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Left handed

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SeeGeeSee

Alpha
I am looking to purchase my first handgun. I have shot a few guns and really liked the Springfield Armory 40mm semi automatic. It fit my hands perfect and is easy to handle. Two questions, is this a good gun for a first time gun owner and second question is since I am left handed, are there guns set up differently for south paws? All the guns i have shot were my uncle's and he is right handed. Tha ka for any help you can offer.

Thanks,

Curtis
 
I am left handed and to answer your question yes there are firearms set up left handed. Usually on some pistols you can have the safety and magazine release on the other side. Same with some rifles.

That said I have one pistol with an ambidextrous safety and none with magazine release on other side and I adapt to the right handed controls pretty well. The ambi thumb safety on say a 1911 is more important to me than the mag release. A right hand magazine release I can activate with my index finger just fine.

I train ambidextrous so adapting is something I do naturally.
 
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Sld1959 said:
I am left handed and to answer your question yes there are firearms set up left handed. Usually on some pistols you can have the safety and magazine release on the other side. Same with some rifles.

That said I have one pistol with an ambidextrous safety and none with magazine release on other side and I adapt to the right handed controls oretty well. The thumb safety on say a 1911 is more important to me than the mag release. A right hand magazine release I can activate with my index finger just fine.
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Thanks Sid,

Thanks for the quick reply. I had no issues using right handed gun. Are most semi automatic handguns offered as right of left handed? Or is it a custom order and therefore more expensive?

Thanks,

Curtis
 
What is ammo price on 40mm? Are you talking 40s&w or 10mm? I'm a lefty also, but due to a wrist bone no healing correctly I'm now a wrighty. It's nice when mfgs have switchable mag releases and/or other controls.
 
SeeGeeSee said:
I am looking to purchase my first handgun. I have shot a few guns and really liked the Springfield Armory 40mm semi automatic. It fit my hands perfect and is easy to handle. Two questions, is this a good gun for a first time gun owner and second question is since I am left handed, are there guns set up differently for south paws? All the guns i have shot were my uncle's and he is right handed. Tha ka for any help you can offer.

Thanks,

Curtis
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When it comes to 40 S&W it really depends on the firearm. I've shot 40 out of Sig Sauers(P226, P239, P229) and it wasn't bad. But I didn't enjoy shooting 40 out of some Taurus handguns, especially the smaller models. in my opinion if you're going to carry 40 it's more comfortable to shoot out of a full size model than a compact one. Springfield Armory makes good stuff. I've owned SA 1911s(a OD green 1911 milspec I miss sometimes, various XD models) and they were all great. So you can't go wrong in my humble opinion, but only if this SA fits your hand and you can shoot it accurately.

As far as been a lefty. I'm 64 and being a lefty has give me a lot of more advantages than disadvantages, in my humble opinion. I carried 1911s for a long time and never bothered to add ambi-safeties to them(later on I did own 1911s that had ambi-safeties but I was so used to not using them I didn't use them much.). I think if a firearm fits your hand well and you are able to shoot it accurately and handle it safely that's a lot more important than if it's lefty friendly.

Mr. Clint Smith(Thunder Ranch fame) has said that you should get used to handling different kinds of firearms because in a self-defense situation you might have to handle a firearm that's different than what you own. Some people like me when I had a bigger budget to buy more firearms used it as an excuse to buy more of them...:) But seriously, there's truth to Mr. Smith's wisdom. If you can safely handle revolvers and semi-autos it's a good thing. I have a double action revolver and I have a single action only revolver. I have a striker fired semi-auto and I have a hammer fired semi-auto. I can handle all of them safely. And I still practice using a speed loader with the double action revolver once in a while(I'm retired. I get tired of playing Spider Solitaire and looking at ads on Texas Gun Trader...:)).

