Why is the AR Safety Lever Designed That Way?

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Most people assume that the AR15/M16 safety/selector lever was designed specifically to be very ergonomic and shooter-friendly, with the "safe" position putting the lever right under the thumb to allow a quick and easy snap into semiauto mode. Well, that's not actually the way Eugene Stoner initially designed it - as we can see by looking at AR15 prototype serial number 000001...