The AK selector/safety

Admittedly - this article will not bode well for "AK purists" - this article is for those that view the AK as a tool - and nothing more. So - if you are "purist" - you can stop reading right now. If you view firearms (and for the sake of this article - AK's in particular) as tools - I hope you enjoy the following:

The biggest downfall with the AK is the 'selector/safety'. It never was designed to be easily manipulated. It was designed so the 'peasant/revolutionary/conscript' had to actually THINK about what he had to do to get the rifle ready to fire. So that stipulated that he actually take his hand off of the pistol grip, move it up and forward to move the selector from safe to full or semi-auto. And contrary to popular belief, the F/A (full auto) position was first, knowing the conscript - in the 'heat of the moment' - would 'push right on through' to the last position - semi-auto. Then he would move his hand back to the pistol grip and begin firing. Savvy operators operate the AK with the firing thumb resting on the 'shelf' of the selector - with the fingers sort of 'cupping' under the trigger guard/receiver. They moved the selector with the thumb, then rotated the hand backward and down onto the pistol grip with the first finger ready to enter the trigger guard. (See photos below of Russian soldiers in Chechnya. Note how is thumb is on the selector and his fingers are 'cupping' the trigger guard in the first 'soldier picture'. In the second one - he has his thumb over the top of the receiver - to manipulate the safety he just brings his thumb down on to the selector 'pad' like the like the first picture. It takes a bit longer, but is a bit easier too as that hand can help hold/carry the rifle better this way.) The third photo on the right is a close up of the 'patrol ready' carry technique.





An alternative is to have one's first finger on the shelf, and the rest of the hand sort of just hanging onto the side of the receiver - but this is strictly for those that have unusually long fingers (the only guys I know with fingers long enough are all proctologists!). This technique can only be used for very short time periods, and is not comfortable at all.



However - there is some SERIOUS new 'help' in the selector department. Enter Randy Sloan of 'Blackjack' fame (you can reach him at: http://www.blackjackbuffers.com). He is the guy that makes those great buffers for our AK's and other firearms. He has designed a new selector/safety that is SUPERB. There have been other attempts - even by some nationally known gunsmiths that have offered safeties with a 'hump' or 'tab' to help the firer out - but they have all fallen short of the goal - which is - to allow the shooter to keep his hand on the pistol grip - yet also to quickly and easily move the selector from 'Safe' to 'Fire'. Well - Randy did it!! I can leave my hand on the pistol grip - and my first finger is resting on a 'dropped down' shelf that Randy has welded onto the selector.





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