Ambidexrous Thumb Safety

[Renegade]

I assume they are about same but I know gus out there know alot more than I do.

Nope.

The better one is the one that does not use a roll pin. Not sure who makes it, but you want the one with a single screw in the right side. I know RRA sells it.

Oh yeah, and I am left-handed too and



Couldn't have said it better - do not have safety on my revolvers, Glock, Sigs, etc......

[MX5]

I have to agree with Grant on this one. I'm right-handed & transition to left-hand/off-side shooting almost every time I practice. It is very easy to manipulate the standard safety (R-side) with the L-hand. This makes for continuity regardless of whose weapon you use; modified or not. Extensive training and usage has shown there are far fewer problems encountered with learning to use the safety with the L-hand compared to the problems encountered with the various aftermarket ambi safeties.

[Dave L.]

Extensive training and usage has shown there are fair fewer problems encountered with learning to use the safety with the L-hand compared to the problems encountered with the various aftermarket ambi safeties.

Not to call you out, but I would be interested in reading about the extensive training and usage testing as well as who conducted the research you are talking about. Do you know where I can look up that info?
TIA,
Dave

[militarymoron]

I will have to disagree my friend. I shoot offhand a lot and can shoot just as fast as a lefy using an ambi safety. So I do not believe that you gain anything by setting your AR up for lefty shooter.

I also see lefties pick up non customized AR's and do not know how to get the weapon off safe. Left handed shooters live in a right handed world. In a stressful situation, you will always revert back to what you practice/do the most. If you always use your left thumb to drop the selector, then that is what you will do under stress.

Vickers also advises lefties to keep things set up as a righty for the same reasons I listed. He is also a left handed shooter.

It is of course your weapon and should do whatever you want with it.

C4

we'll agree to disagree on this one, brother
i see your point, and i'm aware of larry's recommendations as well. i'm not arguing those points, which are very valid. just expressing what i've found works better for me, and why. i've a very open mind, and i do listen to the experts. i'll try it out, and decide what i prefer.
if i ever need to use a weapon for self defense, chances are slim that it's going to be someone else's rather than my own, and i don't set up my weapons based on the chances of my not being able to manipulate someone else's in case of emergency.
i owned and shot AR's for about 20 years before ambi stuff came out, so i've given it my best shot, and i like having ambi controls better.
but, you're right - if i pick up someone else's weapon under stress and have to flip the safety off immediately after picking it up, i'll revert to what i know best, and there's a chance i might fumble and go 'wtf?', and realize that someone else's gun isn't ambi. so it'll take an extra second to flip it off. but normally, when i pick up someone's M4, there's no urgency, and when i shoulder it i'm immedately aware that it's not ambi, and i go back to my old method of using my knuckle to work the safety.
based on the percentage of time i shoot from the off shoulder (if i transition from strong to weak, i don't flip the safety on and off so it's a moot point for me), or shoot someone else's rifle instead of my own (i'm shooting my rifle 99% of the time), it makes more sense to me to set it up the way i like it.
like i said, i've shot it with righty controls for two decades, and i like mine ambi better. just personal preference. i've even got an experimental 60° short-throw ambi safety on one of my M4s. now that'll freak someone out who doesn't know what it is.
given the variety of weapons i shoot - M4s, AKs, HKs - they're all so different in that i still have to adapt anyways, so maybe it's a good thing that i don't develop TOO much muscle memory with the M4, i'd REALLY get confused. hell, i don't even think i shoot enough to develop muscle memory

[molsen]

I'm a right-handed shooter and I have ambi-safeties on all my ARs. I sometimes find it a bit of a stretch to use my thumb to engage the safety because I use MIADs with the biggest backstrap on all my rifles. What I do it use my thumb to switch it off and my trigger finger to switch it on. I found this works best for me.

On that note, I started using regular safeties 14 years ago when I joined the Corps, so I have no problem using the standard safety as that has already been brainwashed into me.

The bottom line is to do what works best for you and forget 99% of what is said in this thread.

[RD_Byrd]

Drift,

My agency has been using the DPMS ambi-safey on our Colt M-4's for about the last five years without incident.

We have approximatley 300 rifles in service nationwide.

I have not experienced, nor I have I recieved any reports of breakage, loose screws, lost levers, etc. in regards to the ambi-safety.

In short the DPMS ambi-safety appears to be a reiable ambi-safety for those inclined to use them.

Good Shooting,
Rich

[Lumpy196]

if i ever need to use a weapon for self defense, chances are slim that it's going to be someone else's rather than my own, and i don't set up my weapons based on the chances of my not being able to manipulate someone else's in case of emergency.

I agree with that. And along with your earlier statement about adapting to a weapon set up differently than your personal gun, I'm an Aimpoint guy, but if I got handed a gun with an Eotech, I'd have it up and running.

[telecustom]

The ambi safety actually gets in my way. With a proper shooting grip on the pistol grip, when the thumb manipulates the safety the tab on the right side of the weapon hits my knockle of my index finger. This keeps the weapon from going all way to semi and that could/would get you killed.

Not worth the look cool factor.

[C4IGrant]

The ambi safety actually gets in my way. With a proper shooting grip on the pistol grip, when the thumb manipulates the safety the tab on the right side of the weapon hits my knockle of my index finger. This keeps the weapon from going all way to semi and that could/would get you killed.

Not worth the look cool factor.

I have had this happen to me as well. Weapon did not go into fire. Bad deal.



C4

[markm]

I agree with that. And along with your earlier statement about adapting to a weapon set up differently than your personal gun, I'm an Aimpoint guy, but if I got handed a gun with an Eotech, I'd have it up and running.

If I got handed a gun with an Eotech, I'd end up dropping it and RUNNING!