Charging Handle Follow Up

[MrDig]

When I was in the Army I don't remember the charging handle that we see in todays M4 and AR 15 rifles.
I will grant you I was in from '77 to '79 but when did the charging handles change?
or is my 52 yr old brain slipping and I just plain don't remember,
Can anyone give me a timeline for revisions to the AR platform?

 

[rcmodel]

I don't know as the military M16/M4 charge handle has ever changed much.

What we often see today on AR-15's are commercial / aftermarket tactycool charge handles with longer finger extensions, gas shields, double ambidextrous latches, etc.

A time line for the M16?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle

rc

 

[Sam1911]

What do you mean, exactly? Change from what, to what?

The Colt Armalite AR-15, the XM16-1 etc., all had pretty much the same charging handle:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/Pimp9998/XM16-1.jpg

As did the commercial Colt SP-1: http://picturearchive.gunauction.co...t_sp1_ar-15_223_wbox_rhrec.jpg_thumbnail1.jpg

NODAK SPUD makes a number of retro AR-15 receivers and parts and this page might help you find what you're thinking of: http://www.nodakspud.com/AR Lowers.htm

Note that there was a slightly different charging handle way back when, that was more triangular than "T" shaped. (http://www.nodakspud.com/images/NDS-34a.JPG)

And before the rifle was adopted, there was a "trigger" charging handle version with the handle mounted up inside the carry handle, like a French FAMAS carbine.

 

[MrDig]

Sam and RC thanks I guess my brain is slipping, I seriously do not remember working with the charging handle I guess it's time for me to reacquaint myself with the platform.

 

[TurtlePhish]

And before the rifle was adopted, there was a "trigger" charging handle version with the handle mounted up inside the carry handle, like a French FAMAS carbine.

Wasn't that just on the AR-10?

 

[DPris]

Dig,
The 16s (not even A1s) I carried regularly for the USAF '72-'76 had the same charging handle that's on my newest Colt AR acquired this year.
What changes are you refering to?
You don't remember using it at all?
Denis

 

[MrDig]

no until I posted this Thread I was looking for it as a revision to the platform I remember. which is an odd thing for me, until now my recall has been quite good. In the years since I served I have had little to do with AR platforms when people showed them to me I passed them to the next guy. There is also the fact that I was drinking very heavily while I served and for about 10 yrs after. I quit drinking in '88 and didn't get back into guns until 92 or 93 when I bought a hunting rifle for the first time in years.
For the longest time I have had no interest whatsoever in AR Platforms, I bought my first polymer handgun just this year as a matter of fact. I'm a wood and metal rifle guy and an all metal handgun guy.
Bottom line is I really don't know squat about the AR Platform and I really need to learn it since it is so popular if I want to do any work in the field I need to reacquaint myself with it.
At the tender age of 52 I'm going back to school and possibly getting into an entirely different line of work.

 

[DPris]

That's a pretty good memory loss, considering how essential the charging handle is to operation & breakdown maintenance of the gun.
How did you recall it being operated?
Denis