AR9 Side Charging Handle Left or Right Side?

[Shootymacshootface]

I was thinking right side because I am ridiculously right handed, but then I realized that I may want to operate the charging handle and the bolt catch at the same time with my left hand. I will be doing this with a mill. Search doesn't come up with anything. 

Any thoughts? 

[George16]

Left side.

[Tampa-XD45]

Left side. 

BTW, I use my $17 Badger Ordnance extended charging handle as a left side charger.

[Shootymacshootface]

Im just trying to figure this out. So, i would keep my strong hand on the grip to operate the mag release and the trigger, and use my left hand to insert mags, operate the bolt and bolt catch?  Will this be less awkward than using the rear charging handle? It would seem so. 

What would be the disadvantages with the bolt on the right side?

[Garmil]

Why are you worried about the charging handle and the bolt catch at the same time? You won't be using both.

 

Disadvantage to right side is it's slower to move your hand from the grip than it is to operate it with a hand that's already up on the handguard.

[Shootymacshootface]

13 minutes ago, Garmil said:

Why are you worried about the charging handle and the bolt catch at the same time? You won't be using both.

 

Disadvantage to right side is it's slower to move your hand from the grip than it is to operate it with a hand that's already up on the handguard.

Clearing an AR after a stage has always seemed a little awkward with the rear charging handle. 

[MemphisMechanic]

Keep your dominant hand on fire control at all times. Set the rifle up so you can do that.

 

A left side charger and a BAD lever or similar might work. However. A *lot* of guys have short-stroked their PCCs enough that they cannot be locked back, and still run them very well. 

 

Barring a double-feed I don’t see a huge need for the ability to lock the bolt back. But it’s generally better to build a gun that runs 100% than one that’s easy to clear malfunctions on.  

 

Edited September 26, 2018 by MemphisMechanic

[Shootymacshootface]

1 hour ago, MemphisMechanic said:

Keep your dominant hand on fire control at all times. Set the rifle up so you can do that.

 

A left side charger and a BAD lever or similar might work. However. A *lot* of guys have short-stroked their PCCs enough that they cannot be locked back, and still run them very well. 

 

Barring a double-feed I don’t see a huge need for the ability to lock the bolt back. But it’s generally better to build a gun that runs 100% than one that’s easy to clear malfunctions on.  

 

Thanks, this all sounds like good advice. I did have it set up to short stroke,  but i missed the bolt hold open feature. 

 

AR Stoner puts them on the right side, and i watched a guy on YouTube put one on the right side. I figured that if JP puts it on the left side there was a good reason.

[Steve RA]

Think how you operate a pistol, if right handed you load with the left.  Same way works best with a PCC.

[SJMPCC022]

When I added my Taccom3 buffer system, the lock the bolt back way to load went bye bye !

 

Not to be confusing, the bcg will still lock back. But...............if you pay attention to the amount of effort needed to accomplish this task, you probably don't want to just send her home !

 

Besides, why would you want the bolt to lock open anyways ?

 

Propper stage planning and big enough for any stage mag extensions make that kind of a moot point ! Even if you have to make a reload, you do not want the bolt held open !

[stick]

Being a right handed rifle shooter, I would want the handle on the left side for the same reason I use an Ambi charge handle.  If I had to rack the handle, I would keep the gun on my  shoulder and my eyes on the optic with my right hand.  My left hand would come off the handguard and rack the slide and then quickly slide back to position on the handguard.

[Shootymacshootface]

18 hours ago, Steve RA said:

Think how you operate a pistol, if right handed you load with the left.  Same way works best with a PCC.

I guess that I was over thinking things a bit. This makes it seem much simpler. 

10 hours ago, SJMPCC022 said:

When I added my Taccom3 buffer system, the lock the bolt back way to load went bye bye !

 

Not to be confusing, the bcg will still lock back. But...............if you pay attention to the amount of effort needed to accomplish this task, you probably don't want to just send her home !

 

Besides, why would you want the bolt to lock open anyways ?

 

Propper stage planning and big enough for any stage mag extensions make that kind of a moot point ! Even if you have to make a reload, you do not want the bolt held open !

I do try not to run a gun dry. My open gun doesn't have lrbho, so I have developed a terrible habit of counting shots even when I don't have to. I do like to lock the bolt back for general gun handling purposes. That's just me. I might be a little OCD.

5 hours ago, stick said:

Being a right handed rifle shooter, I would want the handle on the left side for the same reason I use an Ambi charge handle.  If I had to rack the handle, I would keep the gun on my  shoulder and my eyes on the optic with my right hand.  My left hand would come off the handguard and rack the slide and then quickly slide back to position on the handguard.

This gives me something to practice to be more familiar with my gun's operation. I operate my handgun and shotgun like second nature, but not there with an AR yet.

Only used the ar9 for steel challenge so far. Next month I will be using it in a 3gun match with no shots farther than 75yds. 

 

I'll run my pcc with a left side charging handle for a while then decide if I want one on my rifle too. 

 

Thanks for all of the responses, you guys have been very helpful. 

[SJMPCC022]

If I had the option, it would be on the left side.

[Steve RA]

[Shootymacshootface]

32 minutes ago, Steve RA said:

Nice! Thats exactly what I decided to do to my ar9. Would it be possible to get a close-up of the bolt handle?

[Steve RA]

Yes, but you need to understand that you can't get that upper anymore (at least, not a new one) as it was mfg'd by LAR, who was purchased by Remington some time back.

 

Similar bolt handle on rifle.  MOA did all the mods on the shotgun.

[Shootymacshootface]

Thanks Steve. One more question, what has been done to the bolt catch on your ar? I know that there can be some interference with a left side bolt, bolt catch, and your finger (ouch!).

[Steve RA]

The top part is cut off, to activate it you hold the bolt back and push on the bottom of it.  To release it, you just pull the bolt back slightly and it pops out.  The top part has to be cut off to allow the LAR upper to fit properly.

[Shootymacshootface]

Thank you, very helpfull.  

Ill take some pictures when i start the mods. Just waiting for some drillrod to show up.

[Jeremyc_1999]

Left side if you are right handed

[Acer2428]

Reciprocating charging handles drilled/tapped into the carrier are old tech. NFA and Mattix both make good options for non-reciprocating side chargers. 

[StealthyBlagga]

I built a PCC on a Gibbz Arms side charging upper. The charging handle is on the left side, which makes by far the most sense for a right hander. Highly recommended. 

[Shootymacshootface]

Thanks for all of the great replies. Hopefully I will be able to start on this, this weekend. There are 2 matches around here this weekend, walls of steel in RI on Sat.,and a 3gun in Nh on Sunday. 

I has seen (online) the non recip charging handles and think they are really slick. I like the one thats up on the handgaurd. I assume that it has an oprod that runs to where the nose of a conventional charging handle would pull on the bcg.

[perttime]

If it moves with the bolt, I'd probably want it on my strong hand side (right), to keep it further away from my face and body. If it stays put after you charge the carbine, left for easier access. During government temp jobs I taught myself to load our AK derivatives by rotating the rifle left, so I could easily reach over the top of the gun with my left hand, to pull the right side charging handle back. An optic on top would require a more severe rotation.

[Steve RA]

The reciprocating handle is extremely simple, slot in side of receiver and a handle.  A number of the non-reciprocating handles have more parts and therefore are, in some cases, more difficult to operate and more prone to problems developing.