Which would be great if CA didn't ban pretty much "anything on an AR or AK receiver" *grump*
Given that the receiver is unmodified from a regular one in such a straight-pull -- all the mods seem to be in the upper -- I have a hard time believing that the Ca DOJ would let it fly... I'd be delighted to hear otherwise though!
As to the side-charging.. the model you're showing looks like a fixed, reciprocating handle mounted on the right side of the bolt carrier, yes?
The ASAs I've seen look just like a L1A1 or FAL charging handle, non-reciprocating on the left hand side. I talked to the guys at the factory and they said it's an easy conversion on even a stock bolt carrier -- the carrier takes a little "U" shaped notch in the left side, which can be pulled back (but not pushed forward, obviously) by a little stud in the charging handle on the left.
To be honest, I can't see how such a system could possibly be MORE fragile than a screwed-down key on top of the carrier, pulled back by a hook. Unless of course the sheet steel cover for the charging handle track, wherever that goes, gets jammed up somehow.
Are we talking about the same thing?
-K
By the by.. today was "internship" day -- I got to refinish a couple of SP1 slabside recievers from waaaaay back in the day to match new whiz-bang M4 uppers for some PD or another. Ya know, it just really hurts to see pre-ban receivers on PD issue weapons. I have to admit I wished we coulda talked 'em into "hey... how about we just buy you brand spanking new recievers instead of these naughty old chunks of Jurassic Aluminum..."