Forward Controls Design ASF-50Q

Forward Controls Design makes parts for people who read spec sheets the way most people read menus. The ASF-50Q is their safety selector, and every decision in it is deliberate. The 50-degree throw splits the difference between 45-degree race gun selectors and 60-degree military selectors, giving enough travel for a positive tactile confirmation without the wasted motion of a 90-degree sweep.

The Q levers are the defining feature. "Q" stands for offset: the levers are shifted so that when the selector is on fire, the lever sits closer to the shooter's thumb. This means sweeping back to safe requires less thumb reach, which is faster and requires less grip shift. The long lever goes on the strong side, the short lever on the weak side, and the short lever is slightly widened to compensate for reduced surface area. Both levers are billet-machined from 8620 steel and black nitrided.

The center is also billet 8620, heat-treated and nitrided. FCD includes a KNS nitrided selector detent (an upgrade over mil-spec) and four 420-grade stainless steel roll pins, two for installation and two spares. Developed in collaboration with Sons of Liberty Gun Works, the ASF-50Q is the safety selector for builders who have already bought the FCD RHF handguard and the FCD EMR-A mag release. At $90, it is not cheap, but nothing from Forward Controls is priced for impulse buyers.