BCM charging handle for suppressor use?

[dyl]

Hi all, I’d read that the BCM Gunfighter chargingn handle has a raised area to help seal off gasses that blow back in your face when using a suppressor.

BCM has discontinued the design that has a solid body at the T Handle and now BCM charging handles pivot with a joint in the raised crescent shaped area on the upper surface of the charging handle. Anyone successfully use the newer design to prevent gasses to the face? I’d imagine it would make the RTV mod difficult if the surface that serves as base to the caulking moves.

Anyone use RTV on a plain ‘ol mil-spec charging handle and have it successfully reduce gasses?

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I’ve used the PRI Gasbuster and the older BCM Gunfighter both with a 16” barrel and an Ops Inc. 16 suppressor. I never noticed any difference between either of them.

Most of the gas back pressure is exiting from the ejection port so sealing the charging handle area has minimal effect; but the RTV sealant method is the best option to that extent. The RTV sealant works better than the PRI Gasbuster or BCM; but it isn’t magic. Gas is going to pour out the ejection port with a suppressor and a traditional DI system.

 

[TrueBlue711]

I use Griffin Armament's SN-ACH charging handle. It has a hole on the right side of the handle, giving the gas an escape route and forces the gas away from the face. I love it. However, I wouldn't want to use it left handed haha

 

[MagnumWill]

After I saw someone drill a small hole in the right side of the handle body, I think that + a little RTV silicone is going to be my "suppressor mod" on my guns that see suppressor use.

 

[Willie Lowman]

Friend of mine has a 10" sbr with a M42K suppressor. He put the RTV on his charging handle and it works very well at keeping gas out of your eye.

I use a gas buster on my suppressed AR. I have never had any complaints with it.

 

[raimius]

It works OK, but it's not magic. Blast through a magazine on a calm day, and you will inhale a good bit of gas.

 

[FrankenMauser]

Run a standard charging handle and one of the fancy 'gas mitigation' types, side by side, and you'll likely quickly come to the conclusion that the fancy stuff is a waste of your money.
The majority of gas ending up in your face is coming from the ejection port.

 

[Willie Lowman]

Those "fancy" charging handles are to prevent gas from venting into your eye. I wouldn't call them a waste of money. But I recognize what they do and don't do.

 

[FrankenMauser]

If you have gas venting directly into your eye with a standard AR charging handle, the rifle has issues and you're doing something wrong.

 

[Chipperman]

Wafting into your eyes is probably a better term. It’s worse for Lefty shooters because the ejection port is closer to your face. I have used the RTV on all of mine and it does help considerably and is very cheap and easy to do.

 

[dyl]

Update

Update: 1 of the tax stamps came in, and I tried suppressed subsonic 458 Socom out of a 16 inch AR. I've only fired <10 rounds, very slow fire in 2 shot strings. I didn't notice any gas coming back at my face but this is an extremely small round count. I also wear glasses so maybe the gasses are coming back but I just can't feel it.

Boy am I glad I didn't put down the money for one of those fancy charging handles - at least for this rifle. Next up will be a suppressed subsonic 300 Blackout out of a 10.5 inch AR. But that won't be for a few months. Unless Big Brother learns how to lick the tax stamps faster. Who knows, maybe I'll end up with a carbon mustache and my tune will change.

 

[FrankenMauser]

Good to hear.

You may notice a bit of a difference with the .300 Blk, if shooting supers, but I don't think so. Higher chamber pressure than .458 SOCOM. But, lower volume.
With subs - which generally run 30-35 kpsi - I see no difference between the two. I run SilencerCo Harvester .300s for .300 Blk (my second Harvester is what came in last weekend). Whether on my Blackout* or my brother's Blackout*, I don't really see or feel any difference in gas, compared to .458 SOCOM with a Bowers Vers 458.

*(One of us has a 10.5" barrel. The other has a 9.5" barrel. I can never remember which is which.)


Whatever procedure the ATF uses to shuffle forms through the system is completely broken and unpredictable.
My brother, cornbush here, got a Form 4 (individual) back in just 4 months last year. Meanwhile, the three stamps I mailed several months prior to his (all F4, individual) were still nowhere to be seen. The checks were cashed very quickly. Just last weekend, the first one finally came in, at ... ~300 days / 10 months. But the other two are still up in the air.

 

[Chipperman]

In my experience, the worst for gas sting in the eyes is my 16” 7.62x39 upper full auto suppressed. Next worst is a 10.5” 556 upper full auto suppressed. 14.5” and 16” uppers are much less. My 300 blk upper is 8.5” and the gas is actually less irritating than the others. I think ammo choice affects this dramatically. Some ammo creates a more acrid gas when fired.
I can’t comment on 458 or others because I’ve never tried them