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Dans Club
DWF Supporters
April 20, 2010
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I have been thinking of getting a 1911 for a while now (ok ever since Supermagfan let me shoot his last June). A lot of the ones I look at, including most Dan Wesson models, do not have an ambidextrous safety, which I need due to severe lefthandedness.
My question is, if I buy a used 1911, how hard is it to add an ambidextrous safety, is it something a normal gunsmith can do well? I have read threads on other websites which make it sound like it is not a big deal at all to do. However I don't want to buy possibly a $1000+ pistol and not be able to have a safety I can use, or have it messed up by trying to add the safety.
Has anybody ever added one to a Dan Wesson model, could there possibly be anything unique on them to make this impractical? I am sure I could send a pistol back to the factory to have it done but that would be added expense I have to figure in when I consider buying a pistol. I do not know very much about 1911s but figure there are guys here who do.
Thanks,
-Lonwolf93
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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Best thing about 1911 is that it is a standardized design, DW's are true 1911's, and converting to ambi safety is very straightforward. Virtually any gunsmith should be able to handle this.
You can also get lefty Magazine release
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/339193/cylinder-and-slide-ambidextrous-magazine-release-1911-blue
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
Dans Club
DWF Supporters
April 20, 2010
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Steve, thanks for the info. Good to know about the magazine releases too, although as I handle 1911s I find they are very friendly for lefties, I can manipulate the mag release and slide release very well with my trigger finger.
I think the controls on 1911 style pistols are easier to operate lefthanded than most autoloaders I have held, as long as the 1911 has the ambidextrous safety.
-Lonwolf
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
August 28, 2009
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Here's a true lefty for you! The Randall was the only southpaw ever manufactured in the 1911 platform and there are only a few of them out there.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=310205302
An ambi. safety should be a simple and inexpensive mod. for any competent gunsmith, just make sure you don't bring you new gun into a hack and end up with it destroyed.
Dans Club
DWF Supporters
April 20, 2010
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Harly, yes I have followed a couple Randall lefty 1911s on Gunbroker, an intriguing pistol. I am a fan of any company that makes lefthand specific products.
That is the most reasonably priced Randall Southpaw I have seen, usually they are 5K+.
-Lonwolf
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
September 9, 2012
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Its really not too hard to install an ambi safety yourself. I've done a few. Just take your time and check after every couple file strokes. Here's a couple links if ya wanna do it yourself.
Good luck.
Bob
http://www.ktgunsmith.com/1911ts.htm
http://www.brazoscustom.com/magart/0601.htm
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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lonwolf93 said
Harly, yes I have followed a couple Randall lefty 1911s on Gunbroker, an intriguing pistol. I am a fan of any company that makes lefthand specific products.That is the most reasonably priced Randall Southpaw I have seen, usually they are 5K+.
-Lonwolf
Here are some lefty AR's from Stag Arms
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
Dans Club
DWF Supporters
April 20, 2010
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Steve,
The lefty ARs from Stagarms are on my wish list of guns, it just hasn't made it to the top yet. I have checked them out at gun shows, it is a nicely made AR in their price range too.
T-bo, thanks for the info on the safety, I feel better knowing it is not a complicated conversion. Opens up the possibilities when I am looking at potential 1911s to buy.
-Lonwolf
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
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