question about shooting in NS

[daryle]

i did a simple google search and received a lot of information that left handed people are taught to shoot the SAR21 the right handed way due to the risk of cheek burn in the case of bullet manufacturing defect.

my question is for people that got to handle the SAR21 most recently: is this still being carried out in the SAF?

i'm left handed. i play guitar right handed but i still do everything else with my left hand. I fired a rifle once a few years back but that was an M16 with the cartridges deflecting to the left. I can only imagine how... difficult it will be to end up firing a rifle with the butt on my right shoulder.

It's demoralising. Obviously i'm not going to die just because i can't fire a rifle the way i prefer. But it's still demoralising.

 

[hasanur]

yup its still being carried out. u still have to shoot with your right hand...

 

[hifi_killer]

if i remembered correctly, for the left handed guys, there is a deflector attachment for the rifle.

If you dont get posted to an infantry vocation, chances are you'll be using m16. which is better i think.

however for SAW, GPMG, Matador, and M203 i dont think there is a left handed way of shooting.

 

[EADGBe]

I am a leftie all the way tho I play the guitar the right way. But let's pause for a moment and figure this -

Firstly, left handers would mean we are strong with our left hands. Hence, when we hold the rifle (at the barrel), we would then be steadier and hence more accurate in our shooting. It is true for me since I was always one of the few top shooters back in my army days.

Secondly, with the guitar, we perhaps finger better on the chords, patterns, riffs and whatever else.

The right hand, is just there to squeeze the trigger or pick the notes, strum the strings.

A golf professional told me once that lefties are better at golf because it is the left that that actually determine the power and the accuracy of the swing (when you swing the right normal way)!

Lastly, at least for this post, the right brain (creative side) controls the left hand. That should make us more creative in the use of our left hand, don't you think.

 

[daryle]

I am a leftie all the way tho I play the guitar the right way. But let's pause for a moment and figure this -

Firstly, left handers would mean we are strong with our left hands. Hence, when we hold the rifle (at the barrel), we would then be steadier and hence more accurate in our shooting. It is true for me since I was always one of the few top shooters back in my army days.

Secondly, with the guitar, we perhaps finger better on the chords, patterns, riffs and whatever else.

The right hand, is just there to squeeze the trigger or pick the notes, strum the strings.

A golf professional told me once that lefties are better at golf because it is the left that that actually determine the power and the accuracy of the swing (when you swing the right normal way)!

Lastly, at least for this post, the right brain (creative side) controls the left hand. That should make us more creative in the use of our left hand, don't you think.

Haha. Nah, i don't give a shit about creativity or increased intelligence anymore. in the end it's all about how much effort you put into life. and anyway, i'm right legged, so that doesn't make my body use the right side of the brain as much as it would if i were completely "left-sided".

i used to take pride in my left-handedness when i was much younger. I have since grown out of that and left that fact alone. Nowadays i even get people challenging me when i say stuff like "er.. can i move the computer mouse to this side? I'm left handed" or "can i hold that this way instead? im left handed".

I get responses like "so what?", "you left handed you think you're some special big F***?".



I'm asking about shooting the rifle because... seriously i'd be much more comfortable shooting something from the left. Let's just hope this doesn't hinder me in the army.

 

[optisailor2002]

the reason why you are taught to shoot using your right hand is due to the design of the sar 21, which unlike the m16, isnt designed to accommodate a deflector. (that's afaik, correct me if im wrong)

in addition, the "controls" on the sar21 (i.e. safe button and the handguard) are also designed for a better grip using the right hand on the hand grip.

thus the reasons for left-handed people to be trained to fire using the right hand.

 

[Godspeed64]

The extractor's on the right.. No matter what you'd be taught to shoot it as a right-handed would.. But it doesn't really matter.. A couple of months (just nice BMT) would sort everything out.. :mrgreen:

 

[blueprintstudios]

"when u pee u hold ur 'gun' with ur left or right hand?"
"right/left"
"so? both also aim and boboshoot. does it matter as long as u hit the target?"

 

[billthegeek]

While I know there exist left-handed rifles, there are no left-handed SAR21 rifles in SAF. Everything in the army is standardised. So in the event of a war, you can simply grab any rifle and go fighting.

 

[DeathCubeK]

SAR 21 is a right handed weapon. You have to force yourself to adapt and learn. Anyway marksmanship is not really very important in any context in the SAF unless you're a sniper or section sharpshooter. As long as you can pass you will do fine. Worry more bout your fitness.

