History Main / RightHandedLeftHandedGuns

** This is more because of its intended use than anything else (Samuel Colt actually was left-handed, but he died about a decade before the SAA was designed). Pistols were originally meant to be used by officers and mounted units as a secondary weapon to their swords. Revolvers were worn in a cross draw holster high on the right hip for easy access from a saddle; they were historically used by cavalry ''far'' more often than by infantry (even nowadays, plenty of soldiers will tell you that, ounce for ounce, a couple extra grenades beats a pistol any day of the week). The SAA was originally intended for use by cavalry, and the .45 Long Colt cartridge, much like the massive Colt Walker, was intended to be powerful enough to bring down either man ''or horse'' with one shot.

Another explanation for this trope that has been offered by gamers and game makers is that, in cases where a gun in a game is ''based'' on a gun in real life but that the developer has not officially licensed, mirroring the gun gives enough distance from its real world counterpart to be able to dissuade possible legal action for copyright infringement.

** The PKP in ''Modern Warfare 3'' is reversed, presumably to make the belt more visible like with the other machine guns. Similarly, the Saiga 12 in ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps2'' and the AWM in ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyGhosts'' have left-sided ejection ports (the latter combined with a right-handed bolt handle anyway, just to anger gun enthusiasts further).

In a real right handed gun, the ejection port almost always ejects spent casings to the right, away from the shooter. There's a good reason for this; spent casings are typically extremely hot and can be ejected with significant force; although many conventional service weapons like the AR-15/M16 family are designed for ambidextrous operation without need of conversion, using some weapons in the "wrong" hand is potentially dangerous. This is especially true of bullpup weapons. The Austrian Steyr AUG and French FAMAS require conversion for left-hand operation, while the British Army simply trains everyone to use the [=SA80/L85=] and its derivatives right-handed, period. The FN F2000 uses a forward-ejection system for ambi use, but is prohibitively expensive and has some functioning issues, while the P90 SMG/PDW ejects downward and is generally well-liked.

* All ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}}'' games do this, despite their otherwise sensible [[FacklerScaleOfFPSRealism FPS realism]]. This includes using left-handed [=SA80=]'s and [=OTs-14=] "Grozas" without explaining how the player avoids breaking his jaw with the moving bolt handle. Then again, it's also not explained why the Enfield's being fired with the barrel cover still on. Only one mod for one game attempts to marginally fix the issue by making the cartridges fly off to the right... except that, given that the weapons' worldmodels are reversed, ''there's no ejection port on the right side of most of the guns''.
** Newer mods have addressed this via complete overhauls of the in-game weapons. [[MST3KMantra Many players are still willing to overlook this issue in favor of the series' otherwise immersive world and excellent (not counting the bugs) gameplay]].

** Averted also in ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor: Underground''.

* Every gun in the ''VideoGames/{{Borderlands}}'' games have their magazine either at the bottom or on the left side while every playable character is right-handed, no matter how little sense it makes to hold a gun by the stock to reload it (even when the magazine is at the bottom). Again, this series is all about [[RuleOfCool looking cool as hell]] while shooting bad guys with [[CoolGuns otherwordly cool guns]], then [[MST3KMantra who cares?]]

* AK series weapons have an ejection port on the right side that is far enough away from the shooter so that you can shoot it lefty. Whilst all the controls are on the right, they are all simple enough to operate them with either the support hand or firing hand with ease from either side, no matter the handedness of the operator.

* The M1 Garand and Short Magazine Lee-Enfield from UsefulNotes/WorldWarII both had sniper mods featuring scopes that were mounted to the left of the receiver, rather than above like most other scoped weapons, so as not to block the insertion (or, in the case of the Garand, ejection) of their clips when the user needed to reload. The improved Lee-Enfield No.4's sniper mod, the No.4 (T), averted this, using a 90-degree bent mount that fits to the left side of the receiver but still places the optic on the weapon's centerline.

