Why is this?

[Experimentalist]

So this question addresses the design and function of handguns. I presume the gunsmithing forum is the best match to this question.

I've observed that most (if not all) semi-auto handguns have the ejection port on the right side. Why is this?

I can understand it for long arms; most people are right handed, and a right side ejection port keeps the empty case and hot gasses away from the shooter.

But handguns are generally held at arms length. Pinging the shooter with spent brass shouldn't be a function of which side the port is on.

I can't see a physical design reason, either. The case should be just as happy to eject left as it is to eject right.

Any theories?

[6079Winston]

A few early designs like the Luger and Mauser Broomhandle (C96) eject pretty much straight up. The Walther P-5 might eject to the left if I remember correctly. Guns tend to be pretty conservative, since revolutionary designs usually fail miserably in the marketplace. I can say that ejecting hot brass straight up so that it can fall on your head or into your shirt is probably a bad idea.

[motorhead]

early winchesters eject right into your eyeball.

[JeffM]

HK made one that ejected left. It failed to catch on.

I figure it would still be more of a distraction to have the brass cross your field of view to the left. Right handed shooters still "look" a little bit more to the left side of the gun.

[Scarecrow Repair]

It has to eject somewhere. Asking why on the right is like picking one card out of a deck, finding it is the 3 of diamonds, and asking why not the 7 of spades.

[wildcard]

Most shooters are right handed and right eye dominant. Therefore, most of the persons face including their left eye will be on the left side of the gun when they line up the sights. Since you don't want spent casing getting close to your eye or even crossing your field of view, it makes sense to eject to the right.

[Experimentalist]

Most shooters are right handed and right eye dominant. Therefore, most of the persons face including their left eye will be on the left side of the gun when they line up the sights. Since you don't want spent casing getting close to your eye or even crossing your field of view, it makes sense to eject to the right.

This seems like the most plausible explaination.

Thanks for all the ideas. Sometimes stray voltage like this wanders into my mind, and it's nice to have a knowledgable group to help with the answer.

[aplinker]

A few early designs like the Luger and Mauser Broomhandle (C96) eject pretty much straight up. The Walther P-5 might eject to the left if I remember correctly. Guns tend to be pretty conservative, since revolutionary designs usually fail miserably in the marketplace. I can say that ejecting hot brass straight up so that it can fall on your head or into your shirt is probably a bad idea.

Or into your forehead like a Gov't 1911

[bohoki]

seems like a left eject would be easier for a righty to clear all i can think of for a reason is tradition

its like why do single actions load and unload on the right but double actions load and unload on the left

maybe samuel colt was a lefty

i've always wondered why autoloaders springs work on compression instead of expansion

as they are now after firing the spring compresses

why doesnt it start out small and stretch like the spring on my screen door after firing then return to the small coil

[fun2none]

i've always wondered why autoloaders springs work on compression instead of expansion

as they are now after firing the spring compresses

why doesnt it start out small and stretch like the spring on my screen door after firing then return to the small coil

My two cents.

A pull type coil spring (expansion) would not give the best fit and mechanical operation in an autoloading pistol. The slide moves over the barrel reducing the amount of space, which is near perfect for a compression spring.

Which a pull spring, one end of the spring would have to fixed to the front of frame under the muzzle. The other end that moves needs to be attached to the slide, assuming you could find appropriate amount of space for the expansion.

It's just much simpler to design with a compression spring.

[StukaJr]

seems like a left eject would be easier for a righty to clear all i can think of for a reason is tradition

its like why do single actions load and unload on the right but double actions load and unload on the left

maybe samuel colt was a lefty

There is nothing wrong with Colt's design

It's faster to load SAA if you break the pistol grip with your right and cradle it in your palm instead - right hand's thumb cycles the cylinder while the left hand is inserting cartridges. If your hands are big, you can even operate the ejector rod with your right hand's index finger - that is if shells do not fall out freely from hand polished chambers with revolver held up... Either way, your SAA is not ready to fire until cylinder makes the full revolution and if you hold the revolver this way, the loading breach is facing you.

I know it "makes sense" to hold SAA while retaining the grip and left hand doing all the work - remake of "3:10 to Yuma" illustrates the technique I've described above rather well...

[StukaJr]

I can't see a physical design reason, either. The case should be just as happy to eject left as it is to eject right.

What would be the benefit for the case to eject to the left of the shooter? If you can't find any, then perhaps it's a needless question...

But if you must have a gun that ejects brass to the left - disassemble the gun and bend your Ejector slightly to the right or up, until the brass leaves at the angle you want... Once you get annoyed of brass occasionally flying in your face and realize that uniform and predictable brass ejection are both marks of a well designed and functioning firearm - feel free to return it to original condition

[ibanezfoo]

So this question addresses the design and function of handguns. I presume the gunsmithing forum is the best match to this question.

I've observed that most (if not all) semi-auto handguns have the ejection port on the right side. Why is this?

I can understand it for long arms; most people are right handed, and a right side ejection port keeps the empty case and hot gasses away from the shooter.

But handguns are generally held at arms length. Pinging the shooter with spent brass shouldn't be a function of which side the port is on.

I can't see a physical design reason, either. The case should be just as happy to eject left as it is to eject right.

Any theories?

Some have them right on the top, ejecting up and back. Works ok, just have to ignore the casings bouncing off your forehead. I shot an AMT .380 like that.

-Bryan

[6079Winston]

Sam Colt and George Luger were both left handed. Not sure about John Browning. With the Colt SAA, if you hold the gun in your left hand the loading gate falls under your left thumb and you can use your left index finger to rotate the cylinder while the right hand ejects the empties. With the Luger, holding it in the left hand places the magazine catch conveniently under the left index finger. I have never found a convenient way to operate the safety on a Luger with any configuration of human hands.