• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

Left-handed ejection port for pistols

Infection212

Infection212

Joined
Nov 3, 2011
Messages
13
Likes
4
Feedback: 0 / 0 / 0
Hi all. First real post here.

I was looking into having some custom Berettas (92fs) made, and I'm having a problem. I want to flip one of them around and mount a slide with a left-side ejection port on it, but, obviously, I can't find any. I'm not very internet savvy, so I'm coming to you guys for help.

Are there any gunsmiths, local or not, who can make these?
 
im a bit stumped, doesnt the 92sf just dump them up and out ? only LH ejection port semi hand guns I can think of /walther model 3 and 4 and Randell 1911.
It would be cool to see a true left handed gun......although the 1911 lends to my LH nicely. Every thing is easy to reach, well as long as theres a ambi safety...still like to see if you get it done.
 
Well I tried taking a look around, and it seems the only way I can even get close to building a mirrored 92 is if I find the CAD program, invert all X or Y values, and either do it myself or send in the program to a machine shop. Thing is, I can't seem to find the program for it.
 
I know what software I'd need to design it, I'm a machinist and know a bit of coding, I just didn't know if there were any CAD drawings available for download on the parts I need. There is no reason for it, you're right, it's purely cosmetic. I'm customizing one 92 with something unique, and the other (the left-handed one) a bit differently, but the two are going to be related in a way.

I got the idea from someone over on the Smith and Wesson forums. He had two M1911's, one blued and one stainless, but one of them was flipped. He named them "Ebony and Ivory", and after reading on I saw that he got the idea from a video game called "Devil May Cry", where the main character dual wields the very same pistols (except they have dust covers and 3-port compensators).

It's a big waste of money, I know, but that's all I want to do right now and I don't have any heavy future purchases in mind.
 
Wouldn't you have to move the ejector to make the brass eject to the left? That would mean a whole new redesigned frame and that would make for a very expensive project.
 
highlander said:
Wouldn't you have to move the ejector to make the brass eject to the left? That would mean a whole new redesigned frame and that would make for a very expensive project.
Click to expand...

Yes. I'll probably have to have every single piece of the gun remade, I just want to know if there's a company, gunsmith, machine shop or what have you that can take commissions like this.
 
Yes. I'll probably have to have every single piece of the gun remade, I just want to know if there's a company, gunsmith, machine shop or what have you that can take commissions like this.
Click to expand...

What kind of $$ are you expecting to spend on such a project?
 
To make it that much cooler, you should graft your left hand ejecting 92 to one that ejects right. That'd be awesome.
 
PaulD said:
To make it that much cooler, you should graft your left hand ejecting 92 to one that ejects right. That'd be awesome.
Click to expand...
What does grafting mean?

jasons said:
Here you go:
http://www.cncguns.com/projects/beretta92fs.html
Click to expand...
Sent him an email, thanks.

Rob Boudrie said:
What kind of $$ are you expecting to spend on such a project?
Click to expand...
Depends. I have about $2,000 to throw down after my first 92fs purchase. God willing it doesn't cost any more than that.
 
Infection212 said:
What does grafting mean?
Click to expand...

To join or attach, though it's more often used in the context of living things, like a skin graft or in horticulture the joining of two trees, like to get a new apple variety.

In MA, "graft" often refers to politics.
 
Infection212 said:
What does grafting mean?


Sent him an email, thanks.


Depends. I have about $2,000 to throw down after my first 92fs purchase. God willing it doesn't cost any more than that.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't expect $2k to touch what a one-off pistol would cost, unless you have the equipment and know-how to do it entirely yourself. Look at what a custom built 1911 runs and that doesn't include engineering parts from scratch.
 
Back around 1986 there was a company that produced a left handed 1911 called the Portsider. Falcon Firearms , PO Box 3748, Granada Hills, CA introduced this gun in 1986 and was still in production in 1988. I don't think they are still in business and as far as I know no one is making a left handed 1911. You may be able to find one of these. They did not make that many and they are a novalty and hard to find. If you could get your hands on the blue prints for this gun it would be a little cheaper to produce also I wonder if the pattents are still in place. To produce/engineer the gun you want without blue prints and starting from scratch at that point it would be design and blueprint write a program for the CNC, develop the tooling for the forging and produce a completed firearm then test and debug, would run you somewhere around $250,000 to $300,000 a little more then the $2000.00 you have available. You might be able to purchase a Portsider for around that kind of money if you get lucky and find one.

I found this info on line:
"Several firms made left hand 1991s. The most well known is the Randall which was made in San Diego CA. They are still advertised from time to time, but prices are quite high. After Randall ceased operations, the same folks made the Falcon Portsider for a short period of time. The tooling was then purchased by Olympic Arms who made left and right hand 1911s for a period of time. All of this happened in the 1980s and maybe early 1990s. Subsequently I read that Caspian purchased the tooling and I enquired of them, but did not receive a reply. The only firm I know of that makes a left hand 1911 is Dlask in Vancouver B. C. Their website is www.dlaskarmscom. These are custom pistols and expensive. I wish someone would pick up the ball and make a lefty."

Falcon Arms is still in business, however they do not make this gun any longer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Last edited:
Really? Wow, I didn't expect it to be so costly. Why is that? Can't I just find someone who has the blueprints, mirror the program over the Y axis and run it in the same fashion?

