Caitlyn Jenner (left) and Rachel Dolezal (right). One is considered a celebrated pioneer the other is considered a fraud and a phony.
People are saying that gender identity (not genitalia) determines one’s gender. So, for example, you may be born with male equipment but if you believe deep down that you are a female then you are a female. The same is NOT true for race. Just ask Rachel Dolezal. If you’re born black then you’re black, if you’re born white then you’re white. There’s no changing your race. Gender: You can change. Race: You cannot change. Makes sense, right? Hmmm…
I’m bringing up the sensitive subjects of gender and racial politics for this reason. Suppose your rifle was born an AR but it really believes it’s an AK, how are you going to respond? Should it be treated like gender identity, where “rifle identity” determines the type of rifle it is? So, if you AR believes it’s an AK it is an AK? Or is it like race, where if it was born an AR than it is an AR and it can’t do anything about it?
An AK-safety style lever for your AR platform rifle.
Well, if you’re team #RifleIdentity then there is good news for ARs that want to begin the transition to an AK. A company called BRDC has created an AK safety lever for your AR platform rifle called the PROS System.
A post on the company’s Facebook page reads, “we posted a video and picture about an AK47 prototype safety for the AR platform called the PROS System. Again, this was a prototype. This is our current design ready for sample testing. It is Ambidextrous or left/right operation. It has a 35 degree rotation and will not interfere with the trigger well.”
The target price for the lever is $65. When it comes to advantages/disadvantages of the traditional AR selector switch versus the AK-style safety it really comes down to user preferences. If you prefer big and bulky then AK is the way to go. If you prefer lean and tight then AR is the way to go. To each his own, as they say.
The CMMG Mutant. Is it an AR or an AK? Or is that binary way of thinking wrong altogether?
Maybe it was a bit of a stretch to bring up the parallels between the customization of rifles and the mutability of human identity but I did so because I believe that some people will react to this PROS AK lever with disgust and opprobrium, much like the way people treat a white chick tanning her skin to look blackish. Others may view it like gender reassignment for a dude “woman” born with dude parts who believes knows he she is a woman, and think, “Well, you won’t see me doing that but good for her.” Still, others may not have an opinion at all.
What all this boils down to is that whether it’s putting AK parts on an AR or slapping double “Ds” on a woman born with dude parts or going full Dolezal, the answer of whether it is good or bad or right or wrong depends on whom you ask.
The only reason that ambi would be really an issue is in a life or death scenario and you are having to shoot with your off hand (pistol) or hands (rifle). Also, if it just happens to be a quick encounter to where u couldn’t draw or were injured on your strong side then the safety would be engaged. However, in any known life and death scenario your gun would be positioned ready to go and safety would be most likely off. Ambi is “cool” but a crock. Will never be used unless you’re left handed with a single action.
Wow! Hey! If this takes off I’ve got a great idea about how to convert ARs in flintlocks!
I have never liked the traditional AR safety lever. The Strike Industries “Strike Switch” could easily be made into this style of safety lever … they would just need to remove the rear parts of the lever arms. Anyone that runs an ambidextrous safety lever (with a 90 degree throw) knows all to well that the opposite side lever arm hits their hand near the trigger finger. The same problem exists with the Strike Switch. Yes, I do understand that a person can mount a smaller weak hand lever arm on an ambi safety, but it is not the ideal solution since it would call for a slightly different muscle memory / manual of arms when firing your weapon using the weak side hand.
Continue to refine your idea as there will be a market for such an item.
Those people that want to say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” most likely don’t run a full ambi lower or realize how much that they actually move their fire control hand in order to operate a traditional AR safety lever.
Personal design thoughts:
1: I would make the lever MUCH smaller than what is shown in this video. The lever arm in the video would be to easy to snag or accidentally bump into/out of its desired position. The CAD drawing looks much better, but I would still shorten the length of the arm.
2: Reduce the amount of rotational travel (shown in the video) as you NEVER want the safety lever to drop below the lower’s trigger opening.
3: Design your safety lever so that a person has room to rest their trigger finger above the lower’s opening for the trigger with the lever in the safe position. If possible by design (and proper function) don’t allow it to drop below horizontal position and a person could also rest their trigger finger above the trigger opening with the safety selector in the FIRE position.
4: Be sure to design such a safety lever so that it will work (and not interfere the opeation) with the FULL AMBI Lowers made by such manufacturers as Aero Precision, American Defense Manufacturing (UIC) and Radian Weapons (A-DAC) and with anyone that runs an extended magazine release button. Otherwise you will limit your product’s marketing ability.
Per the video, the lever does appear to intrude slightly on the trigger finger. I suppose some will like it, so who am I to say, one way or the other. Actually I might prefer a larger lever, but operated by the thumb. Doesn’t somebody already make a larger AR safety lever.
The AR 15 can be a Erector Set for those that like to build or modify, this is just another part choice. The length of a control lever allows more convenient access to operate it, a larger surface area to manipulate it and/or provide leverage to move it. A larger lever also increases the surface area providing greater opportunity for inadvertent bump/snag movement to a position other then selected by the user.
I dislike LARGE control levers on pistols too. H & K must think SIZE matters because they put some whoppers on their designs. Lol