Patent Publication Number: US-10309741-B2

Title: Safety selector assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/795,857 filed Oct. 27, 2017 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,126,081), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     INTRODUCTION 
     Firearms are configured to fire rounds of ammunition. To fire a firearm, the user of the firearm can pull a trigger assembly, which releases a hammer. The hammer is designed to then strike a firing pin which, in turn, strikes an impact sensitive round of ammunition. Once struck, the round of ammunition expels a bullet from the barrel of the firearm toward a target. 
     In some firearms, the trigger assembly may be selectively placed in one of two modes: a safety mode, in which the trigger assembly cannot be operated; and a fire mode, in which the trigger assembly can be operated to fire the round of ammunition. In other firearms, the trigger assembly may be selectively placed in one of three modes: a safety mode; a semi-automatic fire mode, in which the trigger assembly can be operated to fire a single round with each pull of the trigger; and an automatic fire mode, in which the trigger assembly can be operated to fire a plurality of rounds while the trigger bow is maintained in the pulled position. A safety selector assembly may be provided to operatively engage with the trigger assembly and selectively place the firearm in the various modes as described above. However, to facilitate firearm ease of use, the safety selector assembly and/or safety selector levers should be configured for quick and easy installation and/or removal from the firearm. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates generally to safety selector assemblies for firearms. 
     In one aspect, the disclosed technology relates to a safety selector assembly for a firearm, including: a cylinder sized and shaped to be rotatably received within a lower receiver, the cylinder comprising a cylinder end having a recess defined therein; a plunger disposed at least partially within the recess, wherein the plunger is moveably secured within the recess by a pin; and a lever detachably coupled to the cylinder end by the plunger. In one embodiment, the cylinder defines a rotational axis and the recess extends along the rotational axis. In another embodiment, the plunger is biased along the rotational axis within the recess by a biasing element. In another embodiment, the lever includes a head portion having a plunger recess defined therein, and wherein when the head portion is coupled to the cylinder end at least a portion of the plunger extends into the plunger recess so as to secure the lever to the cylinder. In another embodiment, the pin extends in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the rotational axis. In another embodiment, the pin prevents the plunger and the biasing element from being removed from the recess. In another embodiment, the plunger comprises an outer surface having an annular groove defined therein, the annular groove receiving at least a portion of the pin so as to moveably secure the plunger within the recess. In another embodiment, the annular groove has a length defined along a rotational axis of the cylinder, and wherein the length of the annular groove defines the amount of movement of the plunger when secured within the recess. In another embodiment, an opening sized and shaped to support the pin is defined within the cylinder. In another embodiment, the cylinder further includes an annular channel adjacent to the cylinder end, and the opening is positioned within the annular channel. In another embodiment, the opening extends through the cylinder. In another embodiment, the cylinder end is a first cylinder end and the cylinder further includes an opposite second cylinder end having a second recess defined therein, and wherein the safety selector assembly further includes: a second plunger disposed at least partially within the second recess, wherein the second plunger is moveably secured within the second recess by a second pin; and a second lever detachably coupled to the second cylinder end by the second plunger. 
     In another aspect, the disclosed technology relates to a firearm including: a lower receiver configured to house a trigger assembly; and a safety selector assembly rotatably supported at least partially within the lower receiver, wherein the safety selector assembly is operably coupled to the trigger assembly, the safety selector including: a cylinder defining a rotational axis and including a cylinder end having a recess defined therein; a plunger biased at least partially within the recess, wherein the plunger is moveably secured within the recess by a pin; and a lever detachably coupled to the cylinder end by the plunger, wherein the lever is disposed on an exterior of the lower receiver when the safety selector is rotatably coupled thereto. In one embodiment, the pin is supported by the cylinder and is oriented substantially orthogonal to the rotational axis. 
