[I had this queued up to go in February and never published it... but I am desperate for fodder. Not sure where I was going with this, though.]
The Thumbs Forward Grip. Prolly been around a while, but I first learned about when all those bloggers went to the Todd Jarrett Camp at Blackwater!.
This changes everything for a right hander using 2 hands. Where, with one hand firing, reaching the buttons you need to reach on a 1911 is difficult for some, putting the support hand up there in a thumbs forward grip and all the fiddly bits become accessible if you want. If you are the type that releases the slide via the slide release lever, it's there is where your thumb is, and you can reach that mag release easily too ifn you wanna.
Of course, for lefties, these bits (mag and slide release) have always been available to our longer finger, even shooting one handed. A righty needs the correct length thumb, and not all shooters are issued this. A lefty's only real disadvantage is with a 1911 with a non ambidextrous thumb safety. And you can work the safety one handed with practice, anyway.
I've thought about getting a left handed 1911. Port shooting the empties off to the left, mag release and slide release on the other side... But I've trained out the issues a lefty has, and like the advantages I get, anyway. I don't wanna muck things up relearning stuff.
The same goes for a lefty revolver. Or anything but a Smith operating system on my revolver (sorry Colt).
No, the only real advantage I could get from any lefty specific gun is a lefty bolt action rifle.
I'm left-handed and shoot and carry the 1911 as my primary pistol. A decent ambidextrous grip safety such as the ones Wilson Combat sells make the gun a lefty dream and there's no need to switch or change anything else. If you're handy, you can even install it yourself. All my 1911's get them, but other than that, I just train to shoot "right-handed" firearms, because you never know when you might wind up having to grab one up off the ground in an emergency. That's why my Remington 870s and mr AR rifles DON'T get changed over to left-hand...because there are way more right-hand versions out there that I'm likely to encounter.
ReplyDeleteThe one that a left hander needs a lefty architecture on is a bolt action rifle.
ReplyDeleteI have seen many lefties struggle with them.
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One thing to be aware of is that if you "ride" the slide stop you're gonna hear that "click instead of bang" thing...you probably want the slide stop to work if/when you empty the mag.
ReplyDeleteI had this problem when I transitioned from the 1911 to the SIG 226.
being a left handed, I really do need that safety added on the right hand side for efficient use. Your right about the other controls actually being better for a lefty. The slide release and mag release are easier for me. I MUCH prefer these controls as they are being left handed.
ReplyDeleteI was taught to shoot with a "Left Thumb on the Right Thumbnail forcing DOWN" position. This keeps your digits away from the moving parts, and works for Revolvers as well as Pistols. The idea is that, when you need to do something to the weapon other than pulling the trigger, you MUST break your grip, and that sends a signal to the Brain to STOP. Or that's the theory anyway. But with my Size 2x hands, I don't need to be putting my paws near moving metal. But, what works for me may not work for you.
ReplyDeleteAs for Left vs. Right, I'm one of those poor slobs who is Cross- Dominant, but my Left eye is Very weak. In fact, the last eye exam I had in January, the Doc said that I'll probably be declared Legally Blind in my Left Eye before I get my (soon-to-be-non-existent) Social Security Checks. So its Scopes and Center Mass for me. I'm depending on you Youngin's to make those Headshots on the Zeds, because if my Gun Malfs while I'm on Overwatch, we're all Lunchmeat!
Lefty here too, and like Less I'm cross-dominant with an awful left eye (The big "E" is blurry uncorrected)
ReplyDeleteI've always figured it best to just adapt to things. The world is built for right-handers. No reason to try and change things to suit my needs.
Plenty of folks say Sigs aren't Lefty friendly, but I honesty havent had any problems. Perhaps a lefty with short fingers might?
I'm not quite sure how the hell I'd work a bolt action though.
You seemed to do pretty well on Sunday, and I never thought about that per se... I can see ambi safeties, and a lefty bolt gun, but I can't see the expense of a lefty AR for example.
ReplyDelete