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IN, USA
Posted: 10/24/2024 1:15:17 PM EDT
| I'm still collecting spare parts. I haven't found much info as to how long charging handles usually last. I'm referring to decent ones, say Daniel Defense or BCM charging handles. Do they typically need replaced at some point or do they typically last as long as the upper/barrel? |
Joined:
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IN, USA
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In my experience the things I’ve seen break is the pivot pin on the latch and I only ever seen it once but the arm that catches the ledge on the bolt one time torn off but the rifle itself is severely abused. But on my personal rifle, no never had a charging handle or latch pin break on me. |
| In 30 years of shooting AR’s I’ve only had to replace 2 charging handles. One because it was bent and didn’t go in and out of the receiver smoothly and the other because the receiver and charging handle latch didn’t want to work together, could have been the spring as well, but in a different gun it worked fine. |
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
Make it "Idiot Proof", along comes a better idiot.
Official Site Nickname, given by NorCal - "Smack"
Make it "Idiot Proof", along comes a better idiot.
Official Site Nickname, given by NorCal - "Smack"
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The latch pins can break. Latch’s bend. Charging handle itself bends. Particularly if you’re in the never use the bolt release / always use the charging handle camp. I’ll usually wear the finish off the right side of any charging handle really fast. |
Life member of CRPA. FPC contributor.
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Attached File Attached File Anything can be broken. |
"All welchers should be removed from the EE".-Aimless
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May 2023
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550
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WI, USA
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Low probability, but true possibility. You don't need a spare one for EACH rifle you have, but having a spare or two should cover all of your rifles for a long time. If by chance you have a gun setup that needs a particular charging handle due to spacing (say, a large paddled ambi to be easily grabbed below your scope), you might want to make sure to have a spare capable of replacing that specific item. I try to keep a spare mil-spec ch and an ambi ch on hand. Another problem you might find is that spare parts keep finding their way into new builds, then you need more spare parts. Happens to me all the time. |
| Seems that I started seeing charging handles break more when the trend went to people using the blade of their off-hand to unlatch it or grabbing the release on one side only. The 'normal' way used to be using the strong hand to pull it straight back using the first two fingers or the thumb and index finger. Going to using the off-hand puts lateral torque on the CH and causes them to bend or even break eventually |
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Originally Posted By mcantu: Seems that I started seeing charging handles break more when the trend went to people using the blade of their off-hand to unlatch it or grabbing the release on one side only. The 'normal' way used to be using the strong hand to pull it straight back using the first two fingers or the thumb and index finger. Going to using the off-hand puts lateral torque on the CH and causes them to bend or even break eventually Yes. |
Life member of CRPA. FPC contributor.
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replaced one that was damaged because I didn't realize that dropping the bolt after disassembling the Dolos takedown (so the barrel is not present to stop the forward motion of the bcg) was using the charging handle to absorb the energy from the bcg. bent the tip of the charging handle, and it wouldn't cycle. replaced with another standard ch, now I lower the bolt using the charging handle after disassembly, no issues. took a couple hundred cycles of dropping the bcg with no barrel installed before the ch was damaged enough to cause problems. charging handles are cheap enough I have always just had a spare or two. I also try to keep a complete bcg on hand but they keep assembling themselves into new guns. go figure... |
The deuce you say.
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SC, USA
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I've never broken one yet (Radian, Geissele, BCM) I keep a stack of milspec charging handles that I swap into most uppers that I put up for sale (no need to sell a quality charging handle at a loss just to immediately re-buy it). If I somehow broke one, I could just use a milspec spare until the replacement came in. |
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