I work with a new 4-H shotgun team. We have a left handed shooter who shoots with a right handed Franchi and he complains of the smoke coming back into his eyes after each shot. I have another left handed shooter who has the same set up but different make of shotgun who has the same complaint. If fathers don't want to try and find a left handed shotgun would the purchase of an over/under solve this problem? Thanks

Yes.

Yes. Righty O/Us are no problem for lefties to operate. The top lever can easily be actuated from either side. I would look for one with at least neutral cast if not cast on.

A pump target version would also solve the problem for Trap shooting.

If they are wearing safety glasses, this should not be an issue. I am LH and shoot RH Berettas with no issues. Maybe they are shooting really cheap ammo creating more issues?

Ammo could be an issue for some folks but I work with a number of kids who shoot lefty with a RH semi. Never had any complain about the smoke.
I have seen a few (and a few parents) that complained about the smoke from everybody's guns from the get go. Very few came around for more than a session or two. If I had to guess, I'd say they left to write their representatives about their lack of clean air.
I'm just saying..

Shell catchers on a right handed gun when shooting left are a little distracting for me.

I've had a number of youth lefties and some shoot RH gun, some don't. Never had one complain about the smoke, though. Could be a question that mom had "honey doesn't that smoke bother you?" after a tough round, and possibly the 2nd is a "me too" of the 1st.

If they want a LH auto there are some good ones available in youth sizes. Two I know of are the M2 and the SKB RS300.

As a coach, I prefer an OU for a number of reasons. Just make sure it FITS.

Thanks for all the replies. One of the shooters is my son and he rarely complains so I know it is a legitimate complaint. The other kid hunts anything and everything and has a nicer arsenal than I do. I am leaning toward the reason being the ammo purchased by the 4-H personnel. It was our 1st year and I can understand them not wanting to blow their budget right out of the gate. We have applied for the NRA grant which should allow us to have good quality ammo for practice and meets. So we are going the route of O/U and now we begin the deliberation of 12 or 20ga. Again I appreciate the quick replies.

Go for the 20ga o/u - there is nothing you can hit with a 12 that you can’t hit with a 20. And the recoil is less as long as the guns fit reasonably well.

My 20 ga O/U is the hardest recoiling gun I own.

They are lighter and many times without a recoil pad.

Go with the 12ga., or a 20ga auto.

At the Grand American there will be 3000+ shooters in attendance. You will not find one 20 ga. on the line. In competitive trap shooting a 20 gag would be a serious handicap. There is no small ga. events offered in the game and never will be in registered shooting. If your serious about shooting well, shoot a 12.

A 7/8 oz load in a 12 would be the same pellet count as a 7/8 oz in a 20. The 12 may be heavier, reducing recoil. I know very few shooters that use 7/8oz loads in trap. Many shooters in Skeet and small ga events in sporting.

Maltz

I’m a lefty. Never had problems with gas blowback/smoke, but some have. If you’re going O/U, go with a 12ga for more recoil-absorbing weight and the flexibility to shoot 12ga or use subgauge tubes to shoot 20ga, 28ga, and/or .410. 7/8oz 12ga loads will have much less recoil than 9/8oz loads. 7/8oz loads aren’t popular in American Trap, but it’s the max allowed in ISSF/Olympic Trap (aka Bunker Trap), a much harder game...it would be a handicap, but you can definitely still break targets if you do your part.