AR side charging upper feedback

[greyling22]

** First off, I am left handed. I never have like the ergonomics of AR's, though I can make do now that I have the raptor ambi handle. This thread is not about operation, or tactical anything, it is about gas and brass in the face. **

I have been eyeballing the side charging AR's. specifaically something like this http://www.bearcreekarsenal.com/upper-receivers/bca-side-charging-receiver-bcg-combo

I like guns that right side charge (ex: 10/22, ak, m1, mini-14 etc) but I have concerns about getting gas and for brass in my face as a lefty. Especially if I chop the barrel and run a can.

Does anybody have a side charger who can give feedback on blowback?

 

[Robert]

While I do not own one, I look at that and think, I'd really not want that thing whizzing back and forth rith in front of my face. It looks as if the bolt knob acts as the brass deflector so other than that first issue it should work just fine. I think.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have a Fulton Armory side charge upper which is a similar layout as the Bearcreek. The Fulton Armory upper is a modified slick side upper as opposed to a special made.

Mine ejects cases similar to my other slick side uppers which is more to the rear than an upper with the brass deflector formed in the side of the upper.

I did shoot mine left handed on a prairie dog hunt a few years ago when I had a cataract issue with my right eye. I shot on the north side of 600 rounds during the hunt. Most of the time, I had a Caldwell brass catcher on the rifle. A couple times, I forgot to re-install the basket a couple times and cases bouncing off my shoulder quickly reminded me to re-install the basket.

I do not remember being blasted with gas in the face during the hunt. But, the brass catcher could have reduced some of that. The basket of the gas catcher did not look like it was coated with soot from the gas exhaust.

The Fulton Armory bolt carrier is a modified standard bolt carrier so if you do not have gas issues with a standard AR, I would not expect the side pull would be any different.

Not an extensive trial, but I hope it helps.

 

[wally]

Take a look at the Beretta ARX100, its truely ambidextrous and can be switched quickly without tools. Very clever design and its take-down makes the AR look complex.

You can have the charging handle be left or right side independent of if the ejection is on the left or right side and its piston operated so no worries about a face full of gas when shooting.

If shooting suppressed, any gas that back-flows from the can while the bolt is open has two sides to exit from, so worst case you'll get half what comes out the right side with an AR.

I think Beretta had real bad luck by having the market flooded with good ARs at half the price by the time they actually got it available. I think if they'd hit the market in quantity back when it was hard to find a decent AR much below $1k they'd have garnered a much greater following. I love mine, is also very lightweight.

 

[FL-NC]

Approximately 11% of the population is left handed. The military does not issue left handed guns of any type (although the M9 pistol can have the mag release reversed for a lefty). That said, lefties do quite well with the standard (righty) firearms the military issues with no modifications. The only mod I think would be a "nice to have" on an AR for a lefty is an ambi safety. Flat-top and A2 uppers have a brass deflector on them, in nearly all cases (in the A1 days, an add-on deflector was in the system for lefties). As for the gas, PRI makes a gas buster charging handle that re-directs it away from the shooter's eyes. We used these where I worked at as we often used suppressors on our M4/MK11/MK12 rifles.

 

[wally]

The military does not issue left handed guns of any type (although the M9 pistol can have the mag release reversed for a lefty).

And IMHO this is the most useless of the "accommodations" made for lefties. I do 10-25% of my pistol shooting practice left handed and when I shoot lefty I actually find the left hand trigger finger works the "right hand thumb mag release" better than my right hand thumb does. Pretty much same thing for the slide lock, although I'd rate an ambi slide release lever higher because I like to hit the release with the off hand after sliding in the fresh magazine as part of reacquiring a two handed grip. Ambi safties/decockers are IMHO a necessity.

 

[FL-NC]

Wally- I know rightys that liked to shoot the M9 with the lefty setup. Of course, a Glock there is no safety/de-cock, which is what we switched to- and one of the many benefits of the switch, but that's a different story.

 

[taliv]

i agree with FL-NC

i'm lefty and think the standard AR ergonomics are better for lefties than righties. Not saying you don't, but I never had a problem with brass in my face on any of a couple dozen ARs i've owned over the years, so maybe there's something going on with your position or rifle? I do get a lot of gas in the face, but I don't see how a side cocker will fix that.

as a general rule, I strongly dislike reciprocating bolt handles but for some calibers and uses like suppressed 300 blk with a gas block you can turn off, i think they're pretty cool

one thing you can do to help out with the gas is the silicon caulk trick around the charging handle. google it for instructions. works great.

 

[barnbwt]

Side cocker + piston kit = po' man's SCAR (or FAL or whatever)

 

[Acera]

Side cocker + piston kit = po' man's SCAR (or FAL or whatever)

Got an email out to Bear Creek about that exact same thing right now.

Adams arms ships a special BCG with their kits, and Bear Creek ships a special BCG with their uppers. Well one don't work with the other. Trying to find out if Bear Creek will discount their upper, not supply a BCG, and either drill my piston BCG for their handle, or give me instructions so I or my gunsmith can do it.

For the shooting suppressed .300 BLK, this combination seems destined to be great.

Really like the idea of not having a charging handle hole at the rear of the top rail, and not having to silicon it up.



.

 

[wally]

Wally- I know rightys that liked to shoot the M9 with the lefty setup.

I have considered it for some of my pistols that have the "reversible" mag catch, but after further thought I concluded it better to remain "standard" on pistols with a standard thumb mag catch. If I only had one pistol to shoot I would definitely reverse it if possible.

Its too late, so it'll never catch on. but IMHO the best mag catch release lever ever is on the PPQ M1, the HK USP system is a close second, but its a little too close to the frame requiring a contorted trigger finger position to activate it, the PPQ M1 system is right there as soon finger comes out of the trigger guard to a non-shooting position.

 

[Acera]

CZ 82/83 and the FNP both have mag catch buttons that drop the magazine no matter which side you press. No flipping or switching, that is how it's made.


.