     In another aspect, the disclosed technology relates to a method of assembling a safety selector assembly for a firearm including: positioning a plunger at least partially within a recess defined in a cylinder end of a cylinder, wherein the cylinder is sized and shaped to be rotatably received within a lower receiver; moveably securing the plunger within the recess by a pin; and detachably coupling a lever to the cylinder end via the plunger. In one embodiment, the cylinder defines a rotational axis and the method further includes biasing the plunger along the rotational axis within the recess. In another embodiment, moveably securing the plunger within the recess further includes: depressing the plunger within the recess; and pressing the pin into the cylinder such that the pin at least partially extends within an annular groove defined on the plunger. In another embodiment, pressing the pin into the cylinder further includes orienting the pin substantially orthogonally to the rotational axis. In another embodiment, detachably coupling the lever to the cylinder further includes: depressing the plunger within the recess; and sliding a head portion of the lever onto the cylinder end. In another embodiment, the method further includes inserting at least a portion of the cylinder into a receiver of the firearm. 
     A variety of additional aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. The aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following drawings are illustrative of particular embodiments of the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The drawings are not to scale and are intended for use in conjunction with the explanations provided herein. Embodiments of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of an example firearm. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an example safety selector assembly of the firearm shown in  FIG. 1 , according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the safety selector assembly shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the safety selector assembly shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the safety selector assembly shown in  FIG. 2 , taken along the line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a detailed cross sectional view of the safety selector assembly shown in  FIG. 2 , taken along the area  6  in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIGS. 7A-7C  are flowcharts illustrating an example method of assembling the safety selector assembly shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded partial-perspective view of an example safety selector assembly that may be used with the firearm shown in  FIG. 1  according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 9A  is a perspective view of a plunger of the safety selector assembly shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 9B  is a side view of the plunger shown in  FIG. 9A . 
         FIG. 9C  is another side view of the plunger shown in  FIG. 9A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the appended claims. 
     Exemplary embodiments of a safety selector assembly for use with a firearm are described herein. The safety selector assembly enables the firearm to be switched between different operating modes and generally includes at least one lever removably attached to a cylinder body. The lever may be attached to the cylinder through a biased plunger that is secured to the cylinder by a pin. The pin enables the plunger to be depressed within the cylinder so as to facilitate attaching and/or detaching the lever. Additionally, the pin prevents the plunger from being removed from the cylinder so that when the lever is detached, the plunger does not eject from the cylinder. This is problematic since the components are small in size and more likely to become lost, especially in the field. Accordingly, the safety selector assembly as described herein decreases the time and effort required to install and/or remove it from the firearm. Additionally, specific levers (e.g., left and right handed levers) are enabled to be more easily changed out to accommodate more than one firearm user. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of an example firearm  100 . In this example, the firearm  100  includes a receiver body  102  formed from an upper receiver  104  and a lower receiver  106 , a trigger assembly  108 , and a safety selector assembly  110 . In some examples, the firearm  100  may also include a stock  112 , a barrel  114 , a grip  116 , and an ammunition magazine  118 . 
     The firearm  100  can be of a variety of types. Examples of the firearm may include, but are not limited to, handguns, rifles, shotguns, carbines, machine guns, submachine guns, personal defense weapons, semi-automatic rifles, and automatic rifles. In at least one example, the firearm is an AR-15, M-16, or M-4 type rifle, or one of their variants. 
     In the example, the firearm  100  is configured to have a plurality of operating modes. The operating modes may include at least one of a safe mode and a fire mode. When the firearm  100  is in the safe mode, the firearm is prevented from discharging a round or ammunition, while when the firearm  100  is in the fire mode, the firearm may be discharged each time that the trigger assembly  108  is activated. Other operating modes may also be present. In order to switch between the different operating modes, the safety selector assembly  110  can be used. 
     The receiver body  102  is configured to house a firing mechanism and associated components as found in, for example, rifles and their variants. The firing mechanism includes the trigger assembly  108  that is at least partially housed in the lower receiver  106 , and a bolt assembly (not shown) that is slidably disposed in the upper receiver  104  for axially reciprocating recoil movement therein during a firing cycle sequence of the firearm  100 . The bolt assembly is operably interfaced with the trigger assembly  108 . 
