Reason for pivoting trigger guard assembly on AR?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Reason for pivoting trigger guard assembly on AR?

Posted: 3/14/2001 11:17:27 AM EDT

Was there a tactical reason this was incorporated into the AR design? Does it just aid in cleaning?

It would seem less expensive to just make the trigger-guard part of the casting/forging of the lower receiver. I'm sure there was a reason for doing it, just curious as to why. Thanks.

Posted: 3/14/2001 11:21:01 AM EDT

[#1]

Hello, Kevin.

I see that you are from Minnesota. My best friend is a native of Thief River Falls.

Go put on your heaviest winter gloves, and attempt to pull the trigger. Now swing the trigger guard down and try it again...

Posted: 3/14/2001 11:42:57 AM EDT

[#2]

Not sure if that was a Canadian modification that the US liked or what but it's called an Arctic trigger. It enables soldiers to fire their rifles with Arctic mitts on. My FN had the same "option" although you needed a screw driver to remover the trigger guard.

Posted: 3/14/2001 11:45:50 AM EDT

[#3]

Bud and Striker hit the nail on the head.

Having lived in Alaska almost all my life and having been through a couple military arctic survival schools:

Cool School/EAFB and
NWTC/Northern Warfare Training Center/Ft. Greely

Gloves are nice and the M-16/AR-15 can certainly be fired with big cold weather gloves. Mittens are much better for extreme cold -20 to -70F and you need to flip that puppy down for that.

Before anyone Sh*t's a midget over those temps I have personally fired my carbine for 4 days at -20F we went through aprox 3000 rounds and I started the course with a cleaned, lubed (break free)only weapon and didn't clean it until after the course was over. The only malfunctions I had were shooter induced at the direction of the instructor for malfunction drills.

Hunter out...

Posted: 3/14/2001 11:56:14 AM EDT

[#4]

Bud, my farm is about 50 miles east of TRF. I work construction, so I'm usually on the road. I rent a house in the Metro(Albertville) and an apartment in St. Cloud.

I just picked up my first AR at DPMS yesterday. Me and my M16s were always stationed in Goerga while in the Cavalry. No wonder we never used the pivoting trigger guard(climate).

Now it's very clear. Thanks guys

Posted: 3/14/2001 1:18:38 PM EDT

[#5]

Kevin N:

OMG, is Alberville now in the METRO?!?!?!?! I'm hoping that monster eventually stops growing and stays away from my neck of the woods (Willmar).

If you're ever down this way during the summer, we typically have an informal M-1 shoot once a month here. Other Mil rifles are OK, like '03s and ARs. Haven't had anyone bring in an AK, yet.

Posted: 3/14/2001 1:20:12 PM EDT

[#6]

How do you get it to swing down?

Posted: 3/14/2001 1:49:29 PM EDT

[#7]

Mr. K, I consider any city in the Hudson Map Book part of 'The Metro'. When I worked down there 10 yrs ago, Albertville was in the country. Now the morning rush-hour traffic begins in Mentecello. I get to battle it out tomarrow on my way to St. Paul.

Attman, on the ejection side of the AR15/M16 on the trigger-guard assy, the forward pin can be pushed in to release. It will then pivot down.

Posted: 3/14/2001 2:12:01 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
How do you get it to swing down?

View Quote

The same "tool" you use to adjust the windage on an A1, the tip of a normal fmj 5.56 round to depress the detent pin :)

You guys must reside in warm climates [BD]

Posted: 3/14/2001 3:12:18 PM EDT

[#9]

The swing down winter trigger was a Stoner design originally on the early AR-10 rifles. I had a Sudanese AR-10 and it had it. Sorry Striker, but it's not just a Canadian thing [:)]. It's been on every M16 and AR made. I suppose there's some version somewhere that doesn't have it, but I've never heard of it. It works better on the M16A1 because the pistol grip doesn't have the hump in the front like the A2, so it folds flat easier.

Ross

Posted: 3/14/2001 3:18:37 PM EDT

[#10]

I think the Artic trigger mod was part of the speal we got on our conversion course Ross. I must say the system on the FN although more time consuming is a better setup. It folds into the pistol grip out of site. I find the AR version very uncomfortable. I suppose with arctic mitts on it wouldn't be an issue.
MindHunter..on the course I just finished 2 weeks ago we shot the course of fire with the .38 in -13 temps with the wind chill knocking it down to -41F. On the upside..the triggers were [b] very crisp[/b][;)]

Posted: 3/14/2001 3:30:11 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

On the upside..the triggers were [b] very crisp[/b][;)]

View Quote

I hear that Bro,
Something you really can't explain you have to live it hehehehehehehe.

At temps like that three things come to mind when you are learning to deal with it.

1)Monkey

2)Fornication

3)Football

Hunter out...

Posted: 3/14/2001 3:39:07 PM EDT

[#12]

This may be a dumb question. But i will ask it anyway. After reading these posts i got to thinking. The trigger guard is obviously not a needed item or it would not be removable. Is there any advantage other than cosmetics to have it on? Seems like the practicla thing would be to leave it off.

just wonder....

[beer]

mike

Posted: 3/14/2001 3:39:30 PM EDT

[#13]

[b]LMAO[/b] Amen to that.
Beer Slayer. I think the biggest reason is to help prevent A/D's. War story time now.
I was on a Fighting patrol competition many moons ago and being the biggest or stupidist (or both) I got picked as the GPMG section. So along with my FN I was humping the 1919, 2 belts of blanks and my 5 mags for the FN. Most of the legs of our patrol where through woods so thick the rabbits where carrying machete's. At approx 0-dark:thirty I hooked the trigger of the machine gun on a branch. It let go with 3 or 4 rounds before I got it stopped. I couldn't see jack sh*t for 15 minutes because the muzzle was at waist height when it went off. A trigger guard probably would have prevented the A/D and me damn near dropping a load [:D]

Posted: 3/14/2001 3:50:26 PM EDT

[#14]

Beer Slayer,

The trigger guard helps to prevent things from getting snagged on the trigger and firing the rifle accidentialy.

The way I see it is that under normal conditions it does not get in the way of anything but being able to fire your rifle when you need mitts outweighs the benefit that a trigger guard offers.

Posted: 3/14/2001 3:59:33 PM EDT

[#15]

hehe now i really feel stupid i shoulda figured that one out on my own :>

Oh well time for a refill [beer]

mike

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Reason for pivoting trigger guard assembly on AR?

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