Southpaw Shootin' Irons

A

Al Mondroca

New member
One of the reasons I like my Glock is that I'm a southpaw shooter. I'm mostly right-handed, but my left eye is my dominant eye, and I shoot better (and it feels more natural) with my left hand. I can work the magazine release with my trigger finger, and not having to worry about a safety designed for right-handed shooters is very convenient.

Aside from a J-frame S&W revolver (pre-sellout), though, my experience with handguns is pretty limited. Any suggestions for other southpaw-friendly firearms?
 
I was checking out the Randall website the other day and saw where they had manufactured a 1911 for lefties . Unfortunately, They were only in business for a couple of years, 1983-85 I beleive . There are still a few of these around. If you do a search on randall , you should be able to find their site. It had a lot of info there and maybe a link or two to help you find a left handed 1911.(Id give my right arm to be ambidextrious!) :)
 
You've already mentioned revolvers, so off the top of my head, there is the HK USP and the CZ-85. The CZ is ambidextrous. The HK has an ambidextrous magazine release and the operating lever (safety/decocker) can be readily configured for lefties.
 
Most handguns are really quite adaptable to left-handed use. Some people thought the Single Action Army must have been designed by left-handed Sam Colt for his personal use, as the operation of it is distinctly lefty friendly. DA revolvers can be shifted to the right hand for ejection, then loaded with the left and shifted back to the left hand - it can be screwed up, but it is not debilitating. The SIG decocker can supposedly be easily operated with the trigger finger. The 1911 really needs only an ambi safety, as the slide stop and mag release are actually better and more safely operated by the trigger finger - you can't accidentally pull the trigger if your trigger finger is otherwise occupied. I usually trip the slide release with my off-hand fingers as I push the mag home. The only really poor guns for lefty use are bolt rifles - there's no overcoming that.
Olympic/Safari bought the old Randal/Falcon "lefthanded 1911" tooling, but when it will actually be back in production is anyone's guess.
 
If you have a taste for the weired and want to dazzle your friends; get ahold of a French MLE 1892. 8mm, revolver, cylinder release on right side and cylinder swings out to the right. A natural for lefties. The last ones were made in 1945.

Sam...follow me, I know a shortcut.
 
Taurus pistols usually have an ambi-safety. That was one of my main requirements when I picked out my PT945. Have to disagree with Rick though :). With the rifle on a sandbag I can get off an incredible volume of fire with a bolt action. Left hand running the trigger and right hand working the bolt. Although if offered I doubt if I would turn down a nice LH bolt rifle.

Greg
 
Dear Al,

I've learned to shoot with both hands as I'm ambidextrous and figure that it would be a good thing to be able to use both hands in a pinch. You can find ambidextrous pieces for just about any main-line semi-autos. I shoot a Para Ordnance 13-45 usually although my Bersa .380 is very comfortable in either hand.

Rome
 
opps. Forgot I've got a four pound keyboard.
r

[This message has been edited by Rome (edited October 15, 2000).]
 
Unfortunately, not all lefties find that 1911s and other autos are as easily worked with the south paw as is reputed. If you have short fingers or arthritis or both, you may find that rightie slide releases and decock levers are nonworkable.

Olympic made a few mirror image lefty 1911s with the Randall tooling, back in the early 1990s, with the model name "Renegade." I doubt they will bring it back into production, given the poor response to their first try.
 
Thanks for all the responses. Now I've got lots of options to investigate. Once I cross-index _this_ thread with the thread on good CCW guns for the shirt-and-tie set, I'll be ready to rock and roll!
 
I tried to search for Randall 1911's with Altavista and got the darn phone book. Could someone post a web address?

BTW, the Walther P99 is quite lefty-friendly... ;)

------------------
Tony S.

Why be normal?
 
Don't overlook the Walther P5, still availble for less than $500 at Bachman's.

Ejects to the left, control lever on the left is actually quite easy to use with the trigger finger (one push drops the slide, second push on same lever decocks the hammer).

It's also very accurate out of the box.

Ken Strayhorn
Hillsborough NC
 
i'm a lefty also and i find Glocks and Berettas very easy to use in either hand.

i also like my Remington 870 left-handed model. :)
 
If I was handed a left handed bolt gun, I would be all screwed up. Left hand on the trigger and right one on the bolt is the only way to go. lefty for life..!!!!....
 
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