First Time Buyer in CA, Left Handed, Need Advice

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Menifee, CA
Hello all,

Getting my first firearm for the home. No idea what would be a good choice to get some practice with a gun under my belt. I've seen some possible candidates but some help would be great. I have a few requisites.

1. Good firearm for beginner
2. Works just fine for a lefty (I can do plenty things right handed, including playing guitar, switch hit baseball, golf and hockey).
3. Sub $750 or so

Being a lefty with pretty damned good dexterity on the right side, if you guys think going right for a firearm, please suggest it. So many choices between brands, styles, calibers, etc.

Thanks to all!
 
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Keeping it very general:

It's nice if you use the same hand to shoot with as your dominant eye.
Dominant Eye Test: How To Find Your Dominant Eye
If you are going to shoot self-loading pistols "automatics" know that the eject to the right so shooting them right-handed results in less brass thrown at your face.
Revolvers are ambidextrous to shoot and don't throw brass, reloading is different and worth looking at.
The Left-Handed Universal Revolver Reload | RevolverGuy.com

A revolver is the easiest handgun to understand the basics and shoot as a raw beginner, but it takes the most skill to shoot really well. An auto requires a steeper learning curve at first but with practice becomes pretty easy pretty quickly.

I'd suggest buying a .22 to start with and spend a lot of time practicing with that. I'd emphatically recommend NOT starting with something high-powered or at least with heavy recoil. A large weapon with a small to medium caliber round will be a lot easier to learn with than a small weapon.
 
Welcome!

Are you familiar with long guns and starting out with handguns, or all guns? If the latter, I think taking a basic training course with several handgun types to try would a good idea. Some people get along fine with a revolver but not a semi-auto pistol, sometimes vice versa, and sometimes both are fine.

Having a similar .22 (for cheaper practice) and centerfire guns if your budget allows would be nice, but on the S & W lineup legal for sale in CA your choices are limited to revolvers.

Finally, if it will be a house gun I would opt for a larger one. Easier to hold and fire and no concerns about size for concealment. An SD 9 pistol may be a good generic first one to handle and try if possible. Good luck in your search.
 
Read up on the California roster issue. There are exceptions to the roster restrictions but they are often very expensive. 90% of the suggestions you will get on a national board like this will not be available new from a dealer in CA unless you are a sworn police officer or buy it from another California resident in person at a gun store.
 
Yep, you need to borrow or rent a variety of firearms to try out the basic types, revolver, semi-auto. No telling what your preference will be.

Failing that, the basic S&W or Ruger 38/357 revolver and/or a big name 9mm semiauto (S&W, Glock, Ruger) would be solid choices to get started. But who knows what features you'll love or hate until you get them in hand.

A quality .22 in any configuration is always a handy tool to have around.
 
Also thinking get lessons and access to a number of guns.
Those could be range rentals or a Buddy - Relative.
You need to try before you buy, especially being in CA.
I also usually recommend start with a 22, but your case that might not be the best advice.
 
I concur with the rent/try as many as you can afford to over the next few weeks. When you narrow down the ones you are leaning towards, do as much research as you can on them and ask questions.

Good luck and welcome.
 
Welcome to the Forum from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Most of use here have had that same question once upon a time. And it is a smart question to ask.

No one gun is best (good) for everyone. Take a class at a range where you can rent or otherwise use different guns. Getting a gun for home defense takes much thought. What type of setting is the home in, how close are your neighbors, single family, apartment, townhouse. If used and you miss, Where does the round go?
You get the thought process. Get the training then you'll be able to answer your question.
 
I'm not familiar with the roster of handguns that are legal in California, but as a lefty, I do know what works best for me. I would suggest looking at the HK lineup (VP9/VP9SK/P30/P30SK/P2000/P2000SK), as they're probably the closest you'll get to t truly ambidextrous pistol. I went with the VP9SK at first, and later added the full-sized VP9. I've been an HK fan ever since.
 
I'm a Southpaw too. Get any hand gun you like, you'll get used to it. Us lefty's develop our own manual of arms.

For example - use your index finger instead of thumb for the mag release on most autos...

If there are any police trade in .40s still around, they might be a good deal. K frame .38 Special guns used to be inexpensive, but I think you might have missed the boat on them as prices are climbing the past few years.
 
As a lefty, if you are also left eye dominant, you will probably be most comfortable shooting with you left hand.

If you are right eye dominant, however, you may want to consider learning to shoot with your right hand.
 
One to look at is a Sig P238.

It's a 380. Very easy to shoot for beginner or pro alike.

Most models, but not all, are ambidextrous with safety lever on both sides.

There are a few models on the CA roster, but I'm not sure if they are still in production.

But used guns are fairly easy to find.

Great sights for a small gun. Important for me because my old eyes aren't what they used to be.
 
I'm not familiar with the roster of handguns that are legal in California, but as a lefty, I do know what works best for me. I would suggest looking at the HK lineup (VP9/VP9SK/P30/P30SK/P2000/P2000SK), as they're probably the closest you'll get to t truly ambidextrous pistol. I went with the VP9SK at first, and later added the full-sized VP9. I've been an HK fan ever since.
I'm also a lefty and I love my H-K vp9sk. It's ambidextrous and easy to take apart and clean. I was originally a rightie shooter but changed recently to left(long story) so I'm glad I got a gun that I could use for either hand.

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk
 
Beginner , home defense , left handed ....
Ithaca model 37 20 ga. (or 12 ga.) pump shotgun Defender model .
Bottom loading , bottom ejecting , can be used right handed or left handed and one heck of a home defense tool .
For home defense and beginner a 20 ga. should be just fine ...12 ga. Low Recoil loads would also work ...I'm just partial to the 20 ga.
Buy a extra barrel for hunting ...easy on - easy off .

I hope CA hasn't got around to outlawing shotguns yet ...but who knows!
Gary
 
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