Most AR-15 rifles, and to be honest, most gas-operated modern sporting rifles similar to the design, are rear-charging.
As a result, most aftermarket parts that are compatible with mil-spec AR-15 rifles favor a rear-charging configuration.
This standard, however, does not signify that rear-charging is the superior option. There are numerous advantages to an AR-15 with a side charging handle, of...
Tired of the stock AR builds on the rack at your local shop? Want to build a custom platform chambered in something more utilitarian, or more specialized than 5.56?
Get a build kit or an upper and a lower and customize the rifle yourself.
The thing is, you’ll have to make a decision between a stripped upper and a complete upper, unless you buy a complete kit (in which case you will also...
Two common chamberings for AR-style rifles are 5.56 NATO and a less-common, more modern offshoot, .300 BLK, also referred to as .300 Blackout.
Side by side, it is apparent that the .300 BLK shoots a larger, heavier bullet, but if you’re thinking about building with a side charging upper for an AR build and are tossed up between these two options, here are a few things to unpack.
5.56 Is...
Can you build a 5.56 rifle with a side-charging AR upper? Absolutely. Should you? That depends on what you’re looking for in a rifle.
Sure, 5.56 is widely available, every gun shop has it, and it’s cheap. It produces little recoil, shoots flat, and has a wide range of sporting applications.
But in terms of ballistic performance? There are a lot of other calibers that hit harder and...
Thinking about building an AR-15 rifle with a lefty ejection port configuration? Whether you’re left-handed or not, it actually might make a lot of sense. Here’s what you need to know about the prospect so you can make a better informed decision.
The Obvious Benefit
For right-handed shooters, the ejection port is on the right side of the rifle. This is so arranged so that it is...
You don’t need to build your AR-style rifle around .223 or 5.56, despite the fact that many platforms are. In fact, you don’t even need to center it around a rifle cartridge at all.
There’s a lot of variety out there, and some uppers are chambered in pistol-caliber rounds, such as 9mm. Frankly, these pistol-caliber carbines, also known as PCCs, offer some distinct, unique...
Conventional wisdom might indicate that rear-chargers, unlike side-chargers, are ambidextrous. There is some truth to this; it can be easier for a southpaw to manipulate the charging handle or a rear-charger than a side-charger built for a right-handed operator.
But there are side-charging AR-15 left-handed uppers that are better than rear chargers - and not just for ergonomics.
Unpacking the...
Pistol-caliber carbines, also known as PCCs, have been gaining a lot of traction and thereby popularity recently.
In a nutshell, a pistol-caliber carbine is a carbine build that’s completed around a pistol-caliber cartridge. While 9mm is by far the most popular, there are also PCCs chambered in.45 ACP, .40 S&W and other common handgun cartridges.
The smaller size and weight of...
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