Best Left-Handed Pistols for You (2021)

Best Left-Handed Pistols
Pistols Name Editor’s Comment Rating Get The Best Deal
Heckler & Koch VP9 9mm

Most Recommended Option

1. Dominates its competitors in terms of ergonomics
2. Striker-fired handgun
3. Enhanced H&K light pull trigger
4. Fully ambidextrous
5. Picatinny rail molded into the polymer frame

10/10 SHOP NOW
CZ P-07 9mm 1. CZ’s Omega trigger system
2. Semi-auto pistol
3. Cold hammer forged steel barrel
4. Forward cocking serrations
5. Interchangeable backstraps
9.5/10 SHOP NOW
Beretta PX4 Storm Compact .40 S&W 1. Hammer-fired double-action/single-action system
2. Slide-mounted decocker
3. Compact design making it good for concealed carry
4. Interchangeable backstraps
9.0/10 SHOP NOW
Glock 19 Gen5 9mm with Glock Night Sights 1. Interchangeable backstraps
2. Glock Night Sights
3. Great option to have as a concealed carry
4. Finger grooves are removed
5. Reversible magazine release button and slide release
8.5/10 Currently unavailable
Glock 17 Gen4 9mm with Night Sights 1. Common duty gun for law enforcement
2. Taken apart quickly and easily
3. Great accuracy
8.0/10 Currently unavailable
Walther PPQ 45 .45 ACP 1. Poly-striker pistol
2. Minimal recoil and great ergonomics
3. Ambidextrous slide stop and reversible mag release button
4. U-shaped takedown tab
5. 15+1-round magazine capacity
8.0/10 Currently unavailable

Not everyone is right-handed and chances are, as a left-handed person, you are in search of a firearm that you can use with your dominant hand. Most of the best pistols that are made today are for people that are dominant on their right side which is why it can be a challenge looking for a left-handed pistol. In this review, we have compiled a list of the best left-handed pistols that are available.But before we proceed, let’s have a look at why you should have a left-handed pistol. 

The Reasons: Why You Should Have a Left-Handed Pistol

Having a left-handed pistol can have several benefits and here are some of the reasons for having left-handed handguns.  

Improved Handling

When shooting from guns that are made for your dominant hand, it is without a doubt that you will have better control of the gun and can take a more accurate shot. The performance you get from shooting a gun made for your dominant hand is not something that you can get from shooting a gun that is made for the non-dominant one. Besides that, it is also safer as you can get a better grip of the weapon and have better stability. 

Casings Won’t Hit Your Face

As a lefty, chances are you have been hit in the face by empty casings from shooting a pistol made for your non-dominant hand. One thing that we all know for sure is that it is not a nice feeling. Especially if the speed of the ejection is high enough that can cause injuries. Having guns that are made for your dominant side will definitely reduce the chances of getting hit in the face by the ejection of casings from the ejection port. 

No Need to Learn to Shoot With Your Right Hand

With pistols that are made for your left hand, you don’t need to learn how to shoot with your non-dominant side anymore. So why waste time learning to shoot with your non-dominant side when you can just have a pistol that is made for your dominant hand?

6 Best Left-Handed Pistols – Revealed

Now that you understand the benefits of having a left-handed pistol, let’s take a look at some of the best handgun options for all the lefties out there.

1. Heckler & Koch VP9 9mm

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Features

If you are a lefty yourself, there is a pretty high chance that you have heard of the Heckler & Koch VP9. This is the best pistol that dominates its competitors in terms of ergonomics. It is also a striker-fired handgun using an enhanced H&K light-pull trigger that always beats its competition which is also another reason that this gun is so popular. 

Normally, striker-fired handguns have a pre-travel pull that gets heavier as you go through the trigger. However, that is not the case for the VP9. The trigger that is equipped gives an insignificant pre-travel pull up to the point where the trigger is engaged. This trigger system has set H&K apart from its competitors and enhanced the shooting experience for many shooters. 

For left-handed shooters out there, this pistol would be a go-to choice as it is fully ambidextrous. It doesn’t really matter which hand you are using to fire this pistol, you will find that both sides give you the same feeling and control of the gun. There is an ambidextrous magazine release at the bottom of the trigger guard and an ambidextrous slide release.  

One of the best features of this handgun besides the high-quality construction is the Picatinny rail that is molded into the polymer frame. This allows shooters to mount accessories on the pistol making it adaptable to different applications. 

Bottom Line

Out of all the left-handed pistols on the market, the VP9 has the best reputation in the firearms industry. This pistol is not only good for left-handed shooters, but right-handed shooters will also find this pistol nice to shoot. It has decent accuracy and stopping power for beginner users and can last for a long time so you don’t have to worry about it giving you major issues. 