Several game companies have spoken out as to why this is reversed in videogames; mainly, it's for the GunPorn effect. The left side of a right-handed gun is typically fairly flat and less visually interesting than the various moving parts, levers and controls found on the right; in addition, there's an opinion that ejecting brass across the screen rather than off to the side is more "dynamic." The only guns that tend to escape this treatment are belt-fed machine guns, since the belt is interesting to look at and makes for a nicely in-depth reload that would be harder to see with the weapon reversed (machine guns that feed from the right, as such, tend to be reversed even in games where this trope is otherwise not used), and revolvers, since a typical revolver's cylinder already swings out to the left for reloading and they don't have an ejection port. Any game using this trope is also likely to have a lot of superfluous yanking of the charging handle during reloads, because, well, it's right there after all.

* ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'' may have started this trope. The modeler for the game was apparently left-handed and wanted to play the game like that. So he created realistically-modeled guns being used left-handed. However, since playing with a left-handed gun is confusing for most of the right-handed world, they added an option for a right-handed model. Of course, to save time and resources, they simply [[AmbidextrousSprite mirrored the left-handed gun models]]. Every other ''CS''-like GameMod for late-90's shooters has the same issue; either a bizarre and in-depth case of FollowTheLeader, or proof that the ''Counter-Strike'' modeler was the only person in the world at the time who modeled weapons for game mods.

* This happens a lot when people customise their miniatures for games such as ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer4000}}'' and do not pay attention. Sometimes the hand wielding the weapon is also wrong. Others do it intentionally for the Orks, because Orks genuinely don't care about such petty details like gun safety.

* Zig-zagged in ''Videogame/PlanetSide 2''. There is little rhythm or reason to the placement of mechanisms on guns. Almost every TR weapon ejects to the right or downward, but the placement of the charging handle is seemingly random - the [[GatlingGood Mini Chaingun]] fires caseless ammo and has the bolt on the left, the CARV LMG both ejects and bolts on the right, and the TRAP-M1 loads from the right, ejects left and bolts ''backwards'', which would have a good chance of whacking the shooter in the chin when aiming down the sights. Every gun's fire selector is animated on the left even when the gun has no visible selector switch; the [=T4 AMP=] has the user flick the grip when switching from semi to fully automatic.

* ''VideoGame/FarCry2'' goes to a ridiculous extent with this, doing it even when it results in a horribly awkward animation (your right-handed character using a Springfield with a lefty bolt, despite his thumb being ''painfully'' in the way of the bolt's travel and never moving) or really wouldn't matter (the upward-ejecting Desert Eagle has the barrel lock swapped, the downward-ejecting Ithaca 37 has a left-sided ejection port added on). Even the PKM which already ejects to the left is mirrored, this time so the belt is more visible (as such the M249 is the only weapon that ''isn't'' reversed - other than the M32 GrenadeLauncher, but [[YouDontLookLikeYou it has its own problems]]). ''VideoGame/FarCry3'' and ''[[VideoGame/FarCry4 4]]'' for the most part do away with this (in particular being some of the very few games to let the PKM feed from the right and eject to the left like in real life), but still has some holdouts like the returning Dragunov and the new [=M1A=].

* ''VideoGame/{{Postal}} 2'' has a rather strange example. When you find a shotgun or sniper rifle on the ground, they will have a right-handed ejection port and bolt, but then once you pick it up and use it, the port/bolt is suddenly reversed. The corollary about simply flipping the right-side model for GunsAkimbo also comes up with the ''Paradise Lost'' DLC, though that's actually a lesser concern than, say, how the Dude makes a second copy of his current gun appear out of nowhere for a minute just from drinking a can of soda.

* ''VideoGame/HaloReach'''s DMR ejects spent cases to the right, but the charging handle is on the left and visibly slides back and forth with each shot, putting the user's face in danger if he should ever look down the sight when firing.
** In a neat aversion, your Spartan can unlock a piece of armor which makes your left arm robotic and switches your use to that arm.

