Thoughts on ambidexterity?

[hudson5969]

I'd like to run this by you guys.

I keep coming across people advocating for fighting from their strong side only.  They willrecommend,for instance all of the reloads for your primary being on the weak sideof the rig/plate carrier, and only admin stuff on the strong side.  The logic being, you weak side hand will be reloading, so all magazines should be on that side (including for the secondary if carrying one).  They also like to put knives or compression bandages on the off-side shoulder.  Their logic being "how often does anybody really transfer to the off shoulder?"

I'm no paragon of expertise, but in the training I do have, it was always stressed to have as ambidextrous a loadout as possible, and to not only practice weak-side, but to practice dynamic transfers (transfers while shooting).  It wasn't about shooting off-side if wounded so much as things like clearing corners.  For instance, if you are right-handed and clearing a corner to your right, you expose much less of yourself by firing from the left shoulder, than exposing your entire torso to fire from the right shoulder.  There's also a good reason not to crowd the cover like I always see people doing -- you actually expose more of yourself to fire, and potentially take more damage from spalling when the cover is hit, but that's a different discussion.

How do you guys do it/teach it?

[panzer0170]

I shall break this down as best as I can;

SA80 - right handed only. Ideally if rounding a right hand corner you get a support weapon up front to clear the corner (Minimi, ideally) Given the option I would like to be able to transfer, for the reasons you've outlined.

Pistols - Carried on whatever your preferred side is. I have seen GPMG gunners carry them lefty because they can't draw righty and get their primary out of the way. Riflemen across chest strong side, in a drop leg strong side. The trick here I think is pick a side and stick with it.

Med gear - Needs to be accessible from both sides. If you are getting it out there is a reason, and you don't know which bit of you got shot or fell off or twisted so it doesn't work anymore.

The main advantage of fighting strong side only is, probably, muscle memory. More reps of the same shit, over and over again.

No piece of gear, where possible, should interfere with any use of other gear. Obviously, everything does.
Doesn't mean you can't mitigate issues where possible. Why strap something on your shoulder if it's going to get in the way? Now if you(the hypothetical user) can argue that you'll never go left round cover? Go for it. I think that person is wrong, but it's up to individuals to justify.

I think you need to START strong side, and you need to get fluid before you start going all ambi, certainly with firearms.

With medical gear you need to come from the other end; Make sure you can use both hands independantly as soon as possible, as effectively as possible.

[UnforseenWeather]

I've only trained with one group that *insisted* on training people ambidextrously... as in, it was part of the curriculum and had to do it. And they would get earfuls from students who just wanted to focus on what they were good at. It was optional for the other places I've trained at.

I won't lie and say I always practice or train with my off-hand, but I have done it.

[hudson5969]

I guess I'm more wondering why one would be dogmatic about setting up your gear such that you CAN'T use it ambidextrously (having magazines as far to your weak side as possible,having things strapped to your weak side shoulder (never mind wearing a ruck), etc.


Panzer,just another example of bullpups sucking at life. At least the FS2000 tried farting out the front to avoid this.

[panzer0170]

90% of all the problems attributed to the SA80 were because it was designed around a cartridge and then built in another one. I quite like it, and I reckon I could fight it better than I could fight an AR/AK. It has shortcomings individually, indeed. But used as it was designed it does a cracking job - As part of a section it's rather awesome.

Bullpups get a ribbing - But if no one tried anything new, we'd be hitting each other with rocks, or perhaps bones, rather than having this spirited discussion over thousands of miles through magic light and radio boxes

[hudson5969]

Perhaps, but when we fix bayonets after all of those little boolits bounce off each of us, my spear will be bigger than yours. 

[panzer0170]

It's not about the size, it's about how you use it. That's what the Mrs. always says

[hudson5969]

She lied.