Tips for a Lefty? Just bought my first handgun

I'm a southpaw (though I can shoot with either hand, I'm left-eye dominant and like the feel of shooting with my left hand better), and I just bought my first handgun (Ruger SR9c, SS slide).

Thanks to advice I found here and elsewhere, I grabbed some Hoppes #9, a cleaning kit with bore brush, patches, etc., and cleaned it, then lightly oiled the surfaces that needed oiling, and I plan on taking the gun to the range with a friend tomorrow and putting through ~200 rounds.

I've already tried this model (SR9c) at the range once, and I've used a friend's Glock 17 gen 4, Ruger LC9, and a few revolvers, but my being a lefty always seems to be an issue, in one way or another. For example:

• What's the best way to handle the slide when holding the gun left-handed?

Right now, I have to switch to a right-handed hold to lock and unlock the slide (especially since the slide is quite tight/snug, probably due to the newness of the gun).

• Where's a good place to get a holster for a lefty?

I don't have my CCW permit yet, but I plan on taking a class soon (my wife wants to go too—but it took a while to convince her to let me get a gun!), and I'd like a good IWB or OWB holster. Didn't know if there were specific shops that do a better job for left-handers.

• Any other tips for a first-time gun owner?

I'm just excited to get to go to the range and try out the gun! I have a small gun bag, bought an extra 17 rd. magazine (17+17+10 = fewer reload breaks at the range), and I obviously have eye/ear protection. Bought some Federal ammo at Wal-Mart for $9.50/box of 50 (way cheaper than most gun stores in the area... $14-16/box), and some of those high-visibility sticky targets for more fun than plain paper.

(Aside: Why do most people seem to hand-load all the ammo into their magazines rather than use the loading assist tool? I find I'm way faster, and my thumb feels way better, if I use the tool while reloading).

Thanks for all the advice, especially wrt using the trigger finger for the slide lock. It's definitely not a huge deal, and in a defensive situation, I hope I won't need to lock the slide.

However, there were a couple double-feeds at the range today that did require me to lock the slide and pop out the magazine, so if that happens in a more tense situation, I still want to be able to operate the lock more quickly than fumbling around switching hands!

Thanks also for the holster suggestions—so many to choose from! I've had a PDA or phone 'holstered' on my hip since high school, so I don't think it'll be too hard to use the SR9c with the 10rd mag if I get the right holster. I just wish there were more selections I could try before I buy—all the online ones that seem great aren't available in any stores around here.

The SR9c performed well at the range today, with one stovepipe, 2 FTF (one was a double feed, other seemed to just not have a firing pin hit... weird?), and a REALLY hot barrel after sending about 225 bullets downrange. The slide is already a lot easier to operate after firing a couple hundred times—the first few times I opened it, it felt like I was pushing against a rock... and the metal grip serrations almost cut my fingers! Now it's a little easier, and the trigger's feeling a little more loose too (in a good way).

Gonna clean the gun really well tonight, and look into some STL-area CCW instructors!

I forgot to look; it may have been FTE, because I don't remember seeing more than one full cartridge fall out when I popped the mag and dumped what was in the chamber. I'll have to keep my eye on it in the future, though!

I'm not disappointed with the gun at all, though. I think it still needs a little more break-in—some of the parts feel stiff compared to the range rental SR9c I used last week, and most people say it takes 300-500 rounds before the SR9c feels right.

harmon rabb said:

best advice i can give, and i'm a lefty: LEARN TO SHOOT WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND. we live in a righty's world. adapt to it. 99% of guns are designed for righty's -- so learn to shoot right handed. simple as that.

when i first started shooting, shooting lefty would've felt more natural. but i knew the reality of the gun world, and just shot righty all the time. now, shooting righty feels natural, and my shooting ain't bad at all these days.

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The tough part about shooting as a righty, not so much with handguns, but more with shotguns and rifles (long guns), is that I'm left eye dominant.

I'm still considering shooting my handgun righty, as my groups are pretty much the same left and right handed (I'm ambidextrous in a strange way... write only left handed, play sports *mostly* right handed, etc.). But either way I go, I have plenty of improving to do! I have 8-10" groups at 7 yds...

Hangingrock said:

The more recent designs in semiautomatic pistols are more accommodating to ambidextrous usage. There are more rifles and shotguns that are now available that are designed for left hand usage.

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One of the main reasons I chose the SR9c, besides how much I liked the size and feel of the gun, was that all its controls (except for the slide release/lock) are ambidextrous.

Besides locking the slide, I feel quite proficient with the controls on the gun, though they're all a bit 'sticky' right now (I need to put a few hundred rounds more downrange before they'll be looser, supposedly).

But for handgun shooting, I'm definitely still considering shooting right handed, or at least practicing both ways. I've found that it pays to be adaptable. For handguns, since I use the isosceles stance, the only difference when switching hands, as far as I can tell, is trigger feel/control... it's a slight bit different depending on which hand I'm using.

Hangingrock said:

You have a lot to learn. That’s not meant to be a negative commentary on your status/abilities. With in reason your perceptions and abilities are going to mature over time. With out acknowledging it most people settle into their own level of incompetency.

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I definitely agree there!

I've only shot maybe 5 times total (around 1000 rounds total) with a handgun, and only a few times with a shotgun (12 gauge), and I'm definitely not anywhere near what I'd call proficient with any type of gun.

I'm planning on taking a basic pistol course (have only shot a revolver once, so I'd like to learn/handle them more too), and a CCW course. I just need to find a good one in St. Louis.