Question about safety switch

[moodnovciv]

Hey guys! New to the forum and new to the gun scene in general. Just purchased a M&P 15-22 Sport MOE but had a question. My safety switch is really easy to flip when the gun is charged, but when my gun is not charged the safety gets stuck on fire and will not allow me to turn it to "safe" Is this normal? Shouldn't the safety be able to be switched at any point? or am I wrong and can only be put on "safe" when the gun is charged?

Thanks, much appreciated!!

 

[bamashooter]

Welcome to the forum. The selector will not go to safe mode unless weapon is charged / cocked. Sounds like all is well. Hope you enjoy your new 15-22. They are waay too much fun.

 

[sithlord]

As bamashooter said, this is normal.

Not just for the 15-22, but for the AR-15 platform as well. If the hammer is not cocked/charged, then the safety selector will not rotate out of FIRE. Or said another way, the safety selector will only rotate out of FIRE when the hammer is cocked/charged.

 

[tomcatt51]

We're confusing terms here. Putting the safety in the "safe" position has NOTHING to do with the gun being "charged", a rd in the chamber. It has everything to do with the hammer being cocked. The ONE requirement to be able to engage the safety is that the hammer is cocked. It doesn't matter if there's a rd in the chamber or not, only that the hammer is cocked.

 

[bamashooter]

Technically you might be correct regarding using the term "charged". I always found the term to be used for putting the weapon into the "ready/fire" position. From boot camp, AIT, through numerous deployments, as a small arms instructor, etc, depending on context, "charge" was also, mostly actually, a clearly understood and acceptable term. Rarely was the term "cocked" used in the context you suggest. I understood what the OP was asking and responded to him accordingly.

 

[Blackstuff]

This is a strange quirk of AR-15 style rifles i.e. you can't put the gun on safe when the hammer isn't cocked.

Does anyone know the history/reason of it? i.e. was it does for a specific purpose or just an unintended consequence of the trigger mechanism?

 

[old&slow]

This is not a feature that is unique to the AR.

 

[RGVshooter]

This is why we read the owners manuals before heading to the range.

 

[Rob1]

This is not a feature that is unique to the AR.

The FN Mag or GPMG machine gun is another weapon system that comes to mind that can only have the safety applied when the system is made ready, or cocked as some may term it.

I believe there are other systems out there too that have a safety selector / switch that works in this way.

 

[Egg on Leggs]

I managed to put my safety on whilst it was uncocked, Ooops.

 

[TX-Dennis]

The FN Mag or GPMG machine gun is another weapon system that comes to mind that can only have the safety applied when the system is made ready, or cocked as some may term it.

I believe there are other systems out there too that have a safety selector / switch that works in this way.

CZ pistols. At least the two I have.

 

[jnichols2]

A more popular weapon that works that way is the 1911 pistol.

 

[WR Moore]

It's a very common feature of many military firearms, and some sporting firearms. It acts as an indicator that the firearm is/isn't cocked and is generally a sign that the safety acts to block the sear rather than the trigger. With a sear blocking safety, the only way the firearm can "accidentally" (not caused by operation of the trigger) fire requires failure of the sear or hammer. It's considered more drop safe than a hammer blocking safety.

 

[batmann]

A short answer to the OPs question. Yes is normal for the “ safety” select lever to only engage when the weapon is cocked, round in the chamber or not.