New for 2021 from Aero Precision is a product that was teased as a prototype back in 2020 – the Breach charging handle. The Breach takes a hard look at conventionally accepted charging handles and incorporates some unique and clever design decisions in order to make for a more effective, durable, and user-friendly charging handle for today’s shooter.

[TFB GUN FEST] The Breach Charging Handle from Aero Precision

The breach abandons the notion that the absence of weight is of paramount importance. It is machined from 7075-T6 billet aluminum for maximum structural strength. I spoke over the phone with Jayden Jung, the designer of the Breach charging handle, to ask him some more specific details about it. He made it very clear that instead of focusing on making the charging handle lighter, they wanted to make it more durable and more resistant to mud and sand that would be encountered in the field.

According to Jayden, the prototype was introduced back in January of 2020 and from there took a full 8 months to develop into the finished product that was ready for production with things like user comfort taking a big role in the final design decisions. Jayden recounted that he brought the prototype home to his wife who was not very familiar with guns and asked her to give him her opinion on it. She responded with the comment that the prototype was very “sharp” and as such the design was altered to include more beveled edges and a less aggressive texture while still maintaining positive contact surfaces for good control. The result is what you have in front of you and in my personal opinion, it hits the mark perfectly between functionality and aesthetics.

I had a chance to test out one of the first production models of the Breach charging handle and I can say that it truly does make a big difference. The charging handle doesn’t feature a lot of “sharp” edges so it’s comfortable to use on a pistol caliber carbine like what was brought to TFB Gun Fest. Since there is no last round bolt hold open, the charging handle helped in checking the chamber to make sure it was empty. What is most notable however is how rigid the charging handle is and thusly you don’t feel a lot of slop in the fitment of it when using it.

The Breach charging handle is available for sale now on the Aero Precision website and will retail for around $76 for the AR-15 version and according to Jayden, an AR-10 version is in the works which will retail for $85. Both options will come in Black or FDE anodized finishes.

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