Bad lever = Over sized bolt release

AR/M4 AR General Discussion
1

I’m left handed.
This is very possibly the WRONG way to do this but its how I’ve always preformed it and the muscle memory is just too strong to break…
I don’t know how other southpaws depress their bolt release but how I’ve always done it is by extending all four fingers of my firing hand, hitting the bolt release with my middle finger. My fingers are short, too short to hit the release with my trigger finger, forcing me to use my middle finger.
For quite some time I’ve been waiting to see someone produce a rearward extended bolt release.
Then a lower was produced that did have this which caught my attention quickly, only to find out that the actual bolt release lever in this set up only worked with their lower and not a standard lower receiver.
I’ve spoken to this company and to another and there is now plans in the future for something I’m looking for. In the meantime, I decided to cut down a Magpul Bad Lever to act as substitute for the time being.
I’ve been very happy with the results so far and would like to share this with everyone. Particularly southpaws that engage the bolt release the same way I do.
Took me maybe twenty minutes. Cut off the lever with a hacksaw, filed the leftover knob with a flat file and rattle canned the exposed surface. I could of spent a little more time on it to make it look a little “cleaner” but mainly I wanted just to see if this was really going to resolve my issue before I spent more time on it.
The extended Bad lever gives me just enough to engage the bolt release with my firing finger instead of releasing the pistol grip.






2

I’m also a lefty and I’m currently using the BAD in the conventional way that is releasing the bolt with my right hand thumb upon insertion of a new mag. Probably try this method out also.

3

Oh yeah, I tried that method for many weeks before I cut this one down.
Kind of hard to explain. Basically just didn’t feel comfortable sticking my support thumb inside the trigger guard to depress the Bad lever. Especially while keeping my eyes on the target, in the dark or on the move.

That and the muscle memory thing.

Thanks though

4

I like the idea of a bolt release for lefties that would extend farther rearward also. When I run as a lefty I have a very hard time with reach and need to alter my grip a bit which I don’t like. However I do use the BAD lever and use my support thumb to release after mag insertion. I am not really sure how or why lefties or righties are sticking fingers inside the trigger guard to release the bolt with the lever. I still sweep downward as a left or right hander and don’t press inward. Again a bolt catch / release that extends farther to the rear would definitely be a plus for many lefties with small hands.

5

That is a great idea. As a fellow lefty with short fingers ive had to roll my hand to ectend my fingers to hit the release.

6

Muscle memory can be remapped, I think you just made a solution to a solution that already existed. In essence you achieved nothing.

7

Works great for me.
For me it achieves a lot. As I said before, I don’t care for manipulating a Bad lever with my support hand. Some people won’t agree. What works better for me, will not for someone else. Obviously you’re one of them.

8

Thatls actually kind of neat. I’m no lefty, so its no use for me, but I know one whom I might suggest that to, let him try it out and see if it works for him! thanks for the tip!

9

I kinda like your idea, even though I’m not a lefty. I have an older Redi-Mag, one without the bolt hold open activation, and I’ve wondered how to modify the bolt release so that I can manually activate the hold open. My Redi-Mag even came with instructions to grind the inside top of the bolt release, but I never wanted to do that.

I’ve thought about trying the normal BAD lever, but I’m not sold on the unit.

Your mod may be the best solution for me.

10

Maybe this?

http://shopwilsoncombat.com/Extended_Oversize-Bolt-Release/productinfo/TR%2DEBR/

It can be set with paddle to the rear. My friend is using it for some 3 or 4 years now with no problems.

11

A friend of mine sent me this link:
http://www.dsarms.com/Extended-Oversized-Bolt-Release---WCOBR/productinfo/WCOBR/
Weird thing is I had never seen this before. I have seen the Wilson, but I never knew you could pivot it to extend rearward.

Pretty cool, but I do like mine more luckily.

12

What he said. I’ve used it for several years set in the three o’clock position and it works great with just my trigger finger. Highly recommend.

13

rearward extending bolt releases have existed for a while. i still feel that even with a rearward extending bolt release a bolt lock reload will still never be as fast for a leftie as a rightie.

did you not like dropping the bolt with the right thumb?

14

Maybe I’m different but I use a troy mag release and would drop a mag stick a new one home then I would just slap the bad down with my right hand not my thumb. I was thinking the palm was more gross motor vs the thumb being fine motor. With my current colt and no bad I just reach under and smack it. I’m still running the troy ambition catch and might try another bad. If you can’t picture what I mean I could make a video

15

That would be great, if you don’t mind.

Using the Magpul Bad lever or are you reffering to running a standard bolt release?

16

This is a neat idea, thanks for sharing. I’m a lefty and I also can’t reach the bolt release with my trigger finger without shifting my grip. I release the bolt with my right hand by going around the front of the mag well.

I might have to give this chopped down BAD lever a try although I’m not sure I want to spend $30 on one just to cut most of it off, maybe I’ll see if I can find one used.