Battle Arms Development recently released their Ambidextrous Safety Selector (BADASS), and after a few months of use, we've found a lot to like. The principle behind and ambi safety is certainly not new, and the larger question might be why the M16/ M4 family has been without them for so long. Most of us think of an ambi-safety as something for lefties to worry about, but the more we get into street fighting and working with the weapon off both shoulders, the more we start to see a benefit and need for ambi controls.
The BADASS selectors we tested had a few options that are new to the market, click the picture for more information and of course more pictures.
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Ambidextrous selectors have typically had a huge draw back, and that is that the "ambi" side usually digs into the trigger finger when manipulating the safety. This little failure has made other ambi units I've tried fall into the "unsat" category. The last thing I need to something else digging into me, even with gloves its just not something I find acceptable. I'm a city cop, I work an area where my carbine comes out multiple times a week (or multiple times a shift if its a good day), and I don't always wear gloves. If I were a lefty, I would probably learned to suck it up and deal with it, but I'm not.
What I've always taught as a firearm instructor is to use the thumb and go around the pistol grip when shooting "off hand" or during "Injured" drills. Its certainly better than nothing, but anyone who has actually suffered serious shoulder or arm injury can tell you that taking your thumb off the pistol grip may be a bit harder than you think, especially if your hands are wet, cold, or bloody.
The guys at Battle Arms Development have come up with a way around a selector that digs. This has been done by offering a total of five different selector sizes. Looking at the "Standard" and "Short" size, these both are a bit fatter than the standard selector, and have textures grooves cut into them for a more positive actuation. The "Hybrid" is the same length as the standard, but the lower half is thin with the upper section being as thick as the standard. The "Hybrid" did a nice job of eliminating interference with the trigger finger for most of our shooters. Next we have the "Thin" and "Thin Short" sizes. As you would expect, these are much thinner versions, and are the same length as the "Standard" and "Short" selectors. I found that regardless of shooting grip or hand size, the "Thin Short" did not hit the offside hand when manipulating the safety. Battle Arms Development does recommend the use of a thread locker to prevent the selector pieces from coming loose, we agree, and think that is pretty obvious.
Each of the selector levers is CNC machined from steel bar stock, as is the safety bar that the levers lock into. The five different levers offers a total of 25 different combinations that can be used. The B.A.D.A.S.S. comes with the safety bar, and your choice of three out of the five selectors. This permits the purchaser the opportunity to tailor the selection to meet their individual needs. The extra lever allows the individual to find out if a second lever fits better after shooting for awhile. Each purchase also comes with a Torx T10key for installation, two torq screws, and a stainless steel safety detent. Battle Arms Development has commented that although the host weapon already has a safety detent, the one included is manufactured by KNS and gives a better overall feel when manipulating the selector. MSRP is $60.
These BADASS selectors work well enough that I've found myself trying to move selectors that aren't there on my other weapons. Perhaps that is the best compliment of all in that it quickly became second nature in use. Its a functional piece of equipment that allows users to tailor the product to their own physical build and personal needs, and it does it well.
http://shop.battlearmsdevelopment.com/main.sc
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