Anyone carry left handed

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wizzap

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I got a S&W Shield 40 and use a left handed Blackhawk Serpa Holster.
Im Also a big guy Im having a problem with the mag release button getting hit some how every time i get out of my car i gotta make sure its locked .

So far it hasnt fallen out just afraid it might anyone else have this problem or ideas on a fix
 
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I'm a lefty as well and I'm also a bigger guy. Luckily I do not have a problem with hitting my mag release. I would try repositioning your holster and or a different holster and see if the problem disappears. Good luck.
 
I am left handed and I do not have this issue. One suggestion is to look for a different holster. My kydex holster covers the magazine release so it will not release if it is bumped.
 
I have had a couple of guns that tended to do that on occasion.... a tip is to put some liquid paper on the button, and go through your routine if you are unsure what is bumping it.... this will show you -where- you are hitting, then you can plan a way to mitigate!

I had a p3at 380 that i left on the seat of my car 3 or 4 times before I tried that trick (suggested by my favorite local smith), and I found that the seatbelt was just at the right angle to slide under the pocket clip... it lifted the gun so perfectly that I never felt it coming out of my pocket....

Good luck with it!

Jim
 
I like to carry my briefcase left-handed, sure.
It makes it easier to shake hands with my right.
 
Bobthegod said:
No one said it yet so here goes..........

Get a revolver.
Click to expand...

Wheelguns and lefties don't mix. The cylinder pops out the wrong side. Mfrs occasionally make leftie revolvers, but they are few and far between.

Back to the OP's question... yes, I just had this happen to me yesterday. In my case, I'm pretty sure it's from sitting in the car. I typically CC in an IWB holster at 8:30 position, which usually clears the seat side bolster enough to avoid pressure contact. Most pistols are okay, but the Shield's mag release seems to be easier to hit. I may move the IWB up to 9 o'clock to see if that fixes it.
 
Man, do I feel your pain. I'm tall, very 'big-boned' and left handed.

Anything and everything on my belt instantly flies off or drops to the pavement whenever getting out of a vehicle unless it's shackled to me. I trust no holster unless it is top-clasped and my custom reinforced belt is just tight enough to be uncomfortable.

I collect 1911s, but for me, almost impossible to shoot properly as a lefty. Everything is where it shouldn't be. A revolver is like an extension of my hand. J/K frames feel perfect, shoot and reload quick. They just work. I'm guessing you have settled on the Shield and I've thought about trying that option myself.

Good (tight gripping) pocket holsters work well for me also as they get the gun down near my thigh instead of the waist.

Also, the vehicle plays a big part as you probably already know, but not always what we'd think. An F-250 (with the seat all the way back) still doesn't give much room getting out and I don't even feel the dents in my head anymore.

Good luck to you and let us leftys know what you find!
 
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Well, we agree to disagree. On many semi-autos, I can hit the slide release and mag release with left index finger faster and with less grip change than if I hold it right-handed and use the thumb.

To me, the ejection port on the right side is actually preferable, since I can see and clear any problems easier than if it were on the "blind side". Flying spend casings is not a problem either way with a handgun stretched way out and centered in the shooter's field of vision.

And for CC, the Shield's manual safety on the "wrong side" actually works in my favor, since is on the exposed side when carried in a holster. I can check and manipulate the safety position through my shirt discreetly just by feel.

As a leftie, I find it easy to make most semi-autos work in my favor, but I can't say that about revolvers.

My $0.02
 
M&Pmeister said:
Wheelguns and lefties don't mix. The cylinder pops out the wrong side. Mfrs occasionally make leftie revolvers, but they are few and far between.

Back to the OP's question... yes, I just had this happen to me yesterday. In my case, I'm pretty sure it's from sitting in the car. I typically CC in an IWB holster at 8:30 position, which usually clears the seat side bolster enough to avoid pressure contact. Most pistols are okay, but the Shield's mag release seems to be easier to hit. I may move the IWB up to 9 o'clock to see if that fixes it.
Click to expand...

I'm left handed, and reloading a Smith wheel gun is a snap. Even right handers switch the revolver from hand to hand when reloading. I've never thought of a revolver as being biased against left handers. Also, there's a "urban legend" that I've never seen definitive proof of which declares that Sam Colt was left handed, thus the revolver could be seen as left handed friendly.
 
