Question about AK selector/safety lever

[mutt]

So after cleaning my rifle today, I was doing a function check and noticed something unexpected with my selector lever. If I put it in the safe position and then pull the trigger normally, no hammer fall. But if I keep pulling the trigger with steadily increasing pressure, the selector lever will begin to creep skyward and eventually it will slide up enough to allow the hammer to fall. I didn't expect this.

Since I never owned an AK previously and have no others to compare with, I'm wondering if this is normal or do I have defective selector switch? I suspected this is normal but I figured best to ask. And I had to apply a pretty good amount of pressure on the trigger, so it's not like I can just pull the trigger normally and 'over-ride' the safety. This level of pressure would never be applied to the trigger in normal use.

[bryjcom]

Never heard of that. Your probably ok based on what you described. You could always try and different safety. It seems like the safety "tang" is not perfectly flush with the trigger "tang" when you pull the trigger.

[BPTactical]

Sounds as if the tension is a little weak on the saftey/selector. You can give it a bit more tension to stay in the detent dimples on the reciever. Here is how: Remove the selector from the reciever- To remove just rotate the lever upwards until it lines up with the notch in the hole in the reciever and pull it out- Watch the retainer "Shepards Hook" for the trigger and hammer pins. With the selector out of the reciever just give the lever a slight inward bend. What this will do is once it is back in the reciever is put a bit more pressure on the dimples on the reciever and it wont walk out of them.
Notice I said SLIGHT bend. It takes very little to increase the tension. We are talking just a few thousandths of an inch here. Put too much and it will take too much to move the selector.
When I tweak them I just use hand pressure only by applying pressure to the far ends of each leg of the selector.
Reassemble and dont forget the "Shepards Hook"!

It took me longer to type this than it will for you to do it!

[mutt]

The 'safe' dimple on my rifle is too shallow to offer any real resistance. However, bending the lever in a tiny bit did allow the tip of the selector to barely fit into the corresponding cutout in the dust cover. The selector's tip and top edge making contact with the dust cover essentially stops any further upward movement no matter how hard I squeeze the trigger.

The selector's top edge probably did fit in the cutout when I first got the rifle. But, not being used to this type of safety, I am guilty of charging the rifle with the selector in the safe position a few times. =( I probably bent it outward ever so slightly and never noticed. Easy fix.

Thanks for the tip BPTactical.

[BPTactical]

Hope it helps......

[7.62x39(4)life]

On most ak-47 rifles the safety/selector lever will release the hammer if it is rotated upward past the safe position if the hammer is cocked back. example during removal of the safety lever.


1. you can make sure that your dust cover does not allow the safety/selector lever to come up fully up past the the safe position, on my arsenal slr-95 I slightly bent the dust cover out so that the safety/selector lever is not allowed to go to move up past the bottom edge of dust cover. A romainian dust cover has a built in lip on it for this reason.

2. The safety can be modified. I think arsenal ak-47's have the modification I will take mine apart and compare the safety/selector levers, and post pics of the findings.



what kind of ak did this happen on?

[mutt]

On most ak-47 rifles the safety/selector lever will release the hammer if it is rotated upward past the safe position if the hammer is cocked back. example during removal of the safety lever.


1. you can make sure that your dust cover does not allow the safety/selector lever to come up fully up past the the safe position, on my arsenal slr-95 I slightly bent the dust cover out so that the safety/selector lever is not allowed to go to move up past the bottom edge of dust cover. A romainian dust cover has a built in lip on it for this reason.

2. The safety can be modified. I think arsenal ak-47's have the modification I will take mine apart and compare the safety/selector levers, and post pics of the findings.



what kind of ak did this happen on?

It's a Bulgarian from ARMA Rifle in Parker. I got a new selector lever from them and problem solved. The new safety has a lot more resistance and actually makes contact with the bottom of the dust cover. The problem wasn't the rifle, the problem was the dummy who bent the original lever outwards trying to chamber a round with the safety on, multiple times.

Needless to say, I've broken myself of that habit.

[7.62x39(4)life]

Last night i went home and checked out my romanian build ak-47 and without the dust cover I am able to pull the trigger and make the safety lever move upward and eventually fire... so I guess the lesson learned is that make sure your dust cover stops your safety/selector lever.

[brianakell]

Last night i went home and checked out my romanian build ak-47 and without the dust cover I am able to pull the trigger and make the safety lever move upward and eventually fire... so I guess the lesson learned is that make sure your dust cover stops your safety/selector lever.

FWIW, both of mine dont do this, however both are running tapce trigger groups as well, so maybe thats why. One is a nds reciever, one is built from a flat. Might have a 3rd done this weeks too. Likely with original trigger parts. If I remember, Ill post what happens with it. It will be built from a flat.

[brianakell]

FWIW, both of mine dont do this, however both are running tapce trigger groups as well, so maybe thats why. One is a nds reciever, one is built from a flat. Might have a 3rd done this weeks too. Likely with original trigger parts. If I remember, Ill post what happens with it. It will be built from a flat.

Put one together with an original commie built trigger group, no issue there either.