As you are no doubt already aware, a substantial number of companies debuted new weapons this year at SHOT Show. Literally dozens, from the big names like Smith & Wesson, ArmaLite and Benelli to smaller domestic companies to those not as widely known or at least widely distributed here in the US (Caracal, Akkar). One of the pistols I took a look at was a 1911 frame built from the ground up by Cabot Guns of Pennsylvania for left-handed shooters. It’s the only true left-hand pistol on the market right now that I’m aware of. No doubt one of you Soldier Systems readers will have more to offer on the matter.
In fairness, I’m guessing I didn’t get as much out of it as some people might have, because I’m not a mutant. I’m right handed. This thing was smooth though, and had a very nice trigger break. The wood used on the grip was their own, which I thought was interesting (meaning it was wood from their own trees from their own property, behind the shop where they’re built). You don’t see that very often. They also take four months to build each gun, which is also not exactly standard. It’s made of 4140 billet steel, designed to exceed National Match accuracy out of the box, with their own walnut as mentioned earlier and also olive wood or box elder. The front sight they use is called the Rozic blind sight, which comes off the front of the breach face. Sights are tritium, white- or gold-dot.
“Twelve percent of shooters are left handed†said Cabot Guns President Robert Bianchin in an interview. “The industry has ignored the left-handed gun cohort and, while we do not make mass-produced guns, we will do our part to provide a true left-handed shooting experience for a select number of gun enthusiasts.”
If you want one, better get after it. If I understood them correctly they’re only building a few this year. I thought the Cabot representative at Media Day on the Range said a few dozen, the website says one hundred.
For more information, check out Cabot Guns on line. The South Paw is detailed on their website here.
-DR
