First please understand that I've never owned or even handled a Sidelever shotgun. So as a lefty I'm surprised that the lever is on the right side. I would think I would prefer to use my left thumb on a right side toplever to open a gun. I think it would be awkward on the left side. But all the Sidelever guns I have seen, presumably for right handed shooters, have the lever on the right. Please explain.

Also true of side lever rifles (eg, Hepburns, Wessons, Frasers, rolling block conversions, etc). Were it on the left, a righty would have to slide across the wrist to push it down far enough.

Actually works quite well that way and many shooters never put their thumb across the wrist anyway.

As a right handed shooter, I think it would feel more natural to move my hand from the grip to operate the sidelever on the right side, while controlling the opening of the barrels with my left hand, which remains on the forend.

This would also prevent wear and damage to vintage doubles that do not have adequate joint checks. We have all seen that picture of the Fox shotgun with the cracked frame that the Preacher has posted here about a thousand times to demonstrate that they are prone to breaking. In reality, this isn't happening due to firing the gun. Dewey Vicknair has explained that this frame cracking happens when the barrels are permitted to drop fully open, and the hammers stop abruptly when they strike the inside of the action flat. In short, it's a matter of abuse by a careless shooter that causes Fox frames to crack.

There is also a discussion point about placing three position M70 type safeties on the right side of left handed rifles. As a fellow lefty hand shooter, I am not too certain about this idea, being used to the safety on the left side.

I had a Greener FH35 that had the safety on the left side (the usual place) and found it a bit difficult to operate. I may be convinced either way.

YMMV.

There are left-side side levers. On this site one gentleman opined that the right-side side lever was easier for a shooter. . .the left-side for a loader. Probably it was just the choice of the person who ordered it. I will say my side-lever Reilly is really easy to break and load. I would imagine that you would want that lever pointed away from your face though.

This Reilly was owned by Terry Buffum; SN 17392 (1871):
https://www.amoskeagauction.com/110/132.php

Gene, that gun is gorgeous! Wow.
I recently bought my 4th sidelever. Two have been on the left and two on the right. As a right handed shooter I find it most natural to operate the left-sided levers.

My W&E has left sidelever and yes, it is the most natural to operate for right handed hunters and shooters.

Boss have recently introduced a side lever over and under which they sell with a pair of interchangeable side levers so that the purchaser’s child or grandchild can decide which suits them best.

Slightly off topic, at a Christie’s auction view many years ago I picked up an English SXS gun that had been built as a true left hander with the top lever rotated clockwise to open the gun. I nearly dislocated my thumb trying to open it the usual way before the penny dropped.

Helpful with contributions from Toby Barclay
https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=530422
https://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=532743

The interchangeable Boss
https://shootingsportsman.com/a-new-boss-over-under/


Maybe Bro. Enos was a lefty



https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...r-double-hammer-gun.cfm?gun_id=101135737

Not much from Greener
The Gun and Its Development: With Notes on Shooting, 1885 he shared the opinion that the lever on the R was easier for a R handed shooter

Modern Shotguns, 1891 "the lever can be on either side" but did not elaborate

I have only operated right sided, side levers. They work quite well. After a few times they became just as easy to operate as a top lever. If I ever get rich I am going to find a pair of Grant side levers. I love the lines of a side lever. So trim.

I've looked at side-lever, break-open guns, and I find just the opposite. They look like strange mutants without their top lever and the addition of the toilet flush lever on either side does nothing to help. But in the end, it's just a matter of getting used to the idea and then it starts look better (maybe). In any event, I won't be bidding you up on any Grant side levers so have at 'em.

I've never seen a Belgian folding "Poacher's Gun" that had the side lever on the L.

It does seem that many JABC tradenamed side lever guns have the lever on the L however.

Wm. Moore & Co. was a popular knock-off (most by Pieper)

Dewey Vicknair's side lever
https://shootingsportsman.com/vicknairoriginal/
The sidelever was chosen, because I think it is the best-looking method of operating the bolts. Invariably, the first question asked when someone sees the gun is why I made the sidelever left-handed. The answer is that I didn’t. I’m right-handed, and when holding the gun, my right thumb is on the left side, hence the lever’s location. It’s not traditionally done that way, but it works well for me; so functionality trumps tradition here. Personally, I never have understood any of the rationales behind putting the lever on the right side of a right-handed gun. Too many things in the trade are done simply because “that’s the way it’s always been done,” and the traditional position of the sidelever seems to fall into that category.

Boss may claim that theirs is the “World’s First Fully Ambidextrous Shotgun” but if I recall rightly my Stevens 20 bore single from about 1910 would open quite happily whichever way you pushed the lever.

I have three side-levers, two Grants and a Lancaster. The Grants, 12 & 16, are right, and the Lancaster, 12 hammer, is a left. The left side for me, a right handed shooter, is far more comfortable than the the right. I was told when seeking to convert the rights to left that the right side was tradition for loaders, and the left for shooters. Not sure how accurate that statement was. Never converted the Grants as it was not problematic (and very expensive).

So if the right side lever was not made for the shooter, but for the man loading his guns, why now, with a paucity of matched pairs of shotguns with an even greater shortage of hired loaders, do right hand shooters use right side levers? I would think those guns would only be attractive to left hand shooters. They must be awkward for right handlers.

I thought the lever placement always had to do with if you had a person to hand the shotgun to and load or if you did it yourself

I used a right handed Edwinson Green hammergun with a left sidelever quite a bit and had no issue with it .It was a fine gun !!!

Another variant on the side-lever (& the only one I've even seen). I'm finding that I'm adapting well to its use (as I suspect most would do with whatever version they end-up with). Given all that, I really do find the more-standard right-side sidelevers very useful and attractive (as I'm a southpaw myself).