shinne Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 (edited) Hi, I know this topic was talked about before but I wanted to bring it up again in a more recent discussion. I'm trying to decide if I should just keep all my guns with the mag release on the left side, or switch them over to the right. I personally, cannot use my trigger finger to press on the mag release without adjusting my grip. So I can't really see how it's faster for me. The thing I've noticed is I have to flip the gun in my hand to get my finger to be able to press it. I don't think I have large hands or fingers. Some people that are lefties are saying their so much quicker, but I can't see how that's possible. I'm wondering if anybody else that's a lefty is having this issue. I switched my CZ SP01 Custom Shadow mag release to the right side and was able to drop the mag easy. I haven't timed myself but I think i'm a lot quicker when I can use my thumb. I just wanted to get people's input, should I just train with using my trigger finger or should I invest the money in the parts to move my mag releases to the right side? I still can't imagine that using your trigger finger to release the mag is quicker then using your thumb. Maybe I'm wrong and someone can tell me otherwise? Edited June 30, 2015 by shinne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinceislander Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I'm a lefty. When I started shooting a few years ago, I left the mag release on my CZ P-07 as is. The thinking was more tactical, left handed person living in a right handed world. SHTF scenario, I could to picking up any pistol and reloading with less issues. Now that I'm starting to shoot in matches, I've switched the release to the right side and it "feels" more comfortable and natural to hit that button. Then again, I have large enough hands that my thumb can easily reach it. Since the switch, I feel my reloads are faster, get back on target and press the trigger straight back faster without adjusting my grip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Why do you need to spend money? which pistols are you talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ny32182 Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I shot a 3rd Gen Glock for a while, and while hitting it with my trigger finger was "ok", and I thought not a big deal at the time, once I switched to guns that allowed me to flip it over to the right side and use my thumb, no way in the world I would ever go back. It is much more natural all the way around for me. The best evidence of that is that it took about 10 minutes of dryfire for it to become automatic and I never tried hitting a mag button with my trigger finger again after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa C Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Agreed with vinceislander to leave everything lefty; same reasoning. I use an extended magazine release on competition Glock and use middle finger to release mag. IMHO, it’s better muscle memory that the trigger finger only does one job. And, it’s efficient in time and movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveU Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 (edited) All I can tell you, as a lefty, is it's a personal decision. Do what you feel most comfortable but by all means try everything and experiment. I started shooting with an XD and switched out the mag release (free with Internet instruction..). Everything was fine until I got a 2011. I toyed around with switching it around - which DOES require additional parts/cost but while I was testing it out I got used to using my index finger. I have switched even the XDs back to the original side so I hit it with my index finger on all firearms. (Edited to add: aftermarket extended mag release that is) Could easily have gone the other way but since my thumb is a little shorter, I have to shift the grip around a little more to hit the mag release on the right and I got used to the ease of using the index finger of the strong hand. Take the journey yourself and see what you feel most comfortable with. No wrong answer. Edited June 30, 2015 by Steve Umansky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balmo Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Agreed with vinceislander to leave everything lefty; same reasoning. I use an extended magazine release on competition Glock and use middle finger to release mag. IMHO, it’s better muscle memory that the trigger finger only does one job. And, it’s efficient in time and movement. Same here, mag button on the left side. Trigger finder on the frame while the middle finder do the work of releasing the mag. Did it on my m&p, now 1911, and probably on my CZ75TS in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kali Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 (edited) I switched to a right side release. Averaging a .90-.95 reload with it. It's slower for me using the trigger or middle finger. Edited June 30, 2015 by Kali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoBell Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 As a lefty, I really enjoyed my first gun, an xdm with ambidextrous mag release. My next gun was a gen 3 glock, and it has an extended release that is easy to hit with my left middle finger. My open gun also has the mag release on the left side, and my middle finger does the trick just fine. Unfortunately, I do have to slightly shift my grip in order to hit the release, which sometimes isn't conducive to quick reloads. That said, I would greatly prefer having the mag release on the right side so I could use my thumb. Left handed people have enough things against us as it is, why not make your life easier and put the mag release on the right side, whenever possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinne Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Agreed with vinceislander to leave everything lefty; same reasoning. I use an extended magazine release on competition Glock and use middle finger to release mag. IMHO, its better muscle memory that the trigger finger only does one job. And, its efficient in time and movement. That's the thing. I don't really care about muscle memory. To me it's pretty obvious that's it's not my gun and I can understand how to do operate it with my trigger finger. This is more of a matter which one is faster and right now I'm leaning towards thumb. I have a cz sp01, 1911 and going to get an svi so I want to convert them all to right side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJH Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 The answer to this and so many questions on this forum are the same: Do what YOU feel more comfortable with, or a timer proves to be faster. Asking rhetorical questions is a waste of time. Switch it if you want and see what you prefer. I am a lefty and it really doesn't matter what I like, unless you want me to shoot the stages for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatJones Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I personally, cannot use my trigger finger to press on the mag release without adjusting my grip. So I can't really see how it's faster for me. The thing I've noticed is I have to flip the gun in my hand to get my finger to be able to press it. For what it's worth, I'm a right-hander and I have to flip the gun to hit my extended mag release with my thumb. I've come to the conclusion that a slight flip just isn't a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwhpfan Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I'd have to adjust my grip a bit left or right side. I'm left handed and use my trigger finger on a Glock G4. Activating the button isn't where "I" can shave time. I would pick one and stick with it. Sometimes having the option can cause second guessing and always wondering "what if." Pick it and stick with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrispies Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) Agreed with vinceislander to leave everything lefty; same reasoning. I use an extended magazine release on competition Glock and use middle finger to release mag. IMHO, its better muscle memory that the trigger finger only does one job. And, its efficient in time and movement.Same here, mag button on the left side. Trigger finder on the frame while the middle finder do the work of releasing the mag. Did it on my m&p, now 1911, and probably on my CZ75TS in the future.