I’m encountering a problem with operating the Magpul B.A.D. to reliably lock the bolt open. Specifically I’m experiencing problems with finger strength to reliably operate the lever to lock open the bolt. I’ve found that I have to substantially shift my firing hand grip forward, which sometimes also affects my ability to hold the weapon steady while retracting the charging handle with my left hand. I have big hands and long fingers but the lever seems to be just out of reach. I have it installed on two M4s and one AR15A2, all with the same difficulties.
Anybody else experiencing these issues? If so, has anybody come up with a manipulation technique to overcome these obstacles to reliable operation of the B.A.D.
I’m considering removing mine and going back to my old way of doing things (left hand engages bolt lock, right hand retracts charging handle) because it’s a technique that positively works, reliably. Based on my experiences I’m inclined to believe the Magpul B.A.D. is a gamer’s accessory versus reliable combat hardware.
never taken the BAD to combat since im not in combat,
I have used it in several classes with good luck as well as several matches
I find its ability to help me clear malfs much quicker and allowing me more positive control of my system to be a big help
i have large hands and long fingers so no issue with reach or strength of doing so
If you have large hands and long fingers, that is odd that you can’t reach the BAD. My fingers are short relative to my hand, but I have no problem reaching my Magpul BAD without needing to shift my hand. I run TangoDown grips.
Which pistol grip do you have on your weapons? Maybe you have one of the larger ones? You could try something like the TangoDown grip which will get your firing hand further forward.
Another option for you is to try a Phase 5 extended bolt release. The Phase 5 lever sits further toward the rear of the weapon (the Magpul BAD cants toward the front, getting closer to the front of the trigger guard) so it might be easier for you to reach.
I prefer the positioning of the Magpul BAD (tight and toward the front), but the Phase 5 is a nicely made product and I also use them in conjunction with billet uppers (the BAD is not compatible with billet uppers as there isn’t enough clearance).
BTW, as for gaming vs practical – while the BAD lever can make reloads a little faster, the biggest advantage/differential comes in malfunction clearances. In competition, you actually rarely would run your rifle dry and have to reload with a bolt locked back, and if you experience a serious malfunction like a double feed you’ve basically blown the stage already. So having a BAD lever actually doesn’t really do very much for gun games like 3-gun (honestly, the main convenience I find for the BAD in 3-gun is making it easy to show clear at the end of a stage! :)). However “slide lock” reloads and malfunction clearances are arguably very important in the real world, so I’d argue the BAD lever probably has more practical benefit than gaming benefit.
If you are able to properly reach the mag release, you should be able to operate the B.A.D. lever. You mention finger strength. Are you trying to muscle up on the B.A.D. lever before the bolt is actually clear of it? The lever shouldn’t require much strength at all if you think about it: just enough to overcome the weight and spring pressure of the bolt catch.
I personally start applying a constant (but not massive) upward pressure to the B.A.D. as soon as I’ve decided to lock back. I then grab the charging handle and aggressively retract it. I can feel the bolt catch making contact with the underside of the carrier as I’m retracting the CH, but as soon as it is clear of the bolt, it pops up into place from my pressure on the B.A.D. lever. It doesn’t take much strength at all.
Are you trying to muscle it too much, which makes you think you need to shift your grip?
Thanks for all your thoughtful replies and suggestions.
After some experimentation I realized it was operator error. I wear eyeglasses and when I normally retract the charging handle I roll the rifle to the right so I don’t strike or snag my spectacles in the process. The technique has worked well for me, regardless of which hand I use to operate the charging handle.
Enter the MagPul B.A.D. It requires me to break my firing grip to successfully push it up with my trigger finger, whereas prior to this I simply maintained my firing grip when I operated the charging handle with my left hand. The firing grip assisted with keeping the rifle steady against the rearward pull on the charging handle. With the compromised firing grip required to operate the B.A.D. I was unable to keep the rifle steady and I was fighting both the buffer spring and the B.A.D. lever. It was a classic case of a monkey fornicating a football. It wasn’t working.
Determined to not let this farking thing defeat me I eventually discovered that I MUST keep the buttstock firmly planted against my shoulder. This provides the required stability to simultaneously operate both the charging handle and B.A.D. to lock the bolt open. Also, instead of rolling the rifle to keep my hand from smacking my eyeglasses I simply lift my head a little and slide my checkweld backwards for clearance. Piece of cake now! I’m as excited as a kid who just learned how to ride a bike! Woo-hoo!!!
In the midst of all this I decided to address another problem - the Daniel Defense Carbine Burnsed Loop - my sling was sometimes interfering when I operated the charging handle, which was unsat. I have a MagPul CTR buttstock and I started looking at all the different ways I could attach the sling directly to it. My main consideration was ease of fluidly transitioning buttstock mount from right shoulder to left and vice versa. I finally found an unconventional method that works well without the need for any gadgets. I attached the sling to the bottom (angled) slot through the triangular skeleton hole from the right side. The result is a loop in the sling attached to the right side (instead of left side) of the stock. It looks bass akwards because the sling passes underneath the stock to the left side when I sling up and when I mount the rifle to my right shoulder. The result is the front of the sling is attached to the left side of the rifle and the rear of the sling is attached to the right side of the rifle. But it doesn’t snag on the toe of the buttstock when I transition back and forth between shoulders. It seems I’ve found a satisfactory fix. I plan to replace the Daniel Defense Burnsed Loop end plates with stock USGI do-hickies. I try to keep my rifles as plain jane and gadget free as possible. I will, however checkout the Tango Down grip to see if it helps.