What’s everyone’s view on the reciprocating charging handle? That’s the thing on this gun I really don’t like besides the non free-float hand guard. But I understand the reason for not going free-floated since the impact to accuracy isn’t really going to matter to ordinary line troops much.
The reciprocating charging handle feels like it will be a bigger issue as it means the handle can snag on things and jam up the gun during firing.
This was also the chief criticism of the original SCAR (other than being a professional optics killer I suppose). So I wonder if we will see future version of 191 with non-reciprocating charging handle, just like how the SCAR went.
I don't really see this as a big deal. How often does the charging handle get snagged vs the gun gets jammed? I'd imagine most would rather have the ability to clear a stubborn jam using the charging handle than bashing the gun repeatedly on the ground or prying with fingers while under enemy fire.
A number of factors come into play. First is the hand of the shooter. SCAR Has had a reciprocal charging since it’s first appearance. Early in trials on the SCAR L more than the H it did become an issue. The first cause was that shooters were putting their left hand in the path of the handle when supporting the rifle. This often happened in one of two ways. The shooter used the front of the magazine well as a foregrip or they placed their hand under the hand guard closer to the front of the well. In the former with the thumb up it would block the path of the handle moving backwards. In the 5.56mm version, energy is such that it would be stopped by the thumb often without realizing it. In the 7.62x51mm the shooter got a correction. The handle would have enough energy to knock the offending digit clear in a very sharp manner. This often happened with a left handed charging handle on a right handed shooter.
The easy fix is to of course tuck your thumb away.
The other potential Issue is in the case of closer cover if if the shooter is placing the rifle against an object to brace it. With the potential again of blocking the path. Frankly odds with Scar of it happening are probably about the same as a jam. FN eventually though it took them the better part of a decade to do it. For the record Socom mandated the reciprocal handle on the original solicitation.
This issue appears to have occurred with the Early iteration of the AK12. It was one of the reasons why the production AK12 is basically a completely different rifle.
Both AK12 and QBZ 191 in my opinion will probably not suffer hands in the way of their bolt handles, as the PLAs Bias to right handed and the QBZ191 as well as AK’s very close proximity of the bolt handle slot and ejection port mean that if your hands did manage to get in there. Your hand would probably knock spent casings back into the rifle before the handle made contact with you.
Adding a non reciprocal charging handle to scar was fairly easy as the charging handle on Scar is a separate component running in its own track. This is why I call it a Charging handle. Much like on AR15 it’s not physically part of the bolt. It instead is closer to how the AR15 handle lever loops around the carrier key and is drawn backwards on charging but locked and allows the carrier to ride freely inside of it when firing. Scar (OG) and G36 charging handle are separate components basically an arm that mate to the bolt via lugs at the top of the bolt housing. Onto that the arm then slots via plug the actual knob that you touch. This is why one of the first after market modifications was simply replacing the knob. You just needed to mold a plug that fit the hole with any knob. You want to plu a door knob in a scar? But or work it would work.
The change needed to make the newer version (not aftermarket external models) of the Scar was to replace the arm with two sleds and add a pin to the receiver. This means that the arm before now rides inside another frame (sled) that holds the knob. When you rack the handle you pull the knob back, the knob is attached to the sled which pushes the rear arm which is attached to the BCG once you hit end of travel and release. The forward portion once at the front locks the rear portion is still floating the BCG side reciprocates well the handle doesn’t.
The Bolt handle on the AK and QBZ191 is part of the bolt or an aspect direct attached via plug or is part of depending on weapon, the BCG and riding in the same track. As such adding a no reciprocal charging handle to the QBZ191 is virtually impossible. You would have to redesign the bolt and receiver sets to accommodate the new track and handle such a redesign would basically be a new rifle.
Or replace the handle knob with a lug that would have to plug into an external apparatus that would be mounted to the gun as an external charging handle.
Oh, those “weird jams” just happen all the time, in cold weather, in dust , in jungles , you name it , Chris Kyle used that forward assist, and he was on the street
I think you mean Kyle Rittenhouse. Chris Kyle was a Navy seal the only time I can recall every hearing of him in a fight on the street was with a 1911. Rittenhouse did use the forward assist on his AR15 to defend himself however that “weird jam” which was just a failure of the bolt to close was likely caused when he was forced to the ground. Cycling the bolt or tapping the forward assist will generally clear the same issues. The problem is that if the jam is caused by an obstruction or a misshapen cartridge then the forward assist will make it worse by trying to jam the bolt onto it.
