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Side Charging ARs?
chiefr
Member Posts: 14,083 ✭✭✭✭
Never owned one, but starting to see a few of them. Any thoughts, preferences, experiences, advantages, and problems with them?
Comments
I have thought about trying one of the Bear Creek Arsenals they're reasonable priced just to see if I like that configuration
Got a couple of theirs. One in 5.56 and one in 450 Bushmaster. Both work fine and both were about $250 shipped.
I have their 450 Bushmaster but in standard rear charging handle. like you said it functions just fine Wish they offered 6.8 and a side charging upper would done be on the way.
I knew nothing about this company. Looked them up, thanks for posting. Down the road I may pick up an upper in 450 bushmaster as that is a legal rifle cartridge for public ground here in Indiana.
i ordered one, in 5.56, shipped quick very secure packaging. i've put it onto a PSA lower. fit fine. haven't shot it yet but i can tell it will work fine with a scope on the AR. the charging handle was a pain with the scope that i'm using these bear paws i call hands don't manuever into tight places very well anymore
Comments on the 'side charging upper': I see no good reason for this option. It just opens up a channel for dirt. In addition, a side charger requires that the bolt knob be dismounted prior to bolt removal which both defeats the simplicity of the design and adds another place for parts to wear, be misfit, or get lost.
Comments on BCA: I tried them and they came up short. My first 6.5 Grendel was a factory assembled upper. It started having functional issues after 30-40 shots and became dysfunctional before 100 shots. The barrel was loose and wobbling in the receiver so I sent it back. Supposedly fixed and returned after several weeks only to find that after a few shots, the gas block was loose. I tightened that and noticed the barrel was loose again. Gave up, pulled the barrel, and discovered the notch in the front of the receiver for the alignment pin was damaged from the first loose barrel nut incident and the receiver should have been replaced during the first return for repairs. Since I'd taken it apart, that relieved BCA of any further warranty coverage so I used the upper for a glued in 22lr project and have a pristine low round count 6.5 G barrel that wasn't very accurate anyway sitting in a junk box in the gun room. Not going down that road again.
There is another option that I've been looking at that is a drop in replacement for your charging handle made by GFG.
I think there is also another company making something similar
Never liked the rear charging handle idea. Too slow and cumbersome to operate.
The first time I ever handled an AR, I reached for a side charge handle.
The only 'good' left side chargers are the ones that mount on the handguard and replace the gas tube--only work on pistol caliber AR's. Those other "hokie jokies" will either break or wear the CH channel in the upper. If you want an HK, get an HK rather than goober something onto an AR.