Quote:
Originally Posted by MichiganScott
What's the difference between closing the bolt with the handle back and ripping the handle all the way to the back and releasing to chamber a round? The additional friction from chambering a round can't be that much more.
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An excellent question! I'm glad you asked.
The first and most likely problem is damage to the operator. When the charging handle is pulled fully to the rear and released against the pressure of the recoil spring, the operator is fully engaged and ready for the handle movement. Hands and clothing are usually out of the way. However, if the handle is left to the rear, it can be forgotten. I've seen this many times in classes. The handle is pulled to the rear and the bolt locked open. There is a distraction, might only be for a second. A new mag is inserted and the bolt release pressed. As the charging handle moves forward with force, a thumb, forearm, piece of gear, or whatever, manages to get in the path of the charging handle. This can lead to scrapes, jammed material or even just retarding the bolt closing which can lead to a malfunction. Yes, I've personally seen all those problems.
The second, but worse, potential is damage to the charging handle. If the charging handle is not fully up against the bolt carrier when it goes forward, the bolt carrier will slam into the charging handle. Because the handle is only light aluminum, the end could be bent or broken by the bolt carrier slamming into it.
Also, and this goes in conjunction with the first or second issue, the handle can be bent along the shaft. This could happen because the "t" of the handle runs into something as it's going forward and gets pressed to the side. Again, because it's light aluminum, it's easy to bend.
Then, let's forget about the bolt carrier slamming into it. What if it's left back for a while, like in between shooting sessions? The gun gets placed in the rack and then just picking it up it gets bumped into another gun or the side of the rack or whatever. The charging handle can be bent that way.
In any case, if the charging handle gets bent, your day is done; the gun will not work. Well, it would work if the damaged charging handle was removed completely, but that seriously limits the operation of the gun. If the charging handle is properly stored after use, it cannot be bent or damaged unless the gun itself is destroyed.
Does that answer your question?