Common Issues & Problems
Common issues with the Super Safety
Our Push Button Safetys are designed to fit most ARs without a lot of custom fitting, however due to the small differences between the various manufacturers of receivers and bolt carriers, and other fire control group parts, there may be some minor fitting of the lever if the bolt binds when you manually cycle the action. Additionally some combinations of parts/receivers will produce a heavier trigger pull in Super Safe mode and in some instances, not allow the trigger to be pulled at all in Super Safe mode.
Bolt bounce in Super Safety mode is another common occurrence and is frequently misdiagnosed as “light primer strikes” or the assumption that the trigger or hammer didn’t reset, and the hammer just rode the bolt into battery.
General tips : use the included detent , the domed side of the stainless detent goes up facing the Push Button Safety . Do not modify the detent, do not use an unmodified cone shaped OEM detent, do not cut the safety selector spring. The Push Button Safety should require some effort to switch from fire/SS/safe. It should not feel mushy or be able to switch positions on its own while shooting.
A. Heavy trigger pull or no trigger movement in Super Safe mode
After inspecting the trigger cuts on the rear of the trigger, they should be slightly rounded at the edges, without any excess metal shavings protruding. If you received a trigger from us that has not been deburred properly, feel free to contact us about an exchange or refund.
You can lightly file/sand /grind the edges if there is excess metal that wasn’t removed in the trigger cutting process. These excess shavings may bind on the cam and prevent the trigger from moving properly.
For triggers that are deburred properly and have excessive trigger pull weights :
1. Remove the trigger from the lower receiver
2. Remove the disconnector spring from the trigger
3. Place a sheet of sandpaper on the edge of a hard, flat surface, 80-120 grit works well
4. With the trigger upside down, and held flat against the sandpaper, evenly move the trigger back and forth several inches for 5-10 passes.
5. Reassemble and test. Depending on the grit and amount of pressure used, you may need to repeat the process again.
6. DO NOT sand the top of the trigger any further than where the radius cut blends into the top. The radius cut is part of the reset function, if your trigger resets properly, DO NOT change the radius cut.
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B. “Light primer strikes” ,”dead trigger over live round”, ”trigger -hammer didn’t reset after it fired”
These are all typical indications of bolt bounce, the bolt group recoils slightly when it closes and doesn’t lock the bolt into the barrel extension on the first try. Similar to slamming a door that bounces open instead of latching and staying closed.
The hammer is released as the bolt is closing and strikes the bolt carrier when it is not fully in battery. The free floating firing pin then moves under its own inertia and dimples the primer as the bolt goes into battery.
HUGE shout out to Andrew Tuohy for making the bolt bounce video.
The solution for most end users is to increase the buffer weight to an H3 or an A2 rifle buffer (both are approx. 5.3oz).
If you’re using currently using an H3 and experiencing bolt bounce/dead trigger over a live round, you will need to upgrade to a heavier buffer – an A5 buffer tube (there are several options available from $38 and up) and using 4” A5 buffers or cheap 4” PCC buffers.
The Odinworks.com 9mm adjustable buffer (5.4oz-7.4oz)is the standard 3.25” carbine buffer length and works with a standard M4 buffer tube.
Heavybuffers.com makes purpose built carbine length buffers in heavier weights.
An adjustable gas system may also help, however we haven’t tried it ourselves yet.
C. Bolt binding
We’ve addressed the bolt binding in the AR15/AR9/V308 info pages but we’ll address it here also.
The lever needs to fit in between the ramped portion of the bcg and the inside of the upper receiver when the bolt is at the end of it's rearward cycle. If your BCG is binding at the rearmost part of the bolt's cycle, this is the cause. The lever is slightly too thick /needs to move slightly further back, to allow the bcg to cycle without getting wedged in place.
Our standard suggestion is to cut the upper receiver to allow for more rearward movement by the lever. This is a non-structural part of the upper and comes cut halfway through the thickness of the upper from the factory. If your bolt is still binding after the upper has been cut, you will need to lightly sand /grind/file the top of the lever. It shouldn’t need more than the thickness of a human hair or 2 removed from the entire top of the lever.
We suggest using a piece of sandpaper (80-120) grit and while holding the lever upside down, rub it back and forth a few times. Depending on the grit and amount of pressure used you may need to repeat the process. If you opt to not cut the upper, you’ll need to remove more material from the lever.
On AR9s, if the BCGs internal weight protrudes past the lower lip of the BCG, you’ll need to remove the weight and cut it flush to make room for the lever. If the weight extends up and over the lever, you may experience binding as the bolt is nearly closed. Again, you will need to remove the weight and trim it to make room for the lever to move freely. Most of the AR9 internal weights are held in place with a roll pin – using a hammer and punch, knock out the roll pin and remove the weight.