* ''[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R. 2]]'' has one particular odd standout of this trope among an otherwise-complete aversion to it with the SHO Series-3 shotgun: among the many embellishments added to its real-world base to make the in-game model are the bolt and case deflector of a [=C7/M16A2=] - on the left-hand side, the opposite of where they would be on the rifle they came from. Why this is the case is unknown, since they're entirely cosmetic anyway; the bolt doesn't move when pumping the shotgun (then again, pumping it at all [[GoodBadBugs is apparently optional]] - that animation is skipped when you fire the gun while aiming), and the gun still properly ejects shells to the right like the previous game's VK-12.

* One of the real-world reasons ''Series/StargateSG1'' switched its main weapon from the [=MP5=] to the P90 was because the latter weapon ejects spent cartridges straight down, versus the former ejecting cartridges violently out to the right, making it safer to have the actors standing next to each other while firing when one episode called for such a scene.

* Averted, interestingly, in the grand-daddy of all modern FPS games, ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'': the marine in that game is actually left handed. Except when using the shotgun.

* In ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', one of the changes from the old E-11 blaster rifle to the newer F-11D used by the First Order is that the power pack (magazine) is moved to the right-hand side. In-universe, this is actually an aversion of the trope, since it allows right-handed users (which, like in reality, the majority of people in ''Franchise/StarWars'' are) to holster the weapon on their right to be easily accessed by their firing hand, and it being a blaster rifle means there's no issue of ejecting cartridges. The only issue would be the necessity of removing the firing hand from the grip to reload in a manner that doesn't involve [[GangstaStyle holding the blaster awkwardly]], but power packs last so long that [[BottomlessMagazines they may as well be infinite]], so that issue is unlikely to ever even come up.

* One of the real-world reasons ''Series/StargateSG1'' switched its main weapon from the [=MP5=] to the P90 was because the latter weapon ejects spent cartridges straight down, making it safer to have the actors standing next to each other while firing when one episode called for such a scene.

* In ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', one of the changes from the old E-11 blaster rifle to the newer F-11D used by the First Order is that the power pack (magazine) is moved to the right-hand side. In-universe, this is actually an aversion of the trope, since it allows right-handed users (which the majority of people in ''Franchise/StarWars'' are) to holster the weapon on their right to be easily accessed by their firing hand, and it being a blaster rifle means there's no issue of ejecting cartridges. The only issue would be the necessity of removing the firing hand from the grip to reload in a manner that doesn't involve [[GangstaStyle holding the blaster awkwardly]], but power packs last so long that [[BottomlessMagazines they may as well be infinite]], so the issue is unlikely to ever even come up.

** Direction neutral design: The P90 feeds from the top and ejects rounds downward. The F2000 ejects rounds ''forward'' into a tube along the side of the rifle before they go out to the right near the front, making the problem moot. The Ithaca model 37 shotgun has a unique combined loading and ejection port, which ejects spent shells downwards. The Browning M2 can be set up to load ammo belts from either side, since it's designed to be used in several different mountings, including side by side and quad-mount (like Charlie's sled from ''Film/WaterWorld''), which require flexible feeding and ejecting mechanisms.

* Averted, interestingly, in the grand-daddy of all modern FPS games, ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'': the marine in that game is actually left handed.

* In ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', one of the changes from the old E-11 blaster rifle to the newer F-11D used by the First Order is that the power pack (magazine) is moved to the right-hand side. In-universe, this is actually an aversion of the trope, since it allows right-handed users (which the majority of people in ''Franchise/StarWars'' are) to holster the weapon on their right to be easily accessed by their firing hand, and it being a blaster rifle means there's no issue of ejecting cartridges.

