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My son-in-law will be taking the CHL course fairly soon (he turns 21 later this month) and is looking at different carry type guns. He really likes my Kimber CDP-II, and semi-autos in general, and shoots them reasonably well. He also likes my wife's Kel-Tec PF.

But he's left-handed (yes, he is also left-eye dominate). Which means he wants a gun where the safety and magazine release are positioned on the gun for a left-handed shooter. We know that most 1911's have an ambidextrous safety, but I've never seen a mag-release on the right side of a gun. Actually, if the ejection port was on the opposite side, that would be preferred as well.


Does any manufacturer make "left-handed" 1911s?


And before anyone suggests it, yes, we know that revolvers are 100% ambidextrous. He really isn't interested in a revolver at all.

There are many SA's with ambi safeties, slide release and mag releases. My HK P2000SK has ambi mag and slide releases.
A bit of researching will surely find something ambi that he'll like.

AFAIK, the last left-handed ejection port SA's were made by Randall in the 80's.
I'm sure someone on here will correct me about that in a few minutes..

A bit of extractor tweaking by a good 'smith should be enough to assure that shells are ejected with enough clearance to not be any trouble.

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EDIT: Post 1000!

As for a Left handed 1911 want to say some manufacturer recently (last 5 years or so) made a special extremely limited run of completely left handed 1911s. The ejection port was on the left side, the rifling twist was reversed, the controls were reversed, but I can't recall who it was. I might suggest your son in law look into the FNH USA FNX and FNP-45 line if he wants the 1911 style safety for cocked and locked carry. You can additionally carry the FNX and FNP-45 pistols decocked with and without the safety engaged if you prefer. Design wise I would say the FNX and FNP-45 remind me of a hybrid between and H&K and a Sig Sauer.

I should clarify - the ejection port is not important at all; it's just a "it might be nice". It certainly isn't worth spending even $1 extra on.

As I said, the safety on most 1911's are already ambidextrous. So that is pretty much a non-issue.


Which leaves only the magazine release. I would think that this would be a fairly easy & cheap mod to convert any 1911 to the release being on the opposite side of the gun. Am I wrong??

In addition to the FNX, the S&W M&P is ambidextrous (switchable mag release), and the Walther PPQ is ambidextrous.

I think I just found what I was looking for... Midway sells them.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/856482 ... ard-chrome

The M&P has ambi slide locks and a reversible mag release. The XD has ambi mag releases both are good guns that would serve a southpaw well.

i'd like to second the FNX pistols as well as my Jericho 941 .45. The slide release is big enough to be operated with the trigger finder of a left handed shooter and the mag release is easy to operate with my trigger finger with out breaking my grip. It being a DA/SA pistol I feel comfortable carrying with hammer down safety off, it takes a deliberate stroke to fire from DA on that pistol.

Can't wait till I can carry more than just around the house!

TxFig wrote:I think I just found what I was looking for... Midway sells them.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/856482 ... ard-chrome

Smith & Alexander also makes one, available at Brownell's. Its hardly "cheap" but its a good part. I've seen one installed on a custom 1911 that a southpaw shooting buddy built...its a nice looking part, and I believe it'll work fine in most if not all 1911 holsters.

I currently own two 1911s which are set up for left-handed use, but they still eject to the right side of the pistol. True fully left-handed 1911s are rare and expensive.......and not really worth the extra trouble to get one. Regular 1911s with ambi-safeties work just fine. I stake my life on it.

If he doesn't want a 1911, I also own a M&P45. It comes from the factory with and without fully ambidextrous thumb safeties (those with thumb safeties are ALL ambidextrous). All models have ambidextrous slide stops. All models permit reversing the magazine release button to make the gun fully left handed. They're pretty good shooters too.

I previously owned a H&K USP Compact in .40 Cal. These are available in several configurations, including with ambidextrous safety/decocker levers, in 9mm, .40, and .45. Great guns.

All three of these pistols types eject to the right. I am a 59 year old left handed shooter and have been shooting for years. It has never been an issue for me, it has never been an issue for any other left handers who have shot my guns, and it has never been an issue so far as I know for any left hander I've ever communicated with about the topic. If you really have to have one like that you'll pay a huge premium in price and availability, and all for a feature that really isn't necessary.

As far as the mag release goes, I actually manage the right handed mag release on my 1911s using my left index finger better than I do the left handed mag release on my M&P45 using my left thumb.

I'm right handed, but practice lefty on everything I shoot. If you're not locked on 1911, I believe the entire Ruger SR line has ambi safety AND mag release, and the compacts are good carry size, at least for me. I use SR9c and also like that the safety functions same direction as my 1911, UP = Safe, Down = Fire. I've never had an issue with brass ejection hitting the face, other than bouncing off the side walls at the range.

For what it's worth- I'm Lefty and have a Kimber Ultra CDP II and a Keltec in my carry rotation... that said, the mag release and slide stop actually work better (IMO) for a lefty. I'm sure it depends partly on your hand geometry but I can't work the slide stop with my thumb and find the mag release to be better suited to my trigger finger. (that also assures you that the finger comes out of the trigger guard during mag changes) You already have 2 great weapons for a lefty.

The real issue I have is finding comfortable lefty holsters that don't depress the mag release buttons on my weapons.

You can change the mag release on a Glock Gen 4 to the right side for a lefty. Safety is ambi already.

mojo84 wrote:Safety is ambi already.

So is the lack of one.

JUST Kidding!

Actually I almost mentioned Glocks in my previous post, but I was under the impression that he wanted a thumb safety.

+1 to FN FNX. It's a full size gun, comparable to the Glock 17 in size, but is completely ambidextrous. Love mine. It is my current carry gun.