#Sintercore

When the VP9 was originally released to the market, I distinctly remember the dominant part of the conversation (aside from its an HK, therefore it must be good and pricey) being the inclusion of the extra slide-racking wings on the rear of the slide. Certainly unusual looking, the choice was polarizing for the new pistol which after reviews and handguns started matriculating to the market and the choice went from weird to generally well-liked.

Sintercore, not content to set new usability standards for the AR-15 charging handle, has turned its attention to optics. While various “throw levers” have been and are offered, they are generally not a) universal or b) inexpensive. Those that portend to be universal typically have a universal price tag.

Despite thousands upon thousands of units sold, the aftermarket for the 15-22 has languished a hair, likely due to Smith & Wesson keeping much of the mounting and interface proprietary. Its well know the difficulty trying to get standard handguards to interface flush with the receiver, with only various options able to slide back across the gap with the barrel nut adapters in place.

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.

Sintercore, the veteran-owned business responsible for the first commercially-available 3D-printed muzzle brake, among other items, is coming out with something new: a 3D-printed magazine extension for the Glock 43. The mag extension is called the 3DPlus2 and was designed in a collaborative effort with Eric Mutchler, the man behind the Solid Concepts 1911, the first 3D-printed metal handgun in the world. Between Mutchler’s innovation and Sintercore’s reputation for quality, the 3DPlus2 promises to be not only a good product but also an important piece of the 3D-printing industry. TFB Previous Article

Last July 2013 we announced the then brand new Sintercore Auxetik muzzle brake. After the announcement and short review I received several emails from readers telling me a 3D printed (laser sintering) muzzle brake would never hold up long term. There were also a number of comments about the price.

Somehow I have been drafted as “The Charging Handle” guy here at TFB. At first, I was suspect of the role, but have grown to enjoy it immensely. I have been witness to innovation on one of the most benign and often neglected AR parts. Also, I have been witness to some… interesting ideas. How did this one fare? The Sintercore Tripwire is in the innovation category; it will just need solid execution during manufacture.

Sintercore has released their new Tripwire charging handle, which looks to be a very simple, with far less points of failure over a traditional locking handle.  Something that I have always questioned was the need to actually lock the charging handle, and how much of a pain some charging handles can be.