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After scouring this forum and the net, I finally decided to make my own left side charging handle. I had read of a few different methods- drilling and tapping, welding, and jb weld. I tried drilling and tapping but that proved difficult, so then I tried jb weld, but the charging handle came off before I ever got it out of the house. so, finally, I faced the music and welded it. I have very little experience welding, but I figured if I went slow, I could do a good job. I used a mig flux core welding machine and attached an old trigger I had lying around. then I dremeled the weld bead to make it look pretty. but I did end up smoothing out the appearace by applying some jb weld over the weld and then smoothing that out. Cutting the slot in the dust cover was easier than I thought. Also, I took a page from lone star arms and drilled holes in my factory handguard. I replaced the rear sight with a short rail from CSS and added an open reflex sight. the sight has 4 reticles, and one is a 65 moa ring with a dot in the middle. I think that will be my reticle of choice. the red dot sight is a Sun Optic and claims to be waterproof, shock proof, and fog proof, nitrogen filled, etc.  The pistol grip is a dremeled to fit magpul. oh, almost forgot, I removed the side rail mount so I wouldn't cut myself charging from the left side. I filled the holes first with plugs, but it looked to busy, so I took em out and used jb weld. finally, I painted it with DuPont high heat flat black. one day, I will probably have it professionally cerakoted, but for now it looks pretty good. I did have to tap the trunion hole and put a screw in there. but now it is finished and I want to go spend a day skeet shooting. ps I have a molot muzzle brake I will sell at a discount if anyone wants it. took that off and replaced with a jt enterprises competition brake.

    I decided to do this myself because gunsmithing quotes were high and I am mechanically inclined. I am pleased with the way it turned out. Comments or questions, even criticism welcomed.

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Thanks guys. I'll shoot it on Sunday and update. I did want to mention a couple things. I had a vertical grip but took it off because, for me, when shooting skeet, I can handle the gun faster by holding the handguard in my left palm(and the gun is lighter by 3.2 ozs). also, I took off the tac 47 auto plug because it was heavier ( by 3.2 ozs interestingly enough, and no, this is not a typo, just the exact same weight reduction as removing the magpul vertical grip) than the factory gas plug and it contributed to trigger slap in that it was over gassing the action. I "calibrated it" when I got it but have come to realize it just opens my gas ports all the way and keeps them there. Birdshot is a non factor, but sometimes I shoot buck and slugs and the trigger slap can be painful. I scoured the net on how to fix my trigger slap and got answers about where to dremel the disconnector and the hammer, but Greg at Carolina Shooter Supply told me the gun was just being overgassed and to turn down the gas with high brass. so, now I wait til sunday. ps. my gun has an enidine shot shock reducer(hydraulic action) and it really does make a difference in recoil.

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I really love your handguard and gas tube. Its got me wanting to do something similar with my vepr12. Im thinking of modifying a metal ak ventilated top handguard to work on the vepr. Then maybe do an amd65 lower handguard.

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I like it too! Clever using the trigger.

 

 

as a modifier of things, I also like the re-purposing the use of the trigger. nice job

 

I was considering of doing away with the scope rail, as it's pretty much not needed for a shotgun, and I wasn't ever going to mount a scope on it anyways,  but what stopped me was  the rear rivet also acts as a rear trunnion rivet.  if it wasn't,  the scope rail on mine would have been long gone.

Edited by Matthew Hopkins
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 Also, I took a page from lone star arms and drilled holes in my factory handguard. 

 

I got chastised about copyright infringement for doing the exact same thing. Formally threatened, you might say.

 

The trigger as a charging handle is a great idea.

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 Also, I took a page from lone star arms and drilled holes in my factory handguard. 

 

I got chastised about copyright infringement for doing the exact same thing. Formally threatened, you might say.

 

 

 

 

copyright  infringement?  I would have told those asswipes to go  pound sand,  lone star arms or anybody else can't copyright holes. they were blowing smoke up your ass.

Edited by Matthew Hopkins
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 Also, I took a page from lone star arms and drilled holes in my factory handguard. 

 

I got chastised about copyright infringement for doing the exact same thing. Formally threatened, you might say.

 

 

 

 

copyright  infringement?  I would have told those asswipes to go  pound sand,  lone star arms or anybody else can't copyright holes. they were blowing smoke up your ass.

 

 

I went a different route anyway. Something no one will copy, and if they did I would be astounded and flattered. And, apparently one CAN copyright a specific pattern. 

Edited by Yeoldetool
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 And, apparently one CAN copyright a specific pattern.

 

 then all it would take is to change the pattern a bit and  diameter,  then you can tell them to pound sand up their asses.

