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Military.com Forums Equipment Guide General Discussions - Equipment, Weaponry & Tech Left eye dominance|
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New Member |
I was just curious to know if anyone else has issues with a dominant left eye (when shooting)and what can be done to fix or help it..thanks
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New Member |
Well I found my own answer...Ill just shoot from the left instead of the right..I dont think they will let me wear my eye patch at BMT..lol
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CG Forums Moderator Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?  |
If you spend the time, you can train yourself to shoot with either eye.
Both eyes open at close distances; right eye for right side barricade shooting, left eye for left side barricade shooting. It keeps only half your head exposed on either side of the barricade. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! 'nuff said. Carpe Debier: Seize a Lager! |
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New Member |
Do you have any eye exersise recommendations..I am not allowed shoot with my left hand right? Because I would be on the wrong side of the rifle? I have really confused myself at this point ..lol Thanks for any info
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CG Forums Moderator Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle Dixie? |
It's not a matter of eye. It's a matter of keeping the smallest amount of your head behind cover.
The more exposed, the more a target. The less exposed, the less a target. It doesn't really matter which eye you are dominant. It DOES matter how much you keep your head exposed to enemy fire. Get it?  Carpe Debier: Seize a Lager! |
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New Member |
Yes Sir. I get it..cover head..Thank you I will stop worrying now
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Member |
Shoot left handed. When you go to the range, you can get a brass deflector that mounts onto the M16 and keeps the ejected casings from smacking into your face.
Just don't be the soldier that asks for a "left handed M16" from the armorer. |
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New Member |
I'm a left handed shooter, and my experience with those brass deflectors is that they cause more trouble than they solve. (In BCT, they only time I used a deflector)In the prone I've had brass go down my sleeve several times. However without a deflectors the brass arcs out and over my right arm with no problem. So as an opinion, don't use a deflector.
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Once a Marine, always a Marine. |
Everything from the M16A2 onward in M16 family of weapons, has a "built in" brass deflector on the receiver. Thats what that little "bump" right behind the ejection port is. |
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11B NCO Sorry I'm not one of those give a private a hug guys  |
If you are left eye dominate and left handed then shoot lefty, if you are left eye dominate and right handed then it will be more difficult. You have the option of learning to shoot left handed which will take time to get use to or have to over come the dominance issue, I heard of a method but it does not come to mind at this point. Something about covering your dominate eye to transfer to the non-dominate and in time it can switch, if I recall correctly.
I was about to say the same thing, the only other time that I have heard of using a brass deflector is one that is designed to deflect the brass downward for use for competition shoots or ranges that have benches in close proximity to each other. Other than that the M16A2/A3/A4 and M4/A1 all have the brass deflector built in for the left handed shooters. |
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Once a Marine, always a Marine. |
The M16A1 and earlier models had a cheap plastic brass deflector that you could "snap" into place in the carrying handle. It worked about the same way as the built in ones do now and made the brass go out and to the side as opposed to out and back towards the shooter as they would without the brass deflector. I shoot left handed now. I used to be right eye dominant and am left handed, but glaucoma has taken much of the sight in my right eye and my eye dominance 'switched' to my left eye. (I am not sure when the change happened) Anyway, due to being unable to see to shoot right handed anymore, I retrained myself to shoot left handed. I have an old Colt SP-1 that has no brass deflector (or forward assist). Shooting it left handed, I rarely get brass in my collar or down my sleeve, unless shooting in such a position that allows the brass to bounce of the a nearby obstacle/object and come back at me. (but the same was true when I was shooting right handed as well) Unfortunately, I reckon my shooting days are drawing to a close as glaucoma is taking more and more of my eyesight in my left eye as well. Worst part is, I am only 42. |
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New Member |
I have a problem.
I'm right-eye dominant and right-handed, but I have problems closing my left eye. I can close my left eye, but my right eye is always looking left. However, I have no problems closing my right eye and moving my left eye. Any suggestions on improving my left eye wink? |
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New Member |
Hi everyone,
I'm not American (hense the name) but unless I'm mistaken the "Brass deflector" you are refering to is not intended to stop the ejected cases from violently striking the firer in the face, but to prevent said cases from re-entering the reciver and causing a stoppage! We (the British Army) had lots of problems with the A1 version of our service Rifle until H&K fitted a different cocking handle that incorperates this feature on the A2 I'm sure someone will let me know if I am wrong!! ARTE ET MARTE |
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Once a Marine, always a Marine. |
I reckon you are talking about your L85A1 and L85A2. These are completely different than the M16A1 and M16A2 in reguards to the ejection port/charging handle. If I remember correctly, the L85A1 and L85A2 charging handle "moves" back and forth with the bolt as the bolt is cycling, which I reckon could lead to the "jamming" issues you say were corrected with the addition of the brass deflector to the charging handle of your A2. The charging handle of a M16 series rifle is stationary during firing and is located at the rear of the receiver and not on the side as with the L85 (SA-80) series. The brass deflectors on M16 series weapons are purely for shooter comfort. (i.e., helps to eliminate brass down the collar.) Also, the M16 series is completely "left hand" shooter friendly whereas the L85A1 and L85A2 are not left hand shooter friendly without modification to be shot left handed. This message has been edited. Last edited by: e5l, |
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Once a Marine, always a Marine. |
Only thing I can suggest is practice on keeping your left eye closed. You may be able to do it eventually. OR...Learn to shoot with both eyes open. Both eyes open is easier with a pistol than a rifle. (I can't do it with a rifle.) You can get various gun sights made to be used with both eyes open, though the only one of these I have any experience with the the OEG (Occluded Eye Gunsight) that the Marines had back in the 80's. These type sights are bit pricey, but can be found with simple internet searches. I hope this helps. Edit to add: For recreational shooting, you can also get a cheap eyepatch to wear over your non-shooting eye when firing. This method was also used when I was in boot camp for those who could not close their non shooting eye for rifle qualification at the range. |
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New Member |
Yes, M16A2 and all the rest have built in case deflectors behind (to the left, if seen from the side) of the ejection port. It is not an issue.
