Ambi Selector Question

FiveStar · #1 05-07-09, 18:00

Hey guys,
Do you think it would benefit me to out ambi selectors on my AR's? I wonder why my Noveske MPL did not come with one consider the mag release is ambi? Is it better just for left hand shooter?
Thanks!

jakjakman · #2 05-07-09, 18:08

I'm a left handed shooter, but even so, I use both sides of my ambi selectors. I use my thumb to disengage, and my index to engage the safety. Works great for transitions, and everything. I don't know how beneficial an ambi would be for a right hander because I wouldn't see myself doing transitions with an SPR, but you never know.

Anyway, I see ambi selectors as having benefits with no real disadvantages.

Magsz · #3 05-07-09, 18:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakjakman

I'm a left handed shooter, but even so, I use both sides of my ambi selectors. I use my thumb to disengage, and my index to engage the safety. Works great for transitions, and everything. I don't know how beneficial an ambi would be for a right hander because I wouldn't see myself doing transitions with an SPR, but you never know.

Anyway, I see ambi selectors as having benefits with no real disadvantages.

The only disadvantage would be that there is another mounting point, ie the screw that could potentially come loose. The good thing there is that IF it does come loose the selector will still operate just fine.

Well, there is another small one. If you train yourself exclusively on ambi selectors you may end up building a muscle memory set that would not be conducive to picking up a weapon and running, ie a gun not equipped with an ambi safety.

Im a right handed shooter and i use an ambi safety whether im looking strong side or reaction side. I have them on all of my guns and i dig em.

I would say you would be good to go if you wanted to add one.

GlockWRX · #4 05-07-09, 19:06

jak and Magsz covered things well.

I'm a southpaw, but I use both sides of the safety as jak describes. I've found that when picking up a gun with one sided safety it only takes a few seconds to revert back to the old muscle memory.

One potential downside is that when the safety is disengaged the lever is under your trigger finger. This bothers some shooters. I don't mind it as it let's me know the status of the safety by feel (if it's under my finger, it's off safe).

FiveStar · #5 05-07-09, 19:14

Got it, excellent, thanks guy. I will most likely go ahead and add the feature.

Blankwaffe · #6 05-07-09, 21:03

Im one of those odd folks who is ambidextrous and shoot with either hand depending on how I feel at the time.That said,I have ambi safeties on all my weapons that I can put one on,especially the AR's and 1911's.
So yes I think its and excellent upgrade for most folks and highly recommend it.

theJanitor · #7 05-07-09, 21:35

i use the ambi's. thumb to disengage, trigger finger to engage. it's faster and makes support shoulder manipulations easy. i'm a civvie, so battlefield pickups are about as likely as actually engaging in a big firefight with an AR anyhow. i locktite mine and no troubles so far

Magsz · #8 05-07-09, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by theJanitor

i use the ambi's. thumb to disengage, trigger finger to engage. it's faster and makes support shoulder manipulations easy. i'm a civvie, so battlefield pickups are about as likely as actually engaging in a big firefight with an AR anyhow. i locktite mine and no troubles so far

Rofl, quoted for the truth.

Sorry, i just had to throw the hypothetical out there with my earlier post.

seb5 · #9 05-07-09, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakjakman

I'm a left handed shooter, but even so, I use both sides of my ambi selectors. I use my thumb to disengage, and my index to engage the safety. Works great for transitions, and everything. I don't know how beneficial an ambi would be for a right hander because I wouldn't see myself doing transitions with an SPR, but you never know.

Anyway, I see ambi selectors as having benefits with no real disadvantages.

What he said. I have put ambis on my issued work carbine and 4 of my personal carbines. I like them. No down sides, just loctite the screw.

Preferred User · #10 05-08-09, 00:26

As a southpaw I have always gravitated to weapons that can fit ambi safeties, eject brass away from my face, etc. When right-handed friends shoot my guns they all comment on how handy ambi safeties are.

Failure2Stop · #11 05-08-09, 09:07

There are pros and cons to an ambi selector.
The thing that I most notice when I shoot a gun with an ambi is that the trigger finger side of the slector can hit the trigger finger or knuckle, stopping it's rotation. This is just something that takes time to learn, and will be transparent to a large number of users that aren't used to spending most of their time in contact with the gun with the firing hand holding the grip with the finger straight and indexed off of the trigger with the thumb ready to sweep the safety.

Once that issue is solved, there is a lot to like about an ambi safety, especially when it comes to one handed left hand shooting. While I like ambi selectors I do not consider them to be essential. I also think that the "battlefield pickup" argument is lacking in substance.

Smuckatelli · #12 05-08-09, 10:53

I'm a southpaw also that has let big brother completely control me from 1981-2002

Personal preferences for me is to not use an ambi selector...because I'm an old broke dick that doesn't want to learn new tricks.....

That being said, I really miss the selectors that were on the A2, there was an indent on the right side that 'showed' the condition of the weapon. For me I know the condition when I put it down, when others are shooting I don't know for sure.

As I teach my family the finer points of growing up, I feel kinda guilty that even though they say it is on safe, I still have to turn the rifle over to check the selector lever before we go down range to check targets. I would like to know the condition by looking only on the right side of the weapon.....bolt locked - weapon on safe.

I placed an order for one, I hope it comes soon.

A-Bear680 · #13 05-10-09, 14:37

There are 3 AR Carbines at my house that are set up with ambi selectors and ambi mag catches. I like the set-up but catch myself rolling my left thumb over to the left in order to move from safe to fire from time to time.

Seems like the ambi controls would be handy in case of injuries: from mangled fingers/thumb to the whole arm just dangling useless.

This got me thinking:
I just tried to run the light without using my fingers or thumb. On my set-up , it's possible to kinda cradle the H/G with the wrist in front of the FVG and activate the light with the back of the hand.
Might be a useful thing to practice.

travclem · #14 05-10-09, 15:45

I had an ambi star selector on my RRA. I took it off because it dug into my trigger finger when in the fire position.

FromMyColdDeadHand · #15 05-10-09, 16:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by travclem

I had an ambi star selector on my RRA. I took it off because it dug into my trigger finger when in the fire position.

Doesn't someone have a selector that has the strong side 'relieved' so that it lays flatter where your finger would ride on it, or was that a one-off I saw?

I have one (RRA I think) in a DPMS lower and it is slick. Haven't shot it much yet. Things with screws make me nervous.

Fireglock · #16 05-10-09, 20:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by FromMyColdDeadHand

Doesn't someone have a selector that has the strong side 'relieved' so that it lays flatter where your finger would ride on it, or was that a one-off I saw?

I have one (RRA I think) in a DPMS lower and it is slick. Haven't shot it much yet. Things with screws make me nervous.

That was a one off made by the owner if it's the same one I saw. Done to an LMT ambi safety.

telecustom · #17 05-10-09, 20:39

I actually did some triming on one of my Ambi-Selectors. It got in the way of the trigger finger. I ended up taking it off the weapon because I found that I really didn't need it.

SpaceGhost · #18 06-15-09, 11:00

Ambi safety is a must on a duty weapon/fighting weapon. From the ones I've installed I've had a few rough ones that smoothed out a bit, the ones that did not were removed and polished. What I found that worked the best was replacing the detent and spring, as the old detent developed a wear pattern with the old safety. With the parts situation there are way too many getting past QC inspection, but I don't think anybody inspects them under magnification to get a good look at the detent slot. I really like the JP ambi, I've only installed it with the JP trigger as it allows adjustment to the JP trigger bar which eliminates play.
Almost forgot, For the lefties out there it is reversable so you can have a single side on the ejection port side.