I knew then what I knew now, I would have rebarreled both of those guns to different calibers. With all of this being said, all of the left handed guns that I have bought, I only found one on the shelf, the rest I had to order. Offering left handed guns is great, having one ready for immediate sale might not turn over fast enough to make it worthwhile. The other day I was on remingtons web site to see if the xcr was made in left hand in 338 rum and it is not. So the only other option is spending three times as much on a lefty from the custom shop. Kind of sad, but it is business. Weatherby also used to offer quite a few lefty's also, but they too are now mostly custom shop guns. The problem for me is that for 700.00 I might buy a few more guns, but for 3000.00 I will stay with my one custom gun from now on.

On another note, two years ago I decided to start hunting waterfowl again and wanted a autoloader. The only left handed choice was a Benelli and at two and one half times the cost of most others I ended up with a mossberg right handed 3.5 auto and it works great for me so far.
 
Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

Hi:
I shoot left handed but I do because I'm right handed but left eye dominant.I have only one
LH rifle and it's a 458 WM so it does not see much shooting.I feel that most people who are
Left shoulder shooters would like right hand rifle.If you made left handed action rifles with a right
handed loading port that would be unique.Or make your bolt handle work on right or left but the
loading port on the right hand side.I like to shoot prone with a bi-pod and and can reload with
with my right hand but again I have shot left hand since 1993.





Thanks
Scott Hannah
 
Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

I am not a lefty.

As you stated, I would NOT stock any, but rather fill on an "as ordered" basis. I think lefties know the limitations and would welcome the opportunity.

Cartridges: You are the expert, I would offer cartridges in calibers that I know I can get the quality hardware for that I demand. Since I am just a shooter that would like to shoot more, I have no idea what those would be.

Sincerely.

KaPow!
 
Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

I am not a lefty so I'll stick to a rational analysis & skip the "Lefty is in right brain" and similar comments.

The question is simple, would it be profitable for you to build rifles that would likely only sell 1/10 as many of, when compared to your right-handed sales? If it would be profitable, yes, go for it.
 
Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

Build one and see how it goes from there, Im sure there has to be someone looking for a custom left handed rifle.
 
Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

I get so sick of looking at custom and semi-custom rifles that are NOT offered left-handed..... Even a few of the large manufacturers haven't bothered to offer Left-Handed rifles in more than a few options..... Isn't our money good, I know our shooting is good, lol..... PLEASE, even at 10% of the population that's enough to keep you busy for a thousand years, and then some....
I've had to build my own rifles, I'm not a gun smith but have bought rifles from manufactures like Savage that allow changing calibers, triggers, having actions trued etc, without costing and arm and leg.... These rifles have taken fairly long periods of time to put together. Although it's been satisfying to build them it would be so very nice to have a custom rifle ordered and delivered within a reasonable period of time...

This Started Life as a Savage 12FLV 308win.... after several years, several trips to the gunsmith, and several dollars, this is what I've ended up with, It's my 6.5x47L (short "Left-Hand" action), timed and trued, bolt fluted, competition trigger, McGowen SS match 28" 6.5x47Lapua barrel, Farrel 20moa mounts, Leupold rings, Leupold 6.5x20x50mm LR/T, SSS muzzle brake, Ultimate Varmint stock by Choate, Harris Bi-Pod and digital paint by me. I'm sure I've forgotten something, but wouldn't it have been nice to be able to order this at one place....

Thanks, Desert
 

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Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

Len, you definitively should carry them. Most left handed folks I know, not all but most, are awesome folks their only problem is being left handed....Ha......ha... ha....LOL..... JUST A JOKE GUYS.... COME ON!

After this thread you'll just be selling left handed guns...

OK! Seriously now, if about 10 percent of hunters, shooters are left handed, I would say that you should make 1 left handed rifle for every ten rifles you have made. choose among the most popular calibers and you should be doing real well. :rolleyes:

Best luck to you!

Eaglet--
 
Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

My son is also left handed and is very interested in improving his shooting skills.
A nice LH long range rig would be interesting, however I'm a righty and I get mine first.
Maybe Christmas?
Good Luck, great website.
 
Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

Hi Len,
I'll agree w/ the others that having a few LH rifles to offer would be great. If they can be offered at a compareable price and not that much longer lead time it would be great. Is the problem not being able to get LH actions/stocks in a reasonable time? Thanks for thinking of us "lefties".
Jay
 
Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

I am right handed but shoot long guns left handed. I have instinctively done this since I was given my first single shot long gun at age 12, probably due to a very dominant left eye. I have always used RH shotguns and rifles, whether bolt action, pump and semi-auto, without problems (qualified expert with a RH M-16 at Ft. Jackson in 1972). The only two issues I have encountered are powder residue from semi-auto shotguns and the occasional spent cartridge (eye protection is mandatory anyway) and a strong left wrist is needed to hold a muzzle heavy bolt action rifle horizontal when cycling the bolt during unsupported rapid fire shots. Neither of these issues are relevant to long range hunting scenarios. That said, my experience began at an early age and those taking up long gun sports or hunting as adults may feel entirely differently. Demand will decide the issue.
 
Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

Len,

You are on the right path here. A nice survey online to see how many left handed shooter there are that would be in the market for a custom rifle.

Carl
 
Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

As a left shoulder shooter I learned to run a right handed longarm from the left side.

After an initial buying frenzy I don't think you would see much interest in left handed bolt guns. Also, spare parts would be an issue, as they wouldn't be easily available should a gun breakdown in the field. If something happened to my AR, and I needed parts, I could pop the trunk on any cop or fed vehicle and viola, spares! I could also steal it from the Army. I'm not saying I would, or have, just that coming up with spares is a consideration to me.

Take the issue of borrowed rifles too. If someone had to borrow a rifle the chances are it will be a right handed gun. I'm of the opinion that lefties should adapt and overcome and use right handed guns as they are the more common. For me one of the best shooting positions is left hand thumbhole with a right hand bolt. I find this to me the cat's meow and have no desire for a left handed bolt gun.

Biker
 
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Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

I for one am not left handed, and do not know any left handed shooters. That being said if i were a lefty i would be very interested in this. i believe it is a good business idea, and may up sales.
 
Re: Left Hand Rifles - How much interest is there in "Ready To Ship" left hand rifles

I bought my first lefthand rifle in 1975. It was a Mark V Weatherby in .240 Weatherby. Previously, I had used what most lefthanders get by with: right hand bolt actions, semi-autos, etc.

Since then, I have bought and used a variety of lefthanded bolt actions, including more Weatherbys, Brownings, Sakos, Tikkas, Kimber of Oregon, Savages, and others.

So, to answer your question, yes. I am a firm believer that a true lefthanded version is superior for a good shooter in many ways.

And, for a chuckle: When I am trying to buy a lefthanded version somewhere, the salesman almost always says something like this: You will never see another one of these, so you will have to pay through the nose for it.

But, when I am trying to sell a lefthander to a dealer, the salesman usually says, "I will have to discount this substantially because almost no one wants a lefthanded version......."
 
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