ARs with side charging uppers -- your experience?

[Whisper]

I'm building up a few more ARs, and for some reason I'm intrigued by the idea of a side charging upper for use on a minimalist rifle.

Anyone have personal experience with side charging uppers?  I'm particularly interested in positive or negative comments about specific brands.  So far I'm hearing good things about BCA and Crosshill Technology (apparently they're out of business now); mixed things about American Spirit Arms; bad things about AR-Stoner.  But there are lots of models around, including Tennessee's own CMT.  If you've used any of them, I'd appreciate knowing your thoughts.

Background: I shoot long guns left-handed, and I've determined that shooting a right-handed (i.e., right-ejecting) semiauto from the left side offers some gun handling advantages.  It's one of the benefits of shooting an AK from the left hand.  So I'm not interested in any of the AR side chargers with the handle on the left side (New Frontier, JARD, Spartan, etc.).

Thanks,

Whisper

[RED333]

I have a right side upper, upper is all I have, no bolt, barrel nothing. I have not built it yet. I was going to see if I could make a 40 S&W but picked up a 40 rifle that takes Glock mags. I will do something with it one day.

[Alleycat72]

I have two. One is a LAR the other is a G4 Gibbs. The latest version of the Gibbs latch fixes the only small complaint I had with the Gibbs. The only complaint one would have on the LAR is that you have to take the handle off for cleaning. It's a non issues for me. I do like the G4 and would get another. I don't think Grizzly will sell LAR upper receivers any more.

[btq96r]

Rope @Dustbuster into this thread.  I remember he was experimenting with side charing ARs a while back, so I'm sure he has some good info to share after playing with them a bit.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I thought a side charging minimalist rifle was an AK47.

[btq96r]

I thought a side charging minimalist rifle was an AK47.

Sure...but bored people with disposable income need some new fad for their ARs. [emoji4]

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk. OhShoot very much likes to know when we're using Tapatalk.

[gregintenn]

Blasphemy!

[Dustbuster]

I use a gibbs side charging upper on my 3 gun rifle, zero malfunctions, easy to clean, devil dog components has a nice add on, faxon, and a few others have non recip side chargers as well, once you get hooked on em u wont want anything else, plus w a side charger u can work the charger without losing sight picture as your face doesnt leave the stock

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by Dustbuster

[SmokyBaer]

I built a couple sidechargers and they been great so far...  simple.

If anything to snivel about it'd be a newbie mistake of my own when i didn't research enough to get an upper with a closed hole where the charging handle goes.  Nothing catastrophic, i just don't like the open slot and been looking for something to snap in there as a blank.