Are recruits allowed to shoot left handed these days?

I went through USMC basic at Parris Island in 1988. I was allowed to shoot and qualify with the rifle (M16A2) left handed. At the pistol range I had to handle and shoot the 1911 right handed.

I went through Army OSUT in 1992 and did basic training in 2010, both times at Fort Knox.

I shot left handed each time.
(Couldn't hit crap each time but that is another story).

The only problem I ever had in qualifying/familiarization training was flinching when when I shot the M60, 240, and 249. Since I shoot left handed, I had a couple of very hot casings burn my checks.

The Drills SGTs jumped me for that but that was in the old days..

In 96 we had to determine hand/eye dominance, and shoot based on that.

In advanced courses, we learned weak hand, single hand, and adaptive shooting techniques.

When I went to USCG boot camp in 1988, we first determined the dominate eye and then shot rifle and pistols based on that.

We did back when I went through. They even had adapters for the M16 that popped into the charging handle and deflected cases. I imagine currently it wouldn't have been removed.

They let Lefties shoot left handed in the Army in 1966, so I'm sure they still do.

Interesting, thanks.

When I went through the US Army basic training in the late 80's we had both left and right handed shooters. God Bless

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:
They let Lefties shoot left handed in the Army in 1966, so I'm sure they still do.

I went through Parris Island in 1966, and I don't recall the problem of left handed shooters ever coming up. We either didn't have any lefties, (which I seriously doubt), or the DIs just just taught them how to adapt to operating the M14 left handed.

I am a lefty for most things, but Golf, baseball (batting only), and a few other things I do right handed including shooting.

When I was in USMC boot camp (1981) the PMI’s forced me to shoot left handed since I couldn’t write legibly with my right hand and keep the front grip locked up in the sling on the fore grip.

Turns out I shoot rifles ambidextrously and still qualified Expert. After boot though, I qualified right handed as PMI’s didn’t have as much “oversight” and my book and shot calling notes were just for me to decipher and no one else.

In 1975 at MCRDSD, it was "discovered" that I was left eye dominant, they tried to teach me how to shoot south paw, but were unsuccessful in their endeavors, and let me shoot right handed. I scored expert, thank you very much!

They let us shoot how we wanted at Ft Bragg in summer of 1969.

I also did Officer basic at Fort Knox. I shot M16 and M9 lefty. Everything else I shot righty because it was easier, mostly the belt feds and the m203 with the quadrant sight.

I actually failed to qualify twice, and the instructor asked me a couple of questions then said to shoot the way I was taught and not the way they were making me (I liked to snug my eyeball to the peep), and I hen qualified expert and got out of the holding pen.

I would say that they were probably not overly uniform on this. I think some DIs might make a deal out of it to mess with you but most won't care as long as you qualify.

The Brits say they make everyone shoot right hand as few recruits have previous experience and their rifle is a bullpup anyway.

n

quote:

Originally posted by mrapteam666:
I went through Army OSUT in 1992 and did basic training in 2010, both times at Fort Knox.

Wait...you had to go through Basic Training twice?

I did my Basic and AIT at Fort Jackson in 1991 when Jackson was regarded as one of the more tougher posts. AIT was like Basic all over again but with also learning to be a cook and much harder PT with a Ranger Drill Sgt.

I still have a recurring nightmare occasionally that I've been sent back to Basic Training and have to do it all over again.

PASig

I did it twice
They said I had too long of a break in service and I missed the last transition training course they had.

Night and day.... from 1992 to 2010
If I known had easy it would going to be I would have went in 2008 or so. We had a few 36-40 year old in my Company. It was more irritating... Then AIT at Bragg just sucked. It was like Romper Room

In 1959 it was right handed,they did not give a shit on your left handiness.

My physician grandad benefitted as a surgeon by being forced to use his right hand in WWII. He ended up more or less ambidextrous.

Fort Polk 1966,sarge made me shoot right handed. Bawled me out shooting right handed but had head over stock using left eye.

No problem making me go through the advance and cover drills with gas mask without corrective lens , 20/400 vision (basically blind). Told me to just point M14 down range and pull the trigger.