Since having surgery on my right (dominant) wrist, I’ve become acutely aware of how unfriendly to left handed people the Classic P series is. Those left handed folks who use the P series, why? My Beretta PX 4 Compact Carry is much more left handed friendly. Decocking shouldn’t be that difficult!

One of the main reasons why I have the 226 in SAO!

Sorry about that. Change is not easy.

I’m a righty and thus have no advice. But I have noticed a series of father / son pistol reviews on YouTube (“Beretta9mm..”) and the son is left handed. They’ve reviewed Sigs and the son is quite quick & proficient at decocking. You might watch a few before abandoning the Sig layout. Good luck with this new challenge.

And you’ve probably seen Jerry Jones’ video on the subject?

Several years ago, one of the best shots in our LGC defensive shooting group was using a P229 DA/SA every week. He was a lefty...had no problems with control manipulation.

I can't recall the specifics, but he just adapted his lefty technique to the pistol. With luck, a lefty who has used DA/SA may respond here with more details.

My lefty friends just break their grip to decock the pistol. As a number of trainers and instructors are fond of saying, there's no race back to the holster.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Decker:
there's no race back to the holster.

Yup: No prizes for how fast we can decock and put the gun away.

Pull and release the slide to chamber a round (as we all should) and use the index finger to depress the mag catch (as we all should), and the left-handed shooters I have taught to use Classic line SIGs have had no problems.

I'm a lefty and the reason why I shoot Sig's is because of how left friendly the P series is. You can switch the mag release if needed and it's super easy to decock the pistol with your index finger. Next to a totally ambi pistol the P series is by far the best.

I am a lefty and here is my opinion:

The year is 1986...

The PD I was working for was transitioning from revolvers to semi auto 9's. There were five different pistols to choose from:

Beretta 92

Glock 17

S&W 59 (I think)

Ruger P85

Sig P226

I shot all of them; and when the FTI asked what I was thinking about, I told him that while I liked the P226 the best, I was going to purchase the 92, due to the ambi controls. The FTI was a lefty and said that he was going with the P226. He went on to say the fact that it was not originally designed for lefties should not stop you. So, I got a P226 and never looked back...

Today...

I still shoot the P226 exclusively. Additionally, instructors have said that the P226 is inherently safer for lefties because you are using the trigger finger to de-cock.

Another lefty here. My first 3 handguns were Sigs, a 220 9mm Euro, then a 229, followed by a 226.

I shot them in competition in college, leaving the mag release in the stock position for most of that time (heel release on the 220 didn't give me a choice).

Slingshot the slide, and the trigger finger works all of the controls. I actually don't need to break my grip to decock, I can reach it fine with a full grip and just curling my trigger finger back.

I don't really shoot my P-series anymore. I have a 220 compact, a different 220 9mm, stupidly ditched the 229, and my 226 is now in DAK. Small magazine capacities, heavy weight, and inconsistent triggers, I just enjoy shooting other guns more.

As a lifelong lefty, and Sig shooter since my first 226 in 1986, I don’t consider the Sig classic series unfriendly to lefties.
While the mag release is reversible, I prefer the standard location and use my trigger finger to drop the mag as well as decock. This also ensures my trigger finger is off the trigger during those motions.

See the Gun Digest Book of the Sig Sauer(Second Edition), Chapter 19,”Manipulation of the Pistol.” Mas Ayoob has a chapter on left-hand techniques for the classic series. While the techniques for left-handed use are different than those for right-handed use, they do work well.I may get around to swapping all my classic Sigs and P-320s magazine releases over to the right side, but trying to overcome 30+ years of habitually using my trigger finger is quite a task.

Left handed Sig shooter here

I bought in to the
"Hell and back reliability" many years ago

Used the
Sling shot slide return method

And never really wanted anything with left hand controls, I was always concerned that if I had to use some ones else's gun it wouldn't be a left handed gun I would be picking up.

We Leftys can adapt and overcome.

I'm not a lefty but a friend of mine who is, shot my P365 with safety about 2 months ago. He is now a proud owner of one and loves it.

I'm a lefty and I love the classic P-series pistols. I decock with my left index, drop the mag with my left middle finger and don't use the slide release at all (slingshot it instead). Just practice and it will become second nature.

quote:

Originally posted by bcphoenix:
I'm a lefty and I love the classic P-series pistols. I decock with my left index, drop the mag with my left middle finger and don't use the slide release at all (slingshot it instead). Just practice and it will become second nature.

Same exact routine for me. Lefty with a P225A1 and P229.

Another nice thing about being a lefty and the classic p-series is that I have never once had a slide fail to lock open due to my grip. I can get as high on the pistol as I want and I can never inadvertently hold down the slide release. I kind of see the p-series as being better suited for lefties.
What really sucks being a lefty is trying to buy a 1911...50% or less of the models come with ambi safeties stock...Either can't buy some models or have to immediately modify a brand new gun to make it work...

The P-series double stacks have hump in the grip for the decocker, which messes with my left hand trigger finger. Single stacks are OK so I was down to just a P220 for a while.

But then I found the SAO Legions have symmetrical grips and re fine for me. The single stack P225A1 is OK too, just use left hand index finger to decock.

Being a classic Sig southpaw shooter has never been an issue for me.

I pretty much operate the controls with my trigger finger, but I do always slingshot the slide. I think P series Sigs are excellent Southpaw guns.