     The trigger assembly  108  includes a trigger bow  120  configured to be pulled by the finger of the user (e.g., the index finger) to initiate the firing cycle sequence of the firearm  100 . In some examples, the trigger assembly  108  may be configured to provide a plurality of modes enabling different operation of the trigger assembly  108 . One example of a multi-mode trigger assembly is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,618,289, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     The safety selector assembly  110  is rotatably coupled to and supported within the lower receiver  106  and is configured to facilitate the switching of the firearm  100  between different operating modes. As mentioned above, each operating mode alters the behavior of the firearm  100 . In at least one example, the safety selector assembly  110  includes a lever  122  that enables the user to switch the safety selector assembly  110  between multiple positions, such as a fire mode position and a safe mode position. The safety selector assembly  110  is operably coupled to the trigger assembly  108  such that upon positioning of the lever  122 , the trigger assembly  108  has a corresponding operating condition. In the example, the lever  122  may be disposed on the side of the lower receiver  106 . 
     The stock  112  is configured to be positioned at the rearward portion of the firearm  100  and opposite the barrel  114 . The stock  112  provides an additional surface for a user to support the firearm  100  with, such as against the user&#39;s shoulder. In some examples, the stock  112  includes a mount for a sling. In other examples, the stock  112  may be a telescoping stock. In yet other examples, the stock  112  may be foldable. In still other examples, the stock  112  may be removably mounted to the receiver body  102 , such as by a threaded connection or a removable fastener connection. 
     The barrel  114  is positioned at the forward end of the firearm  100  and is configured to be installed to the receiver body  102 . The barrel provides a path to release an explosion gas and propel a projectile therethrough. In some examples, the barrel  114  is at least partially surrounded by an accessory assembly that may include a rail system (not shown) for mounting accessories (e.g., a fore-grip, a flashlight, a laser, optic equipment, etc.) thereto. Only a portion of the barrel  114  is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     The grip  116  provides a point of support for the user of the firearm  100  and can be held by the user&#39;s hand, including when operating the trigger assembly  108  and/or the safety selector assembly  110 . The grip  116  can assist the user in stabilizing the firearm  100  during firing and manipulation of the firearm  100 . In the example, the grip  116  is mounted to the lower receiver  106 . 
     The ammunition magazine  118  is an ammunition storage and feeding device within the firearm  100 . In some examples, the ammunition magazine  118  is detachably installed on the firearm. For example, the ammunition magazine  118  is removably inserted into a magazine well of the lower receiver  106  of the firearm  100 . 
     Other examples of the firearm  100  may have other configurations and/or components than the examples illustrated and described with reference to  FIG. 1 . For example, in alternative examples, some of the components listed above are not included. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the safety selector assembly  110  of the firearm  100  (shown in  FIG. 1 ).  FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the safety selector assembly  110 .  FIG. 4  is a top view of the safety selector assembly  110 . Referring concurrently to  FIGS. 2-4 , the safety selector assembly  110  includes a cylinder  124 , a first lever  122 , and a second lever  126 . Each lever  122 ,  126  may be detachably coupled to the cylinder  124  by a plunger assembly  128 . By enabling the removal of the levers  122 ,  126 , the safety selector assembly  110  can be quickly and easily installed and/or removed from the lower receiver  106  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     The cylinder  124  is sized and shaped to be rotatably received within the lower receiver  106 . The cylinder  124  is generally a cylindrical body  130  extending between a first cylinder end  132  and a second cylinder end  134  along a rotational axis  136 . In the example, the cylinder body  130  may have one or more stopper portions  138  defined on an outer surface  140  of the cylinder  124 . The stopper portions  138  are configured to selectively engage the trigger assembly  108  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) so as to facilitate the switching of the firearm  100  between different operating modes as described above. One example of the configuration of a stopper portion is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,618,289, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     The first lever  122  is removably attached to the first cylinder end  132 , and the second lever  126  is removably attached to the second cylinder end  134 . The levers  122 ,  126  enable the cylinder  124  to be selectively rotated between different operational modes when mounted on the lower receiver  106  and engaged with the trigger assembly  108 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the levers  122 ,  126  are exposed along the side of the lower receiver  106  so that a user may rotate either lever  122 ,  126  and change the position of the safety selector assembly  110 , switching the firearm between a plurality of different operating modes. In alternative examples, the safety selector assembly  110  may only include a single lever such that the safety selector assembly is accessible from one side of the lower receiver. 
