Driving my southpaw self crazy ...G19 or HP or 6906 or .....

[axeman_g]

All,

I traded away or sold off some of my favorite handguns trying to assist in moving the family from the suburbs into a new (older, smaller, more expensive) house in Atlanta. I needed to lose the hour/hour and half commute to save my sanity and marriage.

Well, it is time to rearm myself. I currently in my possesion a Glock 20 that doubles as house gun and hunting sidearm.

I am looking for a range and CCW, hicap avail 9mm, prefer a mid frame gun.
Will be shot alot on range days.

I have looked at everything and just dont like very many of the offerings. Something seems to be lacking in every choice or maybe I am just being overly critical. Oh, and I am lefty.

There is a gunshow in Marietta, Georgia tomorrow that I am going to and I am committed to walking out of there with something. Here is my listy of possibles ...

Glock 19 ... hicaps are not to rich
Walther P99 ... hicaps mucho dinero
Hipower ... long gun, good width, I miss mine, freakin costly
SW 6906 ... I just dont know.
Steyr M9 ... like mine, .40 mag trick possible, a little big.
Beretta 92f L ... maybe a little to wide. Hard to find to handle
CZ85 ... large, heavy ... nice and miss mine, but prefer an HP

Anything else I am missing .....

HELP

Axe

 

[Rupestris]

I'm a lefty too.
Check out the Springfield XD9. Ambi-friendly and Smith and Wesson 5900 series mags (up to 17 rounds) will work if you lengthen the notch for the mag catch to work with the ambi mag release of the XD.

You can find more info at http://www.hs2000talk.com/


http://www.hs2000talk.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000601

All told, you should be out no more than $500 for a XD and a couple S&W 5900's. Probably closer to $450 if you shop around. High caps can be found on line for less than $15 ea.

 

[Jax]

Another lefty here...

Check out the HK P2000. Brand new design, kinda described as the USP Compact generation II. Full ambi mag release, safety & slide lock!

For CCW, you can't hardly beat the HK P7. Also an ambi gun, great ergonomics - but heavy and expensive. Some say it's the best CCW out there. There has been flood of the P7 PSP on the market recently - you might be able to find one for less money than normally.

 

[Sean Smith]

Tough call, really. The next 9 I'm getting, which may be next year or something, is going to be a BHP.

 

[BHPshooter]

I know that I'm biased, but I would have to go for the Hi Power of the ones you listed. They are kinda expensive, but you can find good deals every now and again. Hi-caps can be had cheap, cheap, cheap, and with capacities of 13, 14, 15, 17, and more rounds. I do believe (but I could be wrong) that the HP is the slimmest of the bunch, so that may make it more conducive to CCW.

Since you are a southpaw, you will probably want a newer one, with the ambi safety. When I shoot mine lefty, I can operate the slide stop and mag release just fine with my left trigger finger.

You might also like the P99. The mag release is funky, but easy to use with either hand. You're right though, Hi-Caps are waaay expensive.
I'm going to get one someday.

Good luck in the new neighborhood.

Wes

 

[tc300mag1]

Im a lefty i went with a Hk in 45 in varient 2 with control lever set up for me ..now all my right handed friend know what its like for me when i shoot there guns when they shoot it

 

[TonyB]

I'm a lefty too....Taurus PT99/92's have ambi safeties.....the poor man's Beretta......I love mine and you can go cocked and locked w/ the Taurus....mag release is on the left but can be pressed with the trigger finger(takes practice tho)..also hi-caps can be found everywhere(shotgun news has them for under$20).I also have aG17,mag release is real hard for a lefty(I use weak hand index finger)
Now I just shot a buddy's S/W 99 thing and I will say I loved the mag release on the trigger guard......I may have to get one of these puppies....
as always revolvers are pretty much ambi......good gun hunting.....

 

[Boats]

I am a left hander. I use 1911s almost exclusively. I am buying a Ruger GP-100 next weekend because it is the most left handed friendly DA revolver in .357 Magnum along with the smaller SP-101 because of the push button cylinder catch that is easily operated by the left trigger finger.

I do not currently have any 9mm pistols. I am waiting until Spetember for that purchase, when I fully expect to have legal new factory full cap mags again available. To that end, I have been doing some homework.

Best Lefty 9mm pistols that aren't the 1911: by Boats.

1. The Springfield XD. No flip safety and a traditional push button mag release on both sides. Good trigger fingerable slide lock If I accidentally buy one at the gun show rather than the Ruger, it will be because I can snap one up with a handful of .40S&W "hicaps" and have a full cap XD-9 bi-tone.

2. CZ-85B or Combat. Still reasonably priced. Cocked and Locked capable. Safety and slide release on both sides. Still have to old school the mag release with the trigger finger though. Factory full caps are getting rarer.

2a. HK P7M8/13 Perhaps the best,but only if price is no object for such a borderline caliber. The unavailability of the larger cap one, especially since I have huge hands, knocks this one down a bit. Don't care too much for the mag release paddles.

