Blade-Tech And Other Companies Aid In Shooting Off Hand

Learning to shoot left-handed, and CCW gear for southpaws from Blade-Tech and K Rounds.

 
I recently decided to learn to shoot with my left hand. Now, I’m right-handed and by “learning to shoot with my left hand,” I don’t mean support-hand shooting; I wanted to learn to shoot with my left hand like it was my dominant hand.

The reasons for this were practical and educational, and I’ll address them in later columns. For now, what I want to talk about is the frustration those who are left-handed undoubtedly encounter when looking for carry gear.

The pistol I wanted to work with was the very popular Sig Sauer P320, outfitted with a reflex sight. You’d think if you could find a left-handed holster for any handgun, you’d be able to find one for that one. I reached out to all my usual holster sources and turned up nothing. So, I had to go shopping.

I ended up contacting Tim Wegner of Blade-Tech. Tim agreed to send me out a rig to try, but he also hooked me up with another company called K Rounds. I was unfamiliar with K Rounds, but they provided two holsters: a double mag pouch and a belt. The holster I ended up using was the K Rounds’ OWB Traditional ($74.99), which is constructed of high-impact plastics and features what they call a Tactical Locking Clip attachment for easy on and off. The holster performed without flaw, the easy on-off feature was practical and handy and, to-date, I probably have in excess of 1,000 presentations from it.

The magazine pouch K Rounds provided was their Mag Concealment Double ($44.99), constructed of .080 true Kydex. It’s low-profile and molded to contour to the body. Like the holster, K Rounds’ magazine pouches are offered in left or right hand. This might seem odd but, molded as they are to perfectly fit the magazine, you’ll want to get the correct pouch so that when you insert the magazine on your right side—if you’re left-handed—the front of the magazine is facing forward. Just to make sure there’s no confusion on the order, if you’re a left-handed shooter, wanting a magazine pouch to wear on your right side, you should select the “left-hand” version.

The belt provided by K Rounds was a black, 1.75-inch version of their Concealed Carry Tactical Gun Belt. Tan and 1.5-inch versions are also offered. This is a very nice belt made from mil-spec nylon webbing 4088 Type 7, and it retails for $59.99. It also uses a quick-release tactical buckle rated to 3,300 pounds. In all, it was the ideal setup for me to learn to execute defensive handgun skills with my left hand.

Blade-Tech makes high-quality dependable holsters, too, and they also provided a left-hand rig. Unfortunately, the holster they provided wouldn’t accommodate a P320 with a reflex sight. However, in the package from Blade-Tech was one of their Ultimate Carry Belts, and it’s a true gem. This belt is constructed of heavy-duty nylon, and a leather version (of which I have no experience with) is an option. The nylon belt is 1.5 inches wide and will fit a waist measuring from 28 to 50 inches.

The feature I really liked about this belt was the integrated ratchet strip that’s built into the inside of the nylon belt. This strip, in conjunction with the specialized buckle, allows for on-the-fly adjustment over a range of 6 inches or so; it’s not regulated to 1-inch adjustment holes like traditional belts. This means that, if you eat a bit too much, you can slightly loosen the belt. It also means the belt will work just as well for IWB carry as it does for OWB, giving you that little bit of fine adjustment needed to make both carry modes comfortable.

The Blade-Tech belt is available in either coyote tan or black and, because it has a reinforced polymer core, it’s stiff enough to keep a handgun carried in the OWB method from flopping around. On the inside of the belt, there are markings every inch to help you determine your correct size and to cut the belt to the correct length. Once cut, simply attach the ratcheting buckle, close the clamp and insert and tighten two screws that hold the belt strap to the buckle. I’ve worn nothing but this belt for a little over a month and couldn’t be happier with it.

If you’re part of the 10 percent of the world who is left-handed, or if you want to do what I did and learn to shoot with your left hand, K Rounds and Blade-Tech are where you might want to start looking for gear. On the other hand—no pun intended—regardless which hand you shoot with, both companies make excellent carry belts.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2021 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Get More Concealed Carry Info:

• 23 of the Best Concealed Carry Guns In 2021
• 7 On-Target Concealed Carry Insurance Options
• Best Concealed Carry Handguns For Women
• Best 1911 Pistol Options For Concealed Carry
• What Is The Best Concealed Carry Holster?
• 9 Best Concealed Carry Revolvers For Personal Defense
• 5 Unconventional Calibers For Concealed Carry