I do see what you are all saying, and I have carried for a decade and been shooting for much longer. I can, if necessary can use a pistol without an ambi safety, but sometimes I feel that righties don't really understand the plight of us southpaws. I'm not the only one that dislikes the G3 for the very reason that it sucks for any real use for a lefty other than shooting on a square range. I am a person that is used to adapting. I'm short. 4' 11" and ride a BMW R1200CL, I'm a lefty and shoot a right handed Remington 700 ( I would prefer a left handed action, but I got a good deal on it and I have learned to shoot it well). I can reload revolvers in decent time. I’m not talking about not being able to adapt. Maybe it is extremely difficult to engineer an ambi safety into this pistol. I think I remember when I owned my 22/45 trying to see if I could do something about it. I think that the disassembly lever in the back of the grip was the main obstacle, and since the Victory doesn’t have that, it seems like it would be rather easy. I may be remembering wrong, it’s been a while.
Here are my main reasons. I shoot at a local range’s USPSA events. Have for a long time. We have several youngsters that want to get involved and we’d like to use .22’s. I know how easy it would be to teach my 11 year old step son how to shoot single stack with a Victory or 22/45 with an ambi safety. He’s not big enough yet to shoot any of the major calibers with any confidence. He’s too wet behind the ears to put him into a situation where he’s moving on a range AND having to manipulate controls made for the wrong hand. I’m not trying to start ****. If I came off like I was bitching, just to bitch, I apologize. I have been a Smith fan for decades and this isn’t a “S&W” gripe. It’s just a gripe for a lefty who wants to be able to use a left handed safety. BTW, everything I shoot at the moment is polymer as well. I sold my Springfield 1911 because my thumb kept pushing the slide lock out when firing. It’s just where my thumb naturally goes and I didn’t feel like having it milled down. I will probably buy another 1911 and have it done, though. I miss shooting it. Last, I have carried my 22/45 at a friend’s farm for little critters. It’s a pain to draw it and have to fiddle with the stupid safety. Hey, I hate slide mounted safeties too, I have small hands, but here I am in a Smith forum and have owned several with slide mounted safeties.