Whatever you buy, handle it safely, store it safely. If you're going to carry it concealed get a good gun belt and a good holster. Get out to a gun range and shoot different kinds of ammo (including self-defense loads) to get used to how the handgun feels with the ammo. There's lot of good wisdom here, study it...:) Good luck...:)
 
SeeGeeSee said:
Hey Ronnie,

Thanks fo the reply. I am totally new to this, so I can't answer your questions. Are there different bullets that can go in a 40MM gun. I would have thought otherwise, but what do I know? I'm just starting to learn.
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Hi SeeGeeSee, TexasForLife is joking with you concerning 40mm ammunition, since this size gun would be mostly military, like ship Anti Aircraft guns, etc. (do a quick search for 40mm guns on the internet, and you’ll see what I’m referring to and TFL’s joke). Springfield Armory does sell firearms in several different calibers. From your initial post with both 40 and mm, this could either be their 40 S&W caliber or their 10mm caliber handgun. This is the other question Texas was asking you. BTW: Ronin under his moniker is the level Springfield gives for participation on this forum (all SA firearm names), it isn’t his name. I usually call him TRL (the real life), which he’ll sometimes answer to.
Welcome to the forum, from Pennsylvania
 
SeeGeeSee said:
I am looking to purchase my first handgun. I have shot a few guns and really liked the Springfield Armory 40mm semi automatic. It fit my hands perfect and is easy to handle. Two questions, is this a good gun for a first time gun owner and second question is since I am left handed, are there guns set up differently for south paws? All the guns i have shot were my uncle's and he is right handed. Tha ka for any help you can offer.

Thanks,

Curtis
Click to expand...
Welcome to the world of firearms.
I HIGHLY suggest you take your new pistol and enroll in a Basic 101 handgun class at a nearby gun range and get an instructor for 1-2 hr block to work with you on how to shoot effectively, handling, and technique.

Tremendous amount of fun can be had shooting if done correctly and safely.
 
10mm is actually .40" caliber rounded up...
The .40 S&W and 10mm are the same diameter, BUT, 10mm is a longer cartridge with a heavier bullet and more powder...
Since they are the same diameter but different lengths, .40 S&W rounds will actually fit in a 10mm pistol, and they will actually fire, there is a debate on how safe it is to shoot .40 S&W out of a 10mm pistol... Obviously you won't be able to fit the longer 10mm round in a .40 S&W pistol...

The 10mm round has almost as much mass as the .45ACP and just short of the muzzle velocity of 9mm, so it has even more kick than .45 ACP.... ...I'm not to familiar with .40 S&W, I think its about the same as 9mm, I might be wrong...

10mm having even more kick than the .45 ACP, I think you can find more than one person that would suggest 10mm is not the first pistol to start out with.... ....at the same time, the first pistol I ever shot was a .45 ACP.... ....so its not like you can't learn with a bigger caliber... ...ideally it is easier starting with a smaller caliber and working your way up, but IMO, if you're only getting one pistol for a while, get the one you want, you can learn to shoot it, even if its a bigger caliber...

And yes, if you're lefty, you want an Ambidextrous Pistol. Sure, a lefty can fire a pistol designed for a righty, but they have to adapt to it and do things differently than the right hander, like using different fingers for the Magazine Release and use the other hand to release the slide when its locked back.

Since this is going to be "your" pistol, I would get a full ambidextrous one, one that has safety, magazine release and slide catches on both sides of the pistol...

The SA XD-M Elites are fully ambidextrous and come in 10mm and I think .40 S&W also...
 
SeeGeeSee said:
Hey Ronnie,

Thanks fo the reply. I am totally new to this, so I can't answer your questions. Are there different bullets that can go in a 40MM gun. I would have thought otherwise, but what do I know? I'm just starting to learn.
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I had to throw in some typos, because those things plague me ;) . We do razz each other on this social plenty, so feel free to be razzed. I'm just trying to get you answers and be helpful when possible. Knowing which cartridge (not caliber) is key for replies.
 
BET7 said:
Hi SeeGeeSee, TexasForLife is joking with you concerning 40mm ammunition, since this size gun would be mostly military, like ship Anti Aircraft guns, etc. (do a quick search for 40mm guns on the internet, and you’ll see what I’m referring to and TFL’s joke). Springfield Armory does sell firearms in several different calibers. From your initial post with both 40 and mm, this could either be their 40 S&W caliber or their 10mm caliber handgun. This is the other question Texas was asking you. BTW: Ronin under his moniker is the level Springfield gives for participation on this forum (all SA firearm names), it isn’t his name. I usually call him TRL (the real life), which he’ll sometimes answer to.
Welcome to the forum, from Pennsylvania
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You can call me for dinner and I'll be all over that:cool::cool::cool::cool:.
 
