Side charging AR for less face gas when suppressed?

[Elkins45]

I shoot a lot of 300 Blackout thru a suppressed AR, and the silencer causes increased back pressure and subsequently gas leaks out of the charging handle opening. Even with safety glasses it’s not very pleasant. I’m wondering if switching to a side charging upper might not be a worthwhile investment for keeping some of the gas out of my eyes? Does anyone have experience with side-charging guns?

I’m a lefty so the gas problem is particularly bad for me. In an ideal world I would find a side charger that also ejects from the left side.

 

[GaryNC]

I just received my first silencer this month and have not used it on an AR yet. I have friends that made homemade "Gas Buster" charging handles using RTV on their current charging handle and they report excellent results. This is something that I will try before spending a lot of money on other off the shelf solutions.

 

[citizenconn]

I shoot a lot of 300 Blackout thru a suppressed AR, and the silencer causes increased back pressure and subsequently gas leaks out of the charging handle opening. Even with safety glasses it’s not very pleasant. I’m wondering if switching to a side charging upper might not be a worthwhile investment for keeping some of the gas out of my eyes? Does anyone have experience with side-charging guns?

I’m a lefty so the gas problem is particularly bad for me. In an ideal world I would find a side charger that also ejects from the left side.

Hello fellow lefty. I have several rear and side charging .300 BLK ARs. Yes, I have noticed a decrease in gas with my side charging ARs when running a suppressor. But I have put a rubber gasket on the plug at the rear of my receiver. If you don't, and a lot of side charging ARs don't come with these gaskets, then you still get a bunch of gas leaking through the threads.

But I also use those so called gas defeating charging handles on a few rear charging ARs and they seem to make a difference as well, such that rearward gas is not a great problem for me with either configuration.

I did build a few of my side charging ARs with ambi upper receiver so I can put the side charging handle on the left side if I prefer. Nothing like getting whacked a few times with that reciprocating charging handle to adjust your shooting mechanics.

My shooting partner just prefers the rear chargers with the gas defeating charging handle.
That is all.

 

[greyling22]

I'm a lefty, and I love side charging AR's compared to rear charging ones. I did however, just change out one side charging upper for a stag left hand upper, and I do love that. it's even better. That leaves me with a bear creek side charging upper in a box on my self if you're interested.

(I do still get a whiff of gas, even with a left handed upper and a charging handle with RTV sealant on it. Bear creek now makes a left hand side charging upper too, but unless you run a full ambi lower, I don't see how the manual of arms helps you there.

 

[Elkins45]

I'm a lefty, and I love side charging AR's compared to rear charging ones. I did however, just change out one side charging upper for a stag left hand upper, and I do love that. it's even better. That leaves me with a bear creek side charging upper in a box on my self if you're interested.

(I do still get a whiff of gas, even with a left handed upper and a charging handle with RTV sealant on it. Bear creek now makes a left hand side charging upper too, but unless you run a full ambi lower, I don't see how the manual of arms helps you there.

Is your BCA upper a right or left side charger?

 

[greyling22]

Right side. Gen 2.

 

[N555]

Don't buy too much silencer.
Keep it simple.
I only get gassed if I run a big 30cal silencer that's intended for a manually cycled action on my 30carbine. If I stick my simple no moving parts 9mm silencer on there, no soot face. If I use a modular 30 with half the baffle stacks removed, no gas face.