Left Handed ?

4

41special

New member
I recently shot a friend of mines, Ruger single action Vaquero, and it seemed amazingly left handed in design.

I was wondering if, Sam Colt was a lefty ? Or that's just the way it happen to work out.

And if anyone has ever seen or heard of a revolver that swings out to the right, for a lefty ?

Thanks,

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An old west lawman once said when asked why he carried a .45, "because they don't make a .46"
 
There used to be a company in Texas that made mirror image Colt SAA clones. Randall (sp) made a lefty 1911. Beretta Storms are ambi adaptable. A mirror image double action revolver? I did see a Spanish lefty revolver once.
 
I figured anything would be few and far between, but I just wondered.

I also wonder about the fact that colt DA revolver's cycle into the frame (clockwise) means possibly that they were meant to open on the other side ? Everybody else cycles away from the frame (counterclockwise).

Especially reloading has required some interesting practice on my part.

As far a mirror SA that would be more more right handed guys, reloading a SA must be a pain for righty's.

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An old west lawman once said when asked why he carried a .45, "because they don't make a .46"
 
There have long been questions about Sam Colt designing the Single Action to fit his left-handed orientation, BUT the truth is, the Colt Single Action Army was designed long after Sam Colt was dead.

He had no input in the SAA's design.
 
Thanks for the input, I guess when I win the lottery I'll bring out a line of revolver's for us southpaw's!!!

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An old west lawman once said when asked why he carried a .45, "because they don't make a .46"
 
Photo of the Wesson is flopped -- easy to do with PhotoShop, for example. This gets done by graphic designers who are more interested in the "look" of a layout than they are in the integrity of the photo. No big deal, really. It happens a lot.
 
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A question for 41SPECIAL, the Vaquero

I was wondering why you said that it worked very well for a South paw.
Is it the way the gun opened to load and unload.
I have several books on Colts and it was felt that the reasion that the loading gate was on the right side is becouse since most people are right handed, and that hand having better dexterity (Bad speller) that the right hand would work better and faster doing the realoading.
And that changing hands reloading then changing hands back was quicker reloading time than using the off hand to remove and replace rounds. All the less of two hands (for a right hander) all the left hand had to do is hold the gun.
Its also one of the reasions that the smith bottom and top break revolvers came out, which is much faster.
 
Well it just seemed really easy for me to load and unload. I would open the gate with my right thumb, and rotate the cylinder with my left index finger while manipulating the ejection rod with my right hand. Also when loading I just rotated the cylinder with my finger again. Now under stress I have no idea how proficient this would be.

It may well be that I have an unusual amount of hand dexterity but I doubt it.

As far as modern revolver's I've had to practice quite a bit to be able to reload quickly. I have found that holding the gun out in front of me, I can open the cylinder with my right hand, then invert the gun upside down, while holding the cylinder open with my left index finger, and reload. Once again under stress this may hurt me, and I might switch hands anyway.

I guess that's why I opt to carry a .41 mag, hopefully I won't have to reload.!! (kidding) (but I'm not)

Is there a tested or 'approved' left handed loading technique, out there without switching hands?

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An old west lawman once said when asked why he carried a .45, "because they don't make a .46"
 
Another theory is that soldiers held the reins in their left hand when riding. The gun being designed the gun as it is, the rider could hold the reins and gun in his left hand and load with the right.
 
For right handed riders, it's generally good policy to hold the reins in the left... leaving the right free for shooting, roping, adjusting one's hat, holding on while turning in the saddle to look behind, etc.
 
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