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  1. #1
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    Side Charging Uppers

    I just finished off building a side charging upper SPR. Used the ASA receiver and chromed BCG from them. Rainier provided the barrel and PRI tube, plus the headspaced BCG.

    I went for it as I always found charging M16s with the support hand awkward with the original charging handle and from the prone as well. Also, I'm still single ATM as a contractor so I figure now's an okay time to buy stuff, play with it, and release if I don't like it. That way in the future when I really need to buckle down and penny pinch I know what works for me the first time and lasts the best.





    Anyone else built one? Other brands? Let's see em!

  2. #2
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  3. #3
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    Obviously having a side charging handle has it's benefits. Aside from not being 100% mil-spec, are there any other disadvantages? Just from a FNG observation standpoint I can't see any right off the bat but common sense observation isn't the same thing as practical experience.

    Thanks!
    They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Ben Franklin

  4. #4
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    Very nice! I've been considering a side charging upper for a while now. Would you say its worth the price premium?

    From ASA they list the upper w/BCG at: $425 with a non chome carrier

    Then add a bolt from BCM and it comes to: $69.99

    total: $494.99 or $519.99 with a chome carrier

    A bcm upper/bcg/and gun fighter charging handle comes to: $284.85

    Is the $210 difference worth it? I mean, I know its subjective but do you feel like the side charging capability is worth it?

  5. #5
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    LC,

    I'm interested in hearing how you like it after you hit the range a few times. I don't have one myself, and my time with that style has been very limited.

  6. #6
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    If you're not heaping dust onto it, I see the side charging options as a great one, especially for precision rigs.
    S/F
    "There is no greater calling than to defend the life of a fellow Marine" - LtCol McClane, USMC

  7. #7
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    First day out with the rifle today. It went bang, cycled nicely, and I quickly got a rough zero on the rifle. From the prone I see where the side charge will be nice, but what I can see as issue # 1 will be dust/mud/FOD. My little spot on a small berm where I set up to zero just happened to be of a clay/mud consistency, and from getting in the prone and handling the weapon I quickly saw that I had left all kinds of stuff on the side of the upper. My first "mod" I might look to make is some sort of mechanism, be it like bristles or a split rubber "seal" to go along the charging handle path. The main thing would be something with low resistance as to not slow the handle down. From first fitting and cycling dummies through the rifle it did seem a bit touchy to making sure you didn't ride the handle, else rounds didn't quite want to seat. It did feel solid in its build though, and I don't feel like I risk busting the handle with a vigorous yank of the handle.

    Unfortunately the pics we took today accidentally got deleted when we took a video of us running a drill...

    The below pics would definately show the evidence for the dust and mud concern. I've started snooping around for stuff I can order or pick up at the hardware store that I might be able to rig up to be flexible yet help cut down on stuff getting in the bolt. Also don't want anything binding with the handle.





    I am not touchy/feely about using hardware store remedies on rifles, no matter what I spent. So if someone were to cry bloody murder because I epoxied some rubber weather stripping to the side of my rifle, I'd proceed to not care because in this case, I'd like to go for function. I'd also say that though this particular precision rifle will likely not be fast-roping in Afghanistan or ultimately beaten to death, I do want to make it as "robust" and dependable as possible. Firearms were meant to be used, and should always be ready to perform under any circumstances as far as I'm concerned. I like both the KISS principle as well as the high-speed low-drag stuff, and sometimes tend to smash the two together. I look forward to ideas, and please don't start chucking "get an AK" or "get an FAL", or "buy xxx instead". I bought the AK already on my own accord, and I want an FAL for other reasons, so it can spoon with my M1A and my CETME ;-)

    I also experienced that yes, employing a rifle and carbine effectively is a perishable skill set. Not keeping up with drills and practice showed its face today, not in a dangerous way (read no flagging, trigger fingers where they shouldnt be, etc) but in an embarrassing way. We're talking smacking the mag release instead of flipping the safety, horribly goofing reloads, not transitioning to sidearm when my rifle went dry, etc.

    As far as the financial concern, right now I'm single and working as DoD contractor in the DC area, so I'll admit I have some flex in my spending. I'm not 100% yet whether I will use a side charger for an M4 pattern rifle, as I want to have a solid solution to the dust/mud issue first. I'd have to say that it will be down to purpose of rifle as well as operator preference in terms of Price vs Performance points. I also have a BCM upper'd M4 that I quite fancy, granted I didn't go with the whole BFH barrel midlength long rail route that is super popular as I am used to a standard M4, but for price point the BCM does the job of puttijng 5.56 rounds where they need to be, when I need them to be there, and did it today admirably with no FTF/FTE and only a light coat of CLP that I put on the rifle months ago.

    There were a lot of things about the M16/M4 that I thought about while I was in the service, and have progressively been trying out all the "remedies" for myself to decide whether they are truly a better solution or not. I picked up an earlier gen POF 415, with the 16" barrel and 12 inch rail (now they do an 11 inch). I learned through using it that 1) It is quite front heavy thanks to the huge barrel nut and very beefy barrel, and 2) I'm not fond of the rails, but the nature of the barrel nut and piston system pretty well leave you stuck with that rail. Quite an expensive rifle with all the bells and whistles, but my lower fits loosley on all my AR uppers. Maybe the newer rifles have a better rail attachment system and better upper/lower fitment, but the real bummer with this one is that it uses a unique length gas/oprod system. Its longer than midlength, shorter than rifle, so though I like the upper and even the heavy barrel, I can't just ditch the barrel nut and current piston for DI or an Adams Arms kit. But that whole thing is a completely different topic... I am allowed to derail my own thread right?

    PS, can someone approve my post on the "explain your AR" thread?

  8. #8
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    Well I love my side charger. It’s not the end all tactical rifle by far but this is my tack driver and it’s never shot from anything but a nice heavy bag. Absolutely hand down the nicest target and varmint rifle I have built and shot ever. My scope sits way back over where the AR charging handle would have been and makes for a very comfortable rifle, also the reason for the A2. I recently added a hydraulic buffer to slow it down and take up some kick and she feels like I’m plinking a 22(Almost but you get the idea). I hand load also but I will have a post coming with a range report on my favorite commercial ammo. Enjoy it! Here is a pic or two.






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