Full ambi for righty

[lj_1187]

What are your thoughts of the rifles coming out with full ambi controls (safety, mag/bolt release) for a trained right handed shooter? Are they still useful? Im referencing weapons like the new KAC offerings.

I am most curious about the ambi bolt release as I have never used one. I have never switched to shoot lefty for barriers, but I can see if you are at the 2 way range and get injured the ambi controls could be quite useful.

What are your opinions? Any other uses?

 

[Redmanss]

Re: Full ambi for righty

I like the ambi safety and run the Battle Arms offering on my personal rifles. It comes in handy for weak side shooting as I don't like changing/losing my grip to manipulate it. I don't have the option of modifying my work rifle, but would run that if I could.

I don't use the bolt release as it is, just how I was trained, so having a lefty (right side) release has no purpose for me. I manipulate the charging handle instead of hitting the bolt release, and it's no problem for me to rotate the rifle to do so if I'm shooting lefty. The only time I touch it is if I need to lock my bolt to the rear showing clear or during remedial action. I've never owned a ambi bolt release rifle, but have used them and didn't see an advantage for myself.

Ambi mag releases I don't like since I've had one pop a mag out while I had the rifle in front of me and pressing against my kit. Lefty I drop my hand back, use my thumb to hit the release button while ripping the mag out, then complete the reload.

In other words, for me the added price premium doesn't carry enough advantage for the techniques I use. I'm also not racing a clock in a comp where split seconds mean a win or loss, but I am in a two way range area where ultimate reliability is necessary. YMMV.

 

[PLeighton]

Re: Full ambi for righty

IMO:
Ambi controls are nice but not critical.
What is an absolute god send is devices that allow you to manipulate the bolt catch without removing your hand from fire control.
There are receivers that have this built into them, or you can always pickup a Magpul B.A.D. Lever.

One thing to be aware of, when using an ambidextrous safety, one of the two levers will typically contact your index finger.
Under stress, the safety can become inadvertently engaged.
When it does, the user will typically stop and assess why the rifle did not go "BOOM" and as you can imagine, this can be a very bad thing on a two way range.

In shoot house scenarios, I have seen this happen to countless students when they are issued a weapon with an ambi safety.
Typically there is a deer in the headlights look when they bring the rife up to engage a threat and nothing at all happens when they attempt to fire.
95% of the time, these students are hit by hostile fire (Simution of course) and are dumfounded by why their weapon malfunctioned.
Well, their weapon did not actually malfunction, they partially engaged the safely with their index finger under stress.
In you decide to use an ambi safety, be sure to get one that has a provision for the index finger issue, or practice like crazy with a rifle that has one.

Or

 

[trisurvivor]

Re: Full ambi for righty

I am using badass's on my pof p308 and 415. I am right handed, but shoot left handed frequently. I like them because of the positive surface area. Left side is the normal and right is the shorty. Yes, I can feel the longer one when I shoot left handed, but nothing terrible. The newest design has a longer center axle because of adding more surface area to clamping area. They went from a rectangular piece that mates to the center axle, to a triangular surface where the arms slide over piece on the axle.