Edited by Matthew Hopkins
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 And, apparently one CAN copyright a specific pattern.

 

 then all it would take is to change the pattern a bit and  diameter,  then you can tell them to pound sand up their asses.

 

 

Yeah, well. I didn't and don't have the $ to be brought to court over shitty business like that. You do?.... cool.

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 Also, I took a page from lone star arms and drilled holes in my factory handguard. 

 

I got chastised about copyright infringement for doing the exact same thing. Formally threatened, you might say.

 

The trigger as a charging handle is a great idea.

 

 

 

And your gun now looks a million times better than it did with those holes.

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And, apparently one CAN copyright a specific pattern.

then all it would take is to change the pattern a bit and diameter, then you can tell them to pound sand up their asses.

Yeah, well. I didn't and don't have the $ to be brought to court over shitty business like that. You do?.... cool.

Were you trying to make money off it? Cause I cant see how anyone could sue you if you weren't making any money off it.

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And, apparently one CAN copyright a specific pattern.

then all it would take is to change the pattern a bit and diameter, then you can tell them to pound sand up their asses.

Yeah, well. I didn't and don't have the $ to be brought to court over shitty business like that. You do?.... cool.

Were you trying to make money off it? Cause I cant see how anyone could sue you if you weren't making any money off it.

 

 

No, personal use. You are more than welcome to get the details from Mike Rogers. He didn't get pissy with me, nor I with him. It was a step in the progression of my build. That is all.

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Id be pissed. And the way mt attitude is if someone told me they were going to sue me for drilling holes in my handguards id have done it and poated many high quality pictures of it. And id also post a how to. I mean come one if court they are going to want to know damages and if your the only one that has one of the handguards you made the only damages they could make up would be a lost sell to you. To me someone making threats loke that is very unamerican. Copyright or not

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Sunday Morning and I have to postpone my shooting til this afternoon. After reading through the posts on this thread, I do want to say that my hole drill pattern is different. That should be enough to keep me out of trouble. But.. unless he is manufacturing the handguard from scratch, how can he copyright a modification as simple as drilling holes in an OEM Russian handguard? YEOLDETOOL, Id like to see pictures of your handguard. you got me curious. I am dying to get out and shoot this thing today!!

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the style patent issue here has really ruffled some feathers. seems I've stirred the pot. this is good. although what I really want to talk about is the ergonomic aspect of a left side charging handle. seems to me, it is a major design flaw for an otherwise perfect combat shotgun. dirt getting into the action due to the slot in the dustcover could be a concern, but this is the ak platform, designed to take a lickin and keep on tickin.

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YEOLDETOOL, Id like to see pictures of your handguard. you got me curious. I am dying to get out and shoot this thing today!!

 

 

I'll post up some pictures again. I took them down while getting pissy about the NYUnSafeAct. And I need to take some new pictures. Until then.....

post-23857-0-73392300-1399232120_thumb.jpg

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well, heres the report: the left side charging handle was awesome. I can tell it was always meant to be there. the red ring sight was super accurate once I zeroed it with slugs and skeet had no chance unless they were doubles. unfortunately, after 250 rounds the charging handle weld broke. but I was already so used to it that I kept reaching for it. that tells me it was meant to be there. anyway, I am not giving up. I am going to clean up the area and reweld. one thing to keep in mind if you have or want a left side charging handle: it comes back enough to smack you in the mouth if you are too close. I was so preoccupied with looking through my red ring sight that I got close enough for it to hit my lip and feel it in my tooth. a quick check and I knew my tooth was still in tact and my lip wasn't too fat. all in all a great day despite my weld breaking. gonna reattach and then go again.

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Are you beveling the charging handle before welding?  Charging handles have such a small surface to weld that it's hard to get enough heat to get good penetration to the much larger parent material (bolt carrier) without TIG'ing.

 

Where is the weld breaking?

 

Is it breaking off clean from the bolt carrier?  If so, no penetration on the BC.

 

If you have a pic of the broken off parts, post em.  We don't care if the welds are ugly.  If not, and it breaks again, make sure and take pics.  This can be diagnosed by seeing how it comes off.

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Yes it broke off clean from the bolt carrier for the most part. I did bevel the handle. this time I beveled it a bit more and got the weld hotter and put more material around the handle. the base of the handle was actually glowing red at one point. I know I should have taken pictures and posted them. if it breaks off again I will, but this weld is much stronger I hope. it certainly appears to be.

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  • 2 months later...

My left side charging handle is the shit. I read that the reason Kalishnakov put the charging handle on the right side of the ak is because the soldiers were so used to it being there with their mosin nagants. now, after putting mine on and loving it, I think every AR style rifle should have one also.

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