ErikW Posted February 29, 2004 Share Posted February 29, 2004 Clean your AR15 charging handle's U shaped cutout where it mates to the upper receiver. Apply a bead of silicone adhesive to it. Spray some silicone spray or wipe some oil on the mating part of the upper receiver. Close the charging handle. Let the silicone dry and the lubricant will act as a mold release to prevent the silicone from sticking to the receiver. This will stop gas from blowing by the charging handle and into your eyes, drying out your eyes, making it hard to see the targets and the sights. I learned this at Bennie Cooley's rifle class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucas Posted March 1, 2004 Share Posted March 1, 2004 Or you could buy the gas buster charging handle.They seem to be all the rage on SPR rifles.Just incase you cant get the caulking and lube combo just right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 How much do you have to shoot before this becomes a problem for you? I don't think I've even heard of this before, but that doesn't mean much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 I've shot the crap out of AR's and 16's and never noticed this as a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 I consider the gas leak at the rear of an AR a positive feature. I love the smell of smokeless powder. I never notice it shooting in IPSC type competition but do in HighPower rifle shooting. Part of my followthrough process when I am precision shooting is to wait for the smoke to curl up out of the charging handle before prepping for the next shot. I think it's cool, and like I said, I love the smell of smokeless powder -- Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted March 2, 2004 Author Share Posted March 2, 2004 Probably less of a problem with scopes. Maybe if you were real men and shot iron sights, you'd notice it. It's more of a problem on some guns than others. I just did it on this gun when I could actually feel the gas and it dried out my eye. I could actually see residue where the gas exited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 In Zideker's book, The Competition AR-15 (I think that's the title), he describes this in detail. Too, shows/describes a fix. Erik - Just because you like using 17th century technology doesn't make you a real man. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 It depends on the rifle and the shooter. Especially those with contact lenses. I did the silicone thing almost 20 years ago. As a temporary fix, or on loaner rifles, a few layers of masking tape will do the trick. I've never not worn glasses, so I've never noticed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted March 24, 2004 Author Share Posted March 24, 2004 I wear contacts but with protective eyewear and I still notice it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisMcCracken Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 My search for parts has lead me here. Building my firebird, is this charging handle really worth $90? I want an extended catch, and this one seems to come with one. So its $20 for stock and another $20 for extender or $90 for the gas buster. Any opinions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 My search for parts has lead me here. Building my firebird, is this charging handle really worth $90? I want an extended catch, and this one seems to come with one. So its $20 for stock and another $20 for extender or $90 for the gas buster. Any opinions? If you really feelt the need for the extended latch, put it on the normal handle. There's my $.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I think the gas buster is worth the money. Yes, it's a bit more but I still think it's worth the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Lord Gomer Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 As someone who is now having to watch my lead intake, I'm going to look at the gas buster. If the vented fumes are making it back to your nose, some of the lead from the primer is in those fumes, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Ho Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Shoot with your eyes closed. Be the bullet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff686 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 If you use a silencer (I know, not in 3-gun) the problem is a lot worse. If you use a lot of lube, it gets even worse. I've seen guys with nasty black stripes across their face and glasses. Even with my non-gas 9mm AR and a silencer, I get some gas in the face, but that may not be from the charging handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 suppressor not silencer...and they are occasionally used in 3-Gun. Most effective compensator/muzzle brake out there. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighVelocity Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I've shot a few dozen different ARs and all of them are not created equally in the gas blow by dept. Some are REALLY BAD. If I can smell flash suppressant while I'm firing, there's some blow by. If my hat flys off, then there's too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff686 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 (edited) suppressor not silencer...and they are occasionally used in 3-Gun. Most effective compensator/muzzle brake out there.Rich PC BS Can the timer pick up 223 that way? I know I can't use it for 9mm speed steel on my carbine. The timer won't hear the bolt open/close (that's the only sound). Edited April 1, 2009 by Jeff686 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Yep. SFC Hampton used one at the '04 MG Nat's. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StealthyBlagga Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 (edited) The GasBuster is a good solution, and I have one on both my primary and backup match rifles. It diverts a lot of the gas away from your face. It's also MUCH more robust than a GI charging handle - if you have had a charging handle break at an inopportune moment, you will appreciate the GasBuster's stout construction. Gas in the eye was a bit of a distraction for me before I got a GasBuster - now it's a non-issue. I do also run a Ciener .22 kit in my SBR. It produces a LOT more gas, and even spits particulates, but it is incompatible with the GasBuster design. Instead, I took a standard GI charging handle, Dremeled out some GasBuster-like side vents, and then did the RTV Silicone thing: Edited April 2, 2009 by StealthyBlagga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristianHE Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 (edited) Clean your AR15 charging handle's U shaped cutout where it mates to the upper receiver. Apply a bead of silicone adhesive to it. Spray some silicone spray or wipe some oil on the mating part of the upper receiver. Close the charging handle. Let the silicone dry and the lubricant will act as a mold release to prevent the silicone from sticking to the receiver.This will stop gas from blowing by the charging handle and into your eyes, drying out your eyes, making it hard to see the targets and the sights. I learned this at Bennie Cooley's rifle class. Thanks for posting on this Erik- I just put a compensator on one of my AR's and I thought I was imagining things or just becoming too sensitive because I really noticed the gas after having used this rifle for 2 years. I actually started wearing my Wiley-X goggle's when I shoot that rifle now! Maybe I can "fix" it with one of the ideas in the thread. Edited April 2, 2009 by ChristianHE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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