Left handed vs Right handed

Im left handed. Ive only once had a mag pop out from the mag release being pushed accidentally. It happened years ago when I was using a name brand brand holster for a 1911 that was made to cover the mag release. The holster itself flexed and depressed the mag release. Ive never had that happen with any other holster and I carry concealed every day, about 12 hours a day. As a lefty I would recommend AGAINST having the mag release covered by the holster.

I'm a lefty and holster options are not as open for me.

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I think your left hand options are more limited at the local gun store, but not if you are ordering on-line from the maker. Just about any maker can produce a left handed holster for you.

Are mag releases usually covered for Right handed shooters?

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Traditionally, I don't think they have been, as the "old school" guys taught the administrative reload which would have you eject and then load a mag while the gun is holstered. That would require access to the mag release button.

Modern Service Weapons article http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=2139

Nearly all of the long established holster makers, Alessi, Rosen, Sparks, Kramer, Del Fatti, etc., either had no sweat shield on their holsters or left the mag release button exposed. Possibly to allow the administrative reload, or possibly to keep leather away from the mag release to avoid possible activation. I don't know why they are such, but they all work pretty well in that regard.

However, it seems since the introduction the "hybrid IWB" holster popularized by the Crossbreed Supertuck, the sweat shields have gotten bigger and many now cover the mag release.

I don't think an inadvertent mag release should be much of a concern, though I'll admit the Gen 4 Glock mag release button is pretty big and sits rather prominently from the frame. If that is what you have, that may be a problem, but they are reversible I believe, and it should allow you to avoid that problem.

One of the true basics of holster design is to make sure that the holster does not interfere with any of the pistol's "controls" (safeties, mag releases, etc). A push-button mag release that is covered by the leather of the holster body can be activated by pressure applied to the holster, and is probably more likely to do so than an uncovered mag release.

Left-hand holsters can be hard to find. Left-handed people comprise a relatively small percentage of the total population, so manufacturers and retailers generally produce and stock far fewer left-hand holsters than right-hand simply because the demand is much lower.

We offer 12 holster designs, with or without 4 common options, in 4 finish colors, left-hand and right-hand, for 144 different handguns. This results in about 70,000 possible variations, allowing each customer to "customize" a particular holster style to individual needs and preferences. Since we receive about 2,000 orders per year it is easy to understand that it would take about 35 years to make one of each to have in stock, and then only if we never delivered a single order.

Always glad to make a left-hand order for a customer, and about 8% of all orders are for left-hand products. All that is required is to reverse the pattern.

But I'm sure you can see why I don't make big production runs of left-hand products and expect them to fly off the shelves.

Best regards.

I have molded a bit of a dome, or cavity over the mag release area while the leather was still wet. It seems to work pretty well.

Have you considered something like a belly band holster? They are kind of ridiculous looking but I recently bought one and love it.

Now, I am cross dominant (right handed and left eyed). If someone can find a way to not get thumped in the forehead with spent shell casings, that would be something

There are plenty of very good custom holster makers out there that offer holsters for only slightly more than an off the shelf brand. Lobo leather is my personal favorite.

There are many semi-autos out there that are ambidextrous, but if you are really worried about accidentally hitting the mag release you could opt for a Sig with a "European style" mag release with it located on the heal of the grip.

A simpler option would be to carry a revolver.

Convert the mag release.....

I would advise converting the magazine release. I'm left handed & I either switch the release(when possible) or buy ambi mag release type firearms.

Holsters aren't a big deal. Magazines can pop out or slide out sometimes when you sit down or get into a vehicle but it's rare. You can get a decent left hand holster that covers the trigger guard/trigger & is safe.

Us right handers have this issue sometimes as well. The magazine of my Ruger sometimes gets popped out because something pushes on the ambidextrous magazine release. Thankfully I can "feel" this change and correct it without leaving a magazine behind.

4v50 Gary said:

Southpaw here. Never had that happen. I regularly carry my Sig P220 in a Bianchi 19L-2 holster. When I worked uniforms, I had a Safariiland SS III 070 holster (duty holster).

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Also a lefty.

I OWB carry my 2nd gen S&W in a Bianchi 19L, never had any issues.
I currently carry my Taurus 709 in a Tagua universal holster (forget the model number) IWB. also have never had a problem with the mag release. On the Tagua, the mag release is covered, and on the Bianchi, I think its open, but would have to verify.

Buttons vs levers....

If you are a left hander & want to avoid problems, look for a semi auto with the levers over the round/button styles.
As posted, I haven't had major problems with either style but simple engineering & designs would lend the lever style to the American type button releases.