I'm not american, nor do I live in the USA, but I did play around a lot with airsoft (1:1 scale replicas that can operate the same as the real thing, minus noise and recoil) where I owned an M16A2. I'm also right handed and very left eye dominant. I even have bad vision on the right eye so I learned after not too long that aiming as a righty was a bad idea. Also had a copy of the US Marine corps M16A2 user manual which I read through (quite a useful collection of information there). Learning how to shoulder the weapon left handed is only odd for a couple of hours. Then it becomes just as comfortable as on the right side. Being able to see well is paramount with weapons relying on dead on accuracy most of the time. It's really no problem at all to learn to shoot this way. Since the M16A2 controls are not ambidextrous, here's a few tips: 1. Operating fire selector switch: Use the left (pistol grip hand) thumb to flip it around. 2. When ejecting a magazine: keep the left hand around the pistol grip. Using your right hand, as you grab the magazine (front fingers around it) at the same time push the thumb sideways against the magazine release button. Then pull the mag out with the same hand. This is similar to how to remove an AK style mag or MP5 series mag. 3. I'm not sure how to manipulate the bolt release when having a new mag in, since my M16A2 replica didn't have that feature. It's impractical to reach for the button, but if one must, I suppose using the left (pistol grip) hand is the way to do it. I think that one should be able to simply pull the charging handle back once for the same effect (which can be done with the right hand). Comments? I don't know if the US military have some other method that they teach/ordain. |
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Once a Marine, always a Marine. |
1. Thats the way I always worked the safety when I switched to left hand shooting. 2. Also the same way I remove the magazine. 3. I simply "loosen" my grip on the pistol grip to give my trigger finger the needed reach to press the bolt release. People with longer fingers, simply need to push the release with their trigger finger, by extending it. True that the controls of the M16 series are not ambidextrous (such as the safety on the M9 pistol is), but they are completely left hand user friendly and can be easily manipulated by both righties and lefties. Also, when a person has been trained for years to react automatically to shoulder a weapon to the right shoulder, significant retraining of oneself is needed to overcome these automatic reactions. I have been shooting lefty since '99 or '00 and still need to consciously carry in a left handed configuration as I still "want" to "naturally" carry a rifle/shotgun in a right handed carry. Repetitive drills done thousands of times is the only way to overcome these automatic reactions and replace them with "new" automatic reactions. |
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New Member |
Hi there e5l, I appreciate that reply.
 I realize that after being very used to training in a certain way, it may be hard to break the habit. I had very little experience (measured in hours rather than days) with long-arms when I did the switch. Although some individuals are more flexible than others, so results probably vary a lot. I agree completely that the ergonomics of the AR15 rifles is 'fine' for left handed and outstanding for right handed. The Russian AK series is atrocious in comparison. A few questions if I may: 1. Can the bolt be released by pulling the charging handle back and releasing it, like any auto-loader handgun? As an alternative to the bolt-release button. 2. Right handed people like ourselves (I presume) are stronger on the right side than the left. When shooting left handed, did you notice any difference in recoil and any increased difficulty with it? Perhaps the left hand can offer a sturdier grip on that plastic flimsy hand guard. |
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Once a Marine, always a Marine. |
1. Yes, if you want to you can pull back the charging handle, thus causing the bolt catch to drop and then let the bolt go forward and strip a fresh round from the top of the new magazine.
The bolt locks back after the last round fired so most folks just push the bolt release. If you are reloading with a fresh mag by dropping a mag with a few rounds still left in it, then you should still have a round in the chamber and need only to seat the magazine. 2. Yes, I am right handed, I switched to left hand shooting due to glaucoma and sight loss in my right eye. I didn't notice any difference in recoil or control issues. When I first started shooting left handed, I actually shot better than I ever did right handed as I had to "think" about it more. Though my groups have loosened up a little now that I shot more automatically than I once did left handed. On another note note, if one so desires, ambidextrous safeties can be gotten for AR-15 platforms for relatively little cost. Though I have not ever thought about getting one for my personal SP-1. Ambidextrous safeties can also be gotten for 1911 platforms and I have been thinking about getting one for mine. Oh yeah, the handguards on AR-15/M-16's are not really flimsy, they'll stand up to a lot of use and abuse.  |
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