A few questions

[Demonicspire]

I am looking into handguns and I have a few questions. Are there any m1911 owners who are also lefties? If so, are there any issues with that?

Similarly, has anyone here shot the USP, what are your thoughts on it?

[Fjold]

I'm left handed and own a few 1911's. I just add the ambidextrous safety and work the slide release with my index finger. Never played with a USP.

[Demonicspire]

Well that's good to know that you have no significant problems with it.

[fanof1911forlife]

Shooting a right-handed 1911 with your left hand can be done successfully if you put in a lot of time to practice. Just be careful that your support right hand's thumb can be cut if it's being too close to the lower edge of the slide.

[Demonicspire]

I swear slides are actually some variety of vampire, they have no purpose in life but to eat hands.

[morrcarr67]

I shoot with both hands and never have a problem.

[corcoraj2002]

I'm a lefty, I have a Springfield 1911 loaded, it comes with an ambidextrous safety, I switched the mag release around on my M9 (it has an ambidextrous safety) the XD comes with an ambidextrous mag release.

I rent a lot of right handed only guns and have never had a problem.

[A Lonewolf]

The USP is my first handgun and I will keep it forever. Ambi from the start. It's reliable and built like a tank. It does not have the crisp trigger of the 1911, but I prefer the USP. Also check out the different variations available for the HK.

[wjc]

I shoot with both hands as well.

An ambidexterous safety would make it easier to operate but it's not essential.

[Demonicspire]

Well that is good to know, I'm basically trying to decide between getting a m1911 variant and a USP variant. There are a few key factors that are making this difficult:

Carrying capacity
Reliability
Trigger pull
Ambi friendly
concealed carry profile

Anyone care to share their thoughts on the two weapons along those lines?

[morrcarr67]

Well that is good to know, I'm basically trying to decide between getting a m1911 variant and a USP variant. There are a few key factors that are making this difficult:

All my answers are for the 1911

Carrying capacity 8+1
Reliability If you have a good one they are 99.9% reliable
Trigger pull Crisp and clean @ 3.5 lbs
Ambi friendly Ambi slide stop and safety available No ambi mag release
concealed carry profile Single stacked and slim profile for a large frame gun

Anyone care to share their thoughts on the two weapons along those lines?

I really like the 1911 design. It's been around for over 100 years for a reason.

[Demonicspire]

I really like the 1911 design. It's been around for over 100 years for a reason.

Yeah at the same time, there have been a few improvements made to guns in general over the past 100 years. I think in general the m1911 probably has the better trigger pull, but it doesn't have the carrying capacity, weight also goes to a partially polymer gun, but slimness goes to the m1911 with its single stack. From what I understand both are pretty reliable, but I'd probably give reliability to the m1911 overall.