Side charging upper

[wilecoyote]

I was just reading montana's thread http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showt...harging-handle

Strange because I was just thinking (probably over-thinking) my next project. I was kicking around the idea of a side charging upper. Mega makes some and I know their products are good.

Anyone offer any advice, input or pros and cons of a side charger? I have my standard Grendel now that uses a charging handle, but with a scope it seems a side charger would be easier to deal with.

Like I said, probably over-thinking things. Thanks in advance for any info or advice.

[dammitman]

side charging definetly looks good. i bought a qualityarmsidaho.com side charger for a 300 blackout pistol build and i love it. one really cool thing about theirs is that if you buy the ambidexrious unit you get 2 bolts to make it either left or right discharge. of course i know of nobody who makes a lefthand style grendel bolt. i bought a left charge right discharge.

[Sojorboy]

Quality Arms makes the left Grendel bolt to match the lefthand ejection

[ThatRandomGuy]

Mega only handles the receiver. You'd have to get either the purpose built but expensive as hell Young carrier, or a cheap and more common modified post production. I have the Mega +YM carrier, it's ridiculously easy to clean even just being chrome. I love how you can keep a traditional CH as well. I have the Rainier Raptor on it to aid with scoped bench shooting, as well as peace of mind from having a backup plan. I'd like to try a left-side charging one at some point, but with a "tactical" CH it's almost a moot point. I also usually charge the gun bringing it to a target standing/in a field, not on a table; it's more comfortable for me personally with a right-side charging handle.

Quality Arms makes awesome product, however, I'm not at all a fan of how their receivers have slots cut in both sides - regardless of being ambi or not. They say not having the CH slot cut out is a bonus, that's up to you to decide.

If you're bench shooting primarily though, and are right handed, you'd probably like the left-side ones better. I bought the billet lower with JBO's rollmark (the Spartan 15 or something), and it was actually really nice. Especially for half the price of most. I'd actually consider the side charge upper they have now (same as Gibbz and a few other different marks) based on that, plus you can use any carrier (saaaaay a PF phalanx/supermatch). Or if you got mad money to drop, JP's side charging upper. If you're a lefty, though, go for the QA for proper ejection.

[Keep The Change]

TRG,
good info here and thanks for the insight.

Where were you last week when I brought this up? LOL!

http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthread.php?8976-Side-Chargers

My build will be a target gun mainly, so a LH charge handle is enticing to me.
I like the Gibbz design and I'm assuming they make them for JBO & WMA. Or is somebody else making them for all of these guys. Being able to use a standard carrier is a real plus to me.

I can't afford the JP upper no matter how sweet it is.

[dammitman]

Quality Arms makes the left Grendel bolt to match the lefthand ejection

i didnt know that. my left charge right discharge is for a the 300 aac blackout so i didnt need any grendel bolt but if i wanted to build a left dischrge 6.5 grendel i didnt know they made the bolt for that. thanks!

[Lonehill]

I bought a billet Mega upper receiver with side charging slot for $146. The Young carrier can be purchased from them directly for $125 w/o the bolt which you shouldn't need because the barrel should come with bolt. For $271 total, that isn't bad. I run it with a BCM Mod 4 charging handle. Sweet set-up.