Fully ambidextrous pistol?

[SniperStraz]

Hello THR community. I’m looking for suggestions for a fully ambidextrous 9mm semi auto to be shared between a right handed person and a left handed person.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance!

 

[sevt_chevelle]

FNX

 

[5-SHOTS]

Walther PPQ with paddle magazine release.
Walther P99 AS (I have a fully ambi one myself).
Heckler & Koch P2000.
Heckler & Koch P30.
Heckler & Koch VP9.
Arex Rex Delta.
Grand Power K100, Q100, etc.
Ruger American Pistol.
Taurus TH9 and some others discontinued Taurus pistols.

 

[5-SHOTS]

Arex Rex Zero and Alpha.
Zastava CZ999.

 

[Cump]

My first thought was an FNS -- also the HK VP9.

 

[Cump]

5-shots beat me to it, and with a much better list.

 

[George P]

The HK P7 is completely ambidextrous and accurate to boot. Downside is not cheap

 

[sevt_chevelle]

CZ 85 combat for the win.

 

[5-SHOTS]

CZ 85 combat for the win.

Nice gun for sure but the magazine release is not ambi, it's reversible but not fully ambi.

 

[5-SHOTS]

IWI Masada.

 

[ECVMatt]

Walther P88?

 

[SniperStraz]

Wow, thank folks. I’ll look these over.

 

[cslinger]

The P99 doesn’t have an ambi slide lock.
The HK P7, while awesome and technically fitting the bill, is no longer made, costs like 2 grand these days and has like 80 dollar mags when you find them. If you have the means though........

PPQ
HK P2000 series
HK P30 series
HK VP series

These are my choices. They have some history and are all well respected and solid choices. They also give you a few operating system options. (Striker, DA/SA, LEM, safety models etc. ). There are others but I personally like these.

 

[Crazy Horse]

All Springfield Armory XDM Elite Series models. These models don't require any adjustments (reversing out mag release). Additionally, the 5.25 model comes with an adjustable rear sight. the 4.5 and 3.8 barrel length models require drifting the rear sight for adjustment. All are 9mm.

I'm anxiously awaiting the XDM Elite Series to put out a 45acp model.

CH

 

[AK103K]

In reality, arent even the basic models all pretty much ambidextrous with a little familiarization and effort on your part?

Doesnt take much effort to figure out how to get things done, and done quickly and naturally. And as with anything else gun, or otherwise, regular practice and regular use make more of a difference than the gear itself.

 

[Crazy Horse]

In reality, arent even the basic models all pretty much ambidextrous with a little familiarization and effort on your part?

Doesnt take much effort to figure out how to get things done, and done quickly and naturally. And as with anything else gun, or otherwise, regular practice and regular use make more of a difference than the gear itself.

I would agree, but as a left handed shooter, there have been a couple of instances (mainly in match shooting) where the RO stopped me because I used my index finger to release the slide-he thought I was putting it on the trigger. I've always done it out of habit since most of the semi's I've used in the past are right handed.

It wasn't until the end of the day that he finally acknowledged that he kept forgetting that I was left handed.

Not all RO's are that way, but having a semi that is full ambidextrous alleviates any nervousness, especially when one is a new shooter.

Also, if your significant other is right handed, and you are left handed, having a fully ambidextrous pistol allows one to go to the range and shoot the same pistol without issue.

Yes, it is convenience, but that is what one has to contend with in a Right handed world. I'm just glad I was able to finally get a left handed coffee coup. ;-)

CH

 

[armedwalleye]

I believe the Ruger SR9 and SR9c fill that bill. Ambi safety, ambi mag release.
Additionally, the Springfield Xds in 9 and 45 both have ambi mag releases, and no frame mounted safety, only the grip safety and trigger paddle safety.

 

[lysanderxiii]

Hello THR community. I’m looking for suggestions for a fully ambidextrous 9mm semi auto to be shared between a right handed person and a left handed person.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance!

That could be all pistols, depending on the left-handed person.

 

[5-SHOTS]

The P99 doesn’t have an ambi slide lock.

Latest version has.
https://www.carl-walther.com/defense/products/p/2689421

My ten years old fully ambi P99 AS, just before the "original" fully ambi PPQ.

 

[zaitcev]

Don't forget Ruger American Pistol (RAP). Ruger had ambi mag releases for a long time - you can tell by magazines having a notch on center. But RAP adds an ambi slide release (and safety, for some models).

I think Beretta APX has fully ambidextrous controls as well, but I haven't shot it.

 

[5-SHOTS]

The APX has ambi slide release but not ambi magazine release, just like the Gen5 Glocks.

 

[5-SHOTS]

I believe the Ruger SR9 and SR9c fill that bill. Ambi safety, ambi mag release.

But they don't have ambi slide release.

 

[cslinger]

Latest version has.
https://www.carl-walther.com/defense/products/p/2689421

My ten years old fully ambi P99 AS, just before the "original" fully ambi PPQ.
View attachment 968136
View attachment 968137
View attachment 968138 View attachment 968139

No kidding. Learn something new every day. Mine is a very early two tone. I knew they upgraded the frame with a rail and long mag release paddles but hadn’t realized they added an ambi lock/release.

 

[Zerodefect]

Pretty sure that the Gen4+ Glocks have mag releases that can be removed and switched over to left handed op.

 

[5-SHOTS]

No kidding. Learn something new every day. Mine is a very early two tone. I knew they upgraded the frame with a rail and long mag release paddles but hadn’t realized they added an ambi lock/release.

I believe that the ambidextrous version of the Walther P99 AS was produced starting from 2010 but for many years the version with the non ambidextrous slide stop also remained in production. The totally ambidextrous version must have only recently arrived on the American market. On the Walther Germany website it was called the PS AM LM version and I think these acronyms meant the elonged magazine release paddle, the ambi slide release levers and the factory all steel luminous sights.