Finally – Making the Base AR-15 Charging Handle Ambidextrous – Sintercore's xRS

by Nathan S

Published: March 9th, 2017

finally making the base ar 15 charging handle ambidextrous sintercore s xrs

The standard AR-15 charging handle is both loved and hated. Often one of the most underappreciated pieces on the rifle (perhaps only behind the buffer retention pin or castle nut), the charging handle was designed for a very specific mode of operation, namely using two fingers and pulling to the rear over the buttstock. Few can argue this is an ergonomic motion.

While various aftermarket options exist for complete charging handles and various “kits” exist that simply extend the charging handle latch, the fundamental operation of the base charging handle always required the latch to be disengaged, making it right-hand shooter “friendly”. Fortunately, Sintercore, known for their Tripwire ambidextrous charging handle (previously reviewed here), has come up with an easy solution for the standard handle – add in a bit of Tripwire.

The new xRS kit swaps out the latch itself, using a contoured latch and a higher pressure spring to keep the charging handle in place, while removing the need to disengage the latch with a finger – simply pull to the rear from either side.

The xRS kit works with almost all common “basic” charging handles. Its a drop-in kit that includes the latch, spring, some pre-cut grip tape (a nice touch) and a mil-spec roll pin (in case you lose yours). Pricing is at $23 retail, but for launch the kit is a sublime bargain at $11.50 including shipping.

Rimfire fans will also appreciate that a specific kit has been created for the Smith & Wesson 15-22. It has the same pricing.

#15-22 #AR15 #NewProduct #ChargingHandle #Sintercore #NewRelease #Tripwire

Nathan S

One of TFB's resident Jarheads, Nathan now works within the firearms industry. A consecutive Marine rifle and pistol expert, he enjoys local 3-gun, NFA, gunsmithing, MSR's, & high-speed gear. Nathan has traveled to over 30 countries working with US DoD & foreign MoDs.The above post is my opinion and does not reflect the views of any company or organization.

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6 of 34 comments

Dracon1201 on Mar 10, 2017

I had one of the tripwires, I really loved it. It seemed to simplify the CH in a way that shouldn't have been a problem in the first place. It was a lot of fun to use.

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Cody Becker on Mar 15, 2017

I wanted to update this forum after I recieved my latches from sintercore.
I ordered 3 kits. All came in one small plastic bag. would have been nice if they could spare a couple extra baggies. each kit packaged on its own would be nice.
They "latch" is made of plastic. i dont remember reading that on their site. it installed fine but i am slightly dubious as to the quality now. i will begin beating it and report back if it fails in any short time frame.

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- Neal - Sintercore owner on Mar 15, 2017
  
  @Cody Becker I look forward to hearing what you think. I have yet to have a customer report a latch failing with our current generation material. It's acetal homopolymer and has a super low coefficient of fiction (won't damage the upper receiver) and is extremely tough (won't fracture, but will just bend and return to shape if knocked around).Regarding baggies, I haven't heard that feedback yet and will probably add that as an option on the website. I thought that most people would prefer less waste. I appreciate your comment.
  
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- Neal - Sintercore owner on Mar 15, 2017
  
  @Neal - Sintercore owner The separate baggies option is now live on the website.
  
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- Adam D. on Mar 16, 2017
  
  @Neal - Sintercore owner If I understand this correctly, the latch basically replaces lock up with spring tension, so a certain amount of force can move the handle without releasing anything.
  This raised two questions for me:
  -is it noticeably harder to charge the weapon?
  - Won't the dead weight of the charging handle pull the BCG out of battery if the rifle is dropped, landing with the buttstock?
  I'll admit, I see little to no chance for this, but firearms safety and reliable operation is not about taking chances.
  Otherwise, I like the basic idea. Cheap solution for anyone who doesn't like "T-Rexing" the charging handle, like me.
  
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- Neal - Sintercore owner on Mar 16, 2017
  
  @Adam D. Adam,
  Your assumption on operation is correct. It's tension based, and the latch looks like it has a cam lobe / hook. Depending on various factors, it takes about 11lb of rearward force for the latch to disengage, so it's equivalent to pulling a revolver trigger. Because the required pull force to disengage is less than the action spring (buffer spring) biasing force, it's mostly impossible to feel any latch tension. In other words, no, there's actually no change in feel when charging a firearm; however, when the BCG is locked to the rear, disengaging or reengaging the handle feels like pulling a smooth, 11lb trigger.
  Regarding the second question, the answer is no for any rifle tested so far. This is because the forces holding the BCG in battery far surpass the Tripwire dead weight. It's actually the lightest ambi handle on the market (1.0xx oz), so that helps. There's a review on the website by a guy named Harry and he left this: "I have slammed my rifle on the deck trying to get this thing to unlatch (so hard that my handguard actually came off), but the latch held tight." There are also some other anecdotal reviews online stating the same thing, but I cannot remember where they are at this time.
  If you want to try out the system, I'm happy to send you one for testing for free. My email is neal@sintercore.com.
  
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Finally – Making the Base AR-15 Charging Handle Ambidextrous – Sintercore's xRS

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