45 or 90 Deg on Your AR Safety?

[Ben]

Are any of you using the short throw 45deg safety configuration on your ARs?

Last week, I finally got around to building the lower to go with the PWS MK111 7.62x39 upper I bought a while back. The LGS talked me into the Talon ambi safety, which allows either 45 or 90deg throw. I like the 45, but am thinking of switching it back to 90, mostly because all my other ARs are 90.

If I just had 100% range plinking guns, I wouldn't care about having "mixed throw" safeties. With self defense guns though, I'm concerned about consistency and muscle memory. I'll have to play with it for a while I guess. At the price of the Talons, it would be a significant investment to switch everything to 45s (though I guess for the range guns, there's the ~$25 PSA option).

[Kingcreek]

I wasn’t even aware there is such a thing.
I’m too much a creature of habit to tolerate inconsistency, especially across devices that all feel the same and familiar to me even if I grab one in the dark.

[bedlamite]

Most of mine are the budget model 90 ambi selector from PSA. I picked up several when they were on sale for less than a Hamilton.

[Lennyjoe]

Same here, never knew about the 45.  All of mine are the standard 90 degree as well.  Some are ambi while others are not.

[dogmush]

Most of mine are either 45 or 60* safeties, and I tend to prefer them, although I still have some 90s left over.

I find I don't even notice on the disengage swipe. My thumb is making the movement and the safeties all come off.

Reengageing the safety is faster and more sure however.  I re-engage with the trigger finger knuckle, and the short throws work better for that. 

Since I run and gun, it's important to me to get the safety back on.

[Hawkmoon]

I wasn’t even aware there is such a thing.
I’m too much a creature of habit to tolerate inconsistency, especially across devices that all feel the same and familiar to me even if I grab one in the dark.

I agree. Consistency is important.

As for switching them ALL to 45 degrees? WHY? The 90-degree switch has been working for more than 50 years, and I haven't heard of any reports (credible or not) of someone getting shot because they couldn't flip their AR-15 or M16 off SAFE fast enough due to the 90-degree safety lever.

[WLJ]

Related
Here's Gun Jesus on the AR's safety

Why is the AR Safety Lever Designed That Way?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9IeNbQ1aE4

BTW: I say leave it at 90, I like consistency

[dogmush]

Again:  The short throw safety isn't to get it off quicker, it's to get it back on quicker.

It is an adaptation coming from the newer TTPs where when one's eyes engage the sighting system, the safety comes off, and when the eyes disengage the sights, the safety comes back on.  It's pretty specific for two way ranges, and training for two way ranges.  Tying the movement of the safety back and forth to weather the eyes have engaged the sighting system ends up with the weapon on fire for less time, and (when trained effectively) makes sure that no one is moving with a weapon on fire.  Which is nice if a lot of folks are moving at once. 

What the short throw gives you is the ability to knock it back up into safe with the first knuckle of your trigger finger or your thumb as you come off the sights and lower the weapon.  A full 90* safety can lead to having to break the firing hand drip to reliably get the weapon back on safe.

If you aren't doing a lot of dynamic stuff, and or worried about two way ranges with movement, it probably won't do very much for you.  The whole thing comes from the door kicker community* that found it was better to be hitting the safety back on between engagements while moving around each other, and looked to optimize that movement.


*Military Door Kickers.  LEO Door kickers don't seem to really care about NDs.