I remember a while back I was trying to buy a left-handed slide for a 1911 for $1,000. I guess I don't know the cost of frames, barrels and internals...more research.

I'm still talking to that Justin fella' over at that website posted. I'm gonna try and see what he says, seems interested.
 
Infection212 said:
Really? Wow, I didn't expect it to be so costly. Why is that? Can't I just find someone who has the blueprints, mirror the program over the Y axis and run it in the same fashion?
Click to expand...

Seriously? Call a gun manufacturer and see what it cost to make those "blueprints" that you want for free.

If it was this easy, everyone and their brother would be making their own firearms.
 
Alright, well obviously it's not something I would be doing myself. I'm not a licensed gun manufacturer, so I couldn't do it myself anyways. I was just making a point; couldn't it be done like that?
 
Infection212 said:
Alright, well obviously it's not something I would be doing myself. I'm not a licensed gun manufacturer, so I couldn't do it myself anyways. I was just making a point; couldn't it be done like that?
Click to expand...

Yes it could, but it would be pricey. The place I know that could do it would probably charge you tens of thousands (as they get about $3K for a single 1911) if they would do it at all (and my guess is they wouldn't). The problem is there are a lot of parts that need to be made, and this involves more than just "reversing the X and Y". In some cases, specialized fixtures (made in-house) are used to set up the parts for machining, and setting up the machine used for each one takes time - and takes the machine out of production while that's done.

You're not talking about just a single program, but multiple programs for CNC machines, lathes, screw machines, EDM machines and even the barrel machine if you wanted a barrel with the twist reversed. For a true mirrored 1911, MANY parts would be inverted. It would be possible to increase the commonality with some design tweaks, but this would take even more engineering time.

And then there is the issue of spare parts. Let's assume you hire out to have a left hand 1911 (or other gun made), and some day, you find you need a left hand ejector or magazine release button. How much do you think it will cost to have the shop set up for a special run of the "you only" part?

You could look for an old Walther P5 which has the ejection port on the left, or an uncommon Falcon Portsider - but just spend a few minutes browsing the web to see just how available left handed slide stops, extractors and ejectors are for the portsider.

Alright, well obviously it's not something I would be doing myself. I'm not a licensed gun manufacturer, so I couldn't do it myself anyways.
Click to expand...
Sure you could, for personal consumption only.
 
Last edited:
Oh, well that's good to know. Thanks Rob. I'll continue to do my research and see what I can come up with. If I am somehow able to find blueprints on the parts I need, I'll consider having them made myself (now knowing I can do that).
 
Infection212 said:
Oh, well that's good to know. Thanks Rob. I'll continue to do my research and see what I can come up with. If I am somehow able to find blueprints on the parts I need, I'll consider having them made myself (now knowing I can do that).
Click to expand...

No, you can't "have them made" without an FFL. You can only make a gun YOURSELF for PERSONAL CONSUMPTION without an FFL. "Have someone do it", and your in violation of federal law. The feds tend to look unfavorably on shops that try to play the "throw a switch" game where the shop set up a CNC with material, tooling and programming, and the customer comes in and presses the "start" button and waits while the gun "the customer is building" is cut from bar stock.

You can make a frame and it does not become a gun under federal law (actually, BATFE policy) until the rails are cut into the receiver. Have anyone else make a frame beyond that point and they are a manufacturer requiring a license. Have someone else assemble the parts, and they are either a gunsmith or manufacturer (both of which require a license).
 
Wow Rob, I didn't even know that could be played like that. Anyone who tries to use that excuse deserves a good slap upside the head.

Business, It's not for function, it's for cosmetics mostly.

I talked further with Justin over at CNC Gunsmithing. He's interested and is helping me predict what the simplest, cheapest (yeah right) way to do this is without having to literally "remake and mirror every single part". I'll give a heads up what he says when I get the next email.
 
Without completely redesigning the pistol, couldn't a custom (aka. expensive) slide be produced in order to eject cases to the left? I understand a different ejecting configuration would be required for this, but it should be less than completely remaking the pistol.

That being said, I don't see the point of doing this. Even for cosmetic reasons (as mentioned by the OP)... Sounds more like someone with far too much time (and not nearly enough money) on their hands. If it's just going to be a showpiece, then just get a shop to make a dummy slide, or block of metal that LOOKS like the 92fs but cannot fire/function as one. Solid magwell and a solid round for the barrel (maybe mock it up at the muzzle to make it look better) should satisfy ATF and keep it legal. Then again, it would be best to check with them BEFORE starting such a project. Or consult with a firearms lawyer.
 

Similar threads

FYI: VLTOR MUR Upper Dust/Port Covers
Replies
2
Views
183
BREWINZ
BREWINZ
Colt magazine adapter for AR9?
Replies
12
Views
250
BREWINZ
BREWINZ
Magazine Base Plates for Mantis X10
Replies
5
Views
220
Mesatchornug
Mesatchornug
Anyone have a metal oem safety for a mossberg 500
Replies
3
Views
475
mac1911
M
Looking for dove tail milling on the north shore.
Replies
0
Views
325
nightpoison
nightpoison
Back
Top Bottom