National Carry AcademyTop 10 CCW Firearms for Ambidexterous Shooters
April 25, 2016
How can a gun be ambidextrous?
Magazine ejection–Can the magazine be ejected by the left or right hand?
Safety–Can the safety be easily accessed from the left or right side?
In most cases, those are the two things that determine whether a gun is ambidextrous. Although it seems strange that, in the modern age of guns, that a firearm would be designed for only lefties or righties, it still happens. Why is this? Because the majority of people in the market for a firearm are right-handed, and gun manufacturers have little desire to change the mechanics of a firearm that has worked just fine for decades.
The fact is, modern handguns have not advanced much in the last thirty years. Other than using polymers to decrease the weight of the weapon, extending the magazines, or adding adjustable sights, pistols from 1985 will typically operate the same as one from 2015. The striker-fire is the major exception to this. Within the past three decades, it has moved forward dramatically. But that’s a whole other article.
With that said, we will now discuss ten handguns that provide for ambidextrous operation.
Smith & Wesson J Frame
The Smith & Wesson J Frame is a compact, snub-nosed .38 special or .357 Magnum which holds five bullets. In regards to self-defense as a concealed carry revolver, it’s almost perfect. This revolver can be held with one or two hands and is easily concealed in the waistline. Because of it’s single action/double action design, the user gets single action performance with double action follow-up.
Beretta Nano
The Beretta Nano comes with good ergonomics, a small modular design, and is built to be easily concealed. The magazine can be ejected from either side, and most models do not have a mechanical safety. Because it has a modular structure, concealed carriers are encouraged to experiment with it to find the right sight, grip, and hand configuration for their individual needs.
Chiappa Rhino 2”
For a concealed carry revolver, the Chiappa Rhino 2” has one of the strangest designs ever seen. It has a flattened cylinder, and uses moon clips to quickly load and unload ammo into a cylinder that’s hexagonal. Being that it is compact and streamlined, it provides all the benefits of a single action/double action handgun of the same platform.
Glock 19
The Glock 19 has a magazine designed well for a right-handed shooter, however, it can also be easily accessed with either hand. Because of this, a good list of ambidextrous pistols could not be complete without a Glock 19. The G26 is more compact, and for anyone looking for the ideal Glock for ambidextrous use, the G26 would be the best bet. However, if you are able to handle a full-size Glock, you won’t regret the Glock 19.
Walther PPS
The Walther PPS is slim, single-stack, and has a magazine release on the trigger guard for ambidextrous use. Because of these features, the Walther PPS is an excellent choice for those concealed carriers who want to switch hands. Some models do come with a safety on the left side (ideal for flipping with the right thumb), however, that safety can also be easily accessed with only the left hand. There are few 9mm pistols that can be safely fired single handedly by almost anyone who practices it, but this is one of them.
Sig Sauer P938
There aren’t many ambidextrous pistols made by Sig Sauer, but they their pistols are often designed with controls that can be easily learned by left-handers. With that said, the P938 is on of their best sub-compact SA/DA pistols. It can easily be used with either hand with the same effect. It provides good accuracy, an ambidextrous safety, and a convenient left-handed magazine release.
LWS Seecamp (.32 or .380)
The LWS Seecamp is smaller than your cell phone, and is an excellent ambidextrous option for concealed carriers. Being chambered in .380 ACP (9x17mm) or .32 caliber, it can provide full size performance in a small, compact platform. This is one of the better options for those who travel frequently and want to keep a low profile while being able to reliably fire in a self-defense situation.
Taurus Curve .380 ACP
The Taurus Curve was designed with the daily carrier in mind. It can easily fit in a purse or a pocket and has intuitive controls, ergonomic point sights, and a durable trigger. It also comes with a flashlight for seeing targets in a dark environment. The grip is made for right handed shooters, but lefties have reported no issues when holding it with their left hand.
Kahr CM9
A fact that few people know is that Kahr once helped to manufacture Glocks. Although Glock has changed much of their manufacturing process, Kahr had great insight into Glock’s features and design. This helped them to create two models of single stack pistols that are very easy to carry and conceal before the Glock 43 was ever released. The CM9 is one of them. Chambered in 9mm, it has equally good performance in either the left or right hand, and has been proven reliable. It’s also priced more affordably than most Glocks.
Kimber Solo
Kimber has a good reputation for high-end 1911s and custom pistols, but they also have one of the smallest micro pistols on the market. Weighing in at mere ounces, the Kimber Solo has one of the shortest barrels among micro-compact pistols, and has elements of design that are customizable for shooting with either hand. The only downside about the amount of work and finish put into these pistols is that nobody will see it except you.
