Great Tactical and Practical addition
Pros: Friggen bolt hold open capability on a great rifle which just needed a slight tactical/modern edge. Works great when operating from prone from and a bipod. No need to shift the entire body and reach out for the big long pull of the charging handle again. Makes mag reloads quicker and easier while remaining focused on your target. You can also cant the rifle counter clockwise and reach under with your right index finger to drop the bolt, not the best but it works if you are in an odd position or super tight quarters. All in all adds a great tactical edge re-leaving the need to manually cycle the bolt after reloads. "I'll take 'an extra fraction of a second for $61 Alex.'" Cons: Needs an additional protruding "button" on the bottom to make bolt hold opens easier. Especially for rifles with Scope Mounts on them. Have to do a little wrangling and almost pull the top part out to get it to catch. Could be much easier if part resembled the AR15 platform's advanced bolt catch devices. Annoying to install with the wrong punches! Make sure to order yourself the appropriate brass punch NOW. Do not wait or think the kit from Harbour Freight or craftsman punches will cut the mustard. Trust me on this, I know we all want to save some $$$. My gunsmith(ing) skills are decently advanced and I had issues myself due to this. Just get the right tool if you do not already have one. You will need an elongated punch in the right size. Sorry, I forget which one it is but Brownells should be able to assist with this.
Fitting required for metric clones
Well made product but not designed for polytech clones. It will work but the hole needs to be oversized slightly to allow solid fit and function with factory pin. The supplied pin is to small to fit snug in the receiver.
Works great
Nicely made and works great, insert a mag and close the bolt just like an AR with your thumb. I little expensive for such a small thing.
Best thing since sliced bread!
Works like a charm, it looks great and would get one for my next M1A. Like the others said installation can be a pain, and make sure the pin you use will fit right otherwise you may have operation issues. Only other con is if you lock the bolt to the rear and if you lay the rifle down on the left side, the bolt will release. Could be a pain at the firing range.
works well, incredible hassle to install
I would give this product 5 stars if it weren't so expensive for what it is. It's a major pain in the butt to install, but that's the fault of the M14/M1A design, not the catch's. Removing the roll pin that holds the factory catch is phenomenally difficult to accomplish without marring the receiver. I punched the pin out as far as I could then used Once installed it works great and is one of those must-have upgrades for any serious M14/M1A shooter.
