Nightingale from United States, WA Public Profile

Bought one of these for a 300BLK I built months ago. Decided I'd save some money since I wouldnt think a charging handle would affect functionality to any noticeable degree. On first insertion, I immediately thought it felt too tight. Pulling the bolt back felt more "grating" than my other, plain handle I use in a different build. The grip mechanism also felt stiff, bulky and uncomfortable. I made sure to liberally oil the handle and the inside of the upper receiver and bolt, though it didnt make much difference. But I mostly bought it for the color and the other reviews seemed reasonable, so I ignored it. Unfortunately it ended up causing me problems in the long run.

1. Due to the stiffness, for a while upon initial use, sometimes the bolt would not slam all the way home and catch the round in the ejector, resulting in a round being still in the chamber after pulling it back to clear it. This resulted in one accidental discharge, though thankfully the round went downrange safely.

2. Over time the friction of the handle on the inside of the upper caused wear, and one day I suddenly found myself with a RUST problem, originating from within the charging handle channel. The handle itself also appeared to have lost some of it's finish near the gas port hole.

After the rust issue and a lot of cleaning and oiling, I decided I wasnt going to mess around anymore and just drop the cash for the Radian handle this is so obviously trying to copy from. Fit in perfectly and the grip mec