drop safe question

[moonshot]

I'm about to show how ignorant I am. I've only had a long gun for about two years now, and I've had an AR for about 1 1/2 years. When I took my 1st and only (so far) carbine class last summer, at no time did anyone ever mention that the AR was not drop safe. If they did, I sure missed it.

This may be old new to you, but it's new to me. Just read it for the first time tonight, and I admit I am a little surprised. Just how serious is this from a safety stand point? I know several models of handgun do not have drop safeties, and perhaps no military or military style rifle does either.

While keeping the weapon under control is always a sound idea, shit happens. How likely is it for a round to fire if the AR is dropped? From how high? At what angle? Is this why you all strongly recommend a sling (I thought it was for convenience only).

My Glock has no manual safety, but is drop safe. A good thing too, as I've been to classes when Glock's were dropped. Should I be concerned about a lack of drop safety in my rifle or not (I assume not, as none of your are).

Will the safety, if engaged, prevent a round from firing if rifle is dropped? If not, what happens if you are moving and trip? I could see a real possibility of the rifle hitting hard, stock first, as you go down.

Is this a "sleeping safety issue" , or am I just being overly worried? Just trying to learn.

[Jay Cunningham]

The AR-15 is indeed not drop-safe. However you would probably have to drop it out of a 7 story building for it to go off - unless it landed perfectly vertically on it's muzzle, in which case you'd only need about a 3 story drop.

[moonshot]

This exchange from how to store a home defense AR...

Condition 1 just like a 1911 Semi Auto. Absolutely no negatives to having one in the tube with the safety on, and one less thing to think about when you need it NOW!

Except if you accidentally bang the buttstock, it could slam fire as the bolt will release and slam forward. Thick primers prevent this but you never know. Saw this happen too many times with blanks in an M16. And that was with military hard primers.

and this...

i can think of a negative, kind of a big one too.

want to keep a weapon with a round in the chamber, do it with a weapon with a firing pin block.

my nightstand SIG always has a round in the chamber. my HD AR is kept "cruiser ready"

we keep having to go over this too.... ARs are not drop-safe

From my read of the above series of posts, it seems the opinion of the experts is that an AR can discharge a round if dropped from far less than 7-stories. Seems like it can fire if simply knocked over (although it also seems to imply the bolt needs to be back in order for it to "slam forward". If that could cause it to fire, why wouldn't the AR fire when the bolt was released intentionally via the bolt release)?

My AR is not drop safe. I get that. I'm not knocking the AR platform either. For all I know, no military-style rifle is drop safe. Perhaps most wouldn't want it drop safe if it were an option. I just don't know.

What I would really like to know is from just how high must my AR fall, or just how hard must it slam into the ground, and what part of the frame needs to hit the ground, for it to risk an inertia-fire? Assume bolt forward, safety both engaged and disengaged.

Does ammo matter? Most of my ammo is non-military Black Hills 223. Don't know if those primers are considered hard or not.

[Iraqgunz]

Most of what you read was taken out of context. I believe the second paragraph had to do with an AR that had the bolt locked back, on fire and a loaded magazine in the mag well. Personally I wouldn't be worried about any of the stuff that cited below.

This exchange from how to store a home defense AR...





and this...



From my read of the above series of posts, it seems the opinion of the experts is that an AR can discharge a round if dropped from far less than 7-stories. Seems like it can fire if simply knocked over (although it also seems to imply the bolt needs to be back in order for it to "slam forward". If that could cause it to fire, why wouldn't the AR fire when the bolt was released intentionally via the bolt release)?

My AR is not drop safe. I get that. I'm not knocking the AR platform either. For all I know, no military-style rifle is drop safe. Perhaps most wouldn't want it drop safe if it were an option. I just don't know.

What I would really like to know is from just how high must my AR fall, or just how hard must it slam into the ground, and what part of the frame needs to hit the ground, for it to risk an inertia-fire? Assume bolt forward, safety both engaged and disengaged.

Does ammo matter? Most of my ammo is non-military Black Hills 223. Don't know if those primers are considered hard or not.

[Jerm]

Can anyone tell me if a two-stage trigger would be "more/less drop safe"(SSA specifically).

Ive heard that they arent as safe,but i always assumed it was mentioned because of the lighter trigger and possible a AD/ND.Hadnt thought about the drop issue in regards to the two-stage triggers.

[Ridge_Runner_5]

Trigger wont make a difference on drop safety on an AR...the problem is the firing pin just floats in the bolt...if you drop straight down on the muzzle with enough force, it is possible for the pin to hit the cartridge with enough energy to pop the primer...

Some manufacturers offer a spring-loaded firing pin where a spring will hold it away from the cartridge until the hammer forces it forward...its still not fail safe, but its safer than no spring...

[Jerm]

the problem is the firing pin just floats in the bolt...if you drop straight down on the muzzle with enough force, it is possible for the pin to hit the cartridge with enough energy to pop the primer...

Thanks.

That seems very unlikely.

[Iraqgunz]

Chances are you will win your states lottery first before it happens. YMMV.

Thanks.

That seems very unlikely.

[Jerm]

Yeah,it would never have even occurred to me.Thats why i assumed the concerns were with the hammer letting loose.

[UVvis]

Also consider that the bolt slams shut on a live round every time you fire the weapon, or release the bolt catch on a live round. I've yet to have a round fire when I did this procedure.