Pros

  • Lower price and better quality than other left-handed pistols
  • Good accuracy and precision
  • Light trigger pull
  • Great reliability
  • Has ambidextrous controls

Cons

  • Very limited options for holsters

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2. Beretta PX4 Storm Compact .40 S&W

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Features

The Beretta PX4 Storm was known as the best Beretta at a period of time. This pistol has a classic operation system which is a hammer-fired double-action/single-action system. The safety design of this pistol is ambidextrous, it is a slide-mounted decocker or some may refer it to decocking safety. The compact and subcompact models are only available in .40 S&W and 9mm while the other models are offered with different calibers.

One thing that you can know for sure is the durability of the products made by this company and the PX4 Storm by Beretta is no exception. The materials that are used to construct this pistol have good strength and quality which is why many of its users are from law enforcement and military. 

Besides that, its compact design makes it a good option as a concealed carry weapon. This pistol is designed to be snag-free which means that users are able to draw the gun quickly and easily from their holster. Weapon snagging to holsters can be very crucial especially in a self-defense situation which is why this pistol is a great concealed carry for shooters that shoot with either hand. 

The adaptability of the Beretta PX4 Storm is very high with its modular construction. The interchangeable backstraps allow the shooter to easily grip the handgun and keep using it comfortably. Parts are also easily found on the market so replacing a faulty part of the PX4 won’t be a problem. 

Bottom Line

It doesn’t matter if you shoot with either side, you will find that the Beretta PX4 Storm Compact fits you and your shooting style very well. Most importantly, this pistol has an ambidextrous slide lock and safety so right and left-handed shooters are able to operate this handgun with ease. Something that you should take note of is that you will have to adapt to using your index finger rather than your thumb to operate the slide release.

Pros

  • Good durability
  • Snag-free design
  • Great concealability and can be used as an EDC
  • Comes with adjustable sights

Cons

  • The grip is not textured enough

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3. Glock 19 Gen5 9mm with Glock Night Sights

Features

The Glock 19 Gen5 is the new model that has similar features as the older models but with some new accessories. The Glock 19 can be considered as the best left-handed pistol because of the interchangeable backstraps that came with the gun. Other than that, it is also equipped with Glock Night Sights which are great for maintaining performance under low light conditions. 

As many people know, this model of the pistol is a great concealed carry gun for left-handed shooters. So if you are a lefty, this is a great option to have as a concealed carry. This pistol has a barrel length of 4.02 inches only and puts the gun at 7.28 inches which is decent to keep the gun concealed. The pistol also weighs in at 24 ounces which is not too heavy to carry around. 

One thing that you will notice whether as a left-handed shooter or a right-handed shooter is that the finger grooves are removed for this model of pistol. But does that make the pistol better? That will be up to the user of this pistol to judge. Besides that, there are some changes that are made to this pistol that makes it better. For instance, the added flared mag well has made it easy for ambidextrous loading.

With the absence of a manual safety, it is just about getting used to the reversible magazine release button and slide release with either hand. The finish of this pistol is a representation of good-quality construction using nDLC finish. Such placement of the mag release and slide release allows the pistol to last for a long time which is what a gun owner would ask for. 

Bottom Line

Glock pistols are generally made to be used by right-handed and left-handed shooters and this new model has some changes made to it that ultimately performs better than its previous models. For buyers out there that are looking for a gun to be used in self-defense situations or as a concealed carry, this model of Glock would be a great choice as it has a decent magazine capacity and excellent magazine release for a handgun that you can carry around easily. 

Pros

  • Durable build
  • Comes with great sights 
  • Ambidextrous slide stop
  • Good magazine capacity for a small-size handgun

Cons

  • Higher price than many pistols on the market

4. Glock 17 Gen4 9mm with Night Sights

Features

More people are using Glocks nowadays and there is a good reason for why they prefer to buy Glock pistols and that is because of its reliability. The Glock 17 Gen4 has been reported to still maintain its functionality after going through thousands of rounds with minimal services required. It shouldn’t be a surprise that this pistol is reliable since it is a common duty gun for law enforcement. 

If you are one of those people that do not like to clean your pistol often, the Glock 17 handgun is the best option for you. The gun can be taken apart quickly and easily with just a few tools, making it easy to maintain. Another thing about this gun is that it is offered at a price that is fairly affordable and is one of the reasons why many people own this handgun. 

For right and left-handed shooters, the accuracy of a firearm is always an important factor   and this is definitely not an issue that you have to worry about for this pistol. This handgun is designed to have good accuracy even at long distances and having the best accuracy is crucial in a self-defense situation. 