 

[junkiemanxl]

I never even held a SAR 21 before. M16's, SAW, M201 and MG's yes...
shows how old i am...
btw, are we guys even allowed to discuss this openly?
hehehe

 

[shinobi]

i don't think sar21 can be fitted with a deflector. i don't know whether BMTC still uses m16 (more like AR15) but when i was in NS many of the combat units had already started using sar21. this includes the MONO intakes. since it may not be necessary that one be posted to bmtc upon enlistment.

shooting rifle is shooting rifle. playing guitar is playing guitar. right handed guitarists usually have more dexterity in the right hand. that is all. left hand is not any more important for shooting than your entire body posture and breathing technique.

regarding safety, the round casing hitting your face is far less threatening than a chamber explosion, which is not impossible. a deflector is not gonna save you from that.

anyway when you first start learning how to shoot everyone is noob, so what does it matter. there is alot more technique involved in shooting that merely your hand action. being able to squeeze the trigger perfectly does not guarantee you a perfect shot. if you sprint 50 meters, prone and then shoot, trigger control is the least of your problems.

and on a separate note, someone mentioned about the left brain controlling the right hand. that is true. but the suggestion that the left hand is 'more creative' than the right hand is rubbish. firstly, hands cannot be creative. hands do not have free will nor can they think. hands do not have their own brains. YOUR hand is using YOUR brain and obviously you use your entire brain to think.

we are also not born as shredders. inborn capability plays some part but the bulk of it is achieved through hard work. your master hand may be the stronger hand but it is only useful through practice. i know a few gifted guitarists who are left handed but learned to play the guitar the right handed way from day one. obviously they would have reached the same level of competence more quickly if they played left handed. but ultimately it doesnt matter. if you were to ask these guys to play left handed they couldn't do it.

 

[ciki]

i have never handle it before as well, same goes for saw, mgs blah blah...never will get the chance to handle them, only m16..since handling shells is my main role now...

 

[theliverevolution]

The reason why everyone fires the SAR 21 right-handed is not just because of the deflector issue. While that is one reason, another reason is at the butt, a kevlar plate has been fitted to the left of the rifle. So in the case of a chamber explosion, if you fire right-handed, then your face would not suffer because the kevlar blocks the blast.

But seriously, I don't see the point in the kevlar. If you got a chamber explosion, it's your frigging fault because you didn't clean your rifle properly!!

There ARE left-handed SARs, but its only for export. There aren't enough lefties in Singapore to force SAF to consider left-handed SARs to be used.

What they should do is to make a rifle that operates very similiar to a P90. The SMG, not the pick-up. I've played with the P90 in my army stint. It is really, fully ambidexterous. The cartidge loads from the top, the bullets fall out from the bottom. What DSTA should do is to create a rifle that operates very similarly so that righties and lefties have no qualms picking up and firing it.

But a lot of guns are all right-handed only, the same way most guitars are many right-hand biased. There aren't enough lefties to create a substantial demand for leftie equipment.

 

[ciki]

"What they should do is to make a rifle that operates very similiar to a P90. The SMG, not the pick-up."

haha..similiar names but different weapons!

 

[hifi_killer]

if you use universal rounds..
left hand/right hand/sar21/m16 wont have problem..

 

[van_halen]

^ haha. may as well use toy gun

 

[daryle]

The reason why everyone fires the SAR 21 right-handed is not just because of the deflector issue. While that is one reason, another reason is at the butt, a kevlar plate has been fitted to the left of the rifle. So in the case of a chamber explosion, if you fire right-handed, then your face would not suffer because the kevlar blocks the blast.

But seriously, I don't see the point in the kevlar. If you got a chamber explosion, it's your frigging fault because you didn't clean your rifle properly!!

There ARE left-handed SARs, but its only for export. There aren't enough lefties in Singapore to force SAF to consider left-handed SARs to be used.

What they should do is to make a rifle that operates very similiar to a P90. The SMG, not the pick-up. I've played with the P90 in my army stint. It is really, fully ambidexterous. The cartidge loads from the top, the bullets fall out from the bottom. What DSTA should do is to create a rifle that operates very similarly so that righties and lefties have no qualms picking up and firing it.

But a lot of guns are all right-handed only, the same way most guitars are many right-hand biased. There aren't enough lefties to create a substantial demand for leftie equipment.

i noticed a small "vent hole" on the right side of the SAR-21's butt. i did some research before making this thread and found that in case of chamber explosion, the heat actually is expelled from there.

so if it rests on my left shoulder while that happens, it's likely to burn my face.

anyway, i've already long accepted the fact that i must shoot the rifle in the right handed manner.

Shinobi, thank you for your advice. I understand what you're saying.

anyway when i first started the 6 string, i had some trouble coping with the awkward right handedness. i'm not sure if you've experienced this before but it's extremely frustrating especially if you've spent your entire life, particularly your developing childhood years doing everything left handed.

true, there's a lot more to playing guitar than just the picking hand but everyone hopes for a less frustrating and less awkward start, do we not?

Not long after, i got completely used to the right handed instrument but that was with months of practice.

I agree with your point that in the end, learning an instrument, weapon, tool, skill is mostly about determination, discipline and interest.

But i maintain my stand that if you make a left handed person do something right handed, he/she is going to go through a harder, more frustrating beginning phase.

 

[junkiemanxl]

The SAF should just issues all its soldiers with laser blasters!
No shells and exploding rounds in your face
hehehe
That day will come

 

[DeathCubeK]

i don't think sar21 can be fitted with a deflector. i don't know whether BMTC still uses m16 (more like AR15) but when i was in NS many of the combat units had already started using sar21. this includes the MONO intakes. since it may not be necessary that one be posted to bmtc upon enlistment.

BMTC have all changed to SAR21. Not too sure bout Mono intake for Infantry, but since BMT changed it like 1.5 years ago, I suppose other units have done the same as well. I know some units are still using M16, last I heard in arty they still use it.