[Powder Burn]

Hello to all,

I am new to Perfect Union, and fairly new to shooting. I recently purchased a slightly used 186 series mini 14 (s.s.) from an online auction. The previous owner told me about this forum and I have been reading many of your discussions wile waiting for it to arrive.
I picked up the rifle yesterday, and as I was looking it over I remembered some of the members commenting about the way these guns launch shell casings with tremendous force. It didn't occour to me at the time, but now I am wondering. Being left handed, can I expect to have a dented forehead and powder burned face after touching off a few rounds with this thing?

I hope to do some shooting with it this week end, and if this is likely to happen I would greatly appreciate a warning.

Thank You,
Powder Burn

 

[JWB]

Hi,
Take your mini out shooting, you'll be fine. I'm a lefty and have never had problems, stock or with Mikes gas port kit. Mine tends to throw brass forward and away, not back at me.
John

 

[Camera man]

Welcome. I'm a south paw too. The only thing you will have to worry about is that you need to take enough ammo with you. Your going to enjoy your new toy. Mine tosses the brass up and a little out. I like the safty placement too. Let us know it went on Monday.

 

[cajungeo]

Welcome to the forum powder burn. Shooting left handed shouldn't be a problem. Have fun.

 

[SKS182]

Hey Powder Burn,

You won't have any trouble shooting it left handed. I did that for several years with no problems. I switched to right handed about 4 months ago though. I was shooting rifle left handed and left eyed and pistol right handed and left eyed. I decided to get everything on the same page and switch all to right handed right eyed. Took one trip to the range with the rifle. Pistol took longer. In any event, you might consider changing. My shooting actually improved and you will be amazed how much easier it is to operate the operating rod shooting right handed. Give it a shot. By the way, where are you in NY. I'm in Poughkeepsie having transfered here from Buffalo. Well hope this all helps. Enjoy your mini

Brett

 

[cajungeo]

Does every one know what SKS means by being left eyed? Most people are right eyed i.e. right eyed dominant. To determine which of your eyes dominates.

Point at something with your favorite finger with both eyes open. Close your left eye. If your point of aim didn't change you are right eye dominate. If your point of aim changed you are left eye dominate.

If you shoot right handed with a dominate right eye, thats good. If you shoot left handed with a dominate left eye, thats good. But if your dominate eye is different from your shooting stance, that is why you can't hit anything. You gots ta change something.

 

[SKS182]

Hey Cajungeo,

I'm still left eye dominant, maybe that is my problem. Actually, you are correct in your explanation. It therefore takes some getting used to when changing over. I technically still left eye dominant but wanted to switch basically my pistol shooting. I was using my left eye with my right hand. Now I'm shooting right eyed, right handed. I seem to be shooting better this way as I was able to change my stance, etc. Now everything seems to line up. It was a little tricky at first but all seems to be working out now. For rifle I usually use a scope do to my aging eyesite. This seemed to make it easier to switch over. It was definately worth the effort to make the switch.

Brett

 

[Camera man]

I am one of the bless ones. I'm right eyed. But I shoot my long guns left handed. And my hand guns from the right side. But I can switch back and forth with both with out any trouble. And I'm just about as good from either side. I have qualified several times with the local police dept, from both sides. When I was very young, I was just about a pure ambex. as you could get. But as I got older, I settled on one side or the other. I do most every thing eather hand. I used to shoot bows from the left side, but switched to right back in high school when I could not find a good left handed hunting rig. Being this way makes it nice from a tree stand. The deer do not always come from the good side.

 

[Powder Burn]

I took my mini out on the 8th to a range at a gun shop close to home. The shooting bench there is in a small steel building about 6'x 12'. I took my kids with me, and they said that every time I shot it made the walls shake. I didn't have any trouble shooting it left handed. I did get my right thumb a little too close to the slide handle when it was cycling once though.
I put about 100 rounds through it shooting at 50 and 100 yards.
the best I got at 100 was a 4 inch group. Worst was about a 12 in. group, and at 50 I didn't see any difference in grouping betwean using the scope or the sights.
SKS, I am deffinatly eye dominant and always have been, but I think I will try right siding it just to see what happens. by the way, I live in southern Chautauqua county, near Jamestown.

Thank you all for your replys, it is nice to have a place like this to share a common interest.

 

[SKS182]

Powder Burn,

Give the right handed a try. You might find that you actually like it better.

Used to live in Buffalo and still have rental property up there (couldn't sell the old house when we relocated). Used to work in the Jamestown area and did a lot of fishing at Chataqua (never could spell it though) out of Carlsons Boat Livery in Celeron. Pretty area.

Brett

 

[Powder Burn]

Yea, we buy bait at Carlson's some times. I like it here, it's a nice area and yhere is alot of outdoors stuff to do year round.