SeeGeeSee said:
Hey Ronnie,

Thanks fo the reply. I am totally new to this, so I can't answer your questions. Are there different bullets that can go in a 40MM gun. I would have thought otherwise, but what do I know? I'm just starting to learn.
Click to expand...
Actually, that's a baby gun compared to what a reporter claimed in a shooting at walmart. Claim was he used a 99mm. Decimal points and getting fingers in the correct place and not holding onto a key to long can cause reverb ;) . Some are morons (not Mormons) and some (me included) get spell incorrect byy their device. If you're staying a while post to your hearts content!
 
TEXASforLIFE said:
You can call me for dinner and I'll be all over that:cool::cool::cool::cool:.
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FDDF6C6F-1CFC-4612-A5D0-4E8E484F83D7.gif
 
SeeGeeSee said:
I am looking to purchase my first handgun. I have shot a few guns and really liked the Springfield Armory 40mm semi automatic. It fit my hands perfect and is easy to handle. Two questions, is this a good gun for a first time gun owner and second question is since I am left handed, are there guns set up differently for south paws? All the guns i have shot were my uncle's and he is right handed. Tha ka for any help you can offer.

Thanks,

Curtis
Click to expand...
I'm also a lefty, and my earliest gun handling days go back quite a few years .... a little over 65+ to be exact. Back then there was almost nothing available in a left hand version, or even a left hand mod such as a mag release button on both sides or even one switchable. Much the same with rifles. Bolts were always on the wrong side for a south paw. And for semi-auto long guns the controls were always designed for righty's and the ejected cases/shells were usually sent right across the line of sight (depending on the gun) of a left handed shooter. Manual safeties were almost always designed for the righty's as well.

I said all that to say this ..... every gun I ever handled for probably the first 20+ years of my gun handling were right handed designs. I pined so much for a true left handed gun it was almost unbearable. So, one Christmas my wife found and bought a left handed Rem mod870 Wingmaster for me. I was a big fan of quail hunting and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Well, let me tell you what happened my first time afield with that 870. I couldn't get anything to work right on it no matter how hard I tried. It just wasn't right for me. After so many times in the field and even at the range, I finally realized that I had used so many right handed guns over so many years that I had trained myself to just expect them to work the way they did. I finally sold the 870 and never looked at another left handed gun since then .... about 45+ years.

I finally recognized I could work a bolt action rifle about as fast (accurately) as most any right hander. That I could load/unload and use (safely) any semi-auto or revolver as any right hander. And that with very few exceptions I was as competent and accurate as most any other right hander over many years. Now I do practice off-hand shooting some, but that's a whole other topic.

My point is this ..... learn to use what you like whether it's built as a right handed version or not. The key is you will learn to use it proficiently at some point. These days I'm not concerned about finding a left handed gun, I can pick up anything and use it. In fact I don't even like the feel of a left handed gun anymore. Being a lefty yourself, I'm sure you've lived a life using tools, etc all designed for the right handed world but have adjusted. Scissors, tape measures, tools in general, some fishing reels, nuts/bolts, and guns are just a few examples. This is just for grins and giggles, but even most pens and pencils are designed for right handed people.

Finally, there are some guns that will offer some help for the lefty without totally converting you. Long guns like shotguns that eject from the bottom instead of the right side (example Ithaca mod37), or rifles like a Win mod94 that ejects from the top. Most revolvers make little difference and obviously single shots and break actions will work well for you. Someone said it earlier, but learn to use what's available (right handed guns) and you'll never find yourself in a situation where you won't be able to use any available gun. And as an aside, I'm also a left handed guitar player who never even considered converting a right handed guitar as some do.

Good luck!
 
RickAnderson said:
10mm is actually .40" caliber rounded up...
The .40 S&W and 10mm are the same diameter, BUT, 10mm is a longer cartridge with a heavier bullet and more powder...
Since they are the same diameter but different lengths, .40 S&W rounds will actually fit in a 10mm pistol, and they will actually fire, there is a debate on how safe it is to shoot .40 S&W out of a 10mm pistol... Obviously you won't be able to fit the longer 10mm round in a .40 S&W pistol...

