Can anyone recommend a left handed gun for some wing shooting. Was thinking maybe an older 1187 or perhaps a benneli montefeltro. Interested in something that can also run 3 inch. Anyone have either and can comment?

I shoot left handed as well and can recommend the Benelli Montefeltro and Super Black Eagle. I've not shot a LH Remington. If you don't need a semi-auto, look for the Browning BPS pump gun. Get it in any gauge you want and the bottom eject and tang safety are ideal for lefties.

I second the BPS if you don’t mind a pump. Been using one for ducks for years. The best semi auto is the Benelli SBE 2 or 3

Nothing wrong with a lefty Remington 11/87 if you can find one. The Remington light contour 11/87 barrels are the smoothest swinging barrels I have ever shot. I carry a lefty Rem 870 in 20 gauge most of the time....mot many of these shotguns to be found.

CZ makes a couple of their shotguns with a stock cast for lefties, if you're looking for a double barrel.

The prior post laid out your options pretty well. I’ve had the 1187 but it seemed to cycle loud or mechanical sounding in IMO. Had the benelli super black eagle 2 and let it go and wish I hadn’t. Was a sweet gun but hadn’t hunted ducks for sometime. Got it used via a brother with connections so price wasn’t such an issue. I’ve kept my 870s both 12 and 20 because I shoot them pretty well but have had them for quite awhile, both are 3 in so figured I could squeeze them into a duck hunt if I had to. I’m still pretty slow on follow up shots so an auto might work better in those instances. Picked up a nos 12 ga 3 1/2 bps in camo for turkey and ducks but hadn’t got to try it out yet. My daughter is a lefty also and we tried the Ithaca 37 but she didn’t like that she couldn’t glance in chamber as easily as the 870s. The montefeltro is on my list as it is smooth swinging and I was optimistic it would do as well as my prior benelli but have not jumped on one yet.

If you can shoulder them and get a feel for each that may help you narrow it some as well. I really like my 20ga 870 for doves but need to find one with the lighter frame as mine is the heavier frame.

Have a couple old lc smiths as well but that is more a nostalgia thing to hunt pheasant with my dad. Not real practical for an all around solution.

Long story longer, I’d jump a montefeltro given the opportunity

My sole shotgun is a LH Benelli SBE. Used primarily for duck hunting and for sporting clays once per year. Carlson .705” modified choke tube seems to give best all around patterns for steel and lead shot.

If I could only have 1 shotgun, it would be my LH Benelli SBE.

I shoot a LH VersaMax for everything except dove and quail. I go with CZ 28’s for those little birds. The Remington has turned out to be a very soft shooter and has been extremely reliable for me.

Curtis.

I shoot a shotgun alot and have shot alot of different shotguns.

A benelli M2 is a great all around shotgun which can be had in a left hand configuration . Me personally i havent seen the need for 3.5" 12 ga.

All that being said, I shoot right handed 870's, Browning A5, Browning Citoris

I can work the safeties and operate them easily.

I've pretty much went exclusively 20 ga, except I kept my old Magnum 12 ga. wingmaster.

I shoot sporting clays with a citori CXS 20 ga, I hunt turkeys with a 870 express youth 20 ga. (this is the handiness shotgun in the world). My field guns are a Browning A5 light 20 with a fixed I.C. barrel and a 870 20 ga light magnum with a 26" remchoke barrel.

I rarely duck hunted, but when i did i used a M2 20 gauge.

Since switching to all 20 ga. for hunting and shooting i haven't noticed a drop in scores or a lack of killing.

The guns are lighter and handy and you don't get beat up by recoil.

I have one of the earlier (circa '91) LH 11-87s. Before that I used a Browning BPS. The 11-87 with the 28" barrel is a little slow on the swing compared to a nice upland gun. However, I've never had any feed or ejection issues with it.

Benelli LH Montefeltro 12 G adjusted and fitted for me

LH Rem 11-87 for Waterfowl and late pheasant.
Had an LH SBE and like other's, regretted selling it, but the 11-87 has held up nicely.
Had a BPS. Great for sitting in a blind, but to heavy for walking the fields.
Ruger Red label 28ga and Mdl 37 lightweight 20ga (with LH safety) for upland.
Unlike today, there wasn't a lot of LH choices when I was growing up, so it was easy to pick a brand.
I would recommend a Mdl 37 if going with a pump and a O/U over an auto if your just going to use it for upland use, not waterfowl.

870 wingmaster

Thanks for all the replies, after rethinking this and being mainly used for upland (pheasants) I may go the O/U route. Looking at the beretta 6 series line and wondering if I need left hand stock or a neutral will suit me. Going to try to handle some later today or this week.

I shoot skeet, trap, and sporting clays, as well as duck and goose hunt. You can throw turkeys in there too.

