Just came across the Wilson Combat Oversized Bolt Catch and it looks interesting.

 

 

Looks interesting for a lefty like me. I'll have to do more research before I bite the bullet.

 

 

That looks more appealing to me, I think I may try this and ditch the bad lever

That looks more appealing to me, I think I may try this and ditch the bad lever

 

The cool thing is that the latch can be rotated to the 9 o'clock position. I'm not sure about the 3 o'clock, but I don't see why not.

im not saying competition guns are fragile. its just theres nothing at stake except some pride and some money. they can afford to trade half a second for half a percent of reliability. plus those guys you see on tv can afford to replace those parts after every match and have multiple guns set up the same way so if something does happen they are ready to go the next stage.

 

The average big match costs about $1000 all in. Most of those guys can't really afford two guns because the entire package can be $4000 or more for the rifle once you include the optics. If something does happen at one stage, you just lost the match.

 

I'm not saying this to convince you use a BAD lever, it is not that important of a part, what I'm saying is in most "practical competition" reliability beats EVERYTHING, even a crappy mag reload leading to a 10sec jam can ruin your match. It is a misconception that we accept anything but hard performing, reliable guns or that we would add parts that would reduce reliability.

thats all well and good until you break the damn thing mid firefight and your muscle memory has you stuck going for it when its not there.. sure if its a competition gun, range toy or something, thats fine to save you that half a second.

Like I said, I train with the paddle for malfunctions...also, I'm not gentle with my rifle by any means. I beat the shit out of it to be honest. I WANT things to break so I can make them better. I haven't had one beak on the two ruffle they're on after 2yrs on one and a year on the other combined for about 10k rds. I'm confident that it will be just fine, however in the event that it breaks, it won't incapacitate the rifle.

is really quite easy. You just slap the side of your rifle.

  

 

That works - until it doesn't... I have seen folks miss the lever completely or cup their hands just so, creating a void under their palm just big enough to fit the switch without actually touching it. Then, when they slap for the lever, they hit the receiver all around it but the lever isn't pressed. The correct way to do it is to use your support hand thumb if your right handed. If you are a lefty, use your first or second finger wrapped around the mag well.

 

 

honestly the only thing it has over just a standard bolt catch/release is its a lot easier the lock the bolt back to clear a double feed or other malfunction. but if you practice enough you can lock the bolt back efficiently with the standard catch/release and maybe only lose half a second. plus then you have less of a chance of hitting the lever and closing the bolt on an empty chamber. which is one of the reasons i refuse to use one. i feel it kinda gets in the way.

thats all well and good until you break the damn thing mid firefight and your muscle memory has you stuck going for it when its not there.. sure if its a competition gun, range toy or something, thats fine to save you that half a second.

I have them on all of my ARs, including my work guns. I got one a few months before they were released, saw the utility and became a convert. Since I started using the BAD I have never had a bolt go into battery early, they have never caused a malfunction, they haven't broken, they are intuitive, fast on many manipulations, make clearing malfunctions one handed muuuuch easier, and make some admin tasks much easier.

 

To each their own, and a BAD isn't a required peice of gear on a social gun, like a sling and white light are, but they are good kit and work well.

Not true. If you use one consistently, you'll notice that your reloads are dramatically faster. It allows you to to bring your support hand to its correct location and skip the SLAP of the paddle. It may seem like a minor change, but gaining a hand to manipulate other problems or keep your support hand located is pretty important.

 

 

Why slap the release.  Just press it with your thumb when you insert the mag.  no faster or slower then the bad lever

Why slap the release. Just press it with your thumb when you insert the mag. no faster or slower then the bad lever

Read my other post describing how I actually do a reload. I use my support (left) hand to insert the mag, the roll my hand around using my thumb to press the bolt catch...even with my BAD lever. I use the lever for ease of operation, not reload/malfunction drills.