AR-15/M16 AMBIDEXTROUS CHARGING HANDLE Reviews & Ratings

32 Year Law Enforcement veteran, still active, firearms and rifle instructor, armorer. That said... This is a quality piece, mil-spec, works superbly in a dpms upper. Strong, Ambi-dextrous function unsurpassed. Extremely impressed with Phase 5. Side Note about Brownells? Ordered 4-3, normal shipping, received 4-5. FANTASTIC JOB, Brownells.

Awesome charging handle. Well built, looks good, and functional. I highly recommend.

This handle works great. It has a solid feel and works with either hand. Great for the ar with sights and other additions to the upper rail area. Great positive lock

Unlike some other brands which are only ambi when the gun is in the firing position, this one is truly ambi no matter what state the gun is in. When combined with the BAD lever or Phase 5 EBR, you have a fast, ambi system. It does increase the profile of your gun and give more edges to hang up on though. Yet, I run a Magpul ASAP and single point sling and have had no problems. It is has a more extended area to aide in positively grabbing the handle, so this is a necessary trade off. Another point is that left handed, you cannot simply pull the charge handle back with one finger of your right hand but must squeeze the extended lever between your thumb and knuckle or thumb and finger. This is natural and actually more secure than one finger, but you must practice this technique. Also, the unit is very sturdy and well made. I highly recommend for both lefties and those realizing the need to be able to quickly clear malfunctions while shooting weak handed.

Outstanding product for us Lefty-operators out there...very solid product. A bit pricey, but that is par for the course with decent U.S. made tactical accessories these days.

I have tried alot of CH's and I think I have found my favorite.. I have been using it ambi and non ambi, very cool to adapt left or right side depending on the situation at hand. Can't forget to mention how sturdy this handle is! I will be putting this thing to use very much. Will be also purchasing the EBRv2 very soon.

I specifically ordered this charging lever from Brownells to review for my blog fans and followers. Up to this point, I had owned many different types of charging levers, but never an ambidextrous one. I had looked briefly at the Rainier Arms Raptor, but I liked the look and style of the Phase 5 Tactical lever. I decided to order this and use it to finish up my VLTOR 300 Blackout build. I wanted an ambidextrous charging lever that I could use no matter which position I or the rifle could end up in. Once the charging lever arrived, I was surprised at how thick and beefy it really was. Pictures do not do this lever a justice! It is made very well and has a super solid construction. The interior walls are thicker than my BCM Gunfighter charging lever and the angles and cuts are crisp and precise. The shaft of the lever is proudly marked with Phase 5 Tactical's website address and rightfully so! The lever itself has excellent ridges which create maximum grip and manipulation of the handle, even with moist or dirty hands. The lever is large enough to get a full grip with the tradition charging style method (two finger contact), but is not overly big like some of the competitors out there. Of course it is ambidextrous and has a matching right side to the left, with the actual ambidextrous part being located at the very end of the lever. It is long enough that it extends to the other side of the lever grip and also has very crisp ridges for grip and manipulation. But here is the reason why I could only give 4 stars. Although the lever absolutely serves it purpose as being ambidextrous, the extension at the end is simply too long and with too many edges. This unfortunately gets easily caught in my gear, plate carrier and other items I have worn during use. Although it is made very rigid, the very nature of the extension could be easily broken off in extreme situations. It hasn't broken on me yet, but it has gotten stuck in most of my gear on many different occasions, including competitive matches. I think that if Phase 5 could trim it up a bit, shorten it and tone down the ridges, it would work wonderfully. I am still partial to my BCM charging lever, but it doesn't have the ambi capability like the Phase 5 lever. A huge plus for me about this lever is that it is proudly made in the USA! Not that common anymore, but it seems Phase 5 is doing it right! All in all, I am VERY impressed with this lever and plan to use it for years to come. If the current configuration of this charging handle isn't good enough for you, don't forget that Phase 5 offers a larger and beefier "Battle Latch" extension. I would highly recommend this latch to anyone looking for an ambi handle or for any of you lefties out there. Great product and great American owned and operated company! Get one, you'll love it! -Sapp