I'm a lefty. The Detonics is not lefty friendly. Both controls are just wrong for us from the dark side. That said, I have small/medium sized hands and even right-handed I still can't reach the slide release on a 1911 with my right thumb. So, I've just learned to operate pistols left handed and adapt to the unfriendly controls. I really like the Detonics and although it's still sporting the plastic frame and slide it has been fitted with a PDI hammer, trigger, recoil rod, recoil bushing and 6.01 barrel as well as a Nine Ball hop rubber. It's an impressively accurate wee gun with a snappy recoil but, I still find the single side safety to be a pain. With that in mind I ordered a Guarder 1911 Dual-Safety. It comes without the connector rod - a small rectangle of metal that Guarder want $4 for - and it needs a dual safety hammer pin, an item I couldn't find anywhere. In short it didn't work and that project, like so many others, was shelved. Until that is I noticed an TM MEU safety with dual pin. I promtly ordered it. It arrived without said pin. I rechecked the advert and sure as fate, the one with the pin was the picture of the Nova safety. Damn. The Nova was ridiculous $64 plus postage. Back on the shelf.
I eventually sourced a pin set and got to work. First thing, the profile of the Detonic's safety lever is a custom cut down 'modern' 1911. The TM MEU safety uses an even newer type profile that doesn't lend itself to reprofiling into a Dual Detonics. Hacksaw and metal file applied to the Guarder set and it now looks right. There are a couple of issues though - a small triangular nick has to be made in the right side of the slide to accommodate the safety in 'on' position and the internal slide part of the right hand lever needs a tiny bit of filing out to allow the dual pin to lock in. It works a treat though and looks like a factory option. I'm well pleased with it.
On the lefty side, I have a couple of Berettas and you can switch the mag releases around to allow operation left handed. I did this and it felt really weird. So much so that I actually switched back - I've obviously got so used to operating it with its existing 'right hand' controls. Kind of like left handed scissors - they seem like a great idea until you try them and then realise I've spent over 40 years getting used to right handed ones!
