My primary 3-gun rifle has always worn a Badger Ordnance Tac-Latch on a CMT charging handle. This morning, it finally bit the dust after 2 years and around 5500 rounds.
Funny thing is, I didn’t break it at the range (or thank God, at a match.) I had just pulled the rifle out of the safe, intending to chamber-check a new reload. Palmed back the bolt and the latch snapped off in my hand. It looks like the pin sheared off.
For the moment, I replaced the busted charging handle with a spare from the parts bin. Long-term, I’m leaning towards a Mod 3 Gunfighter.
FWIW- this is why I use and teach a pinch/hook to retract the CH instead of the knifehand/palm technique. The only broken/bent CHs I have seen are with shooters that knifehand the CH.
What do you mean by “knifehand”? Is that when you pull the CH back using the side of your hand in the crease under the pinky with your palm facing you? I’ve only seen one person use that and I thought it looked awkward.
Also, I gotta try these Gunfighters. No complaints, except from a few who get pinched, from what I hear.
I perfer the BCM Mod.4 or the LMT Tac CH.The BCM unit IMHO is the most robust CH with a Tac latch available at the moment.For add on Tac latches I prefer the PRI big or military latch.All work perfectly without issue with even the lowest mounted optic or wide BUIS.
I have absolutely no use for the large/long Tac latches that has been sold in the past.They tend to hang on my rigging when carried and at times I have even pulled the weapon out of battery when moving.Also the large latches tend to let me ham fist the CH a little too much and I damage the latch/CH assembly.
The way I manipulate the CH is to use the left hand in somewhat of a loose fist with the index finger bent into a hook shape.Grab the latch with the side of your hooded index finger(for me its the middle knuckle) and pressure is applied with the pad of the thumb at the rear of the CH to create a pinching motion of the CH.Then the CH is pulled directly to the rear in a controlled motion as if you were to thump your chest.
The Karate chop or slap technique always caused me issues with CH’s as Im a ham fisted knuckle dragger and tend to break things if not careful.
Just like Blank explains above.
Left hand. Knuckle of index finger on latch, index finger curled into a hook. Thumb on rear of CH. Push CH in straight line to the rear with pressure from the index finger knuckle.
Much more versatile than knife-handing and fewer replacement CHs.
Another little detail of note,using the pinch technique on the CH also seems to prevent excess wear and/or rounding to the locking shoulder of the charging handle latch notch of the upper.
Those pictures are nice. I have been running my guns like that for years before the first Badger latch came out (Which I never liked).
I also never liked the knife edge as it was to easy to slip off the CH and smack yourself in the face.
the bcmgunfighter large is on my rifle at this time i think the smaller one i just want the biggest one available i guess im just parionoid or somthing i have both i just like the large one better
I also do it this way. Never actually seen a broken a handle in person as a result of the other way, but the sheering force applied to a fairly flimsy part always made me nervous.
Assuming you’re right handed for the sake of discussion. Imagine shouldering the rifle and holding it with your right hand. Bring your left hand up, palm facing you like you were going to slap yourself in the face, but use the bottom-right portion of your palm to catch on the charging handle, depressing the latch and pulling the CH back. This is the “palm” technique. The “knifehand” technique is the same, only your left palm is facing to your left so that you hit the CH with the heel of your hand (the the meaty side of your hand between your pinky finger and your wrist).
I like the BCM’s with a modified PRI combat latch. The PRI latch is more efficient at manipulating (pinching) the charging handle than the stock Mod3 or Mod4 latch. I run Mod3’s, a Mod4 on one of my SPR’s and a few modified PRI combat latch versions. I prefer the Mod3 over the Mod4, but the PRI latch is my favorite overall. BCM is a great design overall and very robust. A solid pin would be nice.
BCM with modified PRI latch. More ergonomic and a more positive manipulation for me.
Standard Mod3
These are a couple variants of a knife hand manipulation. The palm facing out, or towards the shooter is more common and widely used with the Badger or Wilson style latches.
This is the most common. Contact point can vary on the heel of the hand to the crease of the fingers.
Less common but another variant. Also seen the heel of the hand used in this palm inward technique.
