Leftie's, the SA-80 and the RIR Home Service

[Scooter]

Being left Handed, am I going to encounter any problems trying to operate an SA0-80?

Planning to join the RIR Home Service (3rd Batt.) Would love to hear from anyone currently serving.

[lew]

I'm left handed and I havnt had any problems...


lew

[mercury]

Being a "leftie" myself I never encountered any problems converting from the ambidexterous SLR to the "righty" SA80

Indeed many people said I could shoot just as well with either hand

Still trying to work out if thats an insult or not

Seriously , I have known people have problems with being left handed and using an SA80 , but these are the same people who get mysterious knee injuries a mile into a patrol or get equally strange stomach upsets on CFT day


Unless you have spent years shooting left handed there is no real problem, the level of instruction in the British Armed forces is second to non

[RobT]

Doesn't the left hander usually get handed the Minimi?

Rob

[mercury]

bit of a dab hand with the gimpy meself , didnt I see in the news that the british armed forces are getting minimi's ?

[df2inaus]

Mercury,

How was the SLR ambidextrous? The cartridges must have come out somewhere?

Is the LSW history now?

[rabby]

Its not that they didn't come out, just they came out further down the weapon, ie not right next to your face. Also were they ejected downwards?? The old and bold will tell us! Hopefully, if we ask nicely...

[mercury]

Well you young whipper snappers ...in my day the empty cases were ejected further down the weapon on the right, these days the emptys still come out of the right hand side but because of the bullpup configuration you run the risk of getting the cocking lever in your mush and a cartridge in your face

SLR's were longer and normal config so no problem

I believe it was also possible to rework them so the cocking lever and ejection port were on the left but never saw it dome in the UK armed forces

[Bash]

I was told recently that the army is phasing out the LSW and replacing it with the Minimi (2 per section). RAF Regiment have no such luck, not sure bout the RM though.

[lew]

Yea i had heard the same thing, all infantry sections are to get the minimi, i think the RM and the Para's have already been issued them in Iraq...


lew

[voodoo sprout]

This has come up a few times before, but the LSW will be retained in addition to the minimi, one of each per fire team. Theoretically at least .

[mercury]

Oh good , now we can have that age old quandry

Do we give the nice heavy fire support weapon to someone who can use it

Or do we give it to the section idiot to teach him a lesson


hmmmmm

[AdamR]

Do Rifle Platoons still get issued with GPMGs? Also, how are weapons dished out amongst Combat Engineer units?

[TinCanMan]

Although probaly none of you will care i am left handed and left footed but do everything else with my right like shoot and throw a dart etc just out of interest anyone know the name for this

[mercury]

Post modernistic positive dexterity conditioning