Dave Markowitz
Member
The BBT dropped off the ambidextrous safety I ordered last week from DPMS for my Colt AR-15A3 carbine.
It came with no instructions, but installation was simple with the assistance of AR-15.com's lower receiver assembly guide. Here's how you do it:
1. Clear the weapon to ensure it's not loaded.
2. Loosen the pistol grip retaining screw so that the grip comes about 2mm off the lower. You don't need to completely remove the grip.
3. Place the safety selector about half way between SAFE and FIRE.
4. Place the rifle on a flat surface, left side down. There needs to be room beneath the rifle to allow the old safety to drop out.
5. Tap out the old safety. I used a brass punch and a hammer. It took only one whack.
6. Push the left half of the DPMS ambi unit through the receiver, while simultaneously depressing the safety detent with a small flat-head screwdriver.
7. Put the right-side safety lever on the gun and screw it on.
8. Retighten the grip screw.
9. Verify that the safety rotates without too much effort, and verify that it blocks you from pulling the trigger when it's on SAFE.
Tools needed:
1. Large flat head screwdriver for the grip screw.
2. Small flat head screwdriver to use to depress the safety detent.
3. ~1mm Allen wrench for the small screw that holds the right-side safety lever onto the left half of the unit.
It should take about 10 minutes, including setup time. I noticed that the safety came from DPMS screwed together and took some effort to get apart. DPMS wisely Loc-Tited it together. I recommend re-Loc-Titing it, or putting a small blob of boile linseed oil or clear nail polish on the screw head to keep it from coming undone. If right-side lever does come undone you'll be left with only the left-side lever, which is held in like the stock unit, so at least you won't be left without a safety.
For me, the ambidextrous safety remedies the one big ergonomic fault a stock AR-15 has.
It came with no instructions, but installation was simple with the assistance of AR-15.com's lower receiver assembly guide. Here's how you do it:
1. Clear the weapon to ensure it's not loaded.
2. Loosen the pistol grip retaining screw so that the grip comes about 2mm off the lower. You don't need to completely remove the grip.
3. Place the safety selector about half way between SAFE and FIRE.
4. Place the rifle on a flat surface, left side down. There needs to be room beneath the rifle to allow the old safety to drop out.
5. Tap out the old safety. I used a brass punch and a hammer. It took only one whack.
6. Push the left half of the DPMS ambi unit through the receiver, while simultaneously depressing the safety detent with a small flat-head screwdriver.
7. Put the right-side safety lever on the gun and screw it on.
8. Retighten the grip screw.
9. Verify that the safety rotates without too much effort, and verify that it blocks you from pulling the trigger when it's on SAFE.
Tools needed:
1. Large flat head screwdriver for the grip screw.
2. Small flat head screwdriver to use to depress the safety detent.
3. ~1mm Allen wrench for the small screw that holds the right-side safety lever onto the left half of the unit.
It should take about 10 minutes, including setup time. I noticed that the safety came from DPMS screwed together and took some effort to get apart. DPMS wisely Loc-Tited it together. I recommend re-Loc-Titing it, or putting a small blob of boile linseed oil or clear nail polish on the screw head to keep it from coming undone. If right-side lever does come undone you'll be left with only the left-side lever, which is held in like the stock unit, so at least you won't be left without a safety.
For me, the ambidextrous safety remedies the one big ergonomic fault a stock AR-15 has.