Bottom Line

Even though this is not a compact handgun that can be used as a concealed carry, it is still fairly lightweight for a pistol with this size. This handgun is also accurate when shooting at a short or long distance to ensure that your 9mm rounds are able to hit the target. It also comes with an accessory rail to allow you to mount different types of accessory on it. 

Pros

  • Can fire a shot accurately
  • Strong build making it durable
  • Has ambidextrous controls with good mag release

Cons

  • Not the best front or rear sight

5. Walther PPQ 45 .45 ACP

Features

It is hard to say that one gun is the best but the Walther PPQ 45 is definitely amongst the best poly-striker pistols on the market. There are only a few pistols on the market that can compare with this pistol’s ergonomics, trigger and its ambidextrous features. This is the best left-handed pistol that ensures effectiveness and comfort for its users.

With the combination of German engineers and classic American .45 ACP caliber, this pistol is made to deliver minimal recoil and great ergonomics. This is also a pistol that is designed for right and left-handed shooters by using an ambidextrous slide stop and a reversible mag release button. 

Rather than having a right-hand lever to field strip the gun, this pistol uses a U-shaped takedown tab. All these ambidextrous controls can be switched to the left side to turn this pistol into a left-handed pistol. This pistol has a 15+1-round magazine capacity which is a good amount to have for target shooting and other uses too. 

This pistol has also been awarded “Handgun of the Year” so you can tell that not only it is one of the best left-handed handgun options, it is also the best handgun that anyone can ask for. This German manufacturer has a good track record of producing top performance handguns and the Walther PPQ will definitely maintain the high-performing reputation with each shot that is fired. 

Bottom Line

This is a very well built pistol, not just for right-handed shooters but for left-handed shooters as well, you can tell that this handgun is great for shooters that use either hand from the ambidextrous controls that are offered. It is also an award-winning handgun so reliability and durability will not be an issue that you will have to worry about. 

Pros

  • Comes with night sights
  • Award-winning pistol
  • High magazine capacity

Cons

  • Slightly heavy when carried in holsters

6. CZ P-07 9mm

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Features

Most double-action/single-action handguns that are hammer-fired are made for shooters that are right side dominant. For the CZ P-07, there are left-hand functions that make it compatible with left-handed shooters. This pistol implemented CZ’s Omega trigger system that allows users to use a decocking lever or install a manual safety. 

This semi-auto pistol has a barrel made of cold hammer forged steel so you don’t have to worry about the longevity of this gun. Compared to other handguns’ barrel lengths, the P-07 has a short barrel length of 3.75 inches but a long overall length of 7.2 inches which makes it a little harder to find holsters for it. 

Some handguns have slide serrations but this one has forward cocking serrations and interchangeable backstraps to ensure the comfort of its user. This handgun has been improving to be the best and adapting to user preferences which is why it is one of the best left-handed pistols that you can own.  

Bottom Line

This model of CZ P-07 is an improved version of its previous models that has been adapted to the preferences of modern buyers. The magazine release is swappable, which is amazing for one who likes to customize. Aside from the swappable magazine release, it has other features that make it a good handgun for lefties. 

Pros

  • Barrel made of high-quality material
  • No problem lasting a long time
  • Swappable mag release and backstraps
  • Smooth and crisp trigger pull 

Cons

  • Slightly heavier than some left-handed handguns

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Final Verdict – The Best Overall

The best left-handed pistol out of this list would be the Heckler & Koch VP9 9mm. This handgun has dominated its opponent as a striker-fired handgun. It has brilliant ambidextrous controls that have caught the attention of many individuals in the industry. In addition, this gun has great reliability and you will be getting the best value out of it since it doesn’t cost you too much money for such a great handgun. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can a left-handed shooter use a right-handed gun?

Yes. It is absolutely fine for a left-hander to use guns that are made for righties as long as you are aware of where everything is and also the direction of brass ejection. Right-handed shooters can actually practice shooting with their left hand and left-handed shooters can do the same for their right hand too. 

Q: Are there left-handed revolvers?

Yes. There are left-handed revolvers and one example is the Charter Arms Southpaw. This Southpaw revolver is a left-handed revolver that is identical to the Undercover Lite model by Charter Arms, it is just a reversed version of it such that the cylinder opens to the right instead of left. 

Q: Who makes a left-handed 1911?

Cabot Guns is the only manufacturer in the world that produces 1911 style handguns for lefties. The CEO believes that lefties deserve specially-made pistols since they have been shooting guns that are made for right-handed users. 

Q: Does the military have left-handed weapons? 

Unfortunately, no. Left-handed soldiers in the military are only given deflectors so that it is more comfortable to use the gun but there are no left-handed guns for them. Left-handers in the military also have to go through training on how to use guns as if they were a right-hander. Luckily there are more ambidextrous guns nowadays that makes it easier for left-handed soldiers to use. 

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