Expensive charging handles - help me understand

[zachomega]

Exactly as the title says.

Are expensive charging handles worth the cost? The price range I'm seeing is like 12$ for a no name no frills charging handle up to around 100$ for a premium option.

I've historically only ever used the lower end charging handles. Maybe up to like a 30$ handle.

So .. Help me understand...

Thanks!
-Zach

[Emptymag]

Durability
Ergonomics
Gas blowback to face

Those are the biggest variables I can think of.

[zachomega]

Durability
Ergonomics
Gas blowback to face

Those are the biggest variables I can think of.

Can you talk more about gas blowback to the face. Definitely a point of interest since I'm currently waiting on approval.

-Zach

[Emptymag]

Can you talk more about gas blowback to the face. Definitely a point of interest since I'm currently waiting on approval.

-Zach

Nope. It's of no concern to me, so I never read up on it.
I just know there can be some sort of gas issue from hearing it talked about.

[NathanB]

If you run suppressors they are a bit gassy. You’ll get gas to your face from the gaps around the charging handle and ejection port. The better ones mitigate that but not all of them. The bravo company ones that are like 40 bucks do not. There are better latch ergonomics on some. Larger latches etc.

I never got into them until I stuck suppressors on everything

[85MikeTPI]

The only time I wish I had a better CH when when I was sticking cases in my AR10 and having to use a 2x4 on the CH to butt slam the rifle to unseat the case.
I've never heard of any other issues, only features such as Ambi or wide, etc. for scope interference, etc..

[esh21167]

A $100 charging handle will operationally increase your operating skills to the top tier operational level of operators.

[zachomega]

If you run suppressors they are a bit gassy. You*ll get gas to your face from the gaps around the charging handle and ejection port. The better ones mitigate that but not all of them. The bravo company ones that are like 40 bucks do not. There are better latch ergonomics on some. Larger latches etc.

I never got into them until I stuck suppressors on everything

Do you have a favorite few suppressed?

-Zach

[Boo Vuccla]

Smoooooooth Operator!
Operator.jpg

[Xringshooter]

You can mitigate the gas blow back into your face on charging handles by using a good RTV around the curved part on the top rear. Fill it in, about 1/8" thickness, let it cure and trim to make it look nice. There are a number of CH's also that have been cut to allow the gases to go out through the sides of the CH's and out the ejection port and forward assist and IIRC they are all sealed at the end of the handle to help keep the gases out of your face. Silencerco (not cheap) Strike Ind, Radian and others make gas mitigating CH's from $30 to $100+

I buy what looks and does what I want and then modify them myself (I'm cheap )after looking at how makers modified theirs, really not hard to do.