* In ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', one of the changes from the old E-11 blaster rifle to the newer F-11D used by the First Order is that the power pack (magazine) is moved to the right-hand side. In-universe, this is actually an aversion of the trope, since it allows right-handed users (which the majority of people in ''Franchise/StarWars'' are) to holster the weapon on their right to be easily accessed by their firing hand, and being a blaster rifle means there's no issue of ejecting cartridges.

* One of the reasons ''Series/StargateSG1'' switched its main weapon from the [=MP5=] to the P90 was because the latter weapon ejects spent cartridges straight down, making it safer to have the actors standing next to each other while firing when one episode called for such a scene.

* The loading gate on a Colt Single Action Army revolver is on the right-hand side; a right-handed shooter has to transfer the gun to his/her left hand to reload in a non-awkward fashion. By the way - Samuel Colt was left-handed. He also died 10 years before the weapon was manufactured.
** Pistols were originally meant to be used by officers and mounted units as a secondary weapon to their swords. Revolvers were worn in a cross draw holster high on the right hip for easy access from a saddle; they were historically used by cavalry ''far'' more often than by infantry (and even nowadays, plenty of soldiers will tell you that, ounce for ounce, a couple extra grenades beats a pistol any day of the week). The SAA was originally intended for use by cavalry, and the .45 Long Colt cartridge, much like the massive Colt Walker, was intended to be powerful enough to bring down either man ''or horse'' with one shot.
*** In 1914, French officers were still expected to use their sidearm in conjunction with a sword. As a result, their standard-issue pistol in WWI was a revolver whose cylinder swings out to the right, for use in the left hand.

* The loading gate on a Colt Single Action Army revolver is on the right-hand side; a right-handed shooter has to transfer the gun to his/her left hand to reload in a non-awkward fashion. By the way - Samuel Colt was left-handed.

** ''Global Offensive'' actually inverts this trope - the weapons are now modeled correctly for right-handed use, and the series-standard ability to switch sides mirrors the left-side models. Part of this can probably be thanked on the game reusing modified models of some ''[=L4D2=]'' weapons, which were already correctly modeled for right-handed use.

** Akimbo in ''Modern Warfare 2'', at least for the USP, results in a combination of correct and incorrect models - the right-hand gun is modeled as it should be (or close enough, given the above), while the left-hand one is, to save on resources, [[AmbidextrousSprite just a reversed copy of the right one.]] Other dual-wieldable guns tend to avert this, however; submachine guns in general likely do because they have their stocks folded to one side, which would make it incredibly obvious if the model was reversed.

* One episode of ''Series/{{Spooks}}'' has Tom, while undercover with a British infantry unit, stops a private from firing his [=SA80=] assault rifle left-handed because the bolt would have flown back and possibly broken the private's orbital bone. This leads the colonel Tom's investigating to go into an angry rant about the rifle's shortcomings and the government inefficiency that led to its development.

** Ease of changing parts: The Steyr AUG for example, requires a quick change of the bolt and moving the ejection port cover to the other side; the weapon is issued with a spare bolt with the extractor and ejector on the opposite side for this purpose. In a reversal, however, the "AUG NATO" version, which is compatible with STANAG magazines, can only be used right-handed.

** The [=SA80/L85=] cannot be operated left-handed, therefore ''everybody'' in the British Army shoots right-handed, no matter what. This is a common complaint against this rifle, even if the [=L85A2=] model fixed most of the many reliability problems.

* The Chinese QBB-95, a light machine gun variant of the QBZ-95, is designed to use 75-round drum magazines rather than belted ammo. Since using a drum mag on a bullpup would be incredibly awkward to hold and fire, the drums are a proprietary design where [[http://milpas.cc/rifles/ZFiles/Machine%20Guns/Type%2095%20and%2097/Type%2095%20and%2097_files/type95drum.jpg the open end of the magazine is offset to the right]], so the actual drum is closer to the chest area and not in the way of the shooter's arm. Of course, this would mean it would be even more awkward than normal for a left-handed shooter to use (and it hasn't stopped the gun from appearing in ''Counter-Strike Online'', either).

