Steel Charging Handle

I bought (4) 7075 CH’s from AIM for $32 + shipping.

Building a Grendel upper for the range and hunting.

While I was googling July 4 deals, I noticed some places had steel CH’s. Miculek designed one….it’s like $60

There was a thread made in 2015 but I couldn’t open it

Anyone running steel CH’s for their hunting ar’s?? Or is 7075 good enough for hunting and just bring a spare CH…

It would be a bummer to be hunting and my 7075 CH was to break

So I’m thinking of getting a a steel CH even if it is almost 10x the cost of 7075

Tnx!

Surely you jest?

I bought the 7075 CH’s. But I am curious if people use steel

If Miculek made a steel CH, I’m guessing 7075 didn’t do it for him.

Granted 99.9 of us will never reach that tier….

I’ve been using 7075 charging handles professionally for two decades. I’ve never broken one, nor can I recall seeing one broken. I know it happens, but it is uncommon.

Jerry Mickulek’s job is to sell things. His sponsors view his freakish ability to shoot as credibility for endorsements and advertising. Even if he’s actually breaking charging handles, almost no one, including Delta Operators, shoots as much as him, and competition has a unique requirement to manipulate the charging handle at a greater frequency than other forms of shooting, due to “lock and show clear” concluding every stage. Something like 20 times a match day, plus however much is done in practice, dry fire, and while clearing stoppages.

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It’s a nonsense gimmick.

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As usual, markm is right again.

A steel charging handle is completely unnecessary. You are never going to wear out or break a 7075 ch. In my 20 years of using the M16/M4 platform in the military and civilian sides I’ve seen 1 broken charging handle and that was by two Marines with a steel cleaning rod and a hammer(I may or may not have been involved)in which case that was the best outcome for it to fail saving the rest of the upper.

Pretty much in the same way enhanced charging handles became so popular was from flat range manipulation repetition. Gimmicky and unnecessary.

Delrin plastic was strong enough for military XM177s (until it got cold) back in 1966.

7075 is a bit of an over-kill, let alone steel.

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Thanks guys!! Saved me $50

(Wow…delrin CH’s!! Learn something new everyday)