     The first lever  122  includes a head portion  142  with a post portion  144  extending therefrom. The head portion  142  may also include a mode indicator  146  that can be used to indicate the operating mode of the trigger assembly  108  on the lower receiver  106 . The second lever  126  also has a head portion  148  with a post portion  150  and a mode indicator  152  extending therefrom. The post portions  144 ,  150  enable the user to rotate the cylinder  124  and switch the firearm between a plurality of different operating modes from the exterior of the lower receiver  106 . In the example, a length  154  of the first lever post portion  144  is greater than a length  156  of the second lever post portion  150 . Different lever shapes and sizes may be used to facilitate a more efficient operation by the user. Additionally, lever shapes and positions may be changed out to facilitate a more efficient left and/or right hand operation by the user. As such, selectively configuring the levers  122 ,  126  of the safety selector assembly  110  enables the assembly  110  to be desirably operable for both left and right handed users. The safety selector assembly  110  enables a quick lever configuration change, so that different desired levers may be changed out and/or an opposite handed user can easily be accommodated with the same cylinder  124 . In alternative examples, the first lever  122  may be similarly sized and shaped to the second lever  126 . 
     The head portion  142  of the first lever  122  has a cutout  158  defined therein so that the first lever  122  may slidably engage with the first end  132  of the cylinder  124 . The head portion  148  of the second lever  126  also has a cutout  160  defined therein so that the second lever  126  may slidably engage with the second end  134  of the cylinder  124 . The cutouts  158 ,  160  are sized and shaped to correspond to the cylinder ends  132 ,  134 , such that a portion of the cylinder  124  is received therein. The cylinder  124  may include a plurality of annular channels  162  defined within the cylinder body  130  and positioned adjacent to and offset from each cylinder end  132 ,  134 . The annular channels  162  receive a portion of the cutouts  158 ,  160  so that each lever  122 ,  126  can be removably secured to the cylinder  124  via the plunger assembly  128 . The annular channels  162  and the cutouts  158 ,  160  are sized and shaped to correspond to one another so that the levers  122 ,  126  cannot be pulled out from the cylinder  124  along the rotational axis  136 . 
     The plunger assembly  128  includes a plunger  164  and a biasing element  166  disposed at least partially within the cylinder  124 . Each end  132 ,  134  of the cylinder  124  includes a plunger recess  168  extending along the rotational axis  136 . The plunger recess  168  is sized and shaped to receive the plunger  164  and biasing element  166  so that the plunger  164  is biased along the rotational axis  136  via the biasing element  166 . In the example, the biasing element  166  is a spring. In other examples, the biasing element  166  may have any other configuration that enables the plunger  164  to operate as described herein. The plunger  164  is moveably secured within the plunger recess  168  by a pin  170  so that the plunger  164  enables the levers  122 ,  126  to be removably coupled to the cylinder  124 . The plunger  164  engages with the levers  122 ,  126  so that the levers  122 ,  126  cannot be slid out of the cylinder ends  132 ,  134  in a radial direction from the rotational axis  136  without disengaging the plunger  164  first. 
     In operation, the biasing element  166  biases the plunger  164  within the plunger recess  168 . To couple the levers  122 ,  126  to the cylinder  124 , the plunger  164  is depressed within the plunger recess  168  along the rotational axis  136 . The head portions  142 ,  148  are then slid into place, e.g., the cylinder ends  132 ,  134  are received within the cutouts  158 ,  160 , until the plunger  164  engages with the head portions  142 ,  148  and snaps into place because of the biasing element  166  biasing the plunger  164 . To remove the levers  122 ,  126  from the cylinder  124 , the plunger  164  is depressed along the rotational axis  136  within the plunger recess  168 . This may be performed by an elongated tool (not shown) being extended through openings  172 ,  174  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) defined within the head portions  142 ,  148  so that the plunger  164  can be depressed and disengaged from the head portions  142 ,  148 . The levers  122 ,  126  may then be slid off of the cylinder  124 , e.g., in a radial direction from the rotational axis  136 . 
