Left or right-handed ?

[Gone]

I've just discarded my original response - as rootschat informed me somebody else had just  posted.   Ref the handwriting, I agree with the majority.

In the era of Waterloo, the majority of people couldn't write, and I doubt the sergeant major would have allowed anyone to be different on the parade ground. The men would have been drilled and nobody would have been allowed to jerk the wrong elbow when following routine, otherwise they'd be peeling spuds or some such punishment.  I'm left handed, my handwriting leans forward - at school I was handed a right-handed hockey stick and our teacher had us fall into a line practising "dribble, dribble, dribble, hit"; "dribble, dribble, dribble, hit".   "You girl, not like that, do as you're told"

My lefthanded dad was forced to use his right hand and had beautiful ambidextrous handwriting. The beauty of being ambidestrous (through necessity) is that you can use tools with either hand.  both of us can mirror write and don't think we can't read something because it's upside down lol.   So I think your chap could use his rifle EXPERTLY with either hand.

It's still illegal to use a left handed hockey stick in official competition according to FIH rules.
And I seem to remember hearing some years ago it was illegal to even own one.
Griff

[Rena]

at school I was handed a right-handed hockey stick and our teacher had us fall into a line practising "dribble, dribble, dribble, hit"; "dribble, dribble, dribble, hit".   "You girl, not like that, do as you're told"

My lefthanded dad was forced to use his right hand and had beautiful ambidextrous handwriting. The beauty of being ambidestrous (through necessity) is that you can use tools with either hand.  both of us can mirror write and don't think we can't read something because it's upside down lol.   So I think your chap could use his rifle EXPERTLY with either hand.

It's still illegal to use a left handed hockey stick in official competition according to FIH rules.
And I seem to remember hearing some years ago it was illegal to even own one.
Griff

It's still illegal for this to happen but it does - and often:
A player will not be allowed to swing at the ball with the stick above the shoulder. Any violation of this rule modification will result in a misconduct penalty of a yellow card and minimum five-minute suspension.

[Iain...]

I've just discarded my original response - as rootschat informed me somebody else had just  posted.   Ref the handwriting, I agree with the majority.

In the era of Waterloo, the majority of people couldn't write, and I doubt the sergeant major would have allowed anyone to be different on the parade ground. The men would have been drilled and nobody would have been allowed to jerk the wrong elbow when following routine, otherwise they'd be peeling spuds or some such punishment.  I'm left handed, my handwriting leans forward - at school I was handed a right-handed hockey stick and our teacher had us fall into a line practising "dribble, dribble, dribble, hit"; "dribble, dribble, dribble, hit".   "You girl, not like that, do as you're told"

So I think your chap could use his rifle EXPERTLY with either hand.

Wow…, I’m learning more than I bargained for here. (lol)

Rena…, Hi. 
I certainly agree that when on parade, turbans would never have been allowed to replace bearskins as they do today.  However, when in the field, (like today) things were different.  For example, when in hand-to-hand combat and when the adrenalin is brim-full, no Sergeant Majors’ orders would be heeded when deciding which fist to use first.   
In the same way, if a soldier finds himself shooting from a large hole in a wall, it’s not basic training that tells him to ‘cover’ his body-parts when firing.  That’s simply common logic, whether being left, or right-handed.

In the meantime, I was convinced that it was not the slope of writing that determined right-handedness.  I thought ‘down strokes’ (for example) being thick at the top or bottom, (for example) could be used in a Court-of-Law when differentiating the writing between two potential criminals. 
Apparently not…, as I’m conversing with specialists.   

Lol…, no left-handed hockey sticks.  Now-now Ladies…   
Amazing !   Doesn’t this enter the racist, sexism and other diverse categories of unfair treatment and discrimination. 
Hmmm…, I can see all you all finding yourselves on the BBC soon. 

Thanks all… 

[Iain...]

Lol..., felt like I needed to update my above image... 

Thanks all...

[artifis]

There weren't any left handed muskets or rifles at the battle of Waterloo time, the firing mechanism - flint lock - was located on the right hand side of the barrel as shown in the illustration with the frizzen tipped forward exposing the priming pan exposed.  The flash from the flint striking the frizzen plate and setting off the small gun power priming charge in the pan would be away from the soldier's face and eyes.  If a left handed soldier fired the musket or rifle from his left shoulder her was likely to be temporarily or permanently blinded in his left eye and have that side of his face scorched or burnt!

[Rena]

There weren't any left handed muskets or rifles at the battle of Waterloo time, the firing mechanism - flint lock - was located on the right hand side of the barrel as shown in the illustration with the frizzen tipped forward exposing the priming pan exposed.  The flash from the flint striking the frizzen plate and setting off the small gun power priming charge in the pan would be away from the soldier's face and eyes.  If a left handed soldier fired the musket or rifle from his left shoulder her was likely to be temporarily or permanently blinded in his left eye and have that side of his face scorched or burnt!

Congratulations on spotting  that the musket was the deliberate mistake 

[Treetotal]

It's most likely right handed but my writing is very similar and I'm very left handed. I learnt to write like that by putting the paper sloping slightly to the right.

Add - I hate to see lefties (and some righties) holding a pen in a type of fist position.  I hold a pen in exactly the same way as the normal right hand position.

I too am left handed and would agree with Gadget as I do the same, my Daughter is also left handed and curls her hand towards her wrist with the pen held between index and middle fingers, it looks very odd.

Carol

[Gone]

It's most likely right handed but my writing is very similar and I'm very left handed. I learnt to write like that by putting the paper sloping slightly to the right.

Add - I hate to see lefties (and some righties) holding a pen in a type of fist position.  I hold a pen in exactly the same way as the normal right hand position.

I too am left handed and would agree with Gadget as I do the same, my Daughter is also left handed and curls her hand towards her wrist with the pen held between index and middle fingers, it looks very odd.

Carol

When I was a nipper, I used to look on in envy at one classmate who had a left handed nib for his fountain pen, like an ordinary one except the end curled round to the left so he could hold the pen normally and write, pulling the pen across the page instead of pushing it.

[Iain...]

There weren't any left handed muskets or rifles at the battle of Waterloo time, the firing mechanism - flint lock - was located on the right hand side of the barrel as shown in the illustration with the frizzen tipped forward exposing the priming pan exposed.  The flash from the flint striking the frizzen plate and setting off the small gun power priming charge in the pan would be away from the soldier's face and eyes.  If a left handed soldier fired the musket or rifle from his left shoulder her was likely to be temporarily or permanently blinded in his left eye and have that side of his face scorched or burnt!

Hi Artifis…, interesting. 

In the meantime, even today’s rifles are not made for the left-handed, but you make a good point about the flash-in-the-pan. (or for that matter, modern-day ejecting cartridges)   
However, if firing from the left shoulder and with the firing elbow raised to withstand the recoil, the chin is well back along the butt.  At the same time, whether it’s the left or right arm that holds the weight, the forearm is vertical and should be distanced from the pan.     

However, you raise an excellent point, as changing shoulders must influence the eyes. 
If you point to a nearby object, then close your left eye, your finger should still be on the object. (the target)  However, if it moves, then a dominant left eye would influence the aim.   

I have over 600 Facebook Brigade friends…, I’ll ask them.  One of them is a former Welsh Guardsman and he’s a Sergeant in the Coldstream Guards re-enactment group.  I’ll drop him a line and keep you updated. 

Thanks Artifis…

PS  Lol…, concerning the annexed image, I cheated ! 
I reversed the image and as you can see, the face is well to the rear.