AR "newbie" - Why so many AR pics w/safety on "Fire" ?

AlBeight · Jun 24, 2017

I'm rather new to the AR collecting / modding game. Shot them a bunch in the past but didn't own. Now I've bought 3 in last 5 months, and I'm really showing restraint to not have grabbed more. Soon though...

Like most of you I enjoy reading about them, checking out deals on them, and seeing pics of mods that people have made, tried, etc... One thing I've come to notice is that in probably 75-80% or better of the pics you see online (including many on this website) and even in print magazines the safety selector is set to "F" or "fire" on the weapon. Didn't somebody once say, "75% of the time it happens all the time" ?

I digress. Did I skip a class or something that this is "a thing" that folks do on purpose for some reason when photographing their AR's? If I only noticed a couple out of the literally thousands of images I've viewed I'd most likely write it off as the photographer just being forgetful or absent-minded. I just see that the overwhelming majority of pics have this condition, too many for them to all have been accidental.

Is this a cool thing? An "I'll show you, Big Government" thing? I enjoy a little bit of "tacti-coolness" as much as the next guy, but this seems kinda odd to me.

Now I'm certainly not Super-Serious Johhny Safety Guy by any stretch of the imagination (& if you are please don't respond to this thread because it's not REMOTELY anywhere related to my point and you need to start your own thread - this is a funny/weird observation toned post & not a "but the children could die" post). I just notice silly things sometimes, and I've noticed this so much lately that now it has me puzzled that there could be a reason for it that I'm just too dumb to figure out.

BTW, If it does turn out that I am too dumb to figure it out, please be kind in your responses

mopar92 · Jun 24, 2017

On most AR's (absent a number of esoteric designs) after you safety check the rifle most people will drop the hammer to relieve spring tension. After doing so the safety selector can NOT be moved to safe without recharging the gun. It's just a little design quirk. Most people never notice it.

AlBeight · Jun 24, 2017

Yeah, don't really like that feature myself either. I still always rip the charging handle & reset the safety. Always. Maybe I AM Johnny Safety Guy afterall ??

Art3 · Jun 24, 2017

That mechanical safety is tertiary, secondary at best. I don't even like the idea about calling it a "safety" because that term can cause a false sense of security. It's more of a lock, and should be the very last way to be safe with a firearm. The real safety is located midway between the ears. That's the one that keeps things safe.

But that's my 2cents...you might want some change back :shrug:

bkuether · Jun 24, 2017

mopar92 said:
On most AR's (absent a number of esoteric designs) after you safety check the rifle most people will drop the hammer to relieve spring tension. After doing so the safety selector can NOT be moved to safe without recharging the gun. It's just a little design quirk. Most people never notice it.

Correct. In a way it shows the gun has been racked to verify an empty chamber, and released to assure it cannot be loaded again and accidentally fired.

If you have ARs you should be able to duplicate this.

To me, a gun ready to fire is not as safe as a gun that you could give to a 3 yo and nothing would happen. Not advocating giving guns to 3 YOs. :rolleyes:

Doco Overboard · Jun 24, 2017

Just like what Mopar said. I rarely use the safety on any of my weapons unless commanded or instructed to do so. I will use the safety when hunting or while moving through the field but even then its bolt closed on an empty chamber till I get where Im going. The safety is there as an additional layer and never to be completely relied on anyhow. Firing pin block systems where the striker vs the sear are captured the ones I like most but a bad trigger job can turn them real bad fast.

chipd · Jun 24, 2017

Honestly, what you're doing isn't any safer than what these other people are doing.
At all.

outrider58 · Jun 24, 2017

Art3 said:
That mechanical safety is tertiary, secondary at best. I don't even like the idea about calling it a "safety" because that term can cause a false sense of security. It's more of a lock, and should be the very last way to be safe with a firearm. The real safety is located midway between the ears. That's the one that keeps things safe.

But that's my 2cents...you might want some change back

That's the most unreliable safety out there. You owe me a penny!

WayneE · Jun 24, 2017

bkuether said:
To me, a gun ready to fire is not as safe as a gun that you could give to a 3 yo and nothing would happen. Not advocating giving guns to 3 YOs.

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk

hogarth · Jun 24, 2017

Doco Overboard said:
Just like what Mopar said. I rarely use the safety on any of my weapons unless commanded or instructed to do so. I will use the safety when hunting or while moving through the field but even then its bolt closed on an empty chamber till I get where Im going. The safety is there as an additional layer and never to be completely relied on anyhow. Firing pin block systems where the striker vs the sear are captured the ones I like most but a bad trigger job can turn them real bad fast.

If I'm off the sights then my safety is engaged. That's just the way I've been taught. All firearms safety rules still apply, of course.

lazarus · Jun 24, 2017

mopar92 said:
On most AR's (absent a number of esoteric designs) after you safety check the rifle most people will drop the hammer to relieve spring tension. After doing so the safety selector can NOT be moved to safe without recharging the gun. It's just a little design quirk. Most people never notice it.

What I was going to say. Why my ARs sit in my safe on "fire". Same with my 10/22, my 870 and my Sako bolt gun. None can be switched to safe with the hammer down. I think the only gun I have that can is my old .410 pump gun.

lazarus · Jun 24, 2017

Doco Overboard said:
Just like what Mopar said. I rarely use the safety on any of my weapons unless commanded or instructed to do so. I will use the safety when hunting or while moving through the field but even then its bolt closed on an empty chamber till I get where Im going. The safety is there as an additional layer and never to be completely relied on anyhow. Firing pin block systems where the striker vs the sear are captured the ones I like most but a bad trigger job can turn them real bad fast.

Yeah, only time I really use a safety is when I am hunting and I've gotten to wear I am sitting, then I chamber a round and put it on safe. Though I will have a round chambered and on safe if I still hunt. Since that is mostly with my muzzleloader, no safety. It is an external hammer that I only cock when I am ready to rock. Fast and quiet. Can't really cock/load a round in my AR or bolt gun quietly and quickly (one or the other). So the rare time I am using one of them and still hunting I'll have a round chambered and on safe.

I also use it at the range. I'll fire a round, out it on safe and use a spotting scope. Supposing I a spotting scope.

Art3 · Jun 24, 2017

outrider58 said:
That's the most unreliable safety out there. You owe me a penny!

You would be pennywise

In some cases, that safety should be subject to a recall...that's true :sad20:

DaemonAssassin · Jun 24, 2017

Any pics I take of my rifle are taken of the side with the ejection port, because I don't want to advertise what serial number I have. By that logic, you can't really tell if the safety is engage on the rifle, because I don't run an ambidextrous safety on any of them.

Biggfoot44 · Jun 24, 2017

Can you get any "safer" than hammer down on empty chamber ?

Art3 · Jun 24, 2017

Biggfoot44 said:
Can you get any "safer" than hammer down on empty chamber ?

Empty Chamber Indicator inserted?

Biggfoot44 · Jun 24, 2017

That better communicates the safety status, but it doesn't make any safer.

Doco Overboard · Jun 24, 2017

chipd said:
Honestly, what you're doing isn't any safer than what these other people are doing.
At all.

Off topic from the ops original question, but not all firearms have safeties. What do you do then?

lazarus · Jun 24, 2017

Doco Overboard said:
Off topic from the ops original question, but not all firearms have safeties. What do you do then?

Run away screaming.

Doco Overboard · Jun 24, 2017

Yeah, I think Ill sand them out and then re-blue them first!

AR "newbie" - Why so many AR pics w/safety on "Fire" ?

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