Do affordable lefty handguns exist?

[twhidd]

I feel that if someone were to start an internet business selling lefty guns for a decent price that one wouldn't have to sell his car to pay, it just might create a market.

Only about ten percent of the population is left handed. You then have to ask what percentage of those people are shooters. Probably about 2% or less of the actual shooting population. You would be targeting a very small market. That would not be a very good business model.

[craZivn]

If ten percent of the population is left-handed, wouldn't that equate generally to ten percent of the shooting population as well? I agree with your point, just think the math is off a bit.

Anyway, I would rather see an increase of lefty holsters than guns.

Ivan

[twhidd]

What I meant to say was 2% of the population as a whole. That's still not a very large market niche that you would be aiming for.

[Ryu825]

Lets round the human population to 7 billion people. 2% of that equals 42 million potential customers who will pay an average of lets say $800 for a gun. Idk how much it would cost to manufacture that many guns but that many sales is worth $33600000000 (33 billion 600 million). Some filthy rich guy out there can make this happen, right?

[ShelbyV8]

The S&W SW99 and Walter P99 come with ambidextrous mag release, no safety, decocker is on top of the slide and who cares witch side it ejects from, you aim down the top of the slide. Even if someone made a left hand specific handgun most of the left handed buying public would still buy brand name Glock, Sig, HK, S&W, Ect.

[lee n. field]

Lets round the human population to 7 billion people. 2% of that equals 42 million potential customers who will pay an average of lets say $800 for a gun. Idk how much it would cost to manufacture that many guns but that many sales is worth $33600000000 (33 billion 600 million). Some filthy rich guy out there can make this happen, right?

The vast majority of that number live under repressive governances that won't let them buy handguns freely, and are too poor to afford US$800 anyway.

[TxFlyFish]

P5 are left ejecting. Glocks eject on your face so it's somewhat ambi

[Ryu825]

Maybe so but the mentioned 2% are gun owners and shooters in this scenario... divide my number by half and we still have 10s of billions.

[HKFan9]

Switching the mag release and an M&P is about the most lefty friendly gun I could think of.

Like others have stated, ejection isn't an issue when shooting two handed with a handgun as the gun is going to be centered in front of your body, in the same position for both a right and left handed shooter. However with 1 handed shooting you might get tagged by some brass, but honestly in the heat of the moment situation that brass IF you even notice it hitting you, will not mean a thing, and if you have ever fired on a formal firing line, generally your getting hit by someone elses brass most of the time anyways.

I have short fingers and my first handgun was a HK USP, I got very used to using my trigger finger on the mag release vs my thumb, so even though I'm right handed, I switched my mag release on my own M&P to the "lefty" side to be able to use my trigger finger on it, which is much more comfortable.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I've had no problem with Glocks or my 1911 with ambi safeties. Only in very tight barricades in matches do I worry about the ejection port. Even in retention position no problem.

The safety on my Buckmark is a pain - but it isn't an SD gun.

[P5 Guy]

I read somewhere that Samuel Colt was left handed and designed the Peacemaker as such. Remington's old XP100 based on their bolt action receivers would be ideal for a left handed person if the grip was designed as such. Hold the gun in the left and manipulate the bolt with the right.
But I could be full of soup, too.

[twhidd]

I think it is a misconception that Sam Colt was left-handed. His revolvers were made during the time of cavalry soldiers. The cavalry soldier's primary weapon was his saber. The saber was carried on his left side to be drawn with the right hand.

That would leave his revolver as a secondary weapon to be carried on his right side with the butt forward. He could then draw it with his left hand or his right. I believe this is how they were trained.

Now with the revolver in his left hand, as it would most likely be, the soldier could recap the nipples with his right hand. This requires a little more dexterity. I contend that this is why Colt put the nipple cutout on the right side. It just carried over into the later model Colt Peacemaker, with the loading gate on the right side.

[twhidd]

Also, Sam Colt. died some 10 years before the Peacemaker ever came to market. I'm not sure how much influence he had over it's design.

[alex0535]

Only about ten percent of the population is left handed. You then have to ask what percentage of those people are shooters. Probably about 2% or less of the actual shooting population. You would be targeting a very small market. That would not be a very good business model.

Niche markets are often pretty good businesses, especially if you are the only one catering to that market.

Consider that you have 200,000,000 gun owners, and 10% of them are left handed that might want a left handed gun, 2% of them would definitely want a left handed gun. At 2%, you have a minimum customer base of 4,000,000 people that want a left handed gun. If they were more popular you might be able to convince that other 8% that they want one, and then you have potentially 16,000,000 more customers. At 800 dollars a firearm for 20,000,000 people you are talking about a "small market" potentially worth 16 billion dollars.

