To prepare to fire, just push the safety lever back up into the
fire position. And just in case you're wondering, I was able to flip the safety lever left-handedly, using my trigger finger.
First, the safety is slightly noisy and needs nursing forward into the
Fire position under field conditions, a common problem.
When rotated to the rear to the
fire position, the rearward movement is stopped by a spur sticking up from the bottom part of the hammer.
"In this situation, closing the bolt may move the safety to the
fire position. The rifle will not fire unless the trigger is pulled.
When the bad removable firing pin is put in SAFE (3 o'clock position with the pin retracted), it's actually extended from the breech cap in the
FIRE position. And when the bad firing pin is put in FIRE (9 o'clock with the pin extended), it's retracted.
"It was just such a situation that led to his passing, when he selflessly moved into a
fire position to cover his mates' advance."
The team was unable to observe the individual(s) who fired the mortar but did determine the mortar
fire position was within range of the GSR team's MK-19,40-mm grenade launcher.
Move the safety to the
fire position to free the sear and make sure the hammer can go to full cock and be released by pulling the trigger.
Both the M240H and M249 should be in either the
FIRE position with the bolt fully forward or in the SAFE position with the bolt locked to the rear.
An earlier inquiry established Crook had forgotten to put the catch on, or it had been knocked into the
fire position.
In order to set the safety from the
fire position to any mode of safe I have to simultaneously close the bolt and push forward on the bolt to get the firing pin rearward enough so the safety can cam over into place.
As the safety handle is rotated to the
FIRE position, the aft end of the safety pawl should drop and be distinctly lower than the firing pin pawl.