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[Side Charging] Once I get an idea...


Guest LLArms

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...in my head I can't shake it until I try and succeed or blow up in failure.

I cannot bring myself to part with $700 hard earned dollars to purchase a simple 308 upper receiver with a side charging setup.

So, what would be the next best thing?

1. Stripped Upper Receiver

2. Local Made Handle (Steel?)

3. Drill Press

4. Mill

- Drill out a hole for the handle in the bolt carrier.

- Mill out a travel path for the bolt to reach its most rearward position.

- Profit?

Less than $150-200.

Why would I not want to do this? Is there something I'm missing?

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If your skilled and can do a professional looking job, I don't see why you can't do it yourself, only things that come to mind for me are the fact that you'll have exposed bare aluminum where you cut the slot in the upper. If your gun is used in dirty conditions, you've created a path for dirt to get into the action, unless you leave the charging handle as a redundant setup, you'll need to make a filler for the area where the charging handle presently is located. If you decide to try it , make sure you share some pics of your results with the rest of us.

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Yes it will be a left side model.

Regardless, I will be using a spare DPMS LR-308 upper receiver which has no deflector, dust cover, or forward assist if I change my mind and go with the right side model.

I'm not concerned with exposure as I don't roll around in the dirt with a majority of my rifles.

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I'm not concerned with exposure as I don't roll around in the dirt with a majority of my rifles.

I was thinking more or less of something I would hypothetically try marketing to the tiny little sector of shooters who fire from the prone position.... Bear in mind that this idea is born of a person who does not shoot inside a medical-grade contaminant-free laboratory.  ;)

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The little gunshop that I visit sometimes has cold gun blue specifically for aluminum.  My current bottle of cold blue is "Birchwood Casey  Perma-Blue" for steel.    (Black screws for cabinetry are non-existent.  Use cold gun blue to make black screws or black hardware items;  etc.  Most surface finishes/plating,  not all,  not stainless steel.  Duh!) 

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I, like everyone else I've ever asked, don't think much of the AR's charging setup, reletive to what I've seen on other guns. The biggest complaint about the AK setup seems to be that you have to reach over to the right side wih your weak hand to charge the weapon (If your a righty), The Galil's have the handle extended vertically which helps. I've seen people put a slot in the dust cover and drill and mount a left side handle. This is essentially the same thing your doing on a reciprocating left side AR setup. I've been told that when shooting you don't even see the bolt lever riding back and forth in front of your face. I've never tried one of the reciprocating left side setups, but definitely like a non recip setup like on thw REPR (and others ) better, but that would require more work to design and execute.

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I, like everyone else I've ever asked, don't think much of the AR's charging setup, reletive to what I've seen on other guns. The biggest complaint about the AK setup seems to be that you have to reach over to the right side wih your weak hand to charge the weapon (If your a righty), The Galil's have the handle extended vertically which helps. I've seen people put a slot in the dust cover and drill and mount a left side handle. This is essentially the same thing your doing on a reciprocating left side AR setup. I've been told that when shooting you don't even see the bolt lever riding back and forth in front of your face. I've never tried one of the reciprocating left side setups, but definitely like a non recip setup like on thw REPR (and others ) better, but that would require more work to design and execute.

You just gave me a great idea for modify existing uppers. I'm gonna have to buy a stripped A3 upper and take it to my local machine shop for some prototyping work...

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  • 2 weeks later...

You still have to find a slick side upper receiver without an ejection port cover. Otherwise you'll have those little port hinge holes sticking out.

My friends at JD Machine!!!!  Very nice slick side they do have. Can't wait till they send me mine  ;)

Hmm but now that I think about it it still has dust cover so maybe not a good candidate  <dontknow>

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