     If the plunger  164  and biasing element  166  are not secured within the plunger recess  168 , when the levers  122 ,  126  are removed, the plunger  164  and/or the biasing element  166  may eject out of the plunger recess  168  due to the compression of the biasing element quickly releasing and launching the plunger  164  out of the plunger recess  168 . This is problematic since these components are small in size and more likely to become lost, thereby increasing the time and effort required to install and/or remove the safety selector assembly  110  from the lower receiver  106 . To avoid this problem, the pin  170  is used to secure the plunger  164  to the cylinder  124  and prevent the plunger  164  and the biasing element  166  from undesirably coming out of the plunger recess  168  during installation and/or removal. 
     In the example, the plunger  164  is generally cylindrical and has an outer surface  176  with an annular groove  178  defined therein. When the pin  170  is inserted into the cylinder body  130 , a portion of the pin  170  extends within the annular groove  178  so as to retain the plunger  164  within the plunger recess  168 . The annular groove  178  extends for a length  180  along the rotational axis  136  so that the plunger  164  may still be movable within the plunger recess  168  and facilitate coupling and decoupling the levers  122 ,  126  from the cylinder  124  as described above. The length  180  of the annular groove  178  defines the amount of movement the plunger  164  has within the plunger recess  168 . In an alternative example, the plunger  164  may have an elongated slot defined on the outer surface  176  so as to receive the pin  170  and retain the plunger  164  within the plunger recess  168 . 
     The cylinder body  130  has a plurality of openings  182  defined on each cylinder end  132 ,  134  that are sized and shaped to receive and support the pins  170 . In the example, the openings  182  extend the entire way through the cylinder body  130  so that the pins  170  may be removed and release the plunger  164  and the biasing element  166  from the plunger recess  168 . The openings  182  are also positioned within the annular channel  162  so that the levers  122 ,  126  cover the openings  182  when the safety selector assembly  110  is assembled to prevent the pins  170  from being undesirably extracted from the openings  182 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the safety selector assembly  110 , taken along the line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 6  is a detailed cross sectional view of the safety selector assembly  110 , taken along the area  6  in  FIG. 5 . Referring concurrently to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the levers  122 ,  126  are coupled to the cylinder  124  via the biased plungers  164  disposed on each end  132 ,  134  of the cylinder body  130 . The first lever  122  has a cutout  158  on the head portion  142  that receives the first cylinder end  132  and slides at least partially within the annular channel  162 . At the head portion  142  of the first lever  122 , a plunger recess  186  is defined between the cutout  158  and the opening  172  that receives a head  188  of the plunger  164  to secure the first lever  122  onto the cylinder  124 . 
     Similarly, the second lever  126  has a cutout  160  on the head portion  148  that receives the second cylinder end  134  and slides at least partially within the annular channel  162 . At the head portion  148  of the second lever  126 , a plunger recess  190  is defined between the cutout  160  and the opening  174  that receives the head  188  of the plunger  164  to secure the second lever  126  onto the cylinder  124 . The plunger  164  is biased by the biasing element  166  so as to extend the head  188  out of the plunger recess  168 . This enables the plunger  164  to snap into and engage the levers  122 ,  126  and prevent the levers  122 ,  126  from sliding off of the cylinder  124 . 
     The openings  172 ,  174  on each lever  122 ,  126  enable the plunger  164  to be depressed from the exterior, for example, by an elongated tool (not shown), so as to disengage the plungers  164  from the plunger recesses  186 ,  190 . When the plungers  164  are disengaged from the levers  122 ,  126 , the levers  122 ,  126  may then be removed from the cylinder  124 . The pin  170  keeps the plunger  164  secured to the cylinder  124  so that the plunger  164  and the biasing element  166  are not lost during installation and/or removal of the safety selector assembly  110 . 
     The plunger  164  has a cavity  192  opposite the head  188  which partially receives the biasing element  166  so that the plunger  164  is biased along the rotational axis  136 . In the example, the pin  170  extends in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the rotational axis  136  such that the pin  170  extends within a portion of the annular groove  178 . As such, the plunger  164  and the biasing element  166  are secured within the plunger recess  168  of the cylinder  124 . As used herein, the term “substantially” means to a significant extent. For instance, when a component is described as being “substantially orthogonal” to another component, this term refers to the components being at an angle of approximately 90° to each other. In other examples, the pin  170  may be oriented at an angle within a range of 45°-90° (e.g., 60°, 75°, 80°, or 85°) to the rotational axis  136 . 
