So I'm new to the side charging game. When my bolt locks back on my empty mag is there a way to gently release the bolt back home? So far, the only way to send it back is by pressing the bolt release, and it seems excessive on an empty mag.

Are you afraid you're going to break it by letting it just fly home?

Remove mag, ride bolt home, replace mag.

Hold bolt knob, depress bolt release, ride bolt home.

Excessive? No. It's normal. There is no reason to release the bolt slowly.

Sure you could remove the mag, pull the charging handle until bolt catch drops, and ride the charging handle home... but why?

The mag release has a tiny finger on it that's reaching out to the back of the follower. I would argue that by pressing the mag release with a magazine inserted raises the possibility of the finger snapping off because you're fighting the pressure of the spring with the force of the pressing. The magazine is pressing the catch upwards but once it locks the bolt back, the spring tension is relieved until you start pressing into the mag release. It's fighting the rearward pressure along with the downward pressure now.

I would argue that if you're worried about the bcg causing damage, I would argue that you'd probably break the bolt catch long before you arrive to that kind of problem.

I would just release the magazine, pull the charging handle back a little to get the bolt catch out of the way, then slowly ride the assembly home. But as others said, it probably won't harm the rifle by slamming it home though but it's best to do what you feel comfortable.

Just rude the CH forward. Not that you need to. You aren't going to do anything to this rifle that hasn't already happened in the 60 years of service, development and combat it's seen