I am a Southpaw.
... so when I was first introduced to the SA80 (standard kit rifle for the British Army), I noticed the bolt retracts back quite far on the RH side.

Introduction done, it was time to fire it. "Can I fire this left-handed?" I enquire, with clearly touching naiivety.

The instructor shrugged and said casually, "If you like ... "

So I aimed, fired, and the bolt touched - TOUCHED - my front teeth, causing me to recoil violently in surprise and horror, much to the delight of the instructor and his pals.

2mm more and it would have knocked my teeth straight into the back of my throat and probably beyond.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 10:49, 14 replies)

I remember being told that you
couldn't really fire them left handed.

Seems like the sort of thing the MoD should consider when purchasing weapons to me...
(SnowyTheWereRabbit the Leporid from Hell, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:20, closed)

Yes.
I think this was more to do with the instructor fancying a laugh at the noob.

But I agree - they've spent tens of thousands on extra training right there just by alienating 30% of their forces.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:23, closed)

Well, no.
Because it really doesn't matter that much, unless you are spectacularly spacktarded, a deeply complicated task like pulling a trigger with either hand isn't really a challenge.

Granted, your natural preference to have the rifle nestling in your left shoulder would be a bit tricky to start off with, but as I said below, couple of spent shell cases to the face and the resulting scars would probably sort that one out.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:34, closed)

I'd have thought
you should have been a fuck sight more concerned about the red-hot spent shell casing that would have hit you in the face if you fire a plastic spastic left handed, myself.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:31, closed)

That's a good point.
Why the hell was I not hit in the face with a shell casing? I can't remember - it was 20 years ago and I was 17.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:40, closed)

probably lucky ;)
I used to instruct cadets on L98s. Even worse, because sticking a half-arsed cocking handle on an SA and then disabling the semi-auto mechanism means the bastards jammed all the time. Often, because, y'know, firearms aren't dangerous enough already, they'd jam a live shell sideways in the exhaust port. Nice.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:44, closed)

The SA80 was intended to injure
Where the SLR and 7.62 would blow you to bits, the SA80 was a change in tactics to injure with it's much lower powered round. But... wiping out the smiles of lefties was an unforseen bonus. Also, the twats who used to use the sling to carry it on their back with the multi sling, and catch it on the tailgate of a bedford, forcing the butt into the back of the skull was a good one.

Oh... and the hours spent looking for lost magazines on training areas because the mag-release was shit...

Oh... and the box of spares you had to carry because the cocking handle came off in your cocking hand....

I often felt the IRA were better armed than we were!
( Piper Alpha is being a grumpy northerm bastard on:, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:31, closed)

I lost a mag minus two rounds (blanks, thank fuck)
on exercise once and got my arse kicked back to the stone age. Those mag releases were fucking awful.

I thought part of the purpose of the SA was that smaller rounds meant a smaller gun and it all saver weight, and you could carry more rounds?
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:36, closed)

The ones we used had a bit welded over the magazine-release catch to try and solve the massive design flaw there
We were also told that under no cicumstances should we try to store the little plastic bottle of oil in the compartment designed to hold the little plastic bottle of oil, being as it was directly above the barrel and once the barrel was used for the purpose of firing bullets, it would heat up, melt the little plastic bottle and set fire to the oil, turning the end of your rifle into a flaming death-trap.

What a superb piece of equipment.
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:36, closed)

Oh, I always wondered what that was for! good job I never tried to put the oil there.

( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:38, closed)

I liked how the blank surpressors had a habit of flying off into the bushes/the target/the opposing team's faces.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:43, closed)

For some reason we didn't use blank suppressors.
Being shot in the knee with powdered glass travelling at 1000 mph by some fuckwitted 15 year old smarts a bit, it turns out.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:46, closed)

We never had them either
during section attacks I used to dive behind the biggest clump of bracken or gorse I could find and blow the shit out of it with blank fire
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 12:04, closed)

I hated the SA80
fucking Fisher Price piece of shit; all the ones I ever used had the mag held in with a piece of paracord gaffer taped to the housing. We always got shit range scores because none of ours had SUSAT, and popup targets are a tad difficult to hit at 600m with iron sights.
( uncle bastard is twanging a dan moi, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 21:49, closed)

I skilfully avoided the SA80
by being born in 1958 so by the time I left the cadets the SLR was only just replacing the Lee Enfield,a great piece of kit it used to explode the rabbits in the butts at 300 yards and was accurate enough to hit them.
(johnners hitting things with hammers until they work, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 18:36, closed)