'AR 15' side mounted bolt handle. ambi mag releases & safeties

[Grendel]

Anyone put one on their rifle?

Pros?

Cons?

Reviews?

Recommendations?

[david s]

Not sure if this applies or not but I'm left handed and use Stag Arms dedicated left handed safeties on a pair of right handed AR's. It gets the safety lever out of the way of my trigger finger and confounds righties. If your a south paw it helps minorly.

[Grendel]

Thanks, I am indeed a lefty.

[eastman]

If I decide to build another AR platform rifle, I will spend the $$ and go for the Gibbz side charging design - https://www.gibbzarms.com/product/g4-pdq-receiver-set/ since that makes it easier to mount an optic.

There was another producer of side charging AR uppers. DS Arms used to carry them, but they stopped selling them after having a lot of returns for service to make them work.

The S&W M&P-10 comes from the factory with ambi safety, bolt-release and mag release, but it isn't a side charger.

[Grendel]

Thanks, but $500 is about what I paid for the whole rifle. 

[david s]

The left side is the right handed safety and the right side is a left handed safety. I went to the Stag Arms web site and on page two of there AR parts the safety sells for $14.99.                                                                           

[Crawl]

Ambi safety selector

I recommend the selector from Battle Arms Development over all other selectors. Model BAD-CASS is the one I've had. It functions with every trigger I've used (most importantly, the Hiperfire ECL), and it is the most comfortable with just the right tension. I also love having a 45 degree selector. They have 90 degree options. It is fully modular, so you can choose the length of the levers. I use the standard length on my thumb side, and the shorter one on my knuckle side. I have it on every rifle, and prefer it over the Radian one quite a bit.

[M1A4ME]

Only one from your "list" is the ambidextrous safeties. 

I've put them on several carbines.  Just for "what ifs."  No issues with them so far.

[DJK11]

I owned my JRC with side charging before purchasing my AR15.  My preference is a side charger.  You don’t need to remove it from your shoulder to run the bolt with the side charge.  Prints and information on the web to mill a slot in the AR upper and drill and tap the bolt.  Bolts for side chargers are available.  Plugs can be installed in place of the rear handle.  One down side is the bolt is exposed to the elements.  I think side charge is the way to go unless you run in a dirty environment.

[Grendel]

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm not doing and cutting or milling on my rifle to mount a side charging handle, so it would have to be something like this:

[DJK11]

I guess it’s still side charge.  I should have noticed “side mounted” , I’m thinking “side charging”.

[Mercs]

I wouldn’t mess around too much with making the AR a side charger because you generally only need to charge it once, and then it’s going to be just using the bolt release from there. I LOVE the Phase 5 EBR bolt release for that reason. It’s a drop-in part that makes ripping through mags very fast and fun, and also most tacti-cool [emoji13]


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[Crawl]

I've found the MagPul BAD lever to be the only one worth using. Both Phase 5 options look and feel great. But the bolt-on one has cheap screws that strip, and its weight has locked back my bolt inadvertently during training. The one-piece one hasn't caused issues yet except that sometimes I need to remove the lever in certain conditions. The Magpul option is a single screw that has never stripped nor come loose...and has never caused inadvertent blot hold open. I've used the Troy Lever, and it has similar disadvantages to the Phase 5 bolt-on lever, but I didn't keep it long enough to experience failures. Just didn't like its dimensions.

[Mercs]

I've found the MagPul BAD lever to be the only one worth using. Both Phase 5 options look and feel great. But the bolt-on one has cheap screws that strip, and its weight has locked back my bolt inadvertently during training. The one-piece one hasn't caused issues yet except that sometimes I need to remove the lever in certain conditions. The Magpul option is a single screw that has never stripped nor come loose...and has never caused inadvertent blot hold open. I've used the Troy Lever, and it has similar disadvantages to the Phase 5 bolt-on lever, but I didn't keep it long enough to experience failures. Just didn't like its dimensions.

That is a good point about the Phase 5, you have to get the newer version because the older ones did have issues, but I’ve had it on this rifle for a couple of years now and not a single issue. I wouldnt go without it at this point. I also recommend a “winter” type trigger guard which will give you more room for your trigger finger. 
 
 


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[Atomic Punk]

Devil Dog Concepts makes a bolt on side charger that attaches via the top rail. Seems like a gimmick to me but it seems to get good reviews and is an option for you.