     The length  180  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) of the annular groove  178  is also much longer than the diameter of the pin  170 , thus enabling the plunger  164  to move along the rotational axis  136  while still being secured within the plunger recess  168 . In alternative examples, the pin  170  may be oriented in any other direction that enables the plunger to function as described herein. 
       FIGS. 7A-7C  are flowcharts illustrating an example method  200  of assembling the safety selector assembly. Beginning with  FIG. 7A , to assemble the safety selector assembly, a plunger is positioned at least partially within a recess that is defined in a cylinder end of a cylinder (operation  202 ). A pin can be used to moveably secure the plunger within the recess (operation  204 ). Then a lever is detachably coupled to the cylinder end via the plunger (operation  206 ). 
     In one example, the cylinder defines a rotational axis and the method  200  can further include the plunger being biased along the rotational axis within the recess (operation  208 ). For example, a biasing element inserted at least partially into the plunger may be used to bias the plunger within the recess. In another example, the method  200  may further include at least a portion of the cylinder being inserted into a receiver of the firearm (operation  210 ). 
     Turning to  FIG. 7B , in other examples, to movably secure the plunger within the recess (operation  204 ), the plunger is depressed within the recess (operation  212 ) and then the pin is press fit into the cylinder such that the pin at least partially extends within an annular groove defined on the plunger (operation  214 ). The pin secures the plunger within the recess while still enabling the plunger to be moveably depressed within the recess. In still other examples, the pin may be oriented substantially orthogonally to the rotational axis of the cylinder (operation  216 ). 
     Turning to  FIG. 7C , in still further examples, to detachably couple the lever to the cylinder (operation  206 ), the plunger may be depressed within the recess (operation  218 ) and then a head portion of the lever is slid onto the cylinder end till the plunger clicks in place (operation  220 ). This example method may also be repeated for attaching a second lever to the cylinder. 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded partial-perspective view of another safety selector assembly  300  that may be used with the firearm  100  (shown in  FIG. 1 ). Similar to other examples described herein, the safety selector assembly  300  includes a cylinder  302  in which one or more levers (not shown) may be removably coupled thereto by a plunger assembly  304 . The plunger assembly  304  includes a plunger  306 , a biasing element  308 , and a pin  310 . However, in this example, the plunger  306  has an outer surface  312  with a cutout  314  defined therein. The cutout  314  does not extend annularly around the plunger  306 . Rather, the cutout  314  is defined by a cord surface  316 . When the pin  310  is inserted into the cylinder  302 , a portion of the pin  310  extends within the cutout  314  so as to retain the plunger  306  at least partially within the cylinder  302  as described herein. 
       FIG. 9A  is a perspective view of the plunger  306  of the safety selector assembly  300  (shown in  FIG. 8 ).  FIG. 9B  is a side view of the plunger  306 .  FIG. 9C  is another side view of the plunger  306 . Referring concurrently to  FIGS. 9A-9C , the plunger  306  is generally cylindrical-shaped with a head portion  318  configured to engage the lever and an opposite tail portion  320  configured to receive the biasing element  308  (shown in  FIG. 8 ). A cavity  322  is defined within the tail portion  320  that receives at least a portion of the biasing element  308 . When the plunger  306  is secured to the cylinder  302 , the biasing element  308  is also secured to the cylinder  302  because it is at least partially housed within the cavity  322 . 
     A portion of the outer surface  312  of the plunger  306  is defined with a cutout  314 . The cutout  314  is formed by the cord surface  316  which is a cord of the cylindrical-shaped plunger  306 . The cutout  314  extends for a length  324  so that the plunger  306  is movable when secured to the cylinder  302  (shown in  FIG. 8 ). Both ends  326 ,  328  of the cutout  314  may be curved so as to correspond to the shape of the pin  310  (shown in  FIG. 8 ). In alternative examples, the plunger may have two or more cutouts circumferentially spaced around the outer surface. 
     The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the claims attached hereto. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize various modifications and changes that may be made without following the example embodiments and application illustrated and described herein, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the following claims.