Muss Muggins said:
I'm left handed, and reloading a Smith wheel gun is a snap. Even right handers switch the revolver from hand to hand when reloading. I've never thought of a revolver as being biased against left handers. Also, there's a "urban legend" that I've never seen definitive proof of which declares that Sam Colt was left handed, thus the revolver could be seen as left handed friendly.
Click to expand...

Curiously enough, in Chinese, revolvers are called "left wheel guns". I've always assumed it was because the wheel pops to the left, but maybe the Sam Colt story had some bearing on the name sake. :)

I think it is a habit and muscle memory more than anything. If a leftie started off wheeling revolvers, that may end up being "natural".

I have seen more than one rightie switch hands to rack the slide on a semi-auto. I can only assume they felt they needed their strong hand pulling on the slide. Looks really odd to me.

I have leftie friends who swings golf clubs right-handed and actually prefer it. Come to find out, they have never play any other "swinging" sports prior to taking up golf, and so when they were advised to swing right-handed, they just went with it and got used to it. Me... I played baseball, badminton, table tennis, etc. since I was little and so the left swing is deeply ingrained in my muscle memory. Swinging right has never felt "right".
 
i'm a lefty. i carry my Shield 9mm in a Treadstone holster by Overwatch Holsters. the mag release button is covered enough by the Kydex that it hasn't been a problem. check them out.
 
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M&Pmeister said:
Wheelguns and lefties don't mix. The cylinder pops out the wrong side.
Click to expand...
I find it completely the opposite. The cylinder swinging out to the left facilitates a reload. Even so, I'm not a big revolver fan so what do I know.

MarkAlt said:
I collect 1911s, but for me, almost impossible to shoot properly as a lefty. Everything is where it shouldn't be.
Click to expand...
I find this different too. Most lefties find the 1911, and other autos, really easy to operate. The mag release is easy to operate with your trigger or middle finger. This allows mag changes without changing your grip. Same goes with manipulating the slide stop.


This leads to a question for the OP, have you switched your mag release or is it still on the left side?
 
I use a Deadeyeluke.com holster and it works great if you have switched the release to the lefty position, not factory, let him know and he will put sufficient room to make it work. Otherwise it's totally open in the other side and won't get hit at least carrying at 8 o'clock position as that's how I carry.
 
I believe the release button can be moved to the left side.
Move spring wire out of the slot. Take out button turn it around, put it back in, rearm spring wire.
 
I had a problem carrying my Shield in a Remora, bumping the mag release every so often. I switched to a Ryman 1.0 Hybrid and no problems since. Good holster at a reasonable price.
 
About switching side on mag release... might want to consider whether you could switch all you semi autos to the same side. Otherwise, you'll have to remember which handgun you are holding and which side it's on... all in a high-adrenaline SHTF moment.

Mine all stay on the left side, even if they are switchable... quite a few of them are.
 
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As a lefty I mostly prefer right handed autos. The slide can be just as easy to slingshot and the mag release is engaged by my middle finger without changing my grip. About the only auto I like in ambidextrous versions are the new HKs. No grip change for the paddle release and the slide release is far enough back....Although that causes it's own problems. Often my thumbs ride the release just enough for the slide to go forward on an empty mag
 
I don't have a Shield, but I'm a lefty and have experienced similar problems with the mag release on other guns. It's a pretty serious issue and one sure remedy is to switch to a gun with a different style mag release.

I have a Walther P99 and an H&K USP that have paddle style mag releases by the trigger guard. They are very difficult to release by bumping into something while holstered. I know these are larger than a Shield, but the PPS has the same feature. The P2000SK may also work as an alternative.
 
I carried left handed,when I injured right wrist at work.Carried a glock 19 with a tactical slide cover from Israel that allowed one handed manipulation used don Hume jit slide.
 
Lefty here as well. I've never had trouble bumping the release on anything, but do notice that when drawing from my N82 Tactical Pro holster, I hit the release when turning the pistol to draw. You have to give it a quarter turn counterclockwise for the hater lock to release. I've not been a fan of that design, however good for retention.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I too am a lefty and pretty big (6' 2" @ 200 lbs.) and carry a revolver. I just learned, through my PD training, to work things as a lefty. The same is true w/semi autos, I just adapted to the pistol the way it came from the factory.
 
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