The 10mm round has almost as much mass as the .45ACP and just short of the muzzle velocity of 9mm, so it has even more kick than .45 ACP.... ...I'm not to familiar with .40 S&W, I think its about the same as 9mm, I might be wrong...

10mm having even more kick than the .45 ACP, I think you can find more than one person that would suggest 10mm is not the first pistol to start out with.... ....at the same time, the first pistol I ever shot was a .45 ACP.... ....so its not like you can't learn with a bigger caliber... ...ideally it is easier starting with a smaller caliber and working your way up, but IMO, if you're only getting one pistol for a while, get the one you want, you can learn to shoot it, even if its a bigger caliber...

And yes, if you're lefty, you want an Ambidextrous Pistol. Sure, a lefty can fire a pistol designed for a righty, but they have to adapt to it and do things differently than the right hander, like using different fingers for the Magazine Release and use the other hand to release the slide when its locked back.

Since this is going to be "your" pistol, I would get a full ambidextrous one, one that has safety, magazine release and slide catches on both sides of the pistol...

The SA XD-M Elites are fully ambidextrous and come in 10mm and I think .40 S&W also...
Click to expand...
The only 40SW that Springfield currently has in their lineup is an XD without a ambi slide release.
 
I’m a lefty. When I first started shooting I naturally didn’t know any better so I was purchasing firearms built for righties.
I have since sold those handguns and now only purchase ambidextrous firearms.
I don’t think you would see a right handed shooter looking for left handed controls so why should lefties look for a right handed gun?

As far as 40 caliber for a newbie I would suggest looking for a ambidextrous 9mm handgun.
9mm has less recoil, is readily available and is cheaper. Oh, and it will be easier to find a desirable lefty gun in 9mm.
 
KillerFord1977 said:
Welcome to the world of firearms.
I HIGHLY suggest you take your new pistol and enroll in a Basic 101 handgun class at a nearby gun range and get an instructor for 1-2 hr block to work with you on how to shoot effectively, handling, and technique.

Tremendous amount of fun can be had shooting if done correctly and safely.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply. Great advice on taking a handgun class.

Keystone19250 said:
The only 40SW that Springfield currently has in their lineup is an XD without a ambi slide release.
Click to expand...

Lefty said:
I’m a lefty. When I first started shooting I naturally didn’t know any better so I was purchasing firearms built for righties.
I have since sold those handguns and now only purchase ambidextrous firearms.
I don’t think you would see a right handed shooter looking for left handed controls so why should lefties look for a right handed gun?

As far as 40 caliber for a newbie I would suggest looking for a ambidextrous 9mm handgun.
9mm has less recoil, is readily available and is cheaper. Oh, and it will be easier to find a desirable lefty gun in 9mm.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your great advise on starting out with a 9mm. Less recoil I think would be best and finding a lefty gun makes sense. Thanks again. I am getting lots of replies and advice and I really appreciate it all.
Lefty said:
I’m a lefty. When I first started shooting I naturally didn’t know any better so I was purchasing firearms built for righties.
I have since sold those handguns and now only purchase ambidextrous firearms.
I don’t think you would see a right handed shooter looking for left handed controls so why should lefties look for a right handed gun?

As far as 40 caliber for a newbie I would suggest looking for a ambidextrous 9mm handgun.
9mm has less recoil, is readily available and is cheaper. Oh, and it will be easier to find a desirable lefty gun in 9mm.
Click to expand...
Lefty said:
I’m a lefty. When I first started shooting I naturally didn’t know any better so I was purchasing firearms built for righties.
I have since sold those handguns and now only purchase ambidextrous firearms.
I don’t think you would see a right handed shooter looking for left handed controls so why should lefties look for a right handed gun?

As far as 40 caliber for a newbie I would suggest looking for a ambidextrous 9mm handgun.
9mm has less recoil, is readily available and is cheaper. Oh, and it will be easier to find a desirable lefty gun in 9mm.
Click to expand...
I appreciate you advice and suggestion about going 9mm instead of a 40 caliber, less recoil makes sense. Like you mentioned finding a lefty should be easier in 9mm. I am getting lots of replies and advice and I really appreciate it.
 
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