3. Beretta 92 Brigadier or GS-D Reversible mag catch, ambi safeties that one can simply leave off after a charging decock. Easiest to hit slide release with a trigger finger ever devised. A little too fat for some folks. Still has cheap full-caps. Not C&L optionable like the cruder Taurus or this would be higher up my list.

4a. Sig P226/8 Unlike the pistols above, only lefty friendly on the mag release and through having no manual safety. Slide lock and decocker are in strange positions, but one can slingshot the slide and no one really "speed decocks," but it is harder to do if you need to "tactically" decock for movement or if covering a BG as a lefty cannot do it without a radical grip shift.

4b. Glock 17/19 I personally do not like them because of the awkward grip angle, but they are left friendly enough with the exception of the Ginsu styled mag catch button and the slide release is small and hitting it with the trigger finger makes you want to slingshot, which is what I think they want you to do, but I don't care for.

5a. Walther P99. Ergonomically good. Strange decocker position. Paddle style mag release and lack of mags knocks this one down the list.

5b. HK USPc Lots of fire system variability. Can be set up with C&L carry and left side only safety. Horrible feeling polymer grip in my hands. Trigger by Nintendo after an all nighter by the assembler. Do not care for the UP=safe DOWN=Fire EVEN MORE DOWN=Decock or the paddle style mag release. No mags.

6a and b. Smith and Ruger semi-autos. Trying to be Beretta but not there.

Bringing up the rear of the established players: BHP. I have had one so I know what I do not like about them. Smallish ambi-safety lever. Horrible SA trigger pull that has to be modified by pulling out the mag disconnect. But by far what I liked the least about the BHP is that in my hands it is a skin piercing machine, even with a ring hammer. The grip tang is just too small, and if you have larger than average hands, it is more of an anvil than protection for the thumb web. No easy fix unless you are on Ted Yost's list. If they fit you, a great buy that can be turned into something special.

YMMV.

 

[Longbow]

I currently in my possesion a Glock 20 that doubles as house gun and hunting sidearm.

I am looking for a range and CCW, hicap avail 9mm, prefer a mid frame gun.
Will be shot alot on range days.

Based on that info, I'll say get the G19. It has a similar, if not the same trigger characteristics as what you already have. I find Glock 9's to be,reliable, durable finish, reliable, durable,concealable, lightweight, reliable, used ones can be found for <$500, lefty friendly and fit to be trusted!

 

[danbh]

I also am a lefty as is my wife. I have a Witness compact 9mm with ambi safety, a P-99 which I love. Also have a Glock-21 and a Beretta 8045 with an ambi safety and a reversed mag release. My wife carries a Walther P-88. This is a beautiful pistol and has ambi mag release and safety.

I have a number of mags for all the pistols and after 5 years of carrying I fail to see the need for hi-cap mags. I carry an extra with every pistol I carry, with a total of 20 cartridges I do not feel that I would need more. If they were a few dollard more than standard maybe I would buy a couple but the cost is not justified..

Just my opinion

 

[axeman_g]

you all are going to kill me ...

I go to the gun show ...not much but some interesting stuff. Plenty of G19 to pik from for 469, so I bide my time. Look at some SIGS, just dont like, A SA Mil Spec for 369 is one every dealers table .... great, cause I will get one soon.

Then, in a pile of used taurus revolvers, lorcins and rossis I see a large SS auto.

A SW 1066 10mm in very good condition, bad grips and absolutley little wear on interior. Dealer says make him an offer... ok $5. He says how about $325. I said deal. Found a pair of hogues for it at next table.

In process of cleaning it now. It will make a good companion to the G20.
It is actually not as big as I first thought. 4.5 barrel and long single stack grip. It is approx size of a .45 commander. So I picked up some more Georgia Arms 10mm 180gr for $10 per 50.

of course, later I see a CZ85 B in excellent condition, w/ hicap for $350.
I talked myself out of it. One a day is good for me...

I will give you all a range report soon.

 

[TonyB]

Good for you man...hope it works out....awaiting the range report...

 

[ACP]

Sounds like a good choice. Good luck!

 

[gabeodog]

My wife is a south paw. And when she shoots my glocks a few casings will hit her in the noggin.
Fun to watch but she likes the Glock 17.

 

[TheLastBoyScout]

Another lefty here.

I love my Beretta 92FS Brig, got it used (like new condition) for $420. Probably has the cheapest hicaps out there (and if you were carrying a compact double stack 92, you could use the fullsize mags for reloads, and 1 short mag to keep the grip short in the holster).

However, I don't carry, and it has 2 somewhat major issues for that:

1) Its BIG

2) Slide mounted safety- I started shooting on Glocks, so I wouldn't be uncomfortable with the safety off, and the hammer down on a live round (LAPD carries M9s this way). However, if you are uncomfortable with that mode, the safety can be a pain in the @$$ to switch during a draw stroke, at least it is for me. It might be enough to make one consider a taurus instead, with its frame mounted, more versatile safety arrangement.