* ''VideoGame/FarCry2'' goes to a ridiculous extent with this, doing it even when it results in a horribly awkward animation (your right-handed character using a Springfield with a lefty bolt, despite his thumb being ''painfully'' in the way of the bolt's travel and never moving) or really wouldn't matter (the upward-ejecting Desert Eagle has the barrel lock swapped, the downward-ejecting Ithaca 37 has a left-sided ejection port added on). Even the PKM which already ejects to the left is mirrored, this time so the belt is more visible. ''VideoGame/FarCry3'' and ''[[VideoGame/FarCry4 4]]'' for the most part do away with this (in particular being some of the very few games to let the PKM feed from the right and eject to the left like in real life), but still has some holdouts like the returning Dragunov and the new [=M1A=].

* ''VideoGame/{{Postal}} 2'' has a similar, strange example. When you find a shotgun or sniper rifle on the ground, they will have a right-handed ejection port and bolt, but then once you pick it up and use it, the port/bolt is suddenly reversed.

** Akimbo in ''Modern Warfare 2'', at least for the USP, results in a combination of correct and incorrect models - the right-hand gun is modeled as it should be (or close enough, given the above), while the left-hand one is, to save on resources, [[AmbidextrousSprite just a reversed copy of the right one.]] Other dual-wieldable guns tend to avert this, however; submachine guns in general likely do because they have folding stocks that would make it incredibly obvious if the model was reversed.

** ''VideoGame/UnrealTournamentIII'' justifies this for its returning, dual-wieldable Enforcer pistol, which is clearly designed with the ability to load its magazines from either side.

* ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' does this like a combination of the earlier ''Marathon'' and the later ''Battlefield: Bad Company'' - some weapons are modeled correctly for right-handed use, while others would fit better for left-handed users. Grab a second one, and that one's model will merely be a flipped copy of the first one. ''Perfect Dark Zero'' avoids giving right-handed people left-handed guns for the most part (exactly one rifle has a left-sided ejection port), but continues flipping the model for one-handed guns used akimbo.
* ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' generally mirrors a gun's sprite/model for GunsAkimbo. The exception is the SawedOffShotgun of ''Blood II'', which has your character hold the second one with a ''second right hand'' where their left hand should be. The ''Extra Crispy'' GameMod fixes this.

* ''Videogame/Fallout4'' does this with the bolt-action hunting rifle. Every single one of the hunting rifles in the Commonwealth is a left-handed model, with the bolt hanging over the left of the stock. Yet the player character holds the weapon right-handed, meaning they must hold onto the rifle by the pistol grip to awkwardly cycle the weapon after every shot. The direction Bethesda took here is very confusing, as the hunting rifle from their previous Fallout games were modelled correctly.
** Most firearms in Fallout 4 are like this.

** Direction neutral design: The P90 feeds from the top and ejects rounds downward. The F2000 ejects rounds ''forward'' before they go out to the right, making the problem moot. The Ithaca model 37 shotgun has a unique combined loading and ejection port, which ejects spent shells downwards. The Browning M2 can be set up to load ammo belts from either side, since it's designed to be used in several different mountings, including side by side and quad-mount ([[Film/WaterWorld like Charlie's sled]]), which require flexible feeding and ejecting mechanisms.
** While not direction neutral, lever-action rifles and pump-action firearms tend to at least be control neutral, since the loading mechanism is located under the receiver rather than on either side, most are comfortable for both right and left-hand shooters.

* ''Videogame/Fallout4'' does this with the bot-action hunting rifle. Every single one of the hunting rifles in the Commonwealth is a left-handed model, with the bolt hanging over the left of the stock. Yet the player character holds the weapon right-handed, meaning they must hold onto the rifle by the pistol grip to awkwardly cycle the weapon after every shot. The direction Bethesda took here is very confusing, as the hunting rifle from their previous Fallout games were modelled correctly.
** ..... Most firearms in Fallout 4 are like this.