Top 10 CCW Firearms for Ambidexterous Shooters
April 25, 2016
How can a gun be ambidextrous?
Magazine ejection–Can the magazine be ejected by the left or right hand?
Safety–Can the safety be easily accessed from the left or right side?
In most cases, those are the two things that determine whether a gun is ambidextrous. Although it seems strange that, in the modern age of guns, that a firearm would be designed for only lefties or righties, it still happens. Why is this? Because the majority of people in the market for a firearm are right-handed, and gun manufacturers have little desire to change the mechanics of a firearm that has worked just fine for decades.
The fact is, modern handguns have not advanced much in the last thirty years. Other than using polymers to decrease the weight of the weapon, extending the magazines, or adding adjustable sights, pistols from 1985 will typically operate the same as one from 2015. The striker-fire is the major exception to this. Within the past three decades, it has moved forward dramatically. But that’s a whole other article.
With that said, we will now discuss ten handguns that provide for ambidextrous operation.
Smith & Wesson J Frame
The Smith & Wesson J Frame is a compact, snub-nosed .38 special or .357 Magnum which holds five bullets. In regards to self-defense as a concealed carry revolver, it’s almost perfect. This revolver can be held with one or two hands and is easily concealed in the waistline. Because of it’s single action/double action design, the user gets single action performance with double action follow-up.
Beretta Nano
The Beretta Nano comes with good ergonomics, a small modular design, and is built to be easily concealed. The magazine can be ejected from either side, and most models do not have a mechanical safety. Because it has a modular structure, concealed carriers are encouraged to experiment with it to find the right sight, grip, and hand configuration for their individual needs.
Chiappa Rhino 2”
For a concealed carry revolver, the Chiappa Rhino 2” has one of the strangest designs ever seen. It has a flattened cylinder, and uses moon clips to quickly load and unload ammo into a cylinder that’s hexagonal. Being that it is compact and streamlined, it provides all the benefits of a single action/double action handgun of the same platform.
Glock 19
The Glock 19 has a magazine designed well for a right-handed shooter, however, it can also be easily accessed with either hand. Because of this, a good list of ambidextrous pistols could not be complete without a Glock 19. The G26 is more compact, and for anyone looking for the ideal Glock for ambidextrous use, the G26 would be the best bet. However, if you are able to handle a full-size Glock, you won’t regret the Glock 19.
Walther PPS
The Walther PPS is slim, single-stack, and has a magazine release on the trigger guard for ambidextrous use. Because of these features, the Walther PPS is an excellent choice for those concealed carriers who want to switch hands. Some models do come with a safety on the left side (ideal for flipping with the right thumb), however, that safety can also be easily accessed with only the left hand. There are few 9mm pistols that can be safely fired single handedly by almost anyone who practices it, but this is one of them.
Sig Sauer P938
There aren’t many ambidextrous pistols made by Sig Sauer, but they their pistols are often designed with controls that can be easily learned by left-handers. With that said, the P938 is on of their best sub-compact SA/DA pistols. It can easily be used with either hand with the same effect. It provides good accuracy, an ambidextrous safety, and a convenient left-handed magazine release.
LWS Seecamp (.32 or .380)
The LWS Seecamp is smaller than your cell phone, and is an excellent ambidextrous option for concealed carriers. Being chambered in .380 ACP (9x17mm) or .32 caliber, it can provide full size performance in a small, compact platform. This is one of the better options for those who travel frequently and want to keep a low profile while being able to reliably fire in a self-defense situation.
Taurus Curve .380 ACP
The Taurus Curve was designed with the daily carrier in mind. It can easily fit in a purse or a pocket and has intuitive controls, ergonomic point sights, and a durable trigger. It also comes with a flashlight for seeing targets in a dark environment. The grip is made for right handed shooters, but lefties have reported no issues when holding it with their left hand.
Kahr CM9
A fact that few people know is that Kahr once helped to manufacture Glocks. Although Glock has changed much of their manufacturing process, Kahr had great insight into Glock’s features and design. This helped them to create two models of single stack pistols that are very easy to carry and conceal before the Glock 43 was ever released. The CM9 is one of them. Chambered in 9mm, it has equally good performance in either the left or right hand, and has been proven reliable. It’s also priced more affordably than most Glocks.
Kimber Solo
Kimber has a good reputation for high-end 1911s and custom pistols, but they also have one of the smallest micro pistols on the market. Weighing in at mere ounces, the Kimber Solo has one of the shortest barrels among micro-compact pistols, and has elements of design that are customizable for shooting with either hand. The only downside about the amount of work and finish put into these pistols is that nobody will see it except you.