![]() ![]() There’s no awkward reaching and shifting the gun to retract the bolt carrier. That does have some application for a hunter who might want to charge the chamber quietly, and it’s definitely easier to clear a jam.Īs a competitive shooter (NRA High Power Rifle), I like the side-charge mostly because it’s just easier to operate. ![]() There’s debate over the need for that in the first place, but having the bolt knob out there means that either closing or opening a sluggish or stuck bolt is straightforward. Other advantages to this system include eliminating the functional need for forward assist. It’s easier to operate (only requires the shooting hand) and also allows easy use of an elevated cheekpiece for a better shooting position. If you fire much from prone or a bipod, a side-charge makes life better. Some have also become proprietary in design, meaning there are those that are not modified uppers but engineered and machined from the get go as side-charge. Even better, they’ve become affordable-some rivaling the price of a routine upper/bolt-carrier-group combination package. Now, it is available, boxed and ready to ship, from several different sources. Another topic for another article, but the majority of adjustable AR-15 stocks have the cheekpiece too far back compared to where it really needs to be to get the most benefit from it, and the reason is, yep, to provide charging handle clearance.Īs with many, and perhaps most, of the now-standard AR-15 accuracy add ons, the side-charge upper was initially a custom job. ![]() When there’s no restriction on the height of the stock top line, then a better-designed adjustable cheekpiece, or simple elevated cheekpiece, can be installed-in the right location-and the result is a better fit, a better shooting position, higher score. The charging handle has to be free to retract fully. Why? One reason is that the handle puts a limit on the height of the buttstock top line. The side-charge was born from competitive shooting, and, as suggested earlier, the major impetus for the design was to eliminate the need for the charging handle. Some I’ve seen, and used, are hand-tight-only designs, and those I’m not so confident in I’ve not loosed one, but have had them loosen. There are also varying takes on how best to attach the handle, and I favor those who favor using something involving a wrench. The little phenolic piece is from Eisenach Arms to fill the gap left open from canning the standard charging handle. It’s not for each and every AR-15, but it suits me when I can use one. I’ve never had that happen, and I also habitually put a snug-down on it prior to use. Likewise, said flying handle might hit you on the noggin, which can then hurt said noggin. If that happens, the handle can then come off, and said handle can fly away. So, the overriding negative is the (real) possibility that the handle will loosen in use. ![]()
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