Started out shooting right handed guns and switching safetys. After college and I could afford left handed guns, I never went back. I had a LH SBEII for 10 or so years. Good gun, but sold it due to recoil with the inertia system. I don't regret selling it at all. Sometimes it would jam my trigger finger against the trigger guard - other times the 3.5" with full inertia would buck pretty good. I wised up and found out I didn't have to absorb all that punishment. So I got a gasser in the form of a LH Berreta A400 with the Kick-Off system. They advertise 70% less kick - I don't know how to measure it, but I bet it's close. That's my go to shotgun now. Along with a LH O/U Berreta 682 with LH palm swell and trigger, a BPS 10ga, and a LH safety Berreta A390 Silver Mallard. Berreta's been making firearms for over 500 years. They're pretty good at it.

How would you compare the recoil of the SBE with the recoil of the BPS 10 gauge?

I own a left-hand 1100 3” that functions just fine with 3 barrels!

And a Winchester 1400 2-3/4” in left hand…..2 barrels.

Maybe sub-standard(compared to some here)……but they work.

As a lefty I have Beretta 686 series I had the stock bent to neutral.... fits me fine. Shooting 32 inch sporting barrel on it now with a set of 20 gauge barrels for skeet. Always wanted a set for 28 gauge barrels for the 12 gauge frame but always late when a used set showed up for sale.

Why Beretta doesn't offer 32 inch 20 and 28 gauge barrels for the 12 gauge frame baffles me.

I have a couple of Ithaca 37s that I had the safety converted to a LH. Not sure if they will take a 3 inch shell as is or if a smith could modify it to accept them.

I'd leave the M37's as they are. Too easy to find a BPS that will handle 3" loads.

Sound advice. I wouldn't mess with a good 37 either. I would spend my time looking for a good bps or even better 870.

I gave my only 37 to a RH son…..#3 of 5. #2 and 4 are both southpaws.

Guess I messed that one up.

My first shotgun was a Browning BPS 3.5 inch in 12 ga. I really like the gun’s features with the bottom eject and tang safety. From what I’ve read I believe my model was built on the 10 ga. frame, so it is big and heavy. It’s a great gun, but like someone mentioned earlier, it is best for sitting in a blind where you don’t have to hold it or carry it so much.

When I decided to get a semi-auto, I went with a Mossberg 930 mostly due to the tang safety that I’m so familiar with. The 930 has served me well and have only had issues when It is very cold, below 20 degrees. The issues are few and far betwee and I’ve leaned that it likes to be cleaned regularly, especially in cold weather.

I’ve been wanting an O/U in 20 ga. for a few years now, but haven’t gotten around to doing the research or handling anything. Just recently i won a CZ Drake in 28 ga. at a Ducks Unlimited banquet. Ive heard good things about the CZ shotguns, but I haven’t picked it up from the FFL yet to really see how I like it. I may try and sell it or trade it and get a 20 ga.if it doesn’t work for me….we’ll see.

You could do a lot worse than a CZ 28 ga. If you haven't tried a 28 gauge, this would be your time.

My 12 SBEII had a much sharper kick when shooting 3.5s as compared to my 10ga BPS shooting 3.5s. My 10ga SxS has even less recoil, but it's got to be north of 10lbs. The A400 12 is much less with the Kick-off and gas. I also shoot 3" out of my Rem 1100 mag and that's an enjoyable gun as well and about the same as my A390

This.

Ha ha..

I've never considered doing it, but just suggesting it might be possible. Mine are 20s, but it might be that the later 12s can handle the 3 inchers.

Factory 3-inch Model 37s are available.

Hey RCer,

Did you know you can turn a right handed Remington safety around to function left handed? That’s what I did on my 1100 before, like you, I bought a LH Benelli M2.

As Jackie_Treehorn said factory Model 37 Ithaca's are available w/a 3 in. chamber. Also you might look for an Ithaca Model 87 which would have the "magnum receiver". If a magnum receiver the model 87 serial # would begin with "MAG".

The older Ithaca's have the standard length receiver and are generally not long enough to eject a 3" shell. The new Ithaca guns made in Ohio are excellent quality and maybe even a little better than the older guns IMO.

I have a brand new lefty Escort 12 ga I would sell
For better pics 574-930-0562

Here is a link to video https://youtu.be/NXO0d3-P980

i did, but it mess's me up, cuz my work 870s are RH.

You guys do know they make LH wingmaster's right?


When I shot trap a lot, I would average 49 out of 50 birds in doubles with the left hander. Its also magic on upland birds and even better on waterfowl. Growing up, I used right handed pumps, both S&W 3000 and a right handed wingmaster, like the one pictured above. I would occasionally get powder and debris in my eyes. This is why I never use a right handed pump or semi-auto these day. Its just not worth the risk of doing damage to your eyes. Just my take and experience on running right handed shot guns. Over and unders are great, as are good fitting side by sides.

I liked mine so well I bought two one in 2000 and the other in 2003 I also have 3 barrels....two are mobile choked and one is the later Crio choke barrel.

I hear ya there - and a little more important to get it right there!

Buy a Benelli. Their stocks can be adjusted to fit a left hand shooter. They make several left hand versions, but all of mine are right hand because I carry a shotgun with one hand, the left, and the bolt knob is in the way for that. I don’t mind right hand ejection. The safety is convertible to left hand.