According to World Atlas, only an estimated 10-12% of all people are left-handed.
This means that you have probably learned to adapt to things being built for right-handed individuals throughout your life. From baseball mits to scissors, even everyday objects require a bit of modification in order to work just right for the typical “leftie.”
There are even less-common instances where a left-handed modification could even be life-saving. For example, have you ever noticed that almost all gun holsters are designed for right-handed users?
The need for a left-handed gun holster may not even cross the majority of minds. Even left-handed gun owners are so used to adapting to the right-handed world that they may not realize what a difference a specialized carry holster can make.
Whether you are browsing this article as an advice-seeking leftie or just a curious right-handed reader, in this blog we’ll review the benefits of using left-handed concealed carry holsters, including safety, convenience, accuracy, and more. Read on to understand the top 5 benefits for left-handed holsters.
Reasons for Using a Left-Handed Gun Holster
Left-handed folks should use a gun holster suited to their handedness for five primary reasons:
- Safety
- Convenience
- Accuracy
- Timing/Speed
- Coordination
Increase safety with a left-handed gun holster
Ask any gun owner their #1 reason for owning a gun, and most will tell you it’s for their own protection. Safety is a priority, and gun safety is something that every gun owner should know before owning and using a weapon that can be so easily mishandled. When a left-handed person uses a right-handed gun holster, the room for error increases.
Think about it: as a left-handed person, have you ever tried using a “rightie” can opener? It’s doable, but not optimal. Now apply that same difficulty to something as critical to personal safety and protection as quick access to your gun.
Simply put, a right-handed gun holster is not situated in the optimal position for a left-handed person to safely shoot if the need arises.
Left-handed gun holsters are more convenient for lefties
Training yourself to adapt to retrieving your gun from the opposite side to your dominant hand can be a hassle. Some left-hand dominant individuals take it one step farther and attempt to learn to use their right hand to shoot. While it is actually a useful skill to be able to shoot with your weak hand, it is a skill that takes time and a lot of practice.
If you are a new gun owner or just learning how to conceal carry safely, as a left-handed shooter you will want to start out with a left-handed gun holster. This way, you can become accustomed to retrieving your weapon in the most natural way possible.
Down the line, you may want to learn how to shoot right-handed either for fun or versatility, but when it comes to safe gun use, convenience is key to learning the basics.
Increase accuracy with a left-handed holster
If you are left-eye dominant, as most left-handed people are, the use of a left-handed gun holster becomes that much more important. To get an accurate shot requires one to use their dominant eye to aim.
In a life-endangering situation, if you are pulling your gun from your right side, your instinct may be to go to the right eye. You may find yourself having to sacrifice accuracy to get a quick shot. There are even right-handed left eye dominant shooters among the gun-owning community that benefit from using a left-handed gun holster due to increased comfort level and aiming ability.
The truth is that being left-handed isn’t just about using your left hand; from vision to gut reactions, having the correct equipment enables leftie shooters to stay safe, sharp, and accurate.
Draw your gun faster with a left-handed gun holster
Timing can be easily grouped in with accuracy, as both components play a role in whether a shot will hit its intended target successfully.
During practice, you have all the time in the world to draw your gun from either side and adjust your handling and use of your dominant eye to aim. In a real-life situation, however, time is of the essence.
Will your training prepare you to go for the right side, or will your left-hand dominant instincts kick in and interfere with the accuracy of your shot? For left-handed shooters, a left-handed holster could make a difference in a situation where split-second decisions are matters of life and death.
Left-handed gun holders increase coordination
Finally, one of the most obvious benefits to using a left-handed gun holster is the increase in coordination. This factor goes along with timing and accuracy, as one needs both in order to have coordination.
It goes without saying that a left-handed person who attempts to use their right hand to shoot, or tries to reach across their body for their gun and aim with their left eye, will not be as coordinated as someone who has a holster that is specially designed for left-handed use. Having the correct holster can improve balance which improves coordination and ultimately increases likelihood of shooting on target.
The need for products specifically designed for 10% of the population increases when important issues such as gun safety are at play. While many manufacturers are only focused on the bottom line and rarely cater to the needs of left-handed gun owners, there are still companies that supply these specialized holsters in great quantities.
ComfortTac is one such company, offering options for left-handed gun owners to improve not only the quality of use, but the safety of gun owners everywhere.
For a premium quality light-hand draw holster, check out ComfortTac’s Ultimate Concealed Carry Holster, available in 4 sizes and in right- or left-hand draw.
Contributing Writer: Leanna Haas
