Lefty-Friendly Semi-Auto

I am new to the forum and looking to buy my first pistol since I was a kid. I am a lefty and would like a semi-auto that is fully ambidextrous. I have looked at the FN FNX but the slide release on BOTH sides is kinda funky. Although not fully 'ambi' I really like the Beretta PX4 Storm. If it was full ambi it would be a no brainer. Lately I have also researched the CZ85B but have not held one. It has high recommendations and appears to be quite user friendly to, as my wife says, wrong handed folks. HA!
This should be a good subject to discuss and helpful to many of us. My apolgogies as a forum newby if it has been exhausted already. Any suggestions are very much appreciated.

Glock? The slide release is on the right side, however you don't really always need to use the slide lock, you can simply just rack back the slide most of the time.

I shoot left handed and I love my Ruger SR9c.

Ruger® SR9c™ Centerfire Pistol Model 3314

Did you look at HK while checking out the FNs?The USP is easily converted to left side controls except for the slide release,which really isn't a big deal.The P30 and P2000 (I think) are full ambi.The P30 has a quirk of the rt side slidestop having a little rattle but I've never heard of one breaking.Very high quality pistols.

technically the slide release is really "slide lock open" for the last round
after reloading one should not put the finger on the slide lock to release the slide - the proper way is to simply pull the slide back and release as it will go into battery
this is a common mistake and I have read that if you continue to release the slide improperly that part will eventually need to be replaced

That's one of those topics that are highly debatable.I use the slide release because I can get the gun back in battery and on target quicker,and have a full firing grip.Even profesional trainers go both ways on this.

There are some guns that won't reliably chamber from the shorter stroke of slidelock,it's usually a problem of the gun that needs to be corrected.If the slide release,stop,what-have-you wears out from use,you either have a poorly designed or made part,or you have shot the gun enough to possibly need to look for wear elsewhere also.I've never wore out one and I can't say how many thousands of rounds I've put through pistols.I have seen them break,deform,and have seen stop notches in slides deform.They were from poor manufacturing and improperly building the gun.

What counts really is which way works best for you,unless that pistol has no slide release.Those irritate me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rex

That's one of those topics that are highly debatable.I use the slide release because I can get the gun back in battery and on target quicker,and have a full firing grip.Even profesional trainers go both ways on this.

There are some guns that won't reliably chamber from the shorter stroke of slidelock,it's usually a problem of the gun that needs to be corrected.If the slide release,stop,what-have-you wears out from use,you either have a poorly designed or made part,or you have shot the gun enough to possibly need to look for wear elsewhere also.I've never wore out one and I can't say how many thousands of rounds I've put through pistols.I have seen them break,deform,and have seen stop notches in slides deform.They were from poor manufacturing and improperly building the gun.

What counts really is which way works best for you,unless that pistol has no slide release.Those irritate me.

---

What most folks don't realize that for a lefty it is much easer to use the magazine release with the trigger finger rather than shifting the gun around in your hand to reach it with your thumb. Get what you can shoot best and don't worry about an ambi. magazine release.

A few more you could research:

-Taurus 800-series
-Grand Power K100 / STi GP6


(I own the FNX-9)

I've had a CZ 85 for a year or so and I'm a lefty. I love it. It shoots well and works great for right handed folks also. My next purchase will be a Ruger SR9C which is very lefty friendly too.

Just came across this cyber-Monday deal:
http://www.slickguns.com/product/gra...mm-15-rnds-650

Any Bersa Thunder. Walther PPQ.

Beretta Nano is reversible

Beretta Storm PX4 Compact has ambi safety, slide release, and reversible mag release. And fits in your hand like a glove, 15 round capacity in 9mm, 13 in .40.

As a fellow Lefty I can chime in. The PX4 is a good choice for a lefty if it suites your intended purpose. Ambi levers for the decocker indexed with your thumb and the Left side slide lock/release can be indexed easily with the side of your index finger. Magazine button can also be swapped to the RH side I believe. Some shooters deplore the slide mounted safety/decocker levers on Beretta's but I like them as it provides a nice clean frame on the right side for a high thumbs hold without any obstructions. Beyond the PX4 options abound and it becomes more a matter of what type of weapon you are looking for and it's purpose. True lefty friendly choices such as HK P2000, P2000SK, P30 and Walther P99, PPQ have dual mag and slide release levers and decocker options on top of the slide or the rear. Ruger SR9, FN's, XD's, XDm's, M&P's, PPS and some of the CZ's are ambi or semi ambi as well.

A word of advise, don't fall into the I am a lefty so it must be ambi or lefty friendly for me to operate. There are some distinct advantages such as a clean frame that I mentioned before to running certain handguns set up for a right handed world. With a little forethought and some training/practice we can run them too. We just use unconventional methods to get the same job done in some cases like using our trigger finger instead of our thumb to index or operate the controls. Some bare bones options also exist. Glock for example has nothing on the RH side of the frame and little on the Left. On the Gen 4 you can swap the magazine button to the right side and just sling shot the slide instead of using the tiny slide lock for reloads. There are no safeties and decockers to worry about. About as clean and simple as it gets. First I'd figure out what type of handgun you are after DA/SA, single action, DOA, etc. trigger; steel or polymer frame; full size, compact, etc. then you can start to narrow down your options. If your just starting out a shooting range that lets you rent different types to try would be an excellent idea.