Home Forums Hunting & Shooting The Lefty Forum What pump shotgun are you using?

I'm a lefty and no lover of pump guns though I have two of them. One is my Dad's Ithaca 37 and the other a snow camo 870 that was just too inexpensive to pass up. I much prefer SxS's and O/U's. The only semi I own is a Sweet 16 Browning.

Despite my lack of fondness for pumps I will say the 870 is darn near indestructible and I've had to train on one for nearly 20 years. I am also a shotgun instructor for our agency and our only long gun is the 870.

From a tactical shooting stand point a right handed 870 works better for a lefty than does a left handed 870. Ejection port loads are more easily performed by left handed shooters with a right handed gun. Right handers have to curl their hand over or under the receiver to ejection port load whereas a left handed shooter simply has to pluck a round from the side saddle and drop it in the open ejection port. None of this matters to the hunter I'm sure but if tactical shooting is in the future it is a consideration.

A pump gun is the one time I would deliberately choose a right handed gun over a left handed one. But then I wouldn't normally choose a pump gun for myself.

I started out with an Ithaca 37 with the safety reversed (easy to do) but switched to a Browning BPS Upland Special because I prefer the tang safety and short barrel. I use the BPS for turkey, predators, and geese and an Ithaca O/U or right-hand Beretta (safety reversed) for everything else. I love everything about the BPS as a pump and it's served me well. And the tang safety is great for the occasional right-handed shot when needed.

Mossberg 835 with tang safety. I love it. It's a tank

870 Special Field 12 with the safety reversed.

Gramps's Western Field 550A 20, C-LECT Choke, with a walnut stock.

Stevens 311, 12. Feels 2x4ish but I like the damn thing.

Browning BPS and Ithaca Model 37 - both are bottom ejection.

Get a BPS, you won't regret it.

I have 5 ithacas and 2 BPSs. Both are good but I prefer the Ithacas.

i use the ithaca mod 37 with safety turned around.the rem 870 can be bought with lh port as an option

I have 3 Ithaca 37's and for many years had a BPS in 20 ga. Overall I much prefer the Ithaca's although I will say the safety on the Browning is hard to beat. My model 37 12 ga. is lighter than my 20 ga. BPS was and both have 28 in. barrels. Also tried a model 12 with the safety switched but still like the Ithacas best.

870TC for trap



Ithaca 20 ga Supreme Grade, safety reversed, for dove & quail