I really want to buy a 1911 but I'm a left handed shooter. Are there any manufacturers out there that produce a "left handed 1911" with magazine release and safety on the right side? I've shot one before and using the mag release is just akward and the safety is almost impossible.
Never seen one.
They can be had with ambi safeties, but not mag releases.
?taht sekam ohw, eeg
Here's a pic I found on GunsAmerica a loooonnnggg time ago...
Huh?
That just doesn't look right!
Even though the thumbnail photo is obviously a reverse image photograph (look at the script on the slide).
Brian's pic just looks weird to me.
Think about it. You'd have to have left handed magazines too!
Try Smith & Alexander for an ambi mag-catch. As a fellow southpaw, I usually just use my trigger-finger, myself... which also helps with safety by enforcing "off-target, off-trigger".
Hunt down a Randall - made in S.A..They made true lefties.
Randall did make true lefties but you will pay. They occasionally come up on the auction sites. They also use specific mags made for them. If you get one I will be very jealous.
That's the brand of the one I posted, it's a Randall... I couldn't think of it at the time.
Several firms made left hand 1991s. The most well known is the Randall which was made in San Diego CA. They are still advertised from time to time, but prices are quite high. After Randall ceased operations, the same folks made the Falcon Portsider for a short period of time. The tooling was then purchased by Olympic Arms who made left and right hand 1911s for a period of time. All of this happened in the 1980s and maybe early 1990s. Subsequently I read that Caspian purchased the tooling and I enquired of them, but did not receive a reply. The only firm I know of that makes a left hand 1911 is Dlask in Vancouver B. C. Their website is www.dlaskarmscom. These are custom pistols and expensive. I wish someone would pick up the ball and make a lefty.
And the Dlasks are sure weird-lookin', too - if you like GI looks and want a southpaw, you're pretty much gonna have to look to the home-gunsmith community and build your own.
You can start with information from homegunsmith.com , and look at "80%- receivers" at TanneryShop.com.
Forgot to add that an article on the Randalls appeared in the April 1984 edition of Guns & Ammo. Go to your library and check it out.
Check that comment in my previous post about Olympic Arms. it may have been Safari Arms who were owned by Olympic at the time.
In 1984 or I ordered a pair of left and right hand Randalls from a gun shop, after several months of waiting, the order was cancelled. I also was talking Safari about a pair of pistols as well, but had to drop it when I was sent overseas. Some days it just rains.
One of the guys on our Texas team had one at Camp Perry last July. They are truly left handed. The production run was small and everything was truly left handed including the grips. Our team gunsmith did a trigger job for him while we were there.
I am not left handed, but did a little experimentation. All you really need to make a left-handed 1911 is an ambidextrous thumb safety. The magazine button can be pushed with the trigger or middle finger, and the slide stop can be easily reached with the trigger finger - actually much easier than the "right" way, with my right thumb.
Another lefty here. Mag release? I use my trigger finger on all my autoloaders. Piece of cake. Slide release? Never use it during actual shooting. I slingshot the slide. A possible problem if you actually find a true lefty 1911- what about replacement or upgrade parts? Big problem with a mirror image 1911.
Thanks for all the good info, I dont need a "true lefty", I've seen 1911's with a right side safety and none with right side mag release. I can do without the slide release on the right side. Guess its going to be more of a custom deal rather than an out of the box.
As a lefty who carries a 1911, I have to say that I'm not sure I'd be able to hit the magazine release on a 1911 were I right handed... With the release where it's at, my trigger finger works perfectly for the job.