New bolt catch from Forward Controls

[SteveL]

For anyone interested, Roger Wang (Duffy), formerly of BAD and now of Forward Controls Design, has been working on a new bolt catch. I find it interesting because I hate the tiny lower paddle of the standard bolt catch. Here are a few pics of it. Note that the one pictured is in the white. The final product will be deburred and Melonited in black. I do not know pricing yet. I'm given to understand these work quite well in conjunction with a Norgon Ambi mag release if you happen to have one on your rifle.

[lunchbox]

Nice! Esp like the machining detail. Now I'm off to hunt down Duffy's new website.

[Eurodriver]

I always use my palm and never have issues releasing the bolt during reloads, but I actually like this assuming there won't be any reliability issues with use.

[Sasahara]

I always use my palm and never have issues releasing the bolt during reloads, but I actually like this assuming there won't be any reliability issues with use.

Same here. Liking the larger bolt catch surface though.

Any idea if this will come with a roll pin?

[SteveL]

Same here. Liking the larger bolt catch surface though.

Any idea if this will come with a roll pin?

Unknown on the roll pin. It would be a nice touch though.

A few more details:

This was born out of Duffy's dislike of the lower portion of the stock part utilized to lock the bolt open. I have the same gripe so this automatically piques my interest.

Furthermore:

The IBC/R has an enlarged top paddle, the lower 50% of the top paddle is canted at 5 degree, the upper 50% is canted at 10 degree. The combined effect is the top paddle is easier to use, not solely based on its larger size, but because its angles. When the bolt carrier is locked back, the canted top paddle is much easier for the palm or thumb to access.

The lower paddle of the IBC/R is canted at 10 degree. With or without a Norgon Ambi-catch in place, accessibility has been vastly improved. The IBC/R’s angled lower paddle is on a separate vertical plane than the Ambi-Catch, making identification far more intuitive, both visually and by feel.

The notch immediately above the IBC/R’s lower paddle isn’t there by accident. As you run your finger down the bolt catch towards the lower paddle, the notch is meant to give you tactile feedback “the top portion of the bolt catch is ending, you’re about to approach the lower paddle”

The lightening cuts on the IBC/R are there to make its weight as close to the factory weight as possible (0.445oz vs. 0.401oz), the IBC/R isn’t meant to be a lightweight component.

And:

174 stainless steel, Melonited in black.
Weight: 0.445oz (factory is 0.401oz)

[Duffy]

Thank you guys
I have kept a low profile since my departure from Battle Arms. My website is almost ready, but without a lot of products, pictures and info to post, I decided to keep it down for now.

Re: the bolt catch, the name I decided is ABC/R (Augmented Bolt Catch/Release) for its larger top paddle and lower paddle with much increased surface area.

Way before there was a Battle Arms, I was already bitching about the difficulty with accessing the lower paddle with a Norgon Ambi-Catch on the receiver. The problem is the Ambi-Catch's release paddle is on the same vertical plane as the bolt catch lower paddle, making identification difficult by feel, especially with a gloved hand.

The ABC/R's chief effort is focused on that single issue. The lower paddle protrudes further, and is angled at 10 degree to give it even more surface area. These measures put the lower paddle and Ambi-Catch's paddle on different vertical planes.

That done, we worked on the top paddle a bit. I've always been of the belief that the top paddle is of sufficient size as is. I never use it myself, preferring to pull back on the charging handle instead to load and reload. But I do recognize far more users use it, so it's made slightly larger, and given a 5 degree angle at the lower 50%, and 10 degree angle at the upper 50% cant. The angled paddle makes it easier for the palm or thumb to access.

In one of the picture Steve posted, you can see a very slight facet on the top paddle. Here's another pic. Please ignore the tool marks, this is a prototype


The lightening cuts are to ensure the ABC/R's weight is kept as close to the factory bolt catch as possible to avoid over tasking the bolt catch spring. At the projected weight, it's still slightly heavier than the factory bolt catch by 0.044oz, but the ABC/R is not meant to be a light weight component

The ABC/R was not designed to work with Magpul BAD.

[oneeek020]

If the price is right I'll buy two


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[556BlackRifle]

Duffy, you can put me down for one or maybe I should say a few.

[vicious_cb]

So what are the materials and manufacture process? Is it machined from barstock? Will the final product be machined or MIM?

Never-mind I see you've added the info:

"174 stainless steel, Melonited in black.
Weight: 0.445oz (factory is 0.401oz)"

[brushy bill]

So what are the materials and manufacture process? Is it machined from barstock? Will the final product be machined or MIM?

Never-mind I see you've added the info:

"174 stainless steel, Melonited in black.
Weight: 0.445oz (factory is 0.401oz)"

So is it MIM or machined?