They probably wouldn't make 16 billion dollars. But if 4 million people wanted a left handed gun, it is still a multi-billion dollar industry. The hurdles are developing the tooling for making a quality left handed option where these guns can be produced in a cost effective way. Few people want to pay $5000 for their left handed gun, but if they could be sold in the 800-1000 dollar range I know I would definitely consider owning one.

[Hammer1]

.

No less than 18 different rifle manufacturers make or have made true left-handed rifles over an extended period of time. This includes but is not limited to

• Anschutz
• Blaser
• Browning (20+ years)
• Carl Gustaf
• CZ
• Dakota
• Granite Arms
• Harris
• Interarms Mauser
• Kimber
• Matheiu
• Montana
• Remington (40+ years)
• Ruger (20+ years)
• Sako
• Savage (50+ years)
• STAG
• Tikka
• Weatherby (50+ years)
• Winchester

Left-hand production rifles have been made in over 35 different production calibers not including proprietary or special order cartridges.

The left-hand versions' list price ranges from the exact same price as the right-hand model to maybe 20% more than the right-hand model.


Benelli, Fabarm, Remington, Savage, and Winchester have made left-hand shotguns. Just this year Benelli introduced yet more left-hand models requiring additional business investment on their part. They added left-hand 20 gauge guns which are on a smaller size frame than their left-hand 12 gauge guns.

Long gun makers obviously make a profit in the left-hand niche.



Yet, with dozens of companies making 1911 pistols... with individual companies making a dozen different families of 1911 pistols and many more individual models...

No one will even try to make a mid-level price point left-hand 1911.




.

[Theohazard]

Kreyzhorse posted
I own a lefty bolt action rifle. In my opinion, those are fairly common because a right handed bolt action rifle isn't ideal for left handed shooters.

I know many lefties who prefer right-handed bolt-actions; they like being able to keep their primary hand in place near the trigger and work the bolt with their weak hand. For them, shooting right-handed rifles is faster and easier than left-handed models.

craZivn posted
RickB, how does flipping the mag release make it harder for a lefty? It feels far more intuitive hitting it with my thumb than my index finger IME. Just curious, as I've never heard anyone with your opinion before.

It's very common. Most lefty shooters I know prefer to use the right-handed mag release; they find it faster to use their index finger. Heck, I've even seen some right-handed competition shooters switch their mag release to the left-handed mode so they can use their index finger.

[Sharpsdressed Man]

"It's very common. Most lefty shooters I know prefer to use the right-handed mag release; they find it faster to use their index finger. Heck, I've even seen some right-handed competition shooters switch their mag release to the left-handed mode so they can use their index finger."
__________________
I use my middle finger.

[HKFan9]

It's very common. Most lefty shooters I know prefer to use the right-handed mag release; they find it faster to use their index finger. Heck, I've even seen some right-handed competition shooters switch their mag release to the left-handed mode so they can use their index finger.

I do that as stated above. Takes 10 seconds to switch a M&P mag release, and my short fingers, and having learned to shoot on a USP makes using my index finger generally more comfortable for me, also instills keeping your finger off the trigger until back on your target.

[michael t]

I have never saw the need for a left handed pistol. I am left handed been all my life . I shoot R/hand guns fine.
One problem I always thought about was if you had a L/handed gun and shot it all the time . On day you some place and say a terrorist shooting happens and you end up with a pistol not yours . You shoot it dry and trying to reload but every thing backwards and now you have to change in fight to loading a R/ handed gun. . Might get little confusing in a fight .

I'll keep all my R/handed rifles. Bolt guns included and pistols Iam to old to even think about changing .
Oh I fire a R/handed flintlock left handed. That was hardest thing to get used to But I did. Proper eye protection of course.

[Hammer1]

.

Since it is no problem for lefties to shoot everything right-handed, the reverse must also be true.

Would like to see all the right-handers use nothing but left-handed guns for ten or so years.

Don't expect to hear any complaints from them.

.

[PawPaw]

There are those that say that Col Colt was a southpaw. His single action revolvers are much easier to operate from the left hand than from the right. As a right-handed shooter, I've always found the Colt SAA and other such firearms to be just a little uncomfortable to operate, but my left-handed son says that it feels like it was built for him.

I won't give up my single actions, but I can see that they're suited for left-handed operation.