In search of a left-hand friendly single-stack carry .45 ACP

Got a letter from a reader who shares my left-handedness and is in search of a lefty-friendly slim, short-barrel single-stack .45 ACP for carry. He wrote in response to my writing about the S&W M&P .357 Sig, which is very lefty friendly with dual slide releases and reversible mag release. Since the article he read, I just added last week my second M&P .357 Sig in Compact to go with the full-size M&P.

I am in search of a left-handed pistol but have had problems finding anything that has a LH slide release. I came across your article, Baddest Tactical Pistol No. 5: S&W M&P 357 and it certainly caught my intreset.

In particular, I am intrigued by the following comment, "I'm not gonna know to act being able to reload without changing hands from left to right, not to mention being able to reach the slide-lock release button with my left hand, too." The M&P 357 truely sounds like a dream come true. Do you have any other recommendations in regards to a LH (personal protection) pistol? I would have purchased the Para-Ord Warthawg slimline (for carry), but the safety was all wrong. Do you have any recommendations in a slim-line (5-6 rd. cap.) model preferably in a .45acp?

Since he rejected a slim Para Warthog, he's apparently looking at 3" barrels, which is about the smallest functional .45 ACPs on the market. Unfortunately, I know of no slim, single-stack .45s with dual slide releases on the market. M&P's full-size .45 has dual slide releases and also dual ambi safeties and the FNP-45 has both, but neither is slim, single-stack or small. I think he's looking for that proverbial black cat in a coal mine that ain't there. So I offered a selection of the only slim, short .45s I know of that have ambi safeties. Here's what I responded with.

I just bought a subcompact M&P in .357 Sig which to date is my smallest carry pistol (with the exception of my backup Kel Tec PF-9 with 3" barrel). M&P calls is their compact model but it's 3.5" barrel is called subcompact by all other makers. And like the full-size M&P .357 Sig I already had (which has a 4.25" barrel and is called compact by all other makers) both sizes of the M&P have dual slide stops and reversible magazine release buttons. But M&P does not offer the compact in .45 ACP yet, plus it is not the single-stack .45 that you are seeking.

I do not know of any makers with a single-stack .45 ACP with dual slide locks or mag releases.

Kimber offers a 3" barrel single-stack .45 ACP in their SIS line they call the Ultra size which has ambi safeties but not dual slide locks or mag releases. They also have ambi safeties on their Ultra CDP II, but again not dual slide locks or mag releases.

Para has a 3" with ambi safeties and single stack called the PXT LDA in .45 ACP.

Springfield Armory has the Loaded Micro Compact with 3" barrel and ambi safeties in .45 ACP.

And if you will consider a non-1911, there's the Glock 36 single-stack .45 ACP with no safeties.

I'm sure there are other compact 1911s with ambi safeties, but those are the leaders I know.

If you want .40S&W or .357 Sig, there are other subcompacts like the S&W M&P.

If any of my fellow gun nuts/sharpshooters/marksmen/riflemen can help this gentleman out, I'll pass along your suggestions to him. He didn't tell me to share his email adress, so I won't.