While I shoot right-handed, my son, being left-eye dominant, shoots from the left side. He shoots my vintage doubles well-enough, but has to adapt himself to the gun. In the back of my mind, I thought I would keep my eye out for a nice vintage lefty for him. I realize lefties only make up approximately 14% of the population, but I was surprised at the absolute dearth of makers who catered to this market segment 100 years ago.
Casually leafy through a dozen or so vintage catalogs (circa 1890 - 1930) from the major American and English makers left me with nothing. I noticed several makers who proudly touted their ability to make you a fine cross-over stock so you could shoot from the right side with your left-eye, but no true left-handed guns.
I figure a left-eyed guy with the wherewithal ($$$) to order a bespoke Purdey, for example, could request/demand a left-handed version, albeit at some sort of premium from the maker. You wouldn't know it from the advertising material.
I was just looking for some feedback on my observation. Were that few true left-handed guns made? I know left-handedness used to be viewed as an oddity and somewhat undesirable trait for many years - e.g., left-handed kids being forced to write with the right hands, etc. Then again, I may just not be looking hard-enough. The "left-handedness" of a shotgun does not exactly jump out at you sitting on a rack unless it has a cheek-piece.
Regards,
Ken
- In terms of a left-handed gun, I mean a true left-handed gun, not just the stock bent the appropriate way - e.g., top lever rotation clockwise vice counter-clockwise, trigger bend to the left, barrel firing order, etc.