+ Another 1 for my old Glock with extended release and middle finger, using the first knuckle on an extended finger. (This is with a TTI Glock that's had the trigger guard undercut, BTY). Having said that, if I had the option of switching it to lefty release for the thumb, I would in a heartbeat because using my middle finger doesn't feel natural no matter how much I practice it. It reflects in my time. Regarding my 1911, though, I use the trigger finger with success. Hand shift is a total non-issue for me because the shift occurs naturally when I engage the thumb safety up to safe. The hand shift is then automatically corrected when I engage the thumb safety down to fire. Everything happens sooooo naturally. My one disclaimer here is that I needed to go to an extra wide thumb safety to get everything to happen naturally; when it had the stock (thin) "tactical safety" I couldn't consistently make everything happen smoothly at once. I haven't compared on the timer, but I'm 100% confident that my 1911 reload is faster than my Glock reload. Edited July 1, 2015 by jkrispies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kali Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Regarding my 1911, though, I use the trigger finger with success. Hand shift is a total non-issue for me because the shift occurs naturally when I engage the thumb safety up to safe You activate your manual safety when doing a reload? Interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinne Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 Decided to go with switching of the right side. It just feels natural to me. No matter how much people say to use the trigger finger to release, it doesn't feel good when I have to flip it in my hand. I ordered the Mitchells right side mag release for my 1911, and decided to go with the right side release for the SVI i'm ordering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanky Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I know people said use your trigger finger but I could never make that feel right. However, using my middle finger has worked well for me over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrispies Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Regarding my 1911, though, I use the trigger finger with success. Hand shift is a total non-issue for me because the shift occurs naturally when I engage the thumb safety up to safe You activate your manual safety when doing a reload? Interesting. The thumb safety actually acts as a perfect lever to position everything correctly in my hand through the reload. The fact that the gun is going safe is just a bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neomet Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I've done it both ways. XD, Shadow, TS, 2011s. I am marginally quicker using my thumb. The other advantage to the thumb is that either unconsciously or just because they hate us leftys almost every COF I have seen is set up to be run from left to right. This makes it easier for right handers to not break the 180 on a reload but run along the 180 and flip the pistol like you need to in order to use your index finger and a lefty can very quickly be flirting with the 180. Nothing insurmountable but keep it in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike cyrwus Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Flip your grip. Plenty of time to do that while a mag is enroute. Don't complicate what comes naturally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bafsu92 Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I'm a lefty and while I think switching to a right side release might make my mag changes a little faster I've been shooting with it on the left for 30yrs and have pistols that can't be switched or switched easily. I've contemplated doing the switch again recently but I don't expect to ever have that .25sec that I could save to ever matter enough as I'm only competing for fun and extra trigger time. I do worry much more about a real life situation where I need a tactical mag change and the mag doesn't drop because my years of muscle memory has me pressing the wrong side. Like others have said it's really about personal choice. I've got big hands and really don't have to adjust my grip for a trigger finger mag release, if I did I may just look into an extended mag release. I don't really see a difference as long as it's a moving mag change. I do see where I could save that .25sec in a static change so it could make a difference in classifiers for sure. I'll still let my practical real life side win over my gamer side and keep all my pistols with the left side release. If I ever see that as the entire reason that's preventing me from going up a class then I may revisit the thought but I really don't anticipate that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrispies Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 (edited) The other advantage to the thumb is that either unconsciously or just because they hate us leftys almost every COF I have seen is set up to be run from left to right. This makes it easier for right handers to not break the 180 on a reload but run along the 180 and flip the pistol like you need to in order to use your index finger and a lefty can very quickly be flirting with the 180. Nothing insurmountable but keep it in mind. You can say that again!!! It's usually not that big of a deal (I just have to make sure I'm twisted a little more in a safe direction) but it's not unusual for me to have about 1 stage out of 6 where I have to consciously make a decision to do a reload at a non-optimal point (for instance, after retreating around a corner where a target is immediately located, rather than reloading on the move before the corner, thus forcing a static reload at the target) even though I know it will hurt my time, but I have to be safe. I suppose it's possible that righties have to deal with the same issue and us lefties have an advantage on those stages, though I suspect that things don't balance out like that very often. The other issue that I sometimes see is on a mirror course with "hidden targets" that have to be acquired waaaaay around barricades with foot faults, the left side targets will tend to be scooted out a smidge more than those on the right sides so that I pretty much have to go one-handed on the right side when all the righties can maintain a proper grip with a lean on both the left and right side barricades. That's the one that pisses me off!!!!! I've made right side barricades with "impossible shots" a part of my dry fire regimen just for this reason. Sorry for the ranting thread drift... Edited July 2, 2015 by jkrispies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerTrace Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I'm a lefty too. If you're pretty new to shooting and haven't used your trigger finger thousands of times, I'd probably change them to the other side. I had too many years of the other side to mess with it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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