ar bolt carrier ?

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    Evil Twin

    Active Member
    Jun 13, 2009
    498
    There are a couple of things that I am thinking of that would stand in your way. Adding a side-mounted charging handle would significantly change the weight of the bolt, and would necessitate changing the buffer spring weight, possibly more complex issues than that.

    An even bigger problem is this. Let's say you mount the handle as far forward as possible on the carrier in the ejection port. You would have to machine a slot in the upper receiver at the back of the ejection port to allow the bolt to cycle completely. This slot would have to be cut through the brass deflector area at the least, and might possibly have to go back into the forward assist area as well. If you cut the slot in the other side, the handle would have to be removable so the carrier could be removed from the receiver. Neat thought, but I'm not so sure the AR-15 is the best candidate for a side-mounted charging handle.
     
    amoebicmagician

    amoebicmagician

    Samopal Goblin
    Dec 26, 2012
    4,174
    Columbia, MD
    Evil Twin said:
    There are a couple of things that I am thinking of that would stand in your way. Adding a side-mounted charging handle would significantly change the weight of the bolt, and would necessitate changing the buffer spring weight, possibly more complex issues than that.

    An even bigger problem is this. Let's say you mount the handle as far forward as possible on the carrier in the ejection port. You would have to machine a slot in the upper receiver at the back of the ejection port to allow the bolt to cycle completely. This slot would have to be cut through the brass deflector area at the least, and might possibly have to go back into the forward assist area as well. If you cut the slot in the other side, the handle would have to be removable so the carrier could be removed from the receiver. Neat thought, but I'm not so sure the AR-15 is the best candidate for a side-mounted charging handle.
    Click to expand...

    I have a buddy who added a left hand charging handle to one of his ARs by drilling a hole in the carrier and a long channel through the left side of the receiver.

    Have no idea if this was functional.

    I have two issues I see off the top of my head that he insisted would not be a problem:

    One, the charging handle in this case will be reciprocating with the bolt, and in this case will be slamming back every time the rifle fires against the end of the channel, which terminated about a half inch before the threading for the buffer tube started.

    Second, the bolt gets REALLY hot REALLY fast on direct impingement rifles, wont the charging handle get extremely hot too?

    I'm also curious how he managed to tap the drilled hole in the side of the bolt carrier. Isn't the steel in the BCG hardened?

    He probably would have been better off just milling a cut in the front of the BCG that was open at the front so the charging handle would not reciprocate, then he would only have had to mill the receiver cut far enough back to strip a new round off.
     
    Sticky

    Sticky

    Beware of Dog
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 16, 2013
    4,503
    AA Co
    Yes, the side charging bcg (and upper) is done, often for the lefties, but it will work for either side.. Not my choice, but... it has been successfully done many times..
     
    S

    SigMatt

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 17, 2007
    1,181
    Shores of the Bay, MD
    I have a White Oak Armament upper receiver that is side cut for a removable charging handle on the right side with the bolt carrier tapped to accept it. It is the basis of a bolt-action AR platform I am building for F-Class shooting. Just waiting for the barrel and deciding on what lower I want to put it on. I've been considering milling a 0% forging without a mag well as a pure manual, single shot rifle.

    It's a nice upper. Pricey and long lead time though. But it comes with the matched handle and bolt carrier. I can post pics if you want to see what it looks like.

    Matt
     
    Last edited:
    C

    csbwill

    Member
    Nov 13, 2009
    98
    Eastern Shore
    pics are always cool.
    keystone dose this quite abit so they have all the specs, jigs figured out for the mega arms upper. I just need to decide which bolt carrier I want to use.
     
    C

    csbwill

    Member
    Nov 13, 2009
    98
    Eastern Shore
    the other thing I need to find is a pistol grip with a thumb shelf on the right side.
    found one on the interweb I